Friday, August 5, 2011

Shall I Read My Grocery List?

I want to keep blogging during this busy, unorganized, harried and harassed time if only for my own records. It kind of keeps me going to think that next summer I will reread the blogs written during this non-gardening/remodeling summer and smile knowing how good I feel that it is . . . over!

But I'm afraid anything I have to put into a post will be of no interest to anyone else. It will sound about as interesting as reading my grocery list.

Bananas
Yellow peppers
Pine nuts

Okay, you have been forewarned. Feel free to X me out and skip on to someone else's blog to be entertained, educated and enthralled. Following is what has been going on around here lately.

My desk top has disappeared. I know there are at least a couple of bills in the mess somewhere and if I have any sense left, I'd better spend an hour or so sorting, cleaning and organizing said desk top.

There are raspberries and blueberries out in the garden to be picked. Again. Fortunately, they are both so easy to process compared to strawberries.

Papa Pea and I just went out and harvested a little over two quarts of blueberries. Pick them clean, spread them in a single layer on cookie sheets, stick in the freezer until frozen and pack them in freezer bags. Deal with them at a later date. Of course, eat as many fresh as we can. Yum.

I've just finished repainting the pantry walls. Took down all the shelves, brackets and tracks and covered up that awful not-beige-but-sickly-pink paint. We're both extremely happy with the new sunshine yellow color. Friend and carpenter B says it's gawd-awful bright and we're not really serious about using the same color in the kitchen, are we? Yup. Yesterday I slapped some of the paint on a couple of spots in the kitchen just to see what it would look like. I love it. We shall have a sunny kitchen regardless of how many dismal, dark, dreary weather days may come our way in the future.

I have lots and lots and lots of polyurethaning to do and will do as much of it as I possibly can outside in the fresh air. This may be difficult to accomplish with, for instance, the door frame of the pantry, but when it is possible, I will be standing with brush in hand at my polyurethaning station outside in the fresh air.

Today I need to pack more books away. Because that particular bookshelf over that particular window needs to have the window framing and paneling around it torn off because new kitchen cabinets are going there. We are fast running out of places to stow boxes of books and construction supplies that will be needed in the next couple of weeks. I also have a (new-to-me) treadle sewing machine currently sitting in what will be our living room. It's a beautiful Singer dating from the early 1900s that someone recently wanted to get rid of and offered to me. I could not resist.

I managed to get my cherry pie baked yesterday. It boiled over and dripped onto the bottom of my oven and filled the house with smoke. (We were outside at the time of this calamity chatting with folks who had parked their trailer in our back yard overnight. They arrived to pick it up yesterday morning and when we came back inside, we could hardly see for the smoke roiling out of the oven.) Pie came out fine. Floor of oven may never be the same. Papa Pea and I had a little "discussion" about why I don't put a cookie sheet or aluminum foil or something under pies so this doesn't happen. With regularity. It seems. To him at least.


I wanted to make a special trip into town to the post office before the 7:20 a.m. outgoing pick up this morning because I stupidly neglected to get the birthday card for my brother in the mail earlier. His birthday is on Sunday so he probably still wouldn't have gotten the card until Monday. Sigh. Makes me mad when I don't do things in a timely manner. I was in town last Wednesday and could have mailed it then so it would have arrived on time. I mean his birthday is on the same day every year. It's not like it was a surprise this year. You'll note I said, "I wanted to make a special trip into town . . . " We didn't set an alarm last night because we were both so tired. At 5 this morning, I got up seeking bladder relief and almost stayed up . . . but didn't. We didn't wake until just before 8! Oh. My. Gosh. And ugh. Feel a little behind already today, Mama Pea?

Got a lovely 6-page handwritten letter via snail mail yesterday. From a delightful gal who is busier than a one-armed paper hanger and yet she enjoys sitting down and penning a handwritten letter. (And, no, she herself is not old and computerless. She is quite computer savvy and blogs regularly.) Do you know what a treat it is for me to receive these communications from her? What is it about receiving a personal letter in the mail that seems so special?

Apples
Vanilla ice cream
Cheddar cheese
Mushrooms

Okay, that's my grocery list post. Bo-ring. Anybody still here??

16 comments:

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

Hey my kitchen was bright yellow when I moved in too. Of course through the last 13 years it has dulled a bit. I would paint it but I am way to lazy. But even with painting twice, it does look to be moving right along.

Susan said...

Another vote for a bright yellow kitchen! I painted mine a bright mustard color. Really. I will take picture of it sometime. And I am very glad you posted your grocery list cuz I plum forgot to get mushrooms when I stopped on the way to work this morning! See? Even your (so-called) most boring posts are riveting and full of very useful info!

Patty said...

Still here! And happy to be. I'm sure you'll enjoy your sunny yellow kitchen.
The blueberries look wonderful. I hope one of these days I can pull up enough energy to start a berry patch of some kind. Not sure what yet, but something.
Do any kind of grapes grow up here? That's another think I'd love to grow someday. We had a nice grape vine when we were kids and the jelly was wonderful.

The Apple Pie Gal said...

