For Tamara and Amy K

This is for you two, though there might be some other reader of my long lost blog out there somewhere. Amy K sent me a message recently about putting time and energy into her real friendships that require time and effort. Facebook status updates don't count. I am guilty of that to the hilt. I'm on Facebook a lot compared to what I need to be. So, all that to say this blog post effort is for the two of you so you know where my mind is and what I do each day.

Today I hit the baseball out of the park on the homefront. I picked almost all the last of the garden produce: zuchinni, green tomatoes, 4 bell peppers, cucumbers and rhubarb. Much later I canned two quarts of pickles which are so simple it almost isn't funny. But earlier in the afternoon I cleaned out the master closet to create a little work area. I uncovered the teak breakfast table I bought my mom when I was 14 (for Mother's Day). Then I moved in a lamp, moved around all the clothes and boxes and cleaned both bathrooms. It looks nice in there and I finally have a place where the kids can't get to the scissors and I can do a craft project and stop in the middle without fear of cereal spilling on it 30 minutes later. I'd go get a picture if it, but the baby is sleeping in my room and I am not waking that kid for anything save a fire. I was just about to say "And the second coming of Christ" but then it freaked me out to think I might be raptured and some of the kids would be here alone. Then I remembered the verse about the kids being saved through their parents and I relaxed knowing all the kids would come to heaven with me if that happened. They are all under the age of reason so they are in the clear. Weird thoughts I know.

I also cleaned up about 2 gallons of little acorns yesterday. I worried someone would slip on them since a lot of folks walk in our cul-de-sac and the sidewalk was rife with acorns. Our pin oak in the front is dropping them like crazy. I looked about an hour ago and the sidewalk was filling up again. So I guess I have some work cut our for me. Our lawn is going to be pin oak nursery if I don't get out there and get them off the lawn. I still have about 3 or 4 wheelbarrows of bark to spread too. Alan will have to do the gravel. My spine can't take the load of gravel.

What else? I just made some pizza dough to freeze and to make pigs in a blanket (pizza dough wrapped hot dogs) for the kids for lunch. Have you ever made those? Knowing Amy K and Tamara, I bet you both use whole wheat flour for this kind of thing. I only buy white flour in bulk, so maybe next time.

I am on the look out for apples! I want to make a huge batch of applesauce for the winter again. Most of the apple sources have gone bad this year. I also have about 4 lbs of rhubarb to deal with today. I think I might have to make some jam, or a pie. I think I have a frozen pie crust in the freezer I could use. But we're still working on the Costco pumpkin pie I bought last weekend. Those are so much bigger when you get them home. It's weird.

That's all I have at present!