Doing my darnedest

I am writing posts when I have time and scheduling them in advance.   Hopefully that way, I will be able to keep up the blog.

Last week (this week, as I write this at 7:00 in the morning), has been crazy with work and getting ready for an estate sale.  My mom is finally selling her 13 room Victorian after almost 40 years.  It is too big, too expensive, and too much of everything!   It has been difficult for her as my sister and I are tyrants and we just want to help her clean it out and sell it out, but the stuff.........I just can't explain all the stuff a person collects in 40 years.  And my parents were not hoarders.  Their home was spotless.  It was just full of stuff!!  

The estate sale has taken us months to get ready for.  We pray it will be a success.

Book Signing/Reading

I went to my first Book Signing/Book Reading this week.  The author spoke about living in the Valley in the 50's and 60's (when it was a wonderful place to be).  The book deals with multiple decades and the setting is a little place called Vonetes which used to be downtown.  It was a soda shoppe.  I was never there as a child, but most of the people in attendance last night had been there and everyone had fond memories.  The book is a love story and deals with a factory explosion (true) and a restaurant gas explosion (true) and the death of a president (true). The author stated that the book was 70% true, so I actually can't wait to start reading it!

The book is called Palace of Sweets and the author is a friend named Sal Coppola.  He ran out of books last night, so I have to order one on Amazon and then I will also download it to my kindle.

FYI - it would make a great Christmas present to those folks who grew up and around the area as most of the places in the book will be familiar to them!

The annual Yankee Red Sox game at Fenway

We go every August to Fenway and this year we went for two games.  I think I  have had enough now for two years!!  I really don't even like Baseball.  I just like Boston!!!  We went to the North End for Italian and it was very good.

Cape Cod

 We went to Cape Cod this summer for a week.  I never even blogged about it but it was a fabulous vacation.  Lots of ice cream, downtown Chatham, Provincetown (I had not been in many, many years!), Truro Vineyard, Long Pond in Brewster and my new favorite beach, Crosby Landing!  We were close enough to walk each day.  I did Yoga on the beach also - a first for me!   Here are random shots!

My trips spend three days with us also!!!  

New Appliances

My stove went last week.  The stovetop worked but the inside died out.  It was 16 years old and so was the microwave (which was cracked and scary).  So we bit the bullet and bought two new appliances.  We had gift cards and an appliance fund, so it wasn't as bad as we thought.  Now, we have matching appliances (Fridge, micro and stove) and the only thing that doesn't match is the dishwasher......but one thing at a time!!!

The new stove has the center burner which is what I wanted for when I make my sauce or my big pot of chicken or beef stock.  My stove is well used and since we went with black, I don't think it shows the dirt or stains as much!! And I need that!!  We went with black appliances because I am not a fan of stainless.

It has been an expensive year with new windows, a new driveway and now two new appliances....

Graduation

My niece graduated from Nursing School.  It was a very proud day.  Quite a few of us were able to share it with her!

Steelers

They didn't win their first game in Boston, but they won their second game in Pittsburgh.  Hubby got to go to the second game so it was a very good day for him!!!

Apple Picking

I believe this is our sixth year picking apples.  Except this year, all the trips couldn't come with me.  So it was just Cassidy and me!!  

And we only pick honey crisp!!

Pears and more pears and rain and crops

We had a very productive pear tree again this year.  I have made pies and 10 quarts of pear sauce so far.  I will probably be able to can a few more quarts, before the tree is bare.  

I did grape jelly for the first time this year.  It was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I also canned peach jam, raspberry jam, and of course my violet jelly.  

Because we had such a violent winter last year, our blueberry bush (which was overwhelmingly prolific last year), did not produce one single blueberry!  My mom's blueberry bush didn't either, so I know it isn't just me!  We will see how next year's bush fares.  My raspberry bush did not do as well either, but I am blaming that on our lack of water this summer.  We are in a drought (not like CA), but down six inches for the summer and it really hurt some crops.  I'm afraid it is going to effect the foliage too.  It will probably be a very brownish yellowish fall!   

The night before the shower

Hanging with my my favorite people!!!

Shower

Oh what a day!

Perfect weather, perfect host, perfect food, perfect place, perfect view, perfect gifts, perfect friends, perfect family......

Really.......We are truly blessed!

I have been remiss

Eva tells me I haven't blogged since June....WTH!


I can't believe it!  But it's true......so for her, I will try to re-start this blog.  Maybe if I shake it up a little?? 


The big shower is tomorrow.  I know I'll have pictures, so I can start over with that lovely event!


Talk soon!