Bugged

My raspberry patch was HUGE this year! I think it was the cool weather we had, the summer heat just wasn't around to stunt their growth. Some of the canes were over 6 foot tall. It made for really nice picking with no stooping, which I took as a personal gift from the Lord!

I'm sure I've mentioned how much I love picking berries, here I am in my berry pickin' attire in the middle of the patch. By the end of summer the 5 foot path between the rows was not passable in spots because of the bent canes.
The harvest was just as HUGE with berries that were also HUGE! We also had tons of Siamese berries, I wonder what causes that. But there were a couple of things that bugged me...

Now these bugged me a bit, they are the pesky Asian beetle, they do do some damage but nothing that causes me much concern. Now we have never used pesticides on our raspberries. Bugs don't really bug me much. Some bugs are good. I love creation and figure its good to share the bounty with Gods creatures great and small....EXCEPT for this HUGE problem.................

Popillia japonica a.k.a. Japanese beetle.
Although they are a pretty bug, I'm sure they have relatives in Hades. A lady I work with told me they are common on roses and we NEED to deal with them. We already planned on it, but research tells us we need to up the "ante" with these bugs. They stripped the leaves and ate the berries, but did they just finish a berry and move on... NO! They sampled from many berries all over the berry patch. They were so many and to say they were prolific is an understatement! They were stacked 3 high and lined up 5 deep, it was scandalous to say the least! Next year we will cut them off at the pass, chem bomb them, what ever it takes, this is war, let the battle begin!

This was our first line of defence for this fall. Last week Jon cut ALL the canes, Willy stacked them and we burned them. No spring berries for us :( but there will be chemical warfare in our back yard!

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Chocolate Cherry Cake was my birthday cake! It is on my list of top 10 cakes, I don't have a #1 favorite, I don't like to limit myself to just one. I was just a kid the first time I had this cake. My Grma Brown had a neighbor, Vel Sullivan, who was infamous for her cooking and baking skills. She would bring this cake to get togethers, and I nearly stood guard to be assured a piece. When Vel, her husband and son first moved down the road from my grandparents they built a garage and lived in that until they could build a house. Vel cooked, baked, and canned on a wood cook stove, and that was in 1973 or 74. We were awed by her talent. When they finally built a new house, Jerry bought her a nice new stove, she did not like it and they moved her wood cook stove into the new house.

Pictured here are Jerry, my brother Rock, Vel(standing), and my Mom. Vel and Jerry came to my Dads birthday party in August. It was so fun to see them again. One of the first things Vel said to me was "WHERE'S Flapper?!?" who is my sister Tami, Flapper was Vel's pet name for Tami, who when she was little couldn't make it 5 minuets without talking...not even for a dollar!!! Willy baked my cake, FYI the picture does not do it justice. Without further delay I give you MY CAKE!!!

Chocolate Cherry Cake

1 chocolate cake mix (devils food-dark is best)
4 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 can cherry pie filling

mix first three ingredients until well moistened
gently fold in cherry pie filling
grease only bottom of 9 x 13 cake pan
pour into pan
bake 350* (325* if using glass) 35-45 minutes
it is done when toothpick comes out clean, but not too clean, it easy to over bake
I cover with a cookie sheet right out of the oven to hold in moister(learned that bakers trick Jon's sister Kaye)
Frost (we cheat here and use a boughten tub of frosting, it is a habit I am intending to break...soon)

Its all about...me

I was more than willing to let this birthday pass without much pomp and circumstance, I did know that Jon would treat me like the queen that I am(hey he said it, so I'm running with it!). I was pleasantly surprised when my sister gave me a sweet birthday blog post, thanks Tami. After spending the day just being with my family it was time for my birthday meal.

Jon cooked, Grace and Willy helped.Avery put himself in charge of taste testing. He can't help him self when there is shrimp scampi on the menu!

Willy set the table, with a bit of direction from Grace, she told him to flip the knives over. We go back and forth with the knife thing, the blade edges are to face the plate, but the writing on the blade faces up and we don't want to be trying to read sideways. What would you do?

Willy gave a lesson in proper silverware usage "work your way in."

The sparkling cider was chilled and the salad tossed.
Willy dished up the shrimp scampi (Ave is already at the table by now).Grace dished up the tenderloin tips and mushrooms.

My feast is ready, and I will tell you, I felt like Astro when George Jetson was shrunk and Astro kept saying "rook at the rimp-rook at the rimp" over and over again. But just LOOK AT THE SHRIMP!!! I love shrimp, and Jon made 2 kinds. And the mashed skin on baby red potatoes, mmm~mm. Amazing!!!

How sweet it is! Now you will understand where the queen status comes from.

Thats right, I'll be cooking with Wolfgang(he even signed the box they came in)! Then it was onto dessert, I will share that later. It was a very special day.

Friends Fur-ever!

This is how it started...... it happens...

...every......day......day... ...after......day......sometimes......twice a day!

Cowboy Cookies

I have a confession to make...I have a thing for cowboys. I think it comes from growing up around... well some cowboys. My Grmpa Ed was a serious cowboy/horse trader/mule team driver and most of my Moms 6 brothers are cowboys in some form or another.

