I am in the middle of writing a blog about my Antique Pond Boat collection. But since I started it, I need to take more photos of our boats and so much has happened, I need to tell you about before I post the boat blog.
It has been pretty hot, hot here in Gridley, so most gardening is done sun up without working in gardens past noon time. Then after dinner, I do venture out again for at least an hour or so before it gets too dark to check the watering, pull a few weeds. Last evening, I was tieing back the tomato plants that are growing higher than the support fence. It got so dark, I fell over Annie, my German Shepard dog who is black and tan. She is permanently glued to me 24/7 since she has been little. German Shepard love having a job, they love working. Annie decided I was her job early on and whatever, wherever I go; whoever is here, she needs to be with me or near me. She was lying in the straw between the tomato rows, in the dark, while I was pulling string across the plants and down I went. We both felt pretty stupid, she forgave me, as usual, dogs always think it was their fault.
On Thursday night we had a fabulous Strawberry Jam canning class. In spite of the heat, it was actually cool in my outdoor kitchen/sorting shed. I put out a couple extra fans, just in case. I had made some fruit skewers for snacks; I put out crackers and 3 different jars of strawberry jam already made for a taste test.
One with low sugar; one with regular sugar; one made by Sarah Reynolds using the Blue Chair/copper pot method without the use of pectin. Her jam won the test as having the most extreme strawberry flavor.
We had a very good turnout, a last minute cancellation by 2 woman, opened up the last minute request for my dentist and his fun wife to come join us on a whim. He was so much fun, got right in with the group of ladies. Everyone gets their hands in the jam making so they all have the experience. A few people took a break and did a mini tour of our farm. I really love it when Moms and grown daughters attend and we had that happen. We had flower arrangements as door prizes; along with baskets full of apricots, blackberry, beans. Then after doing our 3 batches of jam, everyone got to take home a jar each of the low sugar; regular; and The Blue Chair method of canning jam.
There comes a point in the cycle with kids, when they are married and have kids of their own and going shopping for clothes just isn't that much fun any more. Learning a new skill that you can use in your family life is just as fun.
Then we have a quick turn around on another class, our Chalkboard Art/Writing class set for Wednesday, June 24, 2015, in the evening 6-8:00pm. The class won't be outside like most of my classes, it will be inside in our large front room.
The instructor is a wonderful lady from Auburn, Adrea Bradley, she owns Mockingbird Studios. She has been doing the Chalkboard Art as a part time business, as she is actually a school teacher. Andrea is hoping to expand her work so that she can be at home with her young children and do this business and get back to teaching when they get older. The class will be her first outside of her home town and I appreciate that she will be coming here to Gridley.
Space is limited so if you might be interested, contact us as this new class is guaranteed to be a blast. Oh, and Frank is cutting out large Mason Jar boards, we will be painting them with chalk paint and this will be given to each person attending the class to use as their final project and take it home with them.
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