Too Busy to Blog!?!

We hit a point over the last few days that I have been too busy to take the time (that I really enjoy, by the way) to write a blog. I enjoy blogging because it helps us stay in touch with friends and family, plus it leaves a 'diary' of what we've been doing. I take pictures of everything anyway (just ask my kids...they avoid the lens like the plague!); and at least this way I can share the pictures that I take.

I am new to blogging. I think it will be great to look back a year or 2 from now and see "what we were doing back in"....

Anyhoo, here is our last few days in a nutshell. Didn't get pictures of everything...

First we picked and canned pears. We picked a BUNCH of pears, the man that owns the trees has no use for them, so he told us to "take what we want"...and we did. After giving about 80 pounds to a friend, here's what we had left...

According to my scale it is 56 pounds. The price was certainly right...but pears are hard work to process. These are what is referred to locally here as 'sand' pears. They are very green and hard as rocks. They are perfect for canning! The girls and I spent a day getting them ready...

They turn into succulent beauties once they are peeled, cored, and canned. They are the perfect pear for canning. We do some in simple syrup plain, some with cloves, and some with star anise. The anise pears are a favorite here...biting into one is like biting into a big black jelly bean!

Next on the list of things to do involved a great sale on chuck roast and our bell peppers getting ready. We canned a dozen jars of pepper steak...

And then we harvested a lot of cantaloupe from the garden....

By the way, we grew non-hybrid varieties this year, so we saved all the seed for next year.

Today is also a special day for us. It was August 22, 1986 when Bob and I first met. In some ways it seems like just yesterday...in other ways it seems like a hundred years ago. I have never doubted that he is the one that God intended for me. He is my rock. I love you baby.