Monday, September 13, 2021

 The hot and humid have returned.  I looked back at my blog from last year and we were much cooler in September with even a bit of frost.  Looks like this will be a warmer Fall as the days ahead seem filled with 80de. temps.   The warmer temps had me outdoors this morning early before it got too hot so I could catch up on weeding.  I complain about not feeling like my old self since my surgeries but in the Sping I had to hire the Amish kiddos to come and weed.  So I'm happy I can get it done myself now.  It might take me longer but what do I have to do anyway?  Well, I have kept busy.

I did a little painting in our little master bath. A bright shade of pale yellow and painted the vanity white. I still have a few other projects here but I like the new color.

Canning the garden produce has kept me busy too.  I'm getting a bit tired of the tomatoes but I know come winter I will sure miss the fresh off the vine goodness!  I've made spaghetti sauce this year and I need to tweak the recipe a bit.  But it will be a good base for those Fall and Winter dishes.  I was able to make a batch of applesauce from the apples on our tree but we also took a trip the orchard. 
They were just getting ready for "pick your own" time.  I'm not interested in that anymore. I'll just pick my selection from the store thank you!  Mums were out for sale and other things like squash and even sunflowers.

This is the first year I've seen them grow sunflowers.  Very pretty!
The apples from the orchard were good but I had enough of our own apples to make sauce as well as a dish my Mom always made in the Fall.  She called them "apple slices"...like a giant apple pie but it has a glaze on it and you cut it into squares...or I guess you could call them "slices".

It makes a good amount in the sheet cake pan and I was able to take some to my BFF Donna as well as sending some to Jack's office for his staff. Not good to have these around if one is trying not to eat sweets!
This Sunday I did a little volunteering for the Cancer Society.  There was a fund raiser at the Fairgrounds and I helped at the tables that were selling raffle tickets for baskets.
Here's my good friend Gayle! We had a nice afternoon doing a good deed for pediatric cancer patients and their families. 

Tuffy the  Ashland University mascot was there so I made..I mean asked...Gayle to pose. It was hot on Sunday and I don't know how that guy kept his cool all afternoon!
There were other booths and fun things for the kiddos to do.  Food trucks and music made it a nice way to raise funds and for families to enjoy the time. 
I always get a new figurine every Fall from the Lori Mitchell collection of her cute trick or treaters. I've been joking that I will go as the bride of Frankenstein for Halloween since I have so many scars from my surgeries.  So I thought getting this little bride of Frankie was a good idea!
Finally, a walk in the garden had me watching butterflies on the sedum.  A peaceful way to end the week.




5 comments:

Deb J. in Utah said...

Hello Ya Ya, Lovely post. Your bathroom looks great. I love the colors. You have sure been busy in your kitchen and everything looks so delicious! I love that bride-of-Frankenstein figurine. So cute. What a great act of service to volunteer to raise funds for cancer research. My grandson is a survivor or brain cancer, (when he was just six) so thank you for helping out with this very important cause. Hope you have a good week.

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, YaYa!

Yessum, a warmer than normal fall can get old fast. I know that you are eager for that nip in the air signalling that it is time for Jack-o-Lantern carving and H-ween decorating.

Clearly you are still in the game, dear friend. In a day's time, you get plenty done inside and outside the house. You have the pictures to prove it. I like that shade of yellow you used in the master bath. Mrs. Shady and I applied a muted shade of yellow to the walls throughout the common area of our house. Like you, Mrs. Shady has rows of glass jars filled with preserves to see us through the winter months.

I wish I could have visited that fruit farm with you and had a chance to see those sunflowers up close and personal. They look gorgeous. I love the blend of aromas that greet you as you stroll through the aisles of farmers' markets and examine the bounty of produce. I would love to place a scoop of vanilla ice cream atop a large slice of that apple pie you made. I'll bet the Yeti in the Woods is licking his chops! (Remember, he has a computer down there in his "man cave," and I'm sure he did what I did just now, which was to click and enlarge the pic of that yummy looking apple dessert.)

As if it weren't enough that you got harvesting and baking and painting done at The Pines, you found the time and energy to volunteer at that kiosk to benefit the Cancer Society. Dear friend, you get more done in a day's time than the U.S. Marines! That's a great picture of Tuffy and Gayle, and I wanna smooch that cute little Bride of Frankie figurine. The image of a beautiful, gentle butterfly silently going about its business, oblivious to the complex problems of this world, makes me green with envy.

Thank you or a lovely post to bring us up to date on life at The Pines. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend YaYa!

Julia said...

You're a smart cookie for making all those preserves. I know it's a lot of work but it's wonderful to use in the winter. You did a great job painting the bathroom. It looks fresh and clean.

You are such a good volunteer for helping out with the Cancer Society.

That Apple pie slice looks delicious. I may try that one of these days. Any special ingredient goes into it. It would be perfect for a crowd. I used to go pick apples at a U-Pick and I remember filling my car trunk. I haven't done that in years. I bet they are much more expensive than when I used to pick them.

Stay safe and well.
Hugs, Julia

jack69 said...

Great pictures and good job on the bath area. Painting is one of my least enjoyed jobs. LOL
The canned goods remind me of mama and my youth. Sherry & I do not can. I tried once and ruined about 6 quarts of green beans I was so disappointed. I admire you guys that do can
Sherry & jack down in NC

TheCrankyCrow said...

Ahhh...your post yanks me right back to childhood. My mum always had a cellar full of beautifully canned canned goods.... My dad used to say there was nothing as comforting and satisfying as shelves of canned goods. And those apple squares....My mum made the very best!!!! They were requested (sometimes demanded) at each potluck or church gathering we went to. I still have the pan she made them in. ~Robin~