The Shed 20

Hello everyone! I can't sleep either and it is 4:47 Am. Gah!

originally posted by: Night Star
Hello everyone! I can't sleep either and it is 4:47 Am. Gah!

Then I guess it’s time for a wee Shed party ! 😏

On second thought * yawns*... I think I may be getting sleepy after all.
Finally !! 🤨 Sometimes the body is tired, but the brain keeps turning those gears.. making it difficult.

a reply to: Sheye

Better have the pixies mix me a strong one! I think the birds will be singing soon enough and it will be daylight.

a reply to: Night Star
I got some bad news today , Night 😕
I’ll share more tomorrow, when I’m more alert.

Not sure I even should... we’ll see.

Well.. I’m off to bed .. I am finally yawning.. good sign 👍🏼

August 20th already! And shed # 20 !! This summer has been flying by! I don't really have much to say but wanted to pop in and say Hello to all of you lovely people!

"HELLO ALL of You LOVELY PEOPLE!"

I have still been in a creative slump, I've been trying to write but when I have to "try" it feels forced and clumsy. I much prefer when I pick up my pen and it pours out naturally, like the page was just waiting for the words ..

We have been pickling like crazy, bread and butter pickles, and dill. We bought some fancy jars for gifts. Colored ball jars with angles not round. They "present" much better.

Today I am picking potatoes, should fill two big rubber-maid trash cans that I drilled holes in so they can "breath" .if all goes as planned they will last us until next July.

That's about it, I know not to exciting but I traded in all the hustle and bustle gladly when I moved up here

Well, I'm off to dig,I hope you all have a wonderful day !! I'll try to swing back in later tonight after jeopardy.

/super-duper-cozyButnotNosey-ringaroundtherosie-supersonic-platonic-fromthegarden-notstarvin'-nofear-happytear-crystalclear-Bigbear-HUGS



Sincerely,
~joe

a reply to: Mike Stivic

I have still been in a creative slump, I've been trying to write but when I have to "try" it feels forced and clumsy. I much prefer when I pick up my pen and it pours out naturally, like the page was just waiting for the words .

I'm in the same situation and of the same feeling, bro. What helps for me, is to try anyways, even though it feels clumsy and akward, even if I ramble and don't make sense. The thought being, that if I push through all of that, and just keep writing long enough, I'll slip into the groove and find inspiration It, doesn't always work, but it helps

a reply to: Mike Stivic

Hey Joe.. so good to see you post. Happy to read you had a fruitful summer with your garden. The round pickle jars sound pretty, and will make excellent gifts in my opinion. ( I’d want one 😏)

One thing I have never heard of is pickled potatoes. If you have time in the future to explain your process in more detail, that would be great.😁

Hope all is well with your mom and dad , as well as your aunt. ( They must eat great in the summer with all that produce, and preservatives for the winter)

You’re a fine example of a loving, caring son. Kudos to you for that.

a reply to: Mike Stivic

Glad to hear nature is being kind and bountiful for you. Here the weather is starting to cool off at last. No more heatwave.

Pickling potatoes is a new one on me. What do you do with the pickled potato afterwards, eat it raw, cook it? It sounds like they are going to taste really funky. And I don't know if I like my potatoes tasting too funky.

The Germans do something vaguely similar with cabbage in order to preserve it after harvest. Sauerkraut. I never dared taste it (not a great fan of cabbage) but apparently it's very healthy. Good luck with the digging.

a reply to: LucidWarrior

The muse is a fickle thing..



Respectfully,
~meathead

a reply to: Sheye

Hey there!

It's not always easy all the time, but we make it work, they have given me so much over the years I enjoy giving back when and how I can.



Sheye and lightspeeddriver,

I apologize for any miscommunication. We do not pickle our potatoes.. I pick them and dry wipe them with a towel, then store them in 2 big rubbermaid trash cans that I bought and drilled holes in ,in the basement. The varieties I grow are all "long keeping" (they store well).same with our carrots.

We pickle our cucumbers and beets, we blanch and freeze beans and peas and zucchini and yellow squash, mom is making salsa out of the cherry tomatoes..

