Food, Glorious Food

This year I canned like I've never canned before.  Carrots, fruit, tomatoes, beets, cucumbers....

 

I love to gaze at my canned goods shelves in the early evening just as the setting sun's rays come slanting through the basement window, illuminating the shimmering jars of preserves like so many jewels nestled into the deep of the cellar...

 

Fiew.

 

Calm down, it's just a sweet potata (name that commercial).

 

 

 

Still, it is thrilling to see all that food lined up.

 

I've got approximately:

 

1 bushel peaches

1 bushel pears

21 pints carrots, plus frozen

5 cups jalapenos

15 quarts apple pie filling

10 pints applesauce (150 lbs apples in all, more to be done)

5 quarts cucumbers

5 quarts pickled beets

8 pints beets

5 pints cream corn

10 pints tomatoe sauce

10 cups salsa

12 cups jam

6 pints pickled crab apples

 

lots and lots of freezer veggies

a freezer full of beef, fish and poultry

 

We're not going to starve after all.  We're going to be okay.

 

Little Boy Growing Up

Don't be fooled!  That's Graedy.  He's just wearing fake glasses and hand-antlers.

 

The girls' schoolwork often gets highlighted on the blog, so I thought I'd show Graedy, hard at work, learning his letters.

 

This was for letter 'F'.  He had to glue felt on the shape of an 'F'.

 

Gen had her own collage to do, too.  Mostly, she does aerobics at the table.  That's good schooling for 2 year olds, I guess!

 

 

Casting

Well, in reference to my last post...my belly casting supplies arrived today!  I ordered them all the way from Israel, and the delivery was still faster than from western Canada.  Amazing.

Also, folks, I strongly endorse buying local.  Or from Israel.  Be prepared, though, that if you don't buy local, you may have absolutely no idea of the instructions for your casting supplies.

The Little Blog That Could

Every once in a while I enjoy reading through my blog posts.  I don't keep baby books, although I've tried.  Maddie's is pretty complete, but by the time you get to the 4th child, you just don't have the time to fill out the pages.  In these days of technology, though, that doesn't mean that their babyhoods and childhoods haven't been recorded.  My blog is my very own online baby book. 

Reading through the posts I have re-experienced their first teeth, injuries, funny conversations, school projects and frustrations.  I can pull up a post from 4 years ago and remember how fine and long Graedy's hair was, compared to his no-nonsense buzz cut now.  I see Maddie learning her letters and Eva's vocal development. 

I hear that you can even have your blog printed into a hardcover book.  How cute would that be instead of photo albums? 

I see my own growth, too. 

Originally this blog's job was to keep everyone updated on our move to the Philippines so that I could go to Newlife International School of Midwifery.  God closed that door, for the moment.  Five years later, the desire for midwifery creeps back in every once in a while.  Doula work ebbs and flows, depending on our family situation and social trends. 

Though I don't see us moving away anytime soon, and NB doesn't seem to be destined for any midwifery progress in the near (or far) future, I still wonder what my role is in birth, in my town.  I could continue as I am, as a birth doula.  I've considered taking courses and expanding my repertoire to include services as a postpartum doula, monitrice, belly casting or childbirth education.  Honestly, I don't know that Woodstock has interest to balance out the cost and effort for the classes.  It's not about money, but, well, it is.  I can't very well borrow grocery money to pay for lessons I may never use. 

And so, the question begs to be answered:  Heart or mind? 

Story of the World

Several years ago, I bought the complete curriculum (including photocopies for 3 children - yay!) for Story of the World.  Patiently I waited for the kids to be old enough to properly enjoy the stories and activities.  Finally, it happened!

 

I LOVE Story of the World.   More importantly, so do the kids!  History presented chronologically, in story form with loads of extra activities...what's not to love?

 

Here's a few photos of our first month of Story of the World:

 

Recording our history with cave drawings

 

The white crown of Ancient Egypt's king

 

 

Another white crown.  Originally I wanted them to have a red and a white crown so we could have both Upper and Lower Egypt represented, but no one wanted to be the loser Red team.
 

Oops, this is nature study.  Somehow I snuck that in with history.

 

 

 

My little Nomads dressed in animal skins, next to a shelter they constructed and eating roots they gathered.