What are you up to today? This week?

[Selkie]

Well, on the subject of peaches - no minis here either - I made a huge pan of peach crisp for the weekend. We seem to like the oat/flour/brown sugar topping combo with our fruit bakes better than pie crusts and biscuits these days. A little dollop of vanilla ice cream on the hot bowl of crisp seems to hit the spot. We've had many blueberry crisps so far this season. This was our first peach one.

We are feasting on nectarines and golden plums along with our peaches this week.  Raspberries and strawberries are mostly over now. Blackberries are still coming on.

Speaking of fruit, with my farm share this week, I got some white currants. Not enough for making jam, just a small pint basket. Any suggestions on what I might try with such a small amount of them?

We also got some super yummy cape gooseberries/peruvian ground cherries. The kiddos call them paper lanterns.

Summer fruits and veggies are so yummy. In our own garden the tomatoes, cukes, yellow and green beans are producing almost faster than we can pick and eat.

[blueirishmoon]

LOL, Holly! Maybe some currant scones, Selkie?

[chapchap73]

 Not much going on here today. I did pick up some peaches myself after seeing that yummy peach pie picture, so I think some kind of peach dessert will be making an appearance this evening

[grazhina]

I hate printers. I hate trying to fix them when they foul up. I hate it when they die while they're still brand new. I hate shopping for printers - read all the reviews, weighed the pros and cons. BTW, don't go by magazine type reviews, like PC magazine or Cnet. Our 6 month old newly deceased printer was highly rated by them, yet, upon looking for info online on how to fix the sucker when it malfunctioned, I found pages and pages and pages of posts by people desperately searching for the same solutions, and there were none to be found. The printer was, in short - a piece of bovine excrement.

Last night I finally found a replacement after reading and comparing pages of personal reviews on Amazon, and I selected the printer that had the best ratio of "great printer" to "total bovine excrement". Best Buy's site said they had it available so I drove over there this morning. Turned out they were supposed to have one left but couldn't find it. They offered me a somewhat more expensive printer for the same sale price, so I took it home.

The Grazhina Jury is still out. I got it to connect to DH's & my computers, print worked, and I finally got scan to work. Why can't they give you simple instructions like - for instance - restart your computer after this step.

One thing made me smile today. The GOP debate remixed and songified.  - on you tube. I'm so sick and tired of the election gabber and it's still soooooo far away.

 

[havanaholly]

Grazhe, IMO political campaigning is like the commercial Christmas season; it starts earlier and earlier and makes us lose sight of the purpose in disgust.  And our brand new printer wouldn't play with our brand new computer, either (which we got because the old one wouldn't play, either).

[Roxxie2]

MMMMMM I love peaches Jackie and its one food I can eat!!! 

I did all the laundry, vacuumed the house and worked on my castle.  Now I am watching thunder clouds approaching from 3 directions......I hope they go on by!!! 

[Sable]

This is a Rant: My son's chosen field is politically based. I don't like it because it has become seasonal work every two years.  During this time he has to travel the country from state to state living out of his car and in supporter housing. 12 hour workdays, 7 days a week. I wish he had taken after his mother and been an Accountant. Rant done.

[CheckMouse]

Still trying to get used to this new format. 

I have stated this before, but must state it again!  I LOVE THIS FORUM!  It is my safe place!  We had some company a few weeks back, friends that we've known since early grade school, and had a great time with them. But after they left, I get this email with a rather long list of carefully worded criticism, including my enthusiasm for miniatures. I let it sit for about 2 weeks before I answered it - and now I really don't care if I ever hear from them again!  So I am dragging my wounded heart back here to my real friends - those who understand what life is all about!  Insert smiley face - guess we don't have the  emoticons back yet. 

[grazhina]

after they left, I get this email with a rather long list of carefully worded criticism, including my enthusiasm for miniatures. I let it sit for about 2 weeks before I answered it - and now I really don't care if I ever hear from them again!

What in hell is the matter with people? Where do they get off  criticizing someone else for getting pleasure out of somehing they think is a stupid waste of time? There are things other people get a big kick out of that just bore me to death, but I'm glad they enjoy it, just as long as they don't try to push me into doing it too. CJ, maybe you should write them back and tell them that they've hurt you deeply with their selfish uncaring attitude,.

This is a Rant: My son's chosen field is politically based. I don't like it because it has become seasonal work every two years. 

That's kinda funny Sable. My youngest son, who's about to finish his final 2 college classes is a political science major, but he hates politicians and politics. He just felt it was the most interesting major available to him. He liked economics, but couldn't stand the math. BTW, he went for his first college graduate job interview and got hired. It's not a great job, but it's a good starter job. Peviously he put in 4 summers working at an amusement park.

I wish I could remember how to post photos from Photobucket. I don't know if there's a problem here or if it's just me. i used to be able to do it all the time. I took a neat photo of turkeys as I was making dinner tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[blueirishmoon]

CJ, don't let those joy vampires get you down! If they don't know by now what good manners are, they probably never did. I would never consider writing such a note to someone who went to the trouble of having me in their home! It would be interesting to know if that email was the result of only one of them, or both. Any way, if they don't understand the joy and fulfillment a person can get from a hobby, it's their problem/loss. Big happy hug to you!

[Roxxie2]

Here's a hug for you CJ! 