We also have tons of wild black and red raspberry bushes s well as blue berries, they grow rampant on the mountain, so they have been busy picking them and making jellies.

I'm sure I'm forgetting things but yeah we had a banner year so far.. still waiting on my suger baby watermelons.




But no we don't pickle our potatoes..lol.



Respectfully,
~meathead

The younger kid has started on her Christmas list already. I don't think she's getting an electron microscope (the look on hubby's face was pretty priceless, and it's not even the first time she's asked for it) However, I think we could swing a little gallium.

Nerdy kids come up with the strangest, but most amusing Christmas lists. "Hmm, I could ask for XYZ toy, or liquid nitrogen....I want the liquid nitrogen!" Sorry kiddo, I don't think you're old enough to play around with that just yet.

a reply to: Mike Stivic

We pickle our cucumbers and beets, we blanch and freeze beans and peas and zucchini and yellow squash, mom is making salsa out of the cherry tomatoes.. We also have tons of wild black and red raspberry bushes s well as blue berries, they grow rampant on the mountain, so they have been busy picking them and making jellies.

Ok... now I’m seriously envious . You must save so much money on groceries, and it’s grown by you, so you know exactly what was used on it.

Enjoy the well deserved fruits of your labour!

Thanks for explaining the pickled potatoes miscommunication.

a reply to: Mike Stivic

Joe, so great to see you! It's been too long! Your homemade food items as gifts is an excellent idea! I don't have a garden, but in the past have made cranberry sauce with mandarin oranges, walnuts and cloves and put them in jars for gifts. And...many years ago I used to make herbal products like scented soaps, oils and salves. It always smelled so good in here.

Writing to me comes and goes and is usually a challenge, but I'm in the middle of our shed story and have to push myself to keep my part of the story going. It's fun whether my writing comes out good or not. LOL

a reply to: LucidWarrior

So wonderful see you again Lucid! Writing is in your blood. You Sir, are one hell of a writer and leave me in awe! So...keep at it! If I could have but a portion of your talent, I would be thrilled.

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver


Sauerkraut is good with corned beef.

Glad things are cooling off for you finally. Seems like a perfectly lovely day out there today, but I doubt we'll be safe until late October as far as the weather stabilizing and being cool enough.

a reply to: Sheye

I agree, Joe is a wonderful son! I too envy that he grows his own food.

a reply to: Nyiah


You must have a smart daughter to ask for such a gift for Christmas. LOL

I shop throughout the summer. When I find a great bargain, I will buy the item and put it away in one of my closets. I also like to add a homemade gift as well.

originally posted by: Night Star
a reply to: Nyiah


You must have a smart daughter to ask for such a gift for Christmas. LOL

She's definitely insatiably curious, particularly about space, paleontology, mineralogy (and by extension, geology) and chemistry. And to a lesser extent, entomology. There isn't a bug in the yard she hasn't been able to identify yet, though sometimes it's a gamble to have her walk up to you, "Look what I found!" "GAHHH, what is THAT?!" "...It's just a blankity-blank beetle, geez, they're harmless."

She's very much within her element searching for candidate rocks to either keep for looks, or crack open in search of fossils. Other kids play on the playground or run around in the parks, my younger one? Combs over the area looking for rocks to take home, lol. At the rate she's going with with rock collection and small fossils, she's outgrowing the curio cabinet that used to belong to my grandmother. We're seriously considering getting her a second one to display her things in next year.

I shop throughout the summer. When I find a great bargain, I will buy the item and put it away in one of my closets. I also like to add a homemade gift as well.

We keep an eye out year round, too. We haven't found anything yet this summer that would resonate with or be useful for either kid just yet, but we do have a few ideas we're exploring (gallium aside)

a reply to: Nyiah

OMG, I'm always picking up rocks too! That made me laugh. My friends and Sister chuckle when they see me bending over to pick up yet another rock. If it's not rocks, it's gemstones and crystals from the metaphysical shop. Ha! I love her interests! She must be a very interesting little girl.