Putting Up.

When Papa and I first got married we had some language problems. We were raised about 15 hours apart in two separate country's and you really would not think that the languages would be SO different. But in some perverse way they are quite different. Besides Between and betwixt, creek and crick, and several other obviously ones there was also some confusing about the phrase 'putting up'. Putting up where I grew up is to litterly put the object on to a top shelf or closet or actually UP. Putting up in Papa's country means to put away or to preserve or otherwise deal with. For example they 'put up the laundry' after it's been folded. Where we would "put away the laundry". You see?? It seems fairly simple now that I'm writing about it and not living it but at the time 10 years ago as a newly married bride it was a bit confusing. These days my family members look at me funny when ever I use the phrase.


Anyway rabbit trails aside I've been putting up lately. Papa went down to his Dr.s appointment 9 hours south of us and brought us back a load of peaches, apricots, blueberries, cherries and a couple of watermelon. He left here at 2am drove 22 hours with a quick stop to see the doc and a quick stop to get fruit and went through 22 construction sites and at one point sat in the HOT black car for 1 and 1/2 hours traveling very slowly over 7km. At 36C. Or about 100F!!! He got home, walked in and fell into bed. Slept 9 hours and felt alive again. I was very glad we had not all gone!! It's done though. I'll have to update you about his knee while he's here. I'm not sure whats happening with it.


Anyway, rabbit trails again aside, the kids and I dried, canned and jammed a LOT of fruit in the last week. Ha you say. How can the kids help with all that. Well. They de-stemed 2 boxes of cherries, took the dried fruit out of the dehydrator, brought me jars from the back room, and were generally good kids while I worked. We've had temps in the 30's C, 90's F, for the last several weeks. Which makes canning in a trailer a very hot affair. So I filled jars and jars all day long and filled my fridge with ready to can jars. I set up my dehydrator outside and put 5 loads through it's 10 racks. 1 of apricots and 4 of peaches. I still have another load to do but the peaches are still not all ripe. In the evening I'd start up my 2 pots I use as canners and put the 2nd set for each canner in a sink full of HOT water to prepare them for the canner. Then when the 1st load was done I'd take the jars out and let the water cool for some time then refill and keep going. One night I did 5 canner loads!!! As I can do 7 jars in one pot and 5 in the other I got a TON done in just a few short hours. I also made Peach pit Jelly. Which we love!! Thanks Mike and Janice!! It's super easy and helps to use the entire fruit and it's awesome jelly!! I had to ration it all winter!! Here's what you do!!


Peach Pit Jelly.


Peel your peaches and put the peel and the stones in a clean container. Can or use your peaches like normal. (last year I hot water peeled 1/2 my peaches and hand peeled the other half for this recipe. This year I hand peeled them all. To make more Jelly and keep the house cooler. It didn't take that much longer and the jelly is SO worth it!!) Take you peels and pits and put them in a pot and cover them with water. Boil the mixture for a minute and then let it sit over night.
The next morning drain the juice out but DON'T squeeze it!! I let mine drip for about a hour. Then you take this juice and follow your pectin recipe for Jelly. Be sure to measure your juice. It makes an amazing mild yummy jelly that everyone raves over. Good eating!!!


I took the easy way out with the blueberries and some cherries and froze them for later use. My friend T uses frozen cherries for ice cubes in drinks which is a great way to have a special treat in your drink and keep it cool. The blueberries I froze in 1 cup, 2 cup and 4 cup bags. For fresh eating, pancakes, later Jam making!! We've already enjoyed them in pancakes and fruit salad and R loves them anytime!! Her little bum was stained BLUE for several days, quite a shocker when you first open up the diaper!! She also love the cherries, pits and all!! Eek.


I'm done with the canning but still have jam to make. Unfortunately I ran out of pectin today so I've been stalled til I can get to town. The raspberries are producing quite well and the boys have had the great idea that they need to make a batch of jam themselves and have been picking for 2 days trying to get enough to make their own batch of freezer jam. I think they would have had enough berries if they hadn't eaten half of them. :) They have about 7 cups between them. They need one more. Hopefully they'll get it tomorrow and we can finish this project. They both love freezer jam and can't wait to 'make our own!!'


The beans are also producing!! WAHOOO this will be the first year I have gotten a decent crop and I love my new white row covers as they are the only reason I'm getting one this year. Then I get to *GASP* figure out my pressure canner. Oh the joys!!


The corn is almost as tall as I am and tasseling. Hopefully we will get some this year. The greenhouse is doing great. I have a BUNCH of peppers and tomatoes coming. One hot pepper is about 5 inches long. I've already picked a red tomato and there are more coming. I've also picked two cukes and several zucchini.


