blueberry morning

Happy Homemakers Monday

It is heating up again. This week we will zoom up into the 90's during the day. The AC is still off thus far, it is now lunchtime, but it could be switched on by tonight or tomorrow. I find it takes a couple of days for the changing of the temps to affect the inside of the house fully. There is a slight breeze now though.

I am siting on the screened porch watching the butterflies flit from butterfly bush to zinnia drinking sweet nectar, all in the bright sunshine. The tufted titmouse's are feeding on the feeder at my side and I hear their chatter. 

The farmer in the field next to our home is cutting his hay for the second time this year. I love to hear the sounds of the tractors and just thinking about harvesting in general always gives me a lift of hope. There is a substantial hedgerow there that borders our property with this field so I only glimpse the very small part of the tractor in certain areas of our yard. I was upstairs and glanced out the window to see his red tractor go by earlier. It is a huge field so it takes quite some time for him to get back around to our border.

The blueberries have been in abundance this year and I have had the opportunity to pick sweet delicious organic berries at a friend's house, her treat. This morning I baked a dozen blueberry muffin for breakfast. My freezer is packed with blueberries for the coming year.

I feel rich.

I have  been quite active this morning already. A long walk at the ridge and then some gardening, picking beans and pulling up a patch of dead sunflowers stalks out front. I had dressed in a green cotton skirt and a linen top for my morning's outside work. 

Venturing 

I will be leaving the house around 3:30 this afternoon heading to a town about an hour away for an Investment Club I am still a member of though I have moved out of state. I have thought of selling out, but I do enjoy this group of ladies and I am actively learning about the stock market which I am sure I would not be doing if I was not involved with this group on a monthly basis. We have an advisor from Merrill Lynch who keeps us on our toes, especially when we get assigned to the Portfolio and New Investment committees.

Menu Planning this week. Well, we have foods in the freezer from last year that need to be eaten now, like kale, swiss chard, turnip greens, and field peas. These are some foods we are preparing our soil for a fall planting this week. Ergo, my menu plans will incorporate these foods. The greens foods are easy as a side dish or if even thawed and cooked they can be tossed in with certain pasta or egg dishes. And we will be having egg dishes this week too due to the abundance of eggs.

This is last year's turnips.

My husband has requested spaghetti so that will be on our plates  this week.

And I have so many cans of salmon. We enjoy salmon patties and I can prepare this meal in a short period of time served alongside potatoes and probably one of the greens, kale, from the freezer.

Reading

I posted my 2024 Reading List. I am happy to report that when I finish East Of Eden I will have completed all the books on this list. 

Planning

Without fail I am embraced by feelings from my past regarding what happened at this time of year for over thirty years. I would spend the summer months planning our homeschool curriculum and just about now we would be  ready to open the new materials and begin a fresh new school year. It was one of the most exciting times for me personally. But that has been four years since I had as student in the home so this year in a burst of mind activity I decided why should I stop! I've always loved learning, that is what I attempted to teach my children, to be lifetime learners.

But, I need a plan to stick with and this was the year to do so without any reservations. I will be blogging a post on the specifics later this week if anyone is interested. But I am already  super motivated. I am even enlisting my husband to go along with me with one of the subjects.

Embroidering/Sewing

I finished the Thimble Pip. By the way this pattern is the second stitching item I have completed from Lorna Bateman's book, Country Gardens. 

I sit on the porch for a little while every early evening and hand quilt while listening to a new podcast I just discovered.

The Art of Home.

Bible and Memorization

 Daily devotional reading: I Kings 13 and II Thessalonians 5

I have memorized up to Hebrews 3:1-4. For my method of Scripture memorization I learn at least a new verse every day or two. And I review what I have already memorized. This takes about 15- 20 minutes a day of concentrated work. During the day you can use some mind time going over whatever verses you would like.

"Give me a moment to cry for joy. 

It's so delicious to cry for joy."

~Charles Dickens

Our Mutual Friend

After I had left the front porch where I had sat while doing my quiet time, this is what I saw from the front door, my two outside cats enjoying the morning sun.

Louie is the red hairy one in the top, he is old.

And Myrtle, the tabby who we adopted when we moved here. She must have belonged to the man who last lived here and died; she welcomed and loved us from the beginning.

I am on to my housekeeping chore of the day, ironing.