A "Good" Busy Fall Season....

~Wish I had pictures, but can't upload to this computer...and since my other computer is also giving us fits...well...I'm grateful I can check email!

Fall has traditionally been a busy season for us. Seems we would go on tons of family outings, field trips with friends...walks in the park and busy outside. Will have pictures coming soon of all the fun outings/field trips we've taken recently! We've been busy preserving for winter. Lots of tomatoes canned, along with salsa, pickles (Hooray!) and a bunch of different jams. We've dried tons of peaches and are drying tons of thyme to be made into medicinal teas for winter...I never knew how effective thyme is for pneumonia, upper resperatory infections, throat infections....just brew into a tea, add honey and drink. Of course, we are stocking up on our elderberry as well. Now....the only things left to can are applesauce, apple butter, pear butter, can pears and can apples for pies (I'm going to try a recipe for canning apple pie filling...just dump into a crust and go)....and green tomato pickles, some piccallily, and homemade sauerkraut. So....we'll be very busy for the month of October! LOL

After the busyness of summer, we're back to taking more of an effort with our health....grinding wheat for hubby's breakfasts and lunches...grinding lots of gluten free grain for the rest of us. Baking...making stews and chowders...lots of soups and broths....it is so nice to have hot soup for lunch...or even a mug of broth in the afternoon. We have also been culturing our kombucha...and we're now culturing kefir again. Within the week, I would like to make yogart and granola and back some banana nut muffins as well. Still have a few zucchini to shred and freeze.

Along with getting back into our schooling....we're now at the point (let me hear all other mothers of young children SIGH) of switching sizes and seasons for the little ones. What a job! We are blessed that people give us clothes and shop the thrift shops for whatever else we need, but it takes so much time to go thru everything, have them try them on to see if they fit. My son is skinny, but needs the length in his pants...my daughter is skinny and also needs length in her dresses and things...both children need boots and church shoes. I think Anna needs a winter coat. Some days my head swims trying to keep track of everything! Thank goodness, that my older girls handle their own things, and help me when I am busy with the little ones.

Today...I had to completely defrost our upright freezer...empty, break chunks of ice off...wipe it down (thanks to my Honey for helping me with this!)...and while I was at it, I cleaned out the other 2 freezers that we had and organized them. I was very grateful to my Sara for cleaning up 2 big kitchen messes and Meghan for making a fantastic meal for all of us! I so enjoy working with my older daughters in the kitchen! Now, my little ones want to help more...have to figure out the logistics of that one with a tiny kitchen...some of us will have to work on the diningroom table! LOL Oh, well...we'll do it together.

Looking forward to Saturday....supposed to be very chilly here in Pittsburgh, so have turkey and rice soup planned, sweet potato biscuits....and hopefully....all clothing sorted, organized, bagged up and washed for the new season. I love fall!

Hope you all have a very blessed weekend! ~Sue~