A few weeks ago Jessie was out here with the boys and she looked at my porch fan and said, "Mama, can I get you a fan that isn't going to kill you?"I looked at the fan and said, "Yeah, I guess I need a new one. I'll get it though."
I've had that thing for about eighteen years and it's been a hell of a fan. I've had to quit cleaning it though because the little metal ribs have been breaking off when I do and the control box thing fell off of the place it's supposed to be attached to a long time ago and I'm always a little leery when I go to turn it on. I mean- it worked which is why I had not already replaced it but once the state of it had been brought to my attention, I started thinking about a new one. And then a few days later when I got up and came out to the porch, it was on full blast and I thought, "Did I forget to turn it off last night?" But I remembered distinctly turning it off plus I never turn it on high because you could run an airplane on that turbo wind power. So somehow in the night, it had turned on by itself and I decided that that was it, it was trying to kill me, and I unplugged it and asked Mr. Moon to find me another one.
And so he has.
I love it! Especially because it looks so much like my old one. And it blows just as much too. So I'm ready for summer.
Not really but I do have a good fan.
Another thing Glen did today was to pull down a branch in the front yard that's been dangling for a long time. You can even see it in my header picture. We had been discussing it and he said that he was going to lasso it which made me laugh because he was a basketball player, not a cowboy, but today he got out a rope, made a loop in it, and lassoed that thing on the first try.
I was amazed!
Down it came and it's still in the front yard because he had to go buy a fan and I, well- had other things to do.
I got a lot of those little niggling chores done that I always put off doing like refilling soap dispensers and cleaning the sink in the kitchen bathroom and watering the porch plants. I also gathered up all of my cashmere and washed it and hung it out which you are not supposed to do but it works for me. When it's all nice and dry I will put the sweaters up for summer. I do believe that I will not be needing it for many months.
Sigh. Oh, sigh.
I also picked some more mulberries. I picked so thoroughly yesterday that I was almost certain that I wouldn't get many today.
Haha!
I swear- I felt like I could just keep going around and around and around and around the tree for days, finding more ripe berries on each lap. That's how fast they are ripening.
Added to the ones I had already picked, I had enough to make some jam which I did. I got out the canning kettle for the first time this year and sterilized jars and put my washed berries and sugar and lemon juice and apple cider vinegar in my huge pot and thus, it has begun.
Now as those of you who make jams and jellies and preserves know, to make your fruit-goodness thicken into a gelled substance, you can either cook it with a ton of sugar for a very, very long time or you can cook it with almost a ton of sugar for a shorter time and add a pectin product to it. Pectin is the stuff fruit has that causes it to gel. Mulberries have absolutely no pectin as far as I know and I've always done the boil-it-down-to-almost-nothing method and the result is still more syrup than jam which is not bad. But.
So today I decided to sort of combine the two methods and I boiled the fruit and berries for quite awhile
and then added one packet of liquid pectin as per instructions and filled my jars, lidded them and put them back into the canner for a water bath to ensure shelf-life.
The result is beautiful but I am pretty sure it's still not going to gel. Perhaps mulberries contain an anti-gelling chemical.
Oh well. It tastes delicious. Bring on the biscuits.
In another kitchen experience that I had last night, I put a loaf of sourdough into the oven without popping the bubbles the way you're supposed to. Why? Because I was amused at how large they were, especially one.
Impressive, right?
Well, as the baking progressed, this happened.
Oh my goodness! I had to send pictures to a friend of mine who also bakes sourdough and we began making erection and resurrection jokes as one does and must do and I was so glad I had not popped that bubble.
Mr. Moon was amused as well.
And the bread was delicious.
As for the Wyoming trip- Jessie reports that it snows and snows and there's more snow than their friends have ever seen there and one of them has been coming to the same place since he was a child.
It was also reported that the boys did quite well at cross-country skiing and August especially loved it.
My grandmother heart is so happy.
Love...Ms. Moon
it will be 70 next week, which means 80 in the classrooms until they turn the heat off, so our corduroy season here is over and my spring/summer capris still fit. those snowbanks look bigger than your grandsons and that yeast bubble was indeed, impressive. xxalainaxx
ReplyDeleteYes. I would say the corduroy season is definitely over. Bring out the capris!
