The Pink Tractor: 11/01/2010

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Apple-pickin' Time in Texas

Saturday -- William and I
took a little roadtrip to
Mason, Tx

Mason is a sweet small town in the Texas Hill Country --
an old German settlement with
beautiful, rolling hills.
big oak trees.
limestone and granite.
best bbq places EV-ER!
lots of deer and wildlife.

It's just pretty pretty.

So imagine how excited we were to find out there was also a
pick-your-own
apple orchard

We had never, ever picked our own apples.
Had no idea apple-pickin' could be done this close to home.
We found the orchard on the edge of town,
were given precise instructions on how to properly
pick an apple so as to not damage the bud for next year,
were each given a bucket and
turned loose to pick all the
Pink Ladys we wanted.
I think we picked about 12 pounds
at $1.50 a pound = tons of fun.

And........delicious apples.

This barn was built before the Civil War (1860) and has
been well-preserved through the years.
It has quite the history.
Also found out that in 1916
the Senior Prom was held in the barn --
it had the biggest "dance floor" in town.
And now
it houses the
Sonlight Apple Orchard
operation.

Very, very fun experience.
Looking forward to next August -October
when we will go pick apples again.

Gwynie Pie

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Five Days of Fall

So much to do....
So little time.

That's the story of my life this past week.
month.
oh really, who am I kidding.....
year.

And so, I'm
consolidating Days 3 - 5 of my
well-intentioned, but a little
side-tracked, "series".
Here goes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have only ONE rule about decorating
and here it is:

Always appeal to the five senses and
you can't go wrong.....
SIGHT(Day 1)
~~~ make it cute. if you love it, incorporate it,
it'll work.
SMELL(Day 2)
~~~ make it smell delicious.
and
TOUCH
~~~make everything "feel" cozy.

Winter always arrives. It does.
Always.

So in an effort to not be caught on that first crisp
morning, slinging things out of a closet to grab
a jacket only to find it still has some nasty spillage
left from last Spring and you intended to get back to
wash it, but got distracted because, after all .....it was Spring!
:)

uh yep, that's happened to me.

Now though, I try to anticipate these crazy things,
like season changes
and
be at least a bit prepared.

I had off a couple days from my job
last week and spent a lovely morning
getting jackets, coats, gloves and scarves
and all the bed coverings ready.
I pulled all the comfy quilts and fluffy blankets
out of the armoire
and ran them through a rinse,
then let them have a little outdoor time.

Ummmmmm--- they smelled great!
And layered on the beds they are so cozy and ready for the
cooler weather that is on its way.

Next ~~~
TASTE
Getting prepared for holiday cooking isn't all fun.
Sometimes its lots of work,
but the results ~~~
having a clean and organized pantry,
and a fresh fridge and freezer~~~
I love that part!

After giving the pantry shelves a good scrubbing,
I replaced the shelf paper with some colorful gift wrap
I found the other day at Hobby Lobby.
It has just brightened up the pantry and
encourages me to keep it in order.

Throw away everything that is out of date and
beyond it's shelf life.

Then I re-stock ----
There are a few items that are just staples
in my Fall pantry/freezer.

Knowing this, I look for coupons and
great deals and sales on these items
so I can both stock my pantry AND save $$$

popcorn
pecans
(which I buy in 5# bags and keep fresh in the freezer)
canned pumpkin, apples, cherries for pies
flour and fresh yeast
(cause someone is going to need to bake bread)
pie shells
(I buy the kind you just unroll. They come in
an 8-pack at Sam's)
fresh spices
half and half
(essential to hearty up soups and stews)

When I make soup I make double or triple and put
the extra in the freezer.

This past weekend Dana made some killer chicken and dumplings!!
I put 2 cartons in the freezer for a blustery day
when I don't have time to cook a warm meal.

We used 2 rotisserie chickens in the chicken and dumplings--
the bones go in a pot with water, celery, onions,
carrots and garlic and simmer for a couple hours.
Then strain and cool and freeze and
~~~Voila~~~
homemade, super cheap, chicken stock ---
the base of something yummy.

And HEARING ~~~
Anytime we have a party or people here,
we almost always have some soft(or loud)music playing
in the background.

And when I need a little extra "umpf" to
clean house, I usually listen
to some 1940's Big Band music
or maybe some 60's stuff
or even a little
get-up-and-move gospel
~~~~~
it never fails to inspire.

However -----nothing is better..... to me, anyway, than
q u i e t
I think maybe I love silence so much because I
am an only child and quiet was our norm.

We didn't have the noise of lots of voices
nor
did my folks ever turn on a tv or radio
just for the "company".
We just enjoyed the peace and quiet.

I still today prefer the quiet.

I can think better that way.
and you know I love to think.

But ~~~~ also~~~~ better to hear.

Monday I dragged a rocking chair and a quilt,
along with my Bible and
my journal
out into our yard
in the middle of a bunch of purple flowers.
The monarch butterflys love stopping off on
their way to winter in Mexico
and I just sat in the middle of them
and rocked
and read
and was quiet.

It was a grand experience.
I can't wait til the next time I can "just be".
and
hear
the quiet.