[Roxxie2]

I hate printers. I hate trying to fix them when they foul up. I hate it when they die while they're still brand new.

 Me too!   We are on our 3rd printer in 2 years!   I gave up and bought the cheapest one I could find in Walmart.  An HP......only had it for a couple of months.   So far so good.

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

Wow CJ! How rude! After being guests in your home!  Whatever happened to "If you don't have anything nice to say......" Big hugs to you! ((((HUGS))))) I love this place too.

[heidiiiii]

(((((Hugs CJ)))))

I have been dragging my backside about getting the jams done. Today will be a cooler day for me to do it. I was planning on doing strawberry and a strawberry blackberry. Or a blueberry blackberry. I dont have enough blackberries for a full batch by itself.

Just dealing health wise. As long as I wake up in the morning and dont fall down, life is relatively good. I am patiently waiting for Fall to come.

[havanaholly]

Heidi, honey, any day you wake up on this side of the dirt is a good day!

[chapchap73]

CJ, I can totally relate to your feelings about this forum. I'm so sorry your company was rude to you

Heidi, I put off making a batch of JD BBQ sauce for more than a month because of the heat here. Hugs, sweetit

I had a friend over for some peach cobbler on Wednesday.  She is in the market for a small freezer because her's just died, so I had her look at the old one I have in the shed that I replaced in October because it was just too small for a family of 6. She said it seems great, I'll talk to my husband and let you know. Two hours after she left, I'm having my DH and DS#1 bring Old Faithful into the house because my new one stopped working!!! Thank goodness I got most of the stuff transferred so I didn't lose a lot. The real sucker punch came when I called to schedule a repair...the first appointment is August 25th @#!%#!!  Annoyed doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling. 

[Sable]

My son, born and raised in Florida and never really been in snow is moving to New Hampshire for 6 months. Today, we are shopping for a dress overcoat, waterproof dress shoes, boots, a casual winter coat, warm socks, ect.  Thank goodness everything is on sale and it's our sales tax-free week.  Gloves and scarves he'll purchase when he gets up there since we don't have them in our stores.  Anyone have any ideas of what else we should get to keep him warm? Do men wear snow pants when it's -20 degrees?

[heidiiiii]

It is already a hot job canning so I dislike doing it when it is in the 80s. Yuck

 

[havanaholly]

Sable, long johns.  Stores like Oshman's and Sports Authority and Academy Sport & Outdoors should have them.  Also thermal socks.

[Gayle]

I feel your pain Heidi, I put up 13 quarts of tomatoes this week.  The a/c was running but not the ceiling fan.  Isn't is amazing how fast one burner on the stove/range can heat up a room?

 

[Selkie]

My son, born and raised in Florida and never really been in snow is moving to New Hampshire for 6 months. Today, we are shopping for a dress overcoat, waterproof dress shoes, boots, a casual winter coat, warm socks, ect.  Thank goodness everything is on sale and it's our sales tax-free week.  Gloves and scarves he'll purchase when he gets up there since we don't have them in our stores.  Anyone have any ideas of what else we should get to keep him warm? Do men wear snow pants when it's -20 degrees?

My men don't wear snow pants unless it's a snowmobile suit to use for that purpose. They don't consider it manly. Long johns under denim or Carhart pants, yes. But, then, we are used to the cold, snow, wind, and ice. When you are splitting and throwing wood or shoveling, you work up a sweat pretty fast despite the outside temp.

[Sable]

Sable, long johns.  Stores like Oshman's and Sports Authority and Academy Sport & Outdoors should have them.  Also thermal socks.

Thanks holly. Forgot about long johns.

[Sable]

My men don't wear snow pants unless it's a snowmobile suit to use for that purpose. They don't consider it manly. Long johns under denim or Carhart pants, yes. But, then, we are used to the cold, snow, wind, and ice. When you are splitting and throwing wood or shoveling, you work up a sweat pretty fast despite the outside temp.

Thanks Selkie, I am totally clueless at this point.  There seems to be plenty of LL Bean stores in NH so he can get what he needs when he needs them after seeing what the natives wear.  I asked at our local Macy's today about dress overcoats and they laughed and said they won't be in stock until mid December.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Sable

[Roxxie2]

Busy day of getting cars serviced, cleaning house etc.   Currently its thundering and lightning so I stopped with the vacuum for a while.  We are taking a "stacation" until Tuesday so as of 5 pm this afternoon there will be no more chores for a couple of days.  Living in the land of vacations is handy sometimes, you can have a good time and stay in your own bed at night.  Works for me!

[grazhina]

Sable, it depends on what he's going to be doing and what part of New Hampshire he'll be in. If he's doing something like construction work, he may want long johns. If he's going to be spending most of his time indoors or just walking around neighborhoods, I doubt he'll ever need them. If he finds himself cold in January, he can get them then. For cold weather wear, the Bean's 3 in 1 jacket is very popular, but other stores up here usually have similar ones. It's an outer jacket with a warm fleece liner. You can wear them together, or just the outer  one like a windbreaker or just the fleece one on chilly fall days. I used to have one and got a lot of wear out of it. It used to keep me warm on the sledding slopes, watching my kid go up and down the hill for hours.

My husband and son both have Bean's down jackets, but they don't wear them very often because they get too hot. They're good if you're going to be out in the snow all day long, though.