Well at least you got your grocery list done too! ;) I always use an old and designated sheet pan for baking stuff like that. It's nasty, no need to ever wash cuz you ain't gettin' it off. And your are right, your oven may never be the same again. But really, if someone is looking at your oven that closely you may as well chop them up and throw them in as well! Just don't look to me for an alibi since I'd be in the cell next door for conspiracy :oD

Sue said...

God I love you. My ENTIRE house is sunshiney yellow. I would have painted the darn stones yellow too, if I didn't think the Mister would have me committed!! LOL!

Sue said...

PS--Your better off throwing out the oven. You will NEVER get that burnt cherry juice off without explosives!

Sparkless said...

Yellow is such a happy color, I love it! I love to hear all about what other people are doing even the mundane things, not boring at all. Heck, it makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one.
Are you making apple pie? Doesn't account for the mushrooms but you'll put those in a salad or something.

Mama Pea said...

Jane - You. Are. Not. Lazy. Nuf said. (You silly girl!)

Susan - Oh ya, riveting. That's for sure! I'd LOVE to see a post with a picture of your mustard yellow kitchen!

Patty - I don't know how you manage to do all you do including raising and home schooling four kids! I can understand why you might feel a little lack of energy now and then. Putting in some grapes is on our wish list. I know I have heard of a couple/few people being successful with them up here but my brain must be addled with paint fumes right now 'cause I can't come up with a single name. The only preserving my mom ever did when I was growing up was to make grape jelly from the vines in our back yard so I know what you mean about the jelly being wonderful.

APG - I've never had an oven I would show off. Always figured if someone was put off by it they were welcome to clean it for me! (Is that a bad attitude?)

Sue - A girl after my own heart! (But I agree with that man you live with . . . leave those gorgeous stones unpainted!) I've always favored bright, true colors. All the ceilings in the house are painted pure white. Lots of people have told me you can't paint anything pure white; it has to be off-white, gray-white or tan-white. Wanna bet? I love the clean, crisp look of white-white!

Sparkless - Nope, no apple pie right now. For light lunches, we like sliced apples and peanut butter so I keep a few around for that.

Anonymous said...

You can't get rid of us that easily Mama Pea! :) Loving watching the home you love morphing into something you love even more.

Erin said...

Of course we're still here! And if you are boring, what does that say for me? I was behind on reading blogs yet I save yours as one of the last ones, because you're one of my favorites! Sunshine yellow screams welcoming farmhouse kitchen to me, I love yellow and white or blue kitchens. You are right about those blueberries, the easiest thing to process!

Patty, check into the U of M site on grapes, there's quite a few that will grow up there, a few of there varieties are grown for wine down where I'm from, called Frontenac (after the village next to Red Wing my hometown). They have varieties that have been tested up in your area and I think that's one that performed well.

Lorie said...

Mama Pea, you are amazing. How you find time for garden, blogging with all the remodeling that is going on is beyond me. Just took time to catch up on your blog after some time away. Your harvest and flowers look wonderful. What a blessing it will be when the remodeling is all complete. It's looking great.

judy said...

NOW I HAVE TO GO TO CHICKEN MAMMA'S FAMILY TREE TO SEE IF I CAN FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE IS YOUR BROTHER,JUST ONE OF MY INTERESTS BUT I CAN HARDLY UNDERSTAND OUR OWN.VERY INTERESTING GROCERY LIST-NOW JUST GRADURUPLA,MILLION X 400 -3$#%^-THERE'S MINE---COMES ACROSS JUST AS CONFUSING TO ME----HA,HA.BUT AT LEAST I MADE IT TO THE FARMERS MARKET YESTERDAY. KATELYNN WAS IN AW OF THE STREET VAUDEVILLE VENDOR COLLECTING $$$ IN THERE GUITAR CASE .I THINK YELLOW IS THE PERFECT BRIGHTON YOUR KITCHEN AREA ESPECIALLY WITH OUR LONG WINTERS.

Mama Pea said...

Stephanie - Thanks, as always, for your encouraging words!

Erin- "Welcoming farmhouse kitchen!!" I love it! I'm going to buy four more gallons of sunshine yellow paint!!

Lorie - Well, you must remember my gardening this year is minimal. Although I must admit, I never realized how much time is taken up just with the perennial berries!! Strawberries are done but I'm into raspberries and blueberries full-bore now!

judy - I have always admired the interior decorating the Scandinavians do . . . lotsa bright, cheerful colors . . . to ward off the long winter doldrums!

Jenyfer Matthews said...

I kind of wondered why you didn't go for yellow in the first place - seems like a natural choice for a kitchen to me (shrugs)

As for the oven, I usually line the bottom of my oven in foil just for such occasions because I never remember to use a cookie sheet either and I don't think the foil interferes with heating / temp at all. Though now that I think of it, my current oven is unprotected... good thing I haven't made a pie in a while!

odiie said...

You've made the "boring" quite enjoyable. I love the yellow. That's what my mom did her kitchen in and I love it.

Mama Pea said...

Jen - The truly DUMB thing is that I first thought of painting the pantry yellow. Long story short of why I didn't: Learn to trust your instincts!

odiie - Thanks, ma'am. You are always so encouraging!