New Discoveries

Well we finally ventured out to the local organic blueberry farm, and what a nice place it was. Best of all, it was local, our very own picking farm, right in our own backyard. The man who runs the place doesn't advertise, so the only people who come hear about it by word of mouth. Not only that, but for most of the summer there were no signs, and the ones he did put up were easy to miss. Kind of adds to the mystique. It's beautiful back where he is, and it was nice just being out there. We lucked out on the weather, as well. Cloudy, cool, with a chance of rain, but no rain while were out there. I'll take it. We also saw our friends and neighbors there, which is always cool and one of the many perks of living in a small town. And, we made a new friend in Farmer Greg, who was a great guy, very warm and friendly.

The kids had a blast picking the berries, and the orchard is beautifully done. We came home with over 14 pounds. Yikes! It ended up fitting in our freezer, and it's easy to forget that we're hoping this will last us through the winter. Thankfully we have our new chest freezer.

So I'm embarrassed to admit this, but we actually built a fire in the stove. We came home from berry picking and the house was freezing. It was cold picking berries, and our house tends to be on the cool side, which is great during the summer. Actually, there is only one time, usually during the fall, when the house seems inordinately cool relative to the outside. Otherwise, it stays nice and toasty in the winter and comfortable in the spring and fall.

Anyway, we were cold, and I figured, why not? So I built a fire. Not to be defensive, but I noticed some of our neighbors in town had fires going because there was smoke coming out of their chimneys. And it's August. Strange summer we're having.

With the bounty of veggies, we made some killer recipes for dinner. We went vegetarian, and it always makes me think of A&K, of the A&K vegetarian standard. I definitely think we could make a meal that they would find to their liking. Last night we had curried string beans with coconut (Indian) and string beans with potatoes (Seasonal), along with some cous-cous, which is a good starch to serve when you're pressed for time. The green beans w/coconut were a huge hit, everyone couldn't get enough, and the green beans with potatoes spoke to me, though everyone else found them to be a bit too spicy. Oh well, can't win them all. Great meal, and no meat!

Still working on the curriculum, and I think I may very well get it done this week. I hope so. Our birthdays (R&I) are coming up, and now that I'm in communication with my mom, I'm wondering if she'll acknowledge it this year. For the record, she has ignored our birthdays for the past three (or more) years. My knucklehead brother NEVER remembers our birthdays, even in lieu of the fact that we always remember his, but that's family for you. He also ignores the kids, which really stings.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Brad Harrison for the pic.