SUMMER FUN

Hello to all my DS friends  It has been quiet the summer so far.  I love that it has been quiet for once and John and I can finally relax and enjoy the days.  We have no more doctor appointments until September and that is a blessing after months and months of weekly appointments.  

The weather here has been really wet.  A lot of trees have come down just because it has been so wet that their roots can no longer support them and the wind topples them over.  We only have two days this week that they are not calling for rain.  We have had some terrible thunderstorms as well.  The lightening has been so bright and close that you could almost feel it.  But the good part of all of this is the lawns are really pretty for this time of the year.  John is having to cut the grass at least two times a week.

We haven't done much traveling this year.  We did do a trip to Pymatuning Lake the one day and then a couple trips to the Farmer's Market in Conneaut Lake a couple of times.  Their produce has been so fresh and good.  We got corn from a local farmer just down the road from us last week and it was fantastic.  I already ordered a bushel of corn from him for next week to can.  I don't like the corn you buy at the store and much prefer to can my own.  It is just so much better tasting.  I made and canned my BBQ sauce this week.  I was totally out of BBQ sauce for the first time ever.  I still need to make salsa but tomatoes are now just starting to ripen so that will probably be next week as well.  I will get a bushel of tomatoes and put them all into salsa.  I will need to get peppers to put with it and probably onions. John took a count of my pickles and he doesn't think I will need to make them this year.  My brother wants me to help him make pickles.  He loves my lime pickles and wants to make them.  They take three days to make so I told him be prepared to give up three days to make them and also make sure to have a granite canner to put them in to process them for the three days.  They are so worth it in the end.  I canned peaches last week.  They were so good I saved some out just to eat.  I didn't need to do peach jam this year so I canned all that I got.  I love canning season.  It is so rewarding to see my can cupboard filling up with each jar I can.  

Tonight we are having stuffed zucchini for dinner.  My brother brought over two zucchini so I decided to fix one of them tonight.  I think I will grind the other one up and make zucchini bread.  I have a really good recipe that takes crushed pineapple that everybody loves.  It makes three loaves so I generally give at least one of them away or put two in the freezer for another time. For the stuffed zucchini,  I found a recipe that takes hot Italian sausage so I thought I would try it.  It sounded really good and I know John loves Italian sausage.  

Yesterday we had friends for dinner.  It was so good to see them.  We only get together a couple times a year.  We did chicken on the grill with my BBQ sauce and all the picnic fixings.  They brought their little dog and we had a great time with her.  She is a little corgie and just as cute as a button.  We had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed the afternoon and evening.  We will be getting together again later this fall.  

I am still busy making hats for Samaritan's Purse.  I have 50 done and am hoping for another 20 before the deadline the end of September.  I found a new pattern that works up really fast and allows me to use up all my scrap yarn.  I also finished up two prayer shawls.  So I have been busy with all of that.  I love keeping busy.  I crochet mostly in the evenings when John is watching the ball games or whatever else he has on the television.  I am not much for television so crocheting is kind of my way to relax in the evenings.

Not much else happening here.  The bear has not returned lately and we are glad for that.  We have a raccoon family that has moved in but the guys are trapping them and moving them to another area.  John and Kelly have chickens and the raccoons were stealing the eggs so they have to go!!!  The little squirrels have been busy collecting the hazel nuts that have been falling.  We have a ton of hazelnut trees in our yard and they are a pain when they start falling.  We have to take them all up before we can mow the lawn.  We have missed a few and mower will throw them out from under it and they could really hurt if they would hit you.  

Well I hope all of you have a great day.  I am off to start my day.  Off to Walmart to pick up prescriptions and then I don't know what I will get into this afternoon.  Not much because I am tired from yesterday.  I will probably just fix dinner and call it good enough.  Enjoy the summer weather.