Conversations with my Senior

At church, there is an older woman (heck she's 85) who was born on a farm in Great Britten. She is very bright, well traveled, and has a good sense about her. She was the oldest child of the home when war time came to England. She loves to tell stories about her life. She talks without exaggeration but with a twinkle in her eye and smiles and laughs at her own memories, and I love listening.

She has many stories of old farm life, the cows and chickens, the milk seperating and the egg collecting. Recently she talked about her father being allowed to own one gun because he was a farmer. But when a fox killed all of the laying hens and was trapped in the hen house, he couldn't bring himself to shoot it and the mailman had to do it when he came by.

They lived in the country and when the cities were being bombed in WWII, extended family came to stay. They didn't have running water or electricity in the old farmhouse and they had many, many people to feed and bathe that exceptionally wet and cold winter. I get the feeling that this was a difficult time, though she never has a disparaging word to say, only occasionally pulling a face and saying that she was fortunate to be able to get outside and help with the chores. Everyone else was too old or too young to be of good use and there was no place for the frivolity of playing outside. Getting unnecessarily cold and wet was dangerous and the people were packed inside the house so tightly that there was little room to hang clothes to dry. Washing clothes was an unpleasent all day project and the drying items hung in every available space, draped over the furnerature, and were rotated in front of the fireplace so they'd get dry enough to put away. She didn't go into details about toileting but had a roll of the eyes.

She talked with excitement about when after the war they put in a flush toilet and running water and what a boon to their lives that was. Then she said something unsolicited that has really hung with me. She said that if one ever had to make the choice between running water and electricity, that running water was by far the more important thing. Somehow that seems like a pearl of wisdom from someone who lived during the time prior to the utilities we so take for granted and for whom many may go without this winter.

A couple of months ago I sat with this woman for several dark hours as she was having a heart attack. Her skin was grey and eyes glazed. I remember how sad I was to think of her not being around anymore. When the helicopter crew finally arrived to take her to hospital in the city we loaded her into the flying ambulance and said a prayer for the crew and their patient and they left with great gushing of wind and disappeared into the night sky. There was such silence for many weeks. I am happy that this strong, resilient woman is back to tell stories again. I'm not through learning from her.

Independence Days #14

I'm glad for this challenge because right now I might forget to blog.

1. Plant Something - Nada
2. Harvest Something - Did I mention the beans have been a success? ...so much so that I've picked twice a day sometimes. I don't know how many beans we need but I may give up processing beans and focus on giving them away.
Add corn, tomatoes, cucumbers (I am so done with cucumbers), watermelon, spaghetti squash, peaches, plumbs, pears, basil, peppers, and dill.

3. Preserve Something - 12 quarts of green beans, likely another 14 pints of dilly beans, 12 1/2 pints of plumb jam, 7 quarts of peaches, and dehydrated apricots.
1 Kitten - Oh not, that's not canned kitten, we preserved the life of a kitten that had taken up residence in the corn and way crying and wailing from hunger. The girls fed and watered it until Mrs. Neighbor caught it and talked her hubby into keeping it. (Hey we took in the last stray and she had one cat die this year).

4. Prep Something - Took Nee to school in the city - bought her books and bus tokens. Wow, this is tough without my chatterbox around - I've always been so busy parenting I've never given much thought to when they start to leave the nest.

While in the city, renewed the Costco membership and came home with TP, canned milk, dog food, butter, and 50 lbs of sugar.

5. Manage reserves: While I was away, the beans got awfully big and so I sorted out those and am cooking them with ham hocks right now (no good ham bone available).

6. Cook something (new) - nothing new but it was fun to be able to make Nee's (and all of our) favorite food - Pesto for her going away meal.

7. Work on local food systems: gave beans to the water master, sent Nee to school with two cases of dilly beans (she loves them) and dried apricots. Accepted food from Mrs. Neighbor last night when Chibi and I dragged home after irrigating (Mr. Greenjeans is working extra these days).

8. Learn something new: I learned to pressure can!! This is a big deal. My mother was afraid of pressure cooking and Mr. Greenjeans has memories of the pressure cooker spewing food all over the ceiling. I read the book and we sat and watched and timed everything. As long as I don't get distracted this will be good.

