Its the End of Summer!

How did it get here so quickly? Today is the last day of summer. The garden is bare, except for the potatoes which need to be dug. Most of the food is put up (still have pumpkins to can). Time just seems to fly.

Course the normal stuff is happening. School has started for the oldest married daughter. Youngest will be heading out soon to start her culinary career. Just like the turn of the seasons, the life cycle is moving right along. The married daughter will be having our first grandchild sometime in May. As my Aunt says, "Its a good thing she is a multi- tasker!" as she will be doing finals, presenting her Honor's Thesis, performing her Senior Recital, graduating from college and having a baby all in the same month! :)

We can't know yet if its a boy or a girl, but I am quilt planning like crazy for this little one. In the meantime, in the last month I have bound 2 quilts, a table runner, a wall hanging, and pieced the younger daughters new quilt. When I have nothing to bind I have been crocheting too. Its almost like the nesting instinct when you are about to go into labor, I just feel like I have to be creative non-stop. I am not sure where this is coming from. Previously I would have told you I hate piecing and binding, but now I am wishing for something to bind every evening. So I am getting out my Double Wedding Ring quilt, which my Mom made for me, and I am going to work on that. It should be good for a couple of weeks of binding as it has a scalloped edge. I have some Christmas stuff in the works too, so its a busy needlework time.

We have had such a nice month food-wise. With the double order of Angelfood last month we haven't hardly had to go to the grocery store except for milk and lettuce. This month we are doing the bigger box option and it will be nearly the same. I forsee purchasing some meat this time, because I am hungry for some things that usually don't appear in the menu. But still, we are keeping our grocery bill much lower than it was a year ago this time, and more than 50% lower than 2 years ago this time. So I feel like we are making progress.

Last weekend was the Daughters of The King women's retreat. We always hold it at the Cathedral Domain, a wonderful camp on the top of a mountain. Everything is so real there. The air is cleaner, the grass and trees are deep green, the food is amazing, and the company is comforting. Spending time occasionally with women who have true hearts for Jesus is like quenching a deep thirst. Very satisfying. I am trying to be a better daughter, following through on my commitment to a life of prayer and service, but I fall miserably short most of the time.

We ran out of dishwasher soap the other day. Fortunately I had found a recipe online for making your own at home! Its one tablespoon of Borax and one tablespoon of baking soda per load. You can also use white vinegar in the "jet dry" rinse container. Its amazing how well it works. I happened to have Borax because I make my own clothes washing detergent (which also works really well). So now I have a plastic container made up of just dishwasher soap. I am going to the Dollar Tree and get another set of measuring spoons so that the ones I cook with are not always needing to be washed because they are being used to measure detergent!

Labor Day

Having a full freezer has been such a great thing :) I know I should be making a menu, but I have enough of just about everything to do me for the month, and I am enjoying saying....Hmmm I feel like having chicken/beef/pork tonight. Plus we are doing well with the balanced diet.

Due to my insomnia the doctor wants me to stop drinking caffeine. When he told me I just about cried. Literally. Though I cannot claim taste doesn't matter to me, primarily I drink caffeine for the "stay awake" effect, and to chase away the "lack of caffeine headache". So, I am trying to wean myself down from drinking too much of it. He, the doctor, tells me that anything consumed after noon is going to affect my sleep. That may be taking it a bit far, but I have moved more to water, and Crystal Light type stuff, the rare soda and less tea everyday. Those things, along with Ambien (pure golden stuff, IMHO) have let me get some rest. Its been wonderful.

Today I went out poking around the stores with my Mom. We live right here in the same town, and we don't see each other as often as we should. Even though I am 47 years old I think we are both still learning how to be Mother and Grown up Daughter :) We are doing well though.

Tonight we probably should be grilling out. Labor Day brings up those kind of thoughts huh? But I didn't want to clean the grill, and I was out and about so I didn't get the hamburger out early enough to thaw for tonight. So instead, using hamburger I already cooked and froze in portions, we are having sloppy joes, on Poor Man's Rolls , glazed carrots, roasted potatoes and seasoned broiled zucchini slices. Should be a yummy dinner, with plenty left over for lunch tomorrow. The bread machine is working away on a new loaf of bread even as I type.