Apples, Apples, Apples

The picture was ealier this summer. Read on to learn about the fruits of my labors.


Over the last week and a half my daughter-in-law and I have been canning apple sauce, apple butter, drying apples, and freezing apples. We have take a break the last couple of days. Now we are dragging our feet getting back to the rest of the apples.





Two little tips I have learned this year. We made our apple butter in the crock pot--Oh it was easy. Just look on line for a recipe. The apples we froze we blanched , filled pie plates full of apples--froze--then slipped the frozen apples out of the pie plates into air tight bags--they are frozen in the shape of the pie plate. When I am ready to make a pie, just place the shape into the crust--add my sugar, spices and a little flour and bake. Hope it works--I'll let you know later.

Sticky Day

Today I made Plum butter, fruit leather and tried my hand at plum jelly. All went well except the plum jelly--I fear I cooked it a little too long.

Progress on my new life changing journey has brought me good forturn. I am down three pounds. Every little pound gone is great. I view it as double great because that means I didn't gain that much weight--so in all reality--six pounds down--wish!!!

About Time

Time seems to go so quickly whether you are having fun or just doing the day to day things. For me the reason that I haven't been blogging is two fold: I haven't taken the time and I forgot ,my password. Did I mention that time plays trick on your memory also!

I have retired from teaching and am getting used to having time to do whatever I need to or want to. It is a difficult adjustment for me--I end up wasting a lot of time and not accomplishing much at all. I did better when I had to really plan out my time carefully.

We parked our trailors on our lot in Island Park and have spent a lot of time up there this summer. Not as much as I would like but that will come. It is now time to bring the trailors down and put them up for the winter. I am dreading that--I like the option having someplace to run off too.

My daughter-in-law, Rusty, and grandaughter, Jadin have been with us for the summer. It has been fun getting to know Rusty and playing with a newborn again. I love being a grandparent. For one thing it brings back memories of when my own children were babies and all the frustrations of motherhood. For me I just couldn't relax and enjoy the time. I can now though and boy am I ever.

I have another blog that I am keeping track of my progress on a life changing goal of mine. I have always had problems with weight and I hate to exercise so I am attempting for the millionth time to change all that. This time I hope to be more successful and accomplish being slimmer, physically ship shape and psycologically healthier. The blog is Grannykatholyn or Grannyk--time has done wonders for my memory, can't you tell?

Thanksgiving Thoughts

In a few days we will be celebrating a national holiday, Thanksgiving. A day of family,food, laughter, parades, and dishes. I enjoy Thanksgiving. One of my most memorable Thanksgivings was when our family spent a few days at the beach. We stayed at a military resort. We enjoyed each others company, went bike riding, walked along the beach and ate Thanksgiving dinner out.
It was wonderful. There were not a lot of people crowding the beaches or the restraunt and we almost had the whole resort to ourselves. Unfortionately, one of the kids got sick but we endured and we all had a great time.

I am thankful for many all my material and spiritual blessings--I have far more than I deserve.

Trick or Treating Fun

This time of the year when the Ghost and Goblins appear is a fun time. This year was beautiful in Idaho. Last Sunday Byron and I bagged up all the leaves in the front yard, like we do every year, and placed some in Halloween bags to help decorate the front of our house.

We had two very special trick or treaters this year. Madi the Dog and Gabe the Lion. We think these two little tricksters are pretty special. One sad thing happened while they visited--Gabe the Lion took a nose dive into the driveway and ended up skinning his nose and upper lip. A hug and a kiss and he was on his way "door to door" as Gabe the Lion along with Madi the Dog.

Halloween in our neighborhood is a little different. Down the street is an elementary school where they hold "Trunk or Treat" each year and then a few of the children wonder on down our street door to door. What was neat to see this year was that all the children that came to our door were accompanied by one or both parents. I was a family time. Even some of the parents dressed up to escort their little ones. In my daughters neighborhood a couple dressed up as clowns drove down their street in a ATV and delivered candy bars to all the neighborhood kids.

A lot of the local churches had Halloween Parties this week, which families played games and ate together.

Well I have started my holiday shopping and feel good so far that I have gotten everything at sale prices. Let's hope it continues that way. Of cource I don't know what to get everyone but it will come.

Family and the Seasons.

Today as I try to write my own history I am reminded of how important family is.(Who knows how many times I have started to do this and never quiet get it done-I have a goal this time.) I remember doing a lot of things with my family when I was younger. Not just my parents, brothers, and sister but my extended family. I miss those times. There is extended family that I have never met and that is sad.

I don't feel like I know my own children's families very well either. Of cource it has something to do with all of us living in different parts of the world but we don't communicate enough. I am partly to blame--for I don't write them much or call them often. I do love them and I hope that they all know that.

It is October 12th and we have recieved our first snow storm of the season. We usually get a little snow in October so it is nothing new but it seems rather early. I love the change of seasons and I think my favorite season is winter although I love them all. What isn't to love--each season in Idaho is so different and it brings with it new colors.

Granny Great Howell Visits Sept., 2008

Granny Great visited us in September along with Jennifer. We went camping in Island Park and Granny took a short spin around the lot on the 4-Wheeler and then she and Jennifer took a short drive through the developement.

We visited Yellowstone National Park one day--it was rather a cold rainy day but it was a nice drive. We drove around the Lake and then out for lunch in West Yellowstone.

On our way home we took an alternate route past Upper and Lower Messa Falls. This is a picture of Granny at Upper Messa Falls and then Jennifer and Byron taking the dogs for a walk just before we leave for our final leg home. It was a beautiful Fall day, and none of us wanted to return home.

This first week of October has been a busy one. We returned to Island Park on Sunday and came home with the trailer on Tuesday. It was getting too cold to be leaving it up in the mountains and with the chance of snow any day we desided to call it a year. I then went to a Social Studies conference in Boise for two days.

The Boise Social Studies conference was interesting but not my favorite conference especially to be doing on my own time and two week break. I enjoyed seeing my teaching friends who I traveled to Boise with--we presented our trip to a group-to encourage them to apply for the oppertunity. My favorite speech at the conference was "Sex in the City" It was all about the social norms of the early 19th century concerning women. It was a good paper. I also got some ideas to use in the classroom from some other classes I attended.--All in all it wasn't a total wash.