Hi Everyone, hope you all had a good week and are enjoying a fine morning. I haven't got enough coffee in me yet, so I'm just takin this morning nice and slow.

Started my part time job last Monday and it's working out good, so far. I've got the you know what from you know where, teaching me the job, and I can't wait till she's back out in the main building and out of the office. She used to work the job I'm going to be doing and now she's head of lawn and garden. She's known around town for being a "know it all" and very bossy, I just hope she doesn't catch me on a day when I'm on my last nerve! Sigh, gotta be positive......

My SIL saw and add in the paper for canning jars and went out to the house of the lady that was selling them. The lady had alot of jars that used to be her moms, including 2 dozen half gallon jars. I have seen you all mention them before, but had never had seen them myself. We bought both dozen. Don't know what I'll use them for, but am glad to have them. She also said that she has about 2 dozen bottles that they used to can ketchup in. Their out at her late moms' farm house and she's getting them and is going to sell them to us also. Has anyone ever seen these? The lady said they're small and shaped like a beer bottle, only not as wide. Her mom used to have a contraption that was used to clamp the tops on the bottle, but it was given away long ago. The lady joked that her mom used to make ketchup, but when she was young, she always wanted the store bought kind that all the other kids had. Can't hardly wait to see the bottles, tomorrow.

Canned some whole peaches on Wednesday and then made some peach jam, yesterday. Although the jam looks like it will be used for a topping on ice cream. The peaches had so much natural juice, I couldn't get them to set up. Oh well, I'll just pour it on toast! Saw a recipe for frozen Peach pie filling in the Ball Blue Book. Has anyone tried this and is it any good?

Welp, I'm running out of coffee, so I better go refill and get this body moving. Hope you all have had a great week and an even better one to come.

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), August 05, 2001

Answers

Good luck on your new job Annie. People like the one training you remind us how unkind words spread unhappiness everywhere. I say: Bloom where you are planted.

So much fun watching the chickens grow. I love feeding them scraps from the fruits and vegetables that are piling up during this canning/freezing period. They love them!

Made some pear muffins this morning from last year's canned pears. Forgot the sugar and they still turned out ok.

Summer's almost over and it's obvious now what didn't get done. For instance, I'd hoped to be well on my way making christmas presents. That hasn't happened. But at least I'm getting organized for it after the kids are in school. I think I'll start a thread about ideas for frugal/homemade christmas next month. Everyone has such good ideas.

Hope you are all well and your gardens are producing....

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), August 05, 2001.

Thanks Ann. It's probably half me, too. I've just got to get adjusted to working outside the home. I'm not very organized yet, but that too shall come, just have to prioritize. I'm starting out working more hours than I had thought, but it should level off. Sorry if I sounded negative, I'll get with it sooner or later! :)

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), August 05, 2001.

I've worked outside (while working inside) and just inside the home and never have been organized. Or rather organized in my own little way. Realizing that low stress makes me happier even if poorer....

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), August 05, 2001.

I have a friend who cans pickles in half gallon jars. I like to make electric lights out of them. Get a kit for the top, cheap shade, fill the jar with something dried. This seems to be a hit. I was given dozens of jars this year and plan on making kerosene lights out of some of the quart jars for christmas gifts this year. If you buy the parts by the dozen, they're pretty cheap. DW

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), August 05, 2001.

I'll go one better than those lights. I saw how someone used old ball jars in their kitchen for Lights. The screw top was welded (?) to a metal shaft that hid the wiring. Plain old 60 watt bulbs in the jars. Looked great in a primitive country kitchen.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), August 05, 2001.

I have a bunch of old half gallon jars, but my canner's not big enough to immerse them in. I use them for storage and for steeping herbal vinegars. Although we had a little break in the humidity here, the temperatures continue to be in the nineties. I work in the garden mostly in the late afternoon and evenings. I'm finally just about caught up on the weeding after my 2-weeks absence and 8 inches of rain. It's amazing how fast unwanted plants grow. Been harvesting a lot of tomatoes, squash, eggplants, etc. I can 50 quarts of tomato sauce every year, so I'm always anxious about the tomato crop. My early problems -- blossom end rot and blister beetles -- seem to have gone, so I think the harvest will be good. I tried the Amish paste tomatoes this year; they're huge for a paste tomato. The Brandywines are cracking as usual due to all the rain. They taste so good but look so awful. My biggest gripe this year is the ticks. We are inundated with them, and they seem to like me especially. Twice this summer I have stepped in a tick nest and have been covered with microscopic insects. The last time was two days ago when I went out in the morning 20 feet from the house to let the dogs out. Back inside I felt things crawling on my feet and discovered about 100 little ticks on the clogs I'd put on to go out. Needless to say, it's impossible to get them all. You only locate them when they bite. I look like I have the measles all over my ankles and backside. I just hope they don't have Lyme disease. I've already taken one cycle of antibiotices and don't want to again. Then to add insult to injury, or itch to itch, as I sit here typing this, I realize that I've picked up some poison ivy doing the weeding, and I tried to be so careful! I love to garden, but there are times when I wish it were winter! Ann, your idea for a thread of Christmas gifts is a good one. I hate to buy gifts unless I really know someone wants some particular thing. I try to make as many of my gifts as possible and would love new ideas. Enjoy your week everyone.

-- Katherine (KyKatherine@Yahoo.com), August 05, 2001.

Hi you kids,

Had a very busy week and day yesterday. We went down to Tennessee, just over the KY line. I had to drop off a Border Collie going to a dairy in MI. Was an OK trip, but would have rather gone into Mammoth Cave and had some fun! Never seen that cave. We were gone all day Sunday though.