My Dad is a retired rail road man, but as long as I can remember he has worn a cowboy hat, boots, and usually a western shirt. This is my Dad and I at his surprise 70th birthday party in August.

This is my nephew Derrick...yea a really serious cowboy, he is chasing his dreams...he just started a job in Iowa training horses. Grace took this picture of Derrick when he took her for an early morning ride before my Dads party, where we served...

COWBOY COOKIES!!!

2 sticks butter (or 1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco & 1 stick butter)
2 2/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tbls. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
2 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter, sugars, and vanilla, then add eggs. Mix oatmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then add to creamed ingredients. When mixed fairly well then add pecans and chocolate chips. (I have a big mixer so it does all the work for me/us. If you don't have a heavy duty mixer you may need to finish with your hands). Shape into balls the size of a walnut (I/we cheat/work smarter here also and use a small ice cream scoop) Place on sprayed cookie sheet about 2" apart. Bake in 350* preheated oven for 11-13 min. Cool on baking sheet for 5 min then finish cooling on cooling racks. makes about 4-5 dozen. This is a double recipe, cuz cowboys don't mess around and they freeze really well. They are a dry cookie...great for dipping in strong coffee after one of those long trail rides, or long car ride north.

Now Jon...not so much the cowboy, more like a farm boy. We haven't yet found a cowboy hat that I like on him. He does wear cowboy boots...

...but this is the kind of Mustang he likes to ride!
He is waiting for the paper work(old cars+lost titles=hassle) he will then haul it home and start chasing his dreams, and one day I can say "hey cowboy, take me for a ride!".

Making Sauerkraut...and Memories

Making sauerkraut is a tradition that we started when Jon inherited his family kraut cutter. It is really old, but works great, Jon keeps it well maintained. We make it most every year. Once in a while we skip a year, like when Jon thinks its a good idea to fill the 20 gallon crock to the top, and we have more than enough to last. The first year we made it we cut the cabbage in the dining room, I'm here to tell you that was not~nor will it ever be repeated, what a mess! We make it Labor Day weekend.

We bought cabbage from a local family owned garden. Ours did not do well in our garden. We used 110 lbs of cabbage.

Jon and Willy tear off the outer leaves, wash, quarter and core the cabbage. Then the cutting starts, everyone takes a turn~except for me. Jon and the kids that are home or come home for the event took turns doing the different stages at different times. For the sake of orderliness I put the pictures in the order of operation not how they actually happened so you can get a good idea of how the system works.

Avery did the lions share of the cutting this year.Grace at the cutter.J.J. vocalizing as he cuts. I was a bit creeped out having him be shirtless, then Jon reminded me that back in the old days they stomped it with their feet and the fermentation would kill anything anyway so take a chill pill:)My next concern was how low Willy put his arm when he was at the cutter, this one Jonny sided with me. Jon was really the last to cut, he's good at using up the last of the cabbage and not shaving off pieces of the oak presser. When one of the kids do shave off some oak presser board into the cabbage they just use the "it adds flavor" line.This honestly was about all I did. I just wanted to have my hands in it a little, so Willy let me give him a weighing lesson. We weigh out 5 lbs of cabbage.And then I direct the sprinkling in of 3 tablespoons of canning salt. That really was all I did, well almost, I went and laid on the couch for awhile and some kid with the camera came in and took a picture of me, and reminded me "this is a memory too"!Grace was the mixer in charge, she does a good job of getting the salt and cabbage all incorporated well. She also does a good job of keeping the boys in check when they take over for her while she was off dabbling in other jobs. J.J. stomping...with his shirt on:) We let it get about 4 inches of cabbage on the bottom before the stomping starts, you could break or crack the crock if your not careful. We don't stomp to hard, just enough to bruise the cabbage and create a nice amount of juice.Once it is all stomped, with a nice amount of juice coming up, we tuck in 2 Curity cotton diapers, not the pre-folded kind. We learned the best way to keep it covered is to fill and industrial garbage bag with about 3 gallons of water and then tie strap it shut. Its done when its done, it all depends on the weather. We keep the crock in the garage where it is cool and it cures a bit slower, we think that helps keep it crisp. I'll let you know when its done. Then comes the job of canning all of it...and making more memories.

End of Summer...

This was Grace's last year on Bethany Ski Team. Below are a few pictures from ski camp she went to and then the ski show on the Black River. It is really hard to get good pictures when your planted on the beach chatting and all the action is out on the water. Some of the photos are from the ski team disc that they hand out at the end of year root beer float award night.

Water front meeting and prayer.Grace in back of boat full of skiers and ski's, these would be some of the ski's Jon and his brother make.
Jon and I on the beach, I would be the one under the umbrella,
"have I ever told you how much I love my umbrella" is a statement he had to listen to over and over this summer.
Our niece and her little friend watching the ballet skiing, our other niece Brooke is in the ballet line.Grace on wake board.An unscheduled event...wave jumping!

End of a long day full of little Blessings...

...end of a short summer.

Beneath the Sweet Gum Tree...

