Labor Day Weekend and Beyond

It's amazing the contortion acts an Aunt will go through to please her nieces. Yes, it was a fun weekend, though we traveled every day.
But if the kids got nothing else out of the weekend, I hope they learned that they had lots of family that loves them. Abandonment issues are raising their ugly head but they seem to be a bit better after the weekend. My sisters were a big hit and gained the title of Aunt Grandma. Confused, well, Great Aunt was confusing to the girls and they wouldn't believe that my sisters were Aunts but Grandma - yes.

They acted just like grandmas and they should. My sisters have more children than I do and lots of grand kids for which they are very skilled with. So the girls reveled in the fact that they had four grandmas to dote on them. Who wouldn't? I brought home an old somewhat beat up dresser that the kid's Great Grandma had found cheap. I painted it and I'm waiting for a spare moment to go up and find another screw so I can put the last handle on.

Since I had to run to the next town for supplies I dropped by the three second hand stores and happen to find a $10 mirror. It is waiting for its second coat of black paint and it will go above the dresser. As you can see, I've the closet doors to paint, quilts to make, along with curtains. But slowly but surely the room is taking shape.
While I was gone, the fruit I ordered from Colorado came in and my husband trucked home the eleven boxes. Yes, that's why I didn't blog yesterday since I had painting, eight loads of laundry to finish doing, and the trips paraphernalia to put away. I did try to put this post up but a 20 month old messed with my computer and the results frustrated me to the point I quit trying.

So today, I got the peaches done, four boxes, (minus the ones we ate and will eat), and the box of tomatoes is now salsa - cooking down on the stove. Not too bad considering I had the kids last night and most of today. Our daughter did come to help for an hour. She had a lunch date with our kinder gardener so I only had a couple hours by myself. I worked at a fast and furious pace. But I can't complain as the lunch dates help our grand daughter make it through the day in a much less tearful manner.

So though I'd really like to talk about extracts and I will get back to that since I did find out a scary thing about vanilla from Mexico which I've bought several times, but I really must can the boxes and boxes sitting on my kitchen floor. You know how it is. Tomorrow is applesauce and apple pie filling and the next day is pears. Of course then it is pickled beets and the concord grapes should be all purple. Thankfully, the garden is quickly fading as it has had frost twice and I'm not in the least bit sorry. I'm ready for the indoor work to begin. At least I'll get to sit down more. And to see the food storage room filling up gives me a secure feeling. Maybe I'm part squirrel but I do believe that a bird in hand is worth at least two in the bush.