Last night when we got all the chores and milking done and ate supper, I tried to get on here, but NO. My dial-up server in E-Town (local) was not working at all. Could log on but couldn't go anywhere at all or get mail. Does not exist sort of thing. Called MSN on the phone, screwed up my computer doing what they said, and finially they tried to call the number and get a web page and couldn't. DUH! They always think it's your computer and not their problem! I wish I'd have never called them now. My computer seems to be allright, but passwords and cookies are gone and it's a pain in the butt. OK I think I got that out of my system now!

I am overflowing with tomatoes and peppers. I tried to dry a batch of green peppers and went to bed and forgot, and ended up with peppers pieces so tiny they fell through the trays. I should start telling you all about things I do right, instead of all my failures!

Nice cooler weather for us, we got rain again Friday nite. Lots to do outside. You all have a good week!

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), August 06, 2001.

Well, we have had such a wonderful harvest this year! The early crops were load but didn't last too long. The big garden has, just, out done it's self (and us)lol! And now our late garden is grown beautifully but we have those nasty old squash/ stink bugs. They seem to be on everything. Any suggestions on controling them w/ out pesticides? Our watermelons are delicious but the cantaloupes are going to be "few and far between". I planted a few of the 'Moon & Stars' watermelons and they are cute but not as sweet as the 'Crimson Sweets'! The ground is still damp underneath but we could use a little rain to settle the dust. Anybody suffering for the last storm? I hope it hasn't been not to bad. Well, lots to do...Have a good day.

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), August 06, 2001.

Well, I can hardly believe that summer will be coming to an end here shortly. Only on the calendar mind you, as I live in South Florida and temperature-wise it always seems to be summer here. Kiddies will be starting back to school in a few weeks. I know some of you have already started the back-to-school routine already. I'm not looking forwars to it as it means more hustle-bustle around our place. Seems I'm having a hardtime getting to bed at a decent hour and then I don't want o get up in the early morning hours. Hmmmmmmm....I better make a note to work on that.

Well, once again, NO LUCK in the garden spot. I've had several tiny yellow flowers on some of my tomato plants but no a tomato in site. Pole beans have discolored leaves - sort of spotted and yellowish- brown. Haven't a clue what that is all about. Corn only got to be about a foot high and now is all flopped over due to all this rain we've had from Tropical Storm Barry. Only had one lima bean plant come up and it ain't doing worth a hoot and one cantaloupe plant that is about the size of my open hand. Sure is a good thing we don't rely on MY garden to feed us. We'd have all starved to death years ago! I'm thinking that it just might be about time to dismantle the garden and replant the sod in it's place; much to my dismay. Guess while I'm at it I should think about changin' my screen name to "Brownthumbeilna".

Glad to hear the rest of you are having much better luck than I've had with your gardens. Guess I'll just have to stay a wannabe homesteader at heart.

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), August 06, 2001.

My goodness, the garden is overflowing with produce! I have tomatoes just beginning, snap beans up to my ears already, and the first harvest of corn is over, have half of what I need. Next crop of corn is coming along nicely. The best decision I ever made in connection with that garden was to turn it over to hubby! He lined each row with cow manure from the barn, and then mulched between the rows with leaves. Everyone who comes goes over to look and look at that garden. It is just brimfull!

We are at a potential crossroads in our lives, as DH's Dad's health is beginning to fail. He will need someone to take care of him soon, and the family is estranged from him, (his own fault- emotional harangues and tirades.) We feel strongly that Dad should be cared for by his own children, instead of being put in a nursing home. He would feel utterly forsaken if he would end up there among strangers.

Dad owns a 50 acre farm, a beautiful place. DH has tried more than once to rent it from him, with no luck. But two days ago, Dad mentioned to DH that his renters at the farm were not going to rent next year, and he didnt know who to get to rent the place. He actually spoke favorably of renting it to US!!!

We are going to make the proposition to him that if he gives us a place to live, then we will have a settled place for him when he needs family to care for him in his old age. We currently rent, and subsequently have to move every so often. That wouldnt work for taking in an aged parent. Yet we know of no other child of the family that would be happy to take him in. I like the old fellow- he is quite a character. Just give him his own phone line, and he will be happy for hours on end.

So pray for us, as we see we are approaching this crossroad in our lives. I have fallen totally in love with that place. We are so excited we couldnt get to sleep till 2 AM last night.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 06, 2001.

What busy times you all have ! What fun and excitement! Daff, I am keeping my fingers crossed for you. Monday i froze green beans. i don't have a pressure canner so I figured this would be my bbest bet on bean preservation. I grow Black Valentie beans..an heirloom variety. This is my second year and I must say they do fine. The Potomac pole beans are coming on. This is just a seed crop this year and next year I will grow for our dried bean use. the corn nearest the pole beans is much farther along than that a couple of feet away...that companion planting stuff must be true! We came home on Tuesday night after being gone for the day to discover that the pigs had gotten out. i was so scared that they got into our neighbors garden that as soon as we had them confined again I ran to check (in the dark with a flashlight..LOL). All was well. The coupling on the hose going to the pigs water nipple had broken and water was gushing out in the yard. When they got out they headed for the water (who can blame them) and dug themselves a wallow. They didn't do any further damage and were just out for a bit of an explore it seems. Wednesday saw me get my first butting related injury both to person and pride and I also spent the afternoon at the beach with my kids and neighbor. The water was great. The boys and I are going to make a cement stepping stome decorated with our beach treasures as soon as I get offline. Have a great week all!

-- Alison in N.S. (aproteau@istar.ca), August 09, 2001.