DeleteThat snow is deeper than I am tall. I hope they don't lose the children.
The bread is making a statement!
ReplyDeleteAn enthusiastic statement, I do believe.
Deletewow, that bread is something else! Love it! Envious of your mulberry's........we have 3 trees but they are *fruitless* since so close to house (they were planted for shade because of their rapid growth)........but I do love Mulberry jam or syrup! Glad I'm not in Wyoming..... we actually had a day of 73 degrees today! Had to peel of my layer of thermal underwear for first time in 4 months! It may go into *storage* like your cashmere!
ReplyDeleteSusan M
I'm back in tank tops and my overall shorts. Bare feet inside, flip flops outside. The season of sweat shall now begin.
DeleteI'm glad you're getting warmer though!
I think your jam looks gd amazing and I still find that bread hilarious but those big bubbles mean you dough will be airy and light. I bet it was delicious. Mary I’m still wearing my cashmere sweater outside. Sheesh. Xo R
ReplyDeleteThe bread was actually some of the best tasting and airiest I've made. And I have no idea why. I will say that my starter got so big it oozed out of its container IN THE REFRIGERATOR! Maybe it's the spring yeast in the air.
DeleteThank god we have cashmere, right?
Your bread bubble had me LOLing! Glad you have a safe fan and Glen has made sure no one gets bonked on the head with that hanging branch!
ReplyDeleteSafety first, right?
DeleteTotally made my day!! Dennis, in the other room was startled, "what's wrong?" I couldn't explain. Best bread ever!
ReplyDeleteThat is a cool cabin in wherever Wyoming. The boys will remember that forever, how ever far forever takes them...adventure!
Oh, they will remember this! I'm sure of it. And yet, when they come home and I ask them about their trip they will be all, "Yeah. It was fun." And that will be that. They're so funny.
DeleteGlad you liked my bread.
That sourdough bubble is amazing! The snow looks like melted marshmallow but much colder.
ReplyDeleteThat place is going to be messy when all that snow melts, isn't it? But it's pretty now.
DeleteOh look at all that snow - aren't they such lucky boys having Florida's beaches, grandparents in the mountains and friends in the north pole!
ReplyDeleteHaha! You made me laugh.
DeleteI'm glad the boys are loving their Wyoming trip. Have they ever seen snow? Surely they've never seen that much.
ReplyDeleteThat bubble is crazy! And your jam looks amazing. I would think with all that pectin it will gel, but you are the jam-making expert so I defer to your instincts.
Bravo to Mr. Moon for the lasso action! Impressive!
The boys have seen snow but certainly nothing to compare with that. This is a whole other ballgame.
DeleteMy jam-making capabilities are not what they should be. Next batch I will use TWO packets of pectin.
I had no idea that Glen had roping skills!
the only skiing I have ever done is cross country and that only once but I had a lot of fun. and that is a lot of snow. they can have it. good you got a new fan. I have a similar one but sometimes I have to jump start the blades turning, giving it a little push. I'm considering one of those big shop fans for the deck this summer. it's been so windy here the last week that I think all our 'widow makers' have finally fallen.
ReplyDeleteI tried downhill skiing once and it was a massively wrong-headed situation. I almost fell off the mountain.
DeleteYou should get a fan for your deck. It surely makes it nicer to sit outside. And the big shop fans will blow bugs away too.
Looks like they are having lots of fun with all of that snow. It's cute to see the boys all bundled up! I am so used to seeing them barefoot in shorts and a T. :)
ReplyDeleteI am impressed that Mr. Moon can lasso a branch like that on one try!
I know! Levon especially never wants to put on long sleeves or long pants. I imagine he's having to right now.
DeleteMr. Moon is just full of surprises.
I’ve always wanted a porch xx
ReplyDeleteOh, John- I wish I could share. I have three! Four, if you count the little one off of the kitchen. They are lovely.
ReplyDeleteI fancy your new fandangled fan!
ReplyDelete