Years ago I went to an estate auction, amongst a pile of treasure I acquired was an old Redwing boot box full of poky balls. I had no clue what plant they came from and have asked several people over the years. I figured they would be great for some kind of craft or decor. The only thing I've managed to do with some of the poky balls is put an ornament hook in, spray paint them ivory, then with gold dust and hang them on "my little tree" at Christmas time. We have since found the source of "the poky balls" they are from the Sweet Gum Tree. Jon did a bunch of Sweet Gum research. They are a southern tree and have some of the most brilliant fall colors, golds, reds, and purples. We have a new found love for the Sweet Gum Tree...

Beneath the Sweet Gum Tree...
We stepped out of the auto on a cool crisp day
with sunken hearts, walked to where they lay
not noticing the crunch beneath our feet
not wanting that this would be how we meet
born silently on a September day
hopes and dreams have slipped away
our girl child, her heart is broken
wound so fresh, no healing words can be spoken
they both kneel and touch the earth
recounting the moments of their birth

he holds her close, and they weep
they know only the Lord can heal a hurt so deep
as we leave we look around

we pick the poky balls from off the ground
we know these, there is comfort in the familiar
a bit of soothing to know the tree is there
a year of learning to live with out
clinging to the Father...releasing doubt
they visit today on bended knee

and water the ground beneath the Sweet Gum Tree.
~Jody Blue

In memory of...
Alex & Ben
poky balls from their Sweet Gum Tree
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.tttsfoundation.org/
twin to twin transfusion syndrome website
http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is an organization of photographers that offers their service free of charge. They take photos of babies born silently so that Mama's and Daddy's can have something to remember. The music(a very heart touch song can be heard when you click the "about NILMDTS" tab) and stories and photos(our work tab then stories tab) on this website capture very bitter sweet moments in the most respectful and precious manor. I leave you with this little saying found on the web sight...

There is no foot too small
that it cannot leave an imprint
on this WORLD

Going Nuclear~a Walk in the Park

YIKES!! I just realized that summer will officially be over in 9 days and I have a couple summer activities I wanted to share. Since Grace is crazy busy with school and work she hasn't had time to post yet about Bolivia, I'll fill the space for now. In July when Randi's family came for a visit we drove 2 hours north to visit Jon's Mom(still working on tolerating travel since back surgery last fall). Jon also had to deliver ski's so I went with~I would not pass up any opportunity to spend time alone with Jon. We drove threw UMore Park along the way, Jon knowing(cuz where I go-so does the camera!) I would want to take pictures, pulled over(3-4 times) for me.

UMore Park is located by Rosemont MN in Dakota county. It was once farm land but during WWII it was turned in to a munitions area of about 11,000 acres designated to make smokeless powder. The web site above(is legnthy) has the most historical info that I found, so far. After the war it was then sold to The U of MN for $1. It is now used for ag research and development and other stuff.

Smoke stacks in the distance(I want a camera with a zoom lens). The barracks are visable from the road, but my pictures didn't turn out. Peole do explore the area, and I found a blog or two about that, the down side is if you get caught you could get a hefty fine.Jon told me these were to used for lauching nukes if needed, I found no evidence to prove or disprove that. He could have been pulling my leg, which he is very good at, but they do look like they were a back launch for something big. Then he took me here to Vermillion Falls in Hastings MN, we used to live in Hastings and would come here just for fun. The water is low this year, I have pictures with Jon and his brothers walking across that cement thing and the water was almost up to thier knees. The old mill is huge, it is now used in another capacity. I love the huge old gears, here again a zoom lens could give you some really neat artsy photo's. No more shameless plugs for a different camera. I did send my camera to The Boundary Waters with Avery a few weeks ago, he brought it back still in the zip lock bag~shucks!The view above the fallsThe view from a new platform. We once hiked down there and and took pictures of us right next to where the water hits the rocks. The view of my favorite part of the day.

Positive Negative

When you have kids you want them to take from you the good, when they are held up to the light you hope the area's where you have failed don't shine through.

You want them to be a bit like you but with their own personalities. You want them to do the things and to go places that you dream of while your raising them!

I love it when my kids love the things I love, when they have a heart for what breaks mine. I love missions, I enjoy missions Sundays when missionaries come and talk about life in distant places. One year I found a lady who brought her llamas to our Missions Sunday. My friend Cindy(she has since moved back to southern TX) and I were in charge of representing South America, we were going for the authentic look! Learning about the sacrifice's that missionaries make, how they have touched the lives of the people they are led to serve. And how their lives have been also touched by the people they went to serve, so much more than they ever dreamed of, this blesses my soul. I want one of those signs to hang above my back door that says "You are now entering the missions field!" It is a "grow where you are planted" frame of mind. Our Church library has a reality missions DVD series called Travel the Road that can take you around the world in your arm chair! If you have access to this resource I highly recommend it.

For me it is a blessing to see my love of missions rub off on my children. This was Grace all packed and ready to leave on a missions trip to Bolivia South America this summer. I'd tell you all about it, but I've asked her to do that herself! Stay tuned for some really neat stories and great pictures. She'll be here soon, right now she's off fishing!