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Taking a Bit of a Breather

October 21st, 2011

The last couple weeks have been a bit crazy around here, with the new job at Ethel and all. I’m still trying to figure out what to drop in order to fit in the extra hours I need for that. As a result I’ve been up early working and staying up later than I should.

Sadly, my reading chair is feeling a little lonely (so it Dexter). So I took the evening off from blogging last night and spent some time reading Onward & Upward in the Garden by Katherine S. White. As a gardener, she writes wonderfully about her garden, gardening books, seed catalogs and all kinds of plants in this compilation of essays she wrote over the course of 12 years for the New Yorker. I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

Are you still busy with gardening & preserving, or are things starting to slow down for you?

19 Comments to “Taking a Bit of a Breather”
  1. kristin @ going country on October 21, 2011 at 6:10 am

    I just picked up 75 pounds of free apples that are already a bit past their prime. Which means just one thing: applesauce.

    I’ll breathe in November. Maybe.

    Reply to kristin @ going country's comment

  2. Ken Toney on October 21, 2011 at 6:37 am

    This weekend we are making apple butter with friends. We make it the old fashioned way, in copper kettle over a wood fire. It will take about 14 hours to boil down 60 gallons of applesauce.

    I also have 12 grocery bags of whole tomatoes in the freezer that I plan to use for more tomato soup, using your recipe. It is one of our favorite jars on our pantry shelf.

    Reply to Ken Toney's comment

  3. kathi cookk on October 21, 2011 at 6:48 am

    Things have definitely slowed down in my garden. I still have to pull out the rest and clean it up though.I just bought Knitting for Dummies in anticipation of a long,snowy New England winter. I am determined to learn how to knit at least well enough to make a wooly throw for myself to snuggle up with. Thanks for all the great book reccomendations. These shorter days definitely mean it’s time for a trip to the library to stock up.Thanks for continuing to blog faithfully even though you sound busier than ever.

    Reply to kathi cookk's comment

  4. Jaye Whitney on October 21, 2011 at 6:59 am

    Yes! And I’m enjoying the slow down! I am preserving some things and enjoying that process, but I’m looking forward to some good reads on long winter nights :)

    The garden is still putting out some things though! But on a much smaller scale and requiring less water thank goodness as we have had some sporadic rain.

    Reply to Jaye Whitney's comment

  5. Sonya C on October 21, 2011 at 7:40 am

    Since I live in Fl, I am still adding to the garden weekly. I also just brought 2 bushels of apples home and are canning them in different ways. No rest for the weary!

    Reply to Sonya C's comment

  6. Melissa on October 21, 2011 at 8:22 am

    I can about see the light at the end of my tunnel. My job description changed at work this past week and my business that I run has been busy and then add in the Master Gardener work=crazy two months! But hopefully after the end of next week, things should get better. I’d really like to get back to blogging, hated having to drop it last month, but something had to go!

    Reply to Melissa's comment

    • Linda on October 21, 2011 at 2:32 pm

      Thank you for the recommendation. Gardening has been my passion for some time. I like the relaxation it provides and I especially love the end result. Seeing the plants and flowers that resulted from my effort are ever so satisfying.

      Reply to Linda's comment

  7. ElizaJ on October 21, 2011 at 8:33 am

    My canner has just been retired until next June. I did more canning than ever this year and finally got a Victorio food strainer for helping with 2.5 bushels of apples. Should have had it in tomato season! It was a huge help. The kitchen is getting back to its “normal” uncluttered state. Garden clean up today, then the only thing left will be fall planting of raspberry and blueberry plants….then the Winter projects begin!

    Reply to ElizaJ's comment

  8. Sincerely, Emily on October 21, 2011 at 10:45 am

    I am hoping to get spinach and more chard seeds planted today. I have many many jalapenos out there to pick and more peppers of all kinds still growing. Glad you (and Dexter) are enjoying your book together.

    Reply to Sincerely, Emily's comment

  9. goatpod2 on October 21, 2011 at 10:45 am

    Things have slowed down here since we’re not preserving right now but we’ve been on the go a lot lately though!

    Amy

    Reply to goatpod2's comment

  10. Nebraska Dave on October 21, 2011 at 10:52 am

    Susy, fall is always a busy time around the Urban Ranch. I have automated watering systems to care for the plants and gardens during the summer months. So between just getting rid of the spent plants and draining down and storing the hoses, barrels, and timers, it can be a busy time. I am trying to complete a backyard project but alas (big sigh) I just don’t think I’m going to get it done this year. Other things just seemed to pop up that needed attention this year. Most of the produce that was grown in my five garden beds were given away to neighbors and friends. Next year will be a year of more storage.

    Were you any where close to the wild animals that were turned loose?

    Have a great Ohio fall day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

    • Susy on October 21, 2011 at 11:19 am

      Those animals were all about 80 miles away, so not especially a threat, but can you imagine going out to plant some spinach and seeing a tiger in your garden? Talk about a garden pest!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  11. Grace on October 21, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    I love Katherine S. White’s writing (almost as much as I lover her rather more famous husband, E.B. White’s, writing!). Nice to know people still read her.

    Reply to Grace's comment

  12. KimH on October 21, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    Still busy in my kitchen. Been making crock pot apple butter for the last 2 days & will do another batch tonight.. Hope to can it tomorrow evening, if the weather forecasters got it correctly. ;) I also need to get my last batch of green tomato salsa & red tomato salsa done. Still need to get bulbs & garlic in the ground but its so wet.. Im afeared!

    Hope you have a great relaxing weekend!

    Reply to KimH's comment

  13. alison@thisbloominglife on October 21, 2011 at 6:29 pm

    I don’t know Katherine White, must check her out. We are going into over drive in the southern hemisphere. A bit of a heat wave and I am madly rushing around trying to establish lawn so we are aren’t in a dust bowl all summer. And the weeds, the are growing faster than I can blink. Hope you find some quiet time soon, we all need it!

    Reply to alison@thisbloominglife's comment

  14. mistresseve on October 21, 2011 at 8:33 pm

    The garden has slowed but life has gotten crazier. So much for simplifying!

    Reply to mistresseve's comment

  15. itchbay on October 21, 2011 at 9:26 pm

    I have been working lots. And trying to stay on top of the produce that comes in weekly from our CSA. It’s my goal to eat or freeze all of it before it goes bad, so that I’m only tossing scraps in my compost bin. It’s full and it needs to work on what’s already in there for a while.

    The garden is trucking along in it’s autumn/winter routine. Most seeds have been planted, and while I have some seedlings to tend to, everything else is doing its thing.

    Plus, I need to find more time for blogging on my other blog (not the one linked below). It’s been a bit neglected of late.

    Reply to itchbay's comment

  16. MAYBELLINE on October 22, 2011 at 8:37 pm

    Busy, busy, busy.

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

  17. kat on October 25, 2011 at 8:13 am

    your dexter, he looks SO much like our holden. i’ll share photos on flickr. it’s just uncanny.

    Reply to kat's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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