Hello all. Hope you are well and safe this Tuesday morning. Gosh, here we are in the last few days of July. Amazing! Township schools start here this week. The State Fair starts on Friday. Gardens are starting to take off and produce. Life just goes forward.
It is a muggy morning. The dew has just saturated everything. It is wet out there. Walk out the door and you are literally wearing the air! I know I have complained about the heat and humidity, but don't get me wrong, I am not looking forward to winter at all!!! Not this girl.
I just want a little break from the mid 90's - and three-digit heat indexes. It is coming - yippee!!! By the end of the week, it should be so much more refreshing outside.
The weeds and the grass are just growing like crazy!! We had rain over the weekend and a lot of rain yesterday morning - so things are going to town. I can't keep up! It is almost overwhelming. It is too hot to be out there, so it has to just keep growing. Mornings the grass is way too wet to cut, and afternoons are just too hot. (nights are full of mosquitos - so a no there). Sigh!!!!
You see different things and experience all kinds of stuff.
I noticed last evening about dusk; the sky was gorgeous and gave a glow to everything. The purple phlox looked to be iridescent and glowing! I wish I had tried to get a picture of it. Such a lovely sight.
I had a groundhog visit for a day or two, just checking things out. When scared it would run under the shed. Funny, I think it was too busy under there to stay. LOL! Opie the opossum lives under there, and a couple of stray cats hang out in the shade during the heat of the day. It seems to have just wondered on its way.
The golden finches and the hummingbirds are so pretty and give pleasure during the summer days. Butterflies - oh they are beautiful.
Just the many sights of summer.
Yesterday I had a great niece reach out to me, wanting to learn some of the 'old' ways! She is in her early 30's and she and her man and kiddos, are starting to 'homestead' (live in Arkansas). They have chickens, she is baking breads, and she has taught herself to can and is trying to make everything herself. They are talking about getting some goats. She is a nurse, and she has really started realizing just how our food system is harming us. She wants things to be natural for her family. I LOVE IT!
She wants to learn. She wants many of the old family recipes that I can share from her grandma and aunts.
That just made my day!
I told her, I prefer to write the recipes down and mail to her, as I just think it is important to have things that aren't on the computer - just in case. She liked that, as it is also a keepsake!
I hope each of us here, can pass on some of the past to our families. The young folks need to learn these things. I know some people might think that is crazy, but you just never know. It could be very important someday in taking care of their families. I kind of think there is a resurgence of wanting to know that knowledge and wanting to know about their ancestors.
I went out to feed all this morning, and I got busy with one thing after another. Came in and washed my head and started piddling around and was like "oops" it is blog day! Almost forgot. It is funny how all the random things in life seem to catch our attention sometimes, and we just get into a different groove!
I am learning to go with it. Life is never predictable, so just go with the flow and take it a day at a time. If it gets done, it gets done - if not, well......................it isn't the end of the world.
I am finally learning this, after all these years. I can only do so much. Things are different than they were even last year. I get tired easier now. I need naps more often now. But it is OK.
I don't have to keep up with others, I only owe it to myself to be ME!
I hope you get it too!
So, there you have how my mind works, when I get into the random crap that shows up and flows in!!!!
I am off to do laundry and then sew some. Enjoy your day - take things as they come - don't rush or sweat the small things. Stay cool and hoping all is going well in your life.
Que' sera, sera!
Have a lovely day to all my blog family!!!!!!
Oh, how neat to be able to share those old family recipes with your niece. They are such treasures that bring me back to another time and place. 💕
ReplyDeleteIt’s definitely humid! Soaking wet is the right word. 😂
I think it is neat too. I have past lots of them to some of the other gals - but she is just interested. They sure can take you back in time.
DeleteIt is wet out - the sun just makes it worse. Stay cool.
School is starting back already? That's crazy, what happened to starting after labor day?
ReplyDeleteIt's nice that your gr. niece reached out to you. There are a lot of people opening their eyes to the way thigs are right now and to many, it just doesn't add up. Real food doesn't have all of the chemicals and additives. Pass that stuff up at the store.
Yep, township schools start this week and city schools next week. I know, we never went back until after Labor Day - guess we thank year-round schooling for it!
DeleteI just love it. She was talking about the stuff in processed food and wants to go as natural as possible. I just hope we can all impart some old-world wisdom to others. It is so very important.
Love it! Years (40?) ago, I gathered a bunch of family favorite recipes from my Mom's collection and the cookbooks she regularly used and created a "Family Favorites" recipe book in 3-ring binders for each of my sisters, my mom, and my aunts as a Christmas gift. About 20 years later, I asked my aunts and sisters for recipes they'd loved since I first "published" it, and I did an updated edition for my nieces and nephews (in their 20s and living on their own). I also printed out inserts for each of my sisters and aunts, so they could update their copy. Some were written in my grandma's handwriting or were annotated as being from her kitchen. Those are the recipes I cherish and its the cookbook I turn to most often.