The raised beds have been too dry and the radishes went to seed but the potatoes and peas are blooming and the lettuce is just about big enough to eat. Not bad considering they were planted so late.


The giant pumpkins we planted are taking over the garden but the fruit is small and I doubt we'll get more then a few little pumpkins. Disappointing but expected really.

The Circus Came To Town!!

And no I don't mean everyday life at the Griggs household. I mean the talented actors and actresses and animals that make up a real fun time. We went with the T family and the adults watched the kids faces filled with awe and the kids watched the circus. There was preforming elephants, dogs and bears. Motor and peddle bike tricks. Clowns and games, high preforming people doing tricks and balance acts on the ceiling. Juggling and lots and lots of fun. The kids were super overwhelmed and actually I think the adults were too. It was SUPER HOT in the building and everyone was sticky with sweat and deaf from the noise. But it was FUN!!!

Theater!!

Papa and I took the kids to see their 1st ever movie in a theater!! And we didn't tell them what we were doing so when the movie came on all eyes where bugged out and super excited!! We traveled to the 'city' this last Sunday afternoon to take the kids to see ICE AGE 3. E had been in a movie theater as a tiny infant but of course has no memory of that. Papa went to buy tickets while the kids and I walked through a nearby store. So when we walked into the multi plex eyes were enormous and J was chattering nervously. We all sat down and J figured it out pretty quick. People were talking about the movie behind us so I think that's how he knew. Then the previews came on and J, L and E were HOOKED!! LOL. R took a quick look and buried her face in my neck. It took her a bit but then she was fine and into the story as well. We have Ice Age 1 and 2 and the kids love them so we thought this would be a great 'starter' movie for them to see. But we had forgotten the previews. There were several and, as we never watch them at home, we noticed they got worse with each one!! By the last one I was trying to figure out how to watch the movies but skip the previews. Thankfully the kids took it well and so far we've not had any negative response to it. The movie was good. J loved the character BUCK who saves the day with his eye patch and craziness and, I think, has a new hero. E just sat stock still through most of it, and I put her on my lap part way through thinking that she was scared but she says she wasn't. L was up there in the movie I think!!! LOL. He fought battles and giggled and talked through the whole thing. He loved it and I kept my arm around him just to make sure he wasn't going to try and run up to the screen!! It was a bit scary as the fight off a couple of 'pop out at you' Dino's but all the kids said it wasn't 'too scary' and they all want to buy it when it comes out. We had a great time but I don't think we'll be doing it very often. What with the hour drive, previews and $37 just to get in!! After the movie we headed out shopping for a bit and then out for supper. Pizza!! What a treat as they all love pizza. All the kids ate really well with E quickly shoving the rest of her salad in her mouth so she could consume bread sticks!! J had at least 3 pieces alone!! With bread sticks and salad!! Yup that boys growing again. R cleaned off her plate several times and even L had 2 pieces his favorite pepperoni pizza. One strange thing that happened at the Pizza place was we heard a man call out J's name while we were eating!! Turns out there was another J there!! How strange is that. That is the 1st time we've ever met another J in this area!! The couple had 5 children and I think they were tourists which might explain it. We get a lot of tourists here in the summer. Papa meets some at work almost, if not, every day. Other then a little Travelall quirk in the parking lot and the extreme heat the day was perfect for a family outing.

While Papa was driving us home I sat looking out with the wind blowing my hair, that which had escaped, around my head and feeling the heat, it's been pretty warm the last bit and there is a fire ban on everywhere, and watching the side of the road for animals and smelling the clover, which is blooming everywhere, while listening to the kids giggle and play behind me and I thought what a great way to spend a day. Then I took little R's foot in my hand and undid her sandal and pulled off her sock and she giggled and so after I bared her other tiny foot I watched her as she gleefully grabbed her toes and swung them this way and that. Feeling the breeze on her hot little toes. Soon there where socks and shoes everywhere. Papa was the only one who kept his on. And amazingly the Travelall didn't feel quite so hot, even with the windows all down, and the shade felt so much more cool when we drove peacefully through it and the clover smelled some how so much more sweeter and stronger and more wonderful. The roadside was filled with wild flowers, pink, red, purple, yellow and white. And I thought.. "Now this is summer and how wonderful it is!!" Our family all together, happy, the wind blowing to cool us a bit, the sun shining, the land green with grasses, trees and bush and silly little giggles overwhelming the back seat and taking over the front. Oh happy summer days. Here again. Never to be forgotten!!