I must confess dear readers, I have been spending a great deal of time on Face Book. I like it because as I browse through friends and family photo albums, I feel as though I have spent sometime with them. I also enjoy the immediacy of the comments. When I was a girl we had a party line. Everyone in town knew what you were doing that day. It was a like a big family. FB is kinda like that too. There are lots of things about it that I don't like but for now it serves its purpose nicely for me.
Let's see.... I have been busy this month making Dilly Beans and I made a few jars of summer squash chutney. They will make excellent Christmas gifts. My garden leaves me breathless with gratitude for its abundance. I love this time of year. We eat all we can -- it tastes exquisite. I have a gourd plant that is immense. It has taken over everything. The amazing thing is there is many different kinds, colors, shapes and texturess of gourds on the one plant. Pete and I went to Maine with his son and family. I went to see my first official ball game at Hadlock Field in Portland. We watched the Sea Dogs play. It was very sunny and hot. We ate lots of sea food, walked the Marginal Way and browsed the shops. The ride over through Vermont and New Hampshire was beautiful. My daughter Lisa and her husband George came up to visit from Virginia. I hadn't seen her in almost two years. We had a perfect visit. She was here for her brother Matt's 50th surprise birthday party. It was held in a party barn in East Rupert. The Barn restaurant catered. I decorated the tables with mum plants wrapped in different colors of tissue paper. Then I bought all the toy airplanes I could find in the Dollar stores in two counties. Those were placed on the top of the plants. I also placed matchbox race cars around the tables. Since he has been a race car driver, an excavator and now, a pilot, I thought it was appropriate. I couldn't find any inexpensive bulldozers though. His daughter made a dvd of his pictures from birth put to music. They showed it on a large screen on the wall. If my son ever doubted his life-long accomplishments, being confronted with the video history of his life certainly would make anyone happy.
We had a community band concert on the church green in the center of town. Our band is comprised of musicians who have played in the Hartford Central School Band while in school. Their ages range from 80+ to 16 yrs. old. It is an unique and accomplished band of 30 people. We also had a silent auction as a fund raiser. I donated a small watercolour painting and painted a group of notes. Pete donated a beautiful hand crafted cherry box to hold the notes. We had lots of positive feedback. Our women's fellowship is now making christmas angels from castoff hymnals. We also have a major rummage sale coming up in Sept.
My sister and brother-in-law have sold their home here and will be cleaning out to move to a townhouse in Queensbury. I will miss them here in Hartford as will many family members. But having done a similar move myself many years ago, I understand their need to make the change. This will free them up for the next chapter in their lives.
I am working at Hick's Orchard and Slyboro Ciderhouse as I did last year. It is part time and still pretty quiet up there but that will change in a couple of weeks when the apples are ready. Right now all we have are the blueberries and cider donuts. We have 6 different wines made from cider too. School will be starting soon and I plan on continuing my sub jobs.
My motor home is presently at a glass repair shop having its windshields resealed and reseated. It has been there a week since they ended up ordering parts. This will be a costly repair but is necessary. I did make reservations for Naples in Jan. and Feb. I am looking for a driver though. I can no longer drive the coach for any distance due to my slow blinking eyes. I hope by taking it down south, it will sell.
I think I have covered the highlights of the month since I last posted.
Blessings....
