Not sure why it took me so long to write again. Adjusting to retirement, I guess. Besides getting back into the blog mode, I also started walking today after 6 months of telling myself that today is the the day, then tomorrow is the day, then.........So this retirement thing is a whole new world. My life no longer revolves around weekends. Except for those days that I substitute teach, I can actually plan on doing things on a weekday! After almost 30 years of structuring everything around weekends, it is a very liberating feeling. AND my blood pressure has gone down 20 points since I retired (although when I think of the financial problems that could happen because our income is now somewhat reduced I am sure it could go back up again). So, I am doing a lot of more writing (working on sort of cookbook and a book of family stories to pass down ), more rug weaving, more knitting, more time to plan next years garden with my husband and dreaming of the new TroyBilt Pony Tiller with electric starter that is coming my way before spring, and more time to study traditional and new uses of herbs for cooking and medicine (began with my grandmothers' knowledge and just went from there). All kinds of ideas to raise more for the farmer's market. This fall when the major part of the garden work is done, I am going to create a website to sell my rugs, knitting, soap, etc. And now I have the time to do it.
My sister and I were at the Tri Kappa Craft Show on November 8 at the Attica High School. It was well attended and there were a lot of vendors. A lot of talent in our area! Since it was our first public show, we didn't become rich, but we learned a lot and got to visit with friends. Dale is a sewing machine wizard as well as just plain spectacular with her handbags, baby accessories and much more. Amazing!! I brought my soap, knitted items and rag rugs. Looking forward to doing it again!!
Hope everyone saved their turkey carcass from Thanksgiving. I put the carcass and a chicken carcass in the stock pot a few days ago along with a few raw carrots, a large onion (cut in half, skin and all) and a few peppercorns. Add enough water to cover the chick/turkey bones, etc. Do not add salt. You can add that later in the whatever foods your are preparing with this. Let it come to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, let cook 4-6 hours, strain, put in quart jars (I got 7 quarts of stock from this). See a previous blog for a more detailed description of the process. Nothing less expensive of better for us in the winter than good homemade soup or vegies cooked in stock. Lots of flavor and nutrition for pennies.
Yesterday I made a batch of soap to start curing (2 months) for us and for the farmers market. In a month I will make another batch and continue through the winter. Too much to do in the summer to stop to make soap and I want to be sure my customers and family have enough. Chickens still laying well so noodles will also be in good supply this winter.
I am going to take some time as soon as I sign off here to cut up some fabric squares that we use for 'paper towels' now. I now have the time to make a real dent in our ecological footprint. We are gradually getting rid of paper products and commercial cleaning products and replacing them with handmade simple products made with non-toxic ingredients. More on that later.
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