Independence Days #13

This last week or so has been marked by the bounty of the harvest time.

1. Plant Something - no, got my hands full.

2. Harvest Something: Now we're talking - 2 bushels of green beans, 1/4 bushel yellow wax beans, peppers, the first tomatoes, cucumbers and more cucumbers, a head of broccoli, dill, celery, plumbs, peaches, pears...tried the watermelon but it wasn't quite done. Lord have mercy when the corn and tomatoes come on.

3. Preserve Something: 35 pints and 28 quarts of Dilly beans (1/2 the quarts go to Mrs. Neighbor), 21 half pints of pepper jelly, 1 gallon bag of dried apricots (I think the kids have eaten half already).

The kids are eating fruit by the fist fulls, I actually bought a 1/2 bushel of peaches for canning and the family has eaten half out of the box. Pears are picked green and ripen on their own - this keeps them from getting stringy and grainy so they are ripening in the kitchen. Yellow wax beans are waiting for preserving.

4. Prep. Something We are getting ready to take Nee to high school in the city. We've found a host family in a high tax neighborhood (read more taxes to support better high school). They have an extra room or two and the willingness to take her in so she can take the math and science that is not taught in rural areas. Now what children are being left behind, Mr. Bush? The best students in the nation, all students who are not in wealthy neighborhoods, that's who. I'm dealing with it but I'm sad and angry to see my high school senior have to live hundreds of miles from home. She's gotten her external hardware out of her broken arm but that leaves essentially a new break to deal with.

Bought some extra canning lids while they were on special price.
School shopping out of town.
bought more good salt on sale

5. Manage Reserves I think at this time of the year that focus is on making sure the bounty is not wasted and is properly stored or given away fresh.
Realized that we have used 4 gallons of vinigar in one week and that I'd better have plenty of vinigar in food stores.
Began food storage inventory sheet - more on that later.

6. Cook Something new: No, just focusing on preserving now - though I did have to experiment with the apricots and find a way to preserve them a little in sugar and lemon rather than strait from the tree to the dehydrator (sans pits).

7. Work on local food systems: What a joy it is to can your buns off with someone else. Mrs Neighbor and I canned beans until 1:00 in the morning and quit because the vinegar ran out. She has picked up cloth bags to use at the grocery (yea), and is leaning to can and has plans for a grain mill. I have encouraged her to use mine - that we don't all have to own everything but oh well one more person buying canners and such means one more person who can take care of self and others.

I'm giving 10% of preserved food to land owners and any fresh that they want. Gave a whole grocery store bag (yes they do creep in) full of fresh green beans to the irrigation master as his wife asked for them.

8. Learn something new: I feel as though I am but can't say what exactly.

Oh I've got beans in my ears

And there's still a row waiting to be picked.
These all went to Dilly beans with Mrs. Neighbor last night.

Canning my Buns Off

Hey you all, the garden is producing like mad and so are the local fruit trees - peaches, pears and apples.

I'm getting the kids ready for School (including one boarding out of town).

I've taken on seeing an incarcerated kid 3 times a week.

So, I may post as inspired, but right now I feel I might expire.

Free Use Canning Labels

You may notice there are canning labels on the side bar here. These were created for me by my oldest starting last year. She does them in layers in adobe - I'm in awe.

She has posted them here in case anyone else would like to use them. You only need to cut and paste to word, how many you fit to a sheet depends on your printer. On mine, she puts my name and the date but you may even hand write that on yours.

I put them on the jars with clear packing tape and they come off easily with no uber sticky glue left on the jar.

I'm crazy about them - but I'm crazy about that kid, too. Besides I used to label with masking tape and a sharpie.

Beans Galore

While we were away the neighbors picked and ate all the beans they could. Yesterday we picked about a 1/2 Bu.

Nee: Mom, what are we ever going to do with all these beans?
Me: What do you mean, I always can this many beans.
Nee: Every thrid day?
Me: Oh, I see what you mean

Nee: I think your are trying to feed a village beans and corn.

The photo was taken after giving a good amount to the fellow who helps with irrigation. I call the picture, "Berner with Beans"


The beans magically turned into 35 pints (amount corrected)of Dilly Beans - OK I worked through the night canning.