Stone Gable Bloggiversary

Take a moment and click on over to Stone Gable. She's celebrating her one year bloggiversary. I absolutely adore this blog. She creates the most beautiful tablescapes, posts the most yummy recipes (I've tried several) and has great tutorials. She is giving away some great things to celebrate and has also included a tutorial that will teach you how to make an ADORABLE fall wreath.

Oh, and please tell her that I sent you. :)

Composting

Do you compost? I do. I thought I knew everything there was to know about composting...turns out I don't. The other night I went to a composting seminar with Wanda. Wanda is my good friend, co-worker, and partner in crime. We think alike, act alike, like the same foods, buy the same stuff without ever talking about it beforehand, complain about the same things at work and basically just get along really well. I've been wanting to take this seminar for years. Wanda signed us up without me even knowing. That's why our friendship works. Hi Wanda! :)
Anyway...this presentation was full of little tidbits about composting that I didn't know. It definitely made me rethink my composting behavior. Composting behavior...is that normal!?! Most extension offices host seminars. If you like to garden, vegetable or flower, I strongly recommend that you take this class. And they even give you a nice bin.

When I woke up this morning I headed straight for my compost pile...in my jammies...good thing I live in the woods. Trust me, I did not look pretty! I turned it, I picked out big things and broke them up, I added newspaper, I turned it again, then I dug around the bottom a little and found this...

...black gold. The good stuff. My plants are going to love me.

From Fruit to Fruity Goodness

It's wide known around this area that I will can anything I can get my hands on. If someone is giving away their excess...I am more than willing to accept their generosity.
While I was in Massachusetts my sister texted me asking if I wanted grapes from a lady at her church. I accepted without hesitation. My mind started spinning with what I might do with my free bounty. I decided to do what any girl would do with an excess of grapes. Make grape jelly. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, so it's only natural that when life gives you grapes, you make grape jelly...right!?! That's what I thought.
What I did not think of, was all the stuff I had to get done after returning home from a week away. The catching up that goes along with being gone from home. Oh well...what's one more thing on an already too long list?

Oh, and an added bonus...purple hands. I attended a Pampered Chef party at my sister in law's house the night I made the jelly and my sweet little niece, Taylor, said...and I quote..."your hands are dirty"...I said no, they are stained from making grape jelly...and she said "they look dirty to me"and walked away...I don't think she believed me. I'm pretty sure she thinks I came to the party with dirty hands.



*~*Ooh, and don't you just love the new canning lids!?! I am so happy to see the old ugly gold ones disappear. I love the new silver colored ones. So much prettier. *~*

The Smell of Baking Bread...

...there's nothing quite like it. I'm baking Olive Bread. Trying to perfect the recipe, actually. They say practice makes perfect, so I think I'll be smelling that heavenly aroma pretty regularly.

If/when I get it right, I'll be sharing. It is so good!

A No Picture Post

I have things to show you. I'm back from Mass., I've made grape jelly, I'm tweaking my olive bread recipe, I'm working on my fall to do list, I'm thinking random thoughts and have random pictures to prove it. I'd love to show you...honest.

Problem is...my camera cord is in Massachusetts. When am I ever going to get myself organized!?!

Good news is...it'll be home this weekend with my handsome family. See you then.

Fall To Do List

My friend over at Colletta's Kitchen Sink recently wrote a post titled "Fall Goals" that inspired me to share my own list of goals, or as I like to call them, Fall To Do's. Some are for fun and some are more like chores but I'm hoping that putting my list out there will help keep me accountable. We'll see.

Kristie's Fall To Do List

1. Seal driveways



2. Keep after leaves and acorns (this is a huge task)



3. Make apple butter in our kettle over our fire pit and can for gift giving.



4. Organize our annual Harvest Party and scavenger hunt.



5. Spend too much time in the hammock reading books and daydreaming.



6. Bake pumpkin choc chip gobs at least once.



7. Take a road trip to Vermont when their fall foliage is at it's peak.



8. Finish all the repair work on my dollhouse.



9. Plan and organize The Rigo Christmas season.



10. Stock the freezer and pantry shelves for the long winter months. (This is a must since all my guys will be home and they consume huge amounts of food.) I will make three extra grocery shopping trips over the next three months to accomplish this huge task.



11. Finish all my required tax classes for the upcoming tax season.



12. Spend time in our home making it Comfy Cozy for the cooler weather.



13. Cut quilt squares and start on my first real quilt project.



14. Make a few Christmas gifts.



15. Start back up with my daily bible reading program. I've kind of fallen off the wagon.



16. Plan a weekend getaway with George.



17. Put all outdoor furniture away for winter or cover if too large.



18. Divide hostas.

19. Clean car and have all maintenance completed before winter.

20. Buy a snowblower

Heading North Again

I'm leaving this afternoon for Massachusetts. This time I'm taking one of my girlfriends so we can run around while George and the boys work. Not sure what we'll get into. I know Boston and Martha's Vineyard are definite musts. I'll be posting on twitter all week if anyone wants to come along.