ReplyDeleteThat is cool and such a wonderful gift. I absolutely love getting and giving gifts like that. Their writing means so much too. A gift that just keeps giving. Hopefully the youngsters pass them on as well.
DeleteLori I have a very old cookbook of my mothers that is falling apart now. I love reading the annotations that she left on so many of the recipes, usually just tweaks or explanations.
DeleteJ - I have my mom's book as well. Those little notes sure make it joyful to read! You are very lucky!
DeleteCheryl,
ReplyDeletethat just does my heart so much good to hear that one of "the younger ones" is interested in the old ways. Our family is the same way, we garden and process/can foods together, we talk about the old ways and are all pretty much on the same page when it comes to processed foods from the store.
IF I could give one piece of advice for you to pass on to your niece and others....learn about bees and if possible get a hive and learn to use and process your own honey. I understand they re not for some people but they have a good place on a homestead.
I am excited for you to pass on your wisdom, it give me hope.
JC
It sure warmed my heart - when she asked. I love it that so many have so much to offer. It is the wisdom of the 'ages'. It sure beats anything you can learn from a book in my opinion.
DeleteThat would be cool, if you had the area for it. Honey is so pure and basically the one perfect food that will never go bad. I will mention that to her, not sure how big of an area she has. I hope I get to see pics of her place one day.
Thank you.
It is definitely a "wearing the air" day. We have been inside with only a brief trip outside. Looking forward to some cooler days before the leaves fall.
ReplyDeleteIt is priceless that your gr-niece is interested in old recipes. Good for them taking control over their food.
Your garden is going to town! Doesn't seem like the heat has affected it adversely.
I have been out a couple times and boy it is something. Here it is almost 3PM, and my grass is still glistening with water drops - out front and in the sun!!!! It's crazy.
DeleteI am glad to hear more people taking back control. It is just so neat.
Seems the ripening of the tomatoes may have slowed with the extreme heat, but that is it. It is still thriving.
Yep, me too, I am 70 and learning that I need to pace myself now. I was on vacation earlier in the month and walked way too much each day and now my feet are still sore with blisters. I was worried about seeing "everything" as I won't ever be going back to that place, but I should have just enjoyed fewer things at a slower pace.
ReplyDeleteI am 70 as well - and each year, there is a bit of a change. I am just slowing down more and pacing myself. If not I will be tired for days. It is hard to do, I understand. I just hope you enjoyed every moment you were away!!!
DeleteThat is wonderful that your great nieces want your recipes and knowledge about homesteading. My mom was not a great cook - and I am not one either! But I treasure the recipe notebook she put together for me. She was a very creative person and painted a watercolor of herself standing at the stove and attached it to the cover. That is what I treasure most along with her handwriting with the recipes being secondary for me. It is one of the few items I took with me when I evacuated last year for one of the hurricanes.
ReplyDeleteI do things at my own pace. I’m not in a competition. I’m retired after all!
Take it easy in this heat, Cheryl. We have an extreme heat warning (feels like temp of 118) which is very unusual for us.
What a neat thing to have. I bet the watercolor is just lovely. That is so cool - a forever treasure for sure! I would have taken it as well! Irreplaceable.
DeleteI am finally learning there is no competition, except me!!! I can be my own worst enemy!!
You stay in and cool as well. It is just unbearable out.
Part of Kurt's and Kris's Christmas baskets are a few of the family recipes each year. The first year I gave them small photo albums that contained 4 cards of family recipes, last year they got 4 more recipes to add to the collection and I will do the same this year.
ReplyDeleteHere the students have another month of holidays.
God bless.
That is a neat gift for the boys. I love it that both boys cook and do home things.
DeleteYour kiddos are lucky. I wish it were that way here. They get a lot less time off, since we went to year round school.
I love that your niece reached out to you to learn more. I wish I had been as dedicated to that in my younger years. She is making wise choices for her family. It felt like a swamp today here. Just way too muggy! It's almost 10 PM her and the humidity will knock you down! I've decided that spring is my favorite season! Haha! Rest as much as you need to. This weather requires it! I love that picture...so colorful!
ReplyDeleteI am really glad she has decided to make good choices for her boys. It will be a good life.
DeleteI hear you! The muggy meter is beyond high. It sure has been a hot month. I like spring and fall. Both are so pretty. I thought is was pretty and so colorful. Kind of looks old-fashioned.
Cheryl, I love this post :) Life is an adventure and we just need to all calm down and enjoy the ride sometimes. I love that your niece wants your wisdom. I have an aunt who is still very influential in my life. I love to pick her brain on how she does things. Without all the social media stuff, we used to go to the women in our lives and consider them "influencers." We need to get back to that, in my opinion. Have a wonderful Wednesday!!
ReplyDeleteI do believe more need to look to family for ideas and tips. We need to keep that knowledge alive. Sure there are You Tube channels out there - but that isn't keeping the family history alive. We need that too. We wouldn't be here if it weren't those great people.
Delete