Here comes the rain, again...

I love thunderstorms, everything about them. I especially love severe thunderstorms, the more powerful, the better! Something about heavy rain just makes me feel alive again. Those brief moments when there is a downpour so loud that you can barely hear yourself breathe, just make me feel relaxed and in unison with my thoughts.

Well, this isn’t going to be a blog about thunderstorms. I did actually preserve (by canning) my cherries on Sunday night – that blog is to come later… I have yet to figure out how to download the pics from my phone to the computer… but once I do – lookout! There will come a new blog! It was an enjoyable experience and I would like to share something that I enjoyed so much, with you.

Believe it or not – this rain is helping me have a clearer mind about things I need to do and plan for. Of course Father’s Day is fast approaching, along with the many birthdays that occur in my family during the Summer months. So I have to start planning for those but in addition to this planning – I have to start planning for Christmas! Yes, that is right – the time of the year when a certain Jolly Old Elf comes out of hibernation to deliver wonderful gifts to the children of the world (as long as they’ve been good). I begin planning for this joyous time of year in June/July. Last year, I started making gifts in July and finished at 5pm on Christmas Day. I hand-crocheted 16 scarves in that 5 month time frame (to me this doesn’t sound difficult, but since I work full time, almost every spare moment was spent with a hook and yarn in hand). This time, I’m starting a bit earlier, in hopes that the rush will not be so bad. I’m currently working on mapping out my gift list and the supplies I’ll need to purchase for my projects. Since none of my family members yet know about my blog – it is safe for me to publish that homemade pillowcases are on the agenda, among other things like a hand-crocheted “Super Sam” cape for my nephew (appropriately named Sam), homemade marinades for the grilling men in my family and other things (which are not yet planned). I always prepare treats for every party as well, I’m going to work on perfecting a Honey Taffy candy recipe and other things made with honey and preserved goodies from this year’s harvest.

Once the apples and peaches start coming in – I’ll also let you know what I do to preserve them (primarily by dehydration). You would need a Dehydrator to properly follow the steps, but you can also “sun dry” a few items if you prefer the “au naturale” way. Stay tuned! Lots to come!