HIGH BUTTON SHOE
November 1, 2005
ha! Right on the right day! I bet you didn't think I could master that, did you? I know. Just when you get to thinking you can predict me, I go and throw a monkey wrench into your thinking. Oh, by right day, I mean that I am writing this on the exact day that ranting raven comes out. If you are new to the newsletter, I rarely make it on the right day. Some months a day or so early and sometimes a day or so late. But enjoy my punctuality while you can. In this fall to year end season, my days go steadily downhill in most departments. This is the busiest time of the year for us. While Ronnie, the organized, has his lists of outside chores pretty well done, you all know my talents do not lie in organization skills, so I just muddle along.
The trees are losing some of their magnificent color and their leaves. But many are still green, a dull green at best, but still not losing their grip of the leaves. We have many trees on the outskirts of the yard. I swear each one loses its leaves at a different time. Sunday we spent the day,with perhaps the final mowing of this year, and raking up what leaves were down. Like the taking the tent down fiasco of early last month, we chose a gusty wind day to do the raking. Or the day chose us. I think were I to have just raked in an upward motion and left the rake in the air momentarily, each rake motion would have blew the leaves 1/2 way across the section. Of course, my luck they would have stuck across the road in the fence by my flower garden. I took the heads off all the black eyed susans to throw here and there to reseed for next year. And Ronnie got the seeds from all the yucca plants for the same purpose. And then.... can't believe I did this. I mowed the flowers off! I never do that. I love how the snow looks when it isn't too deep and hangs off the dead flower stems. But flowers without the dead flower head, merely looks like a dead stick, with something missing. So off they went. I may be able to find some other enjoyment in that drated snow. But probably not.The weather this year, while certainly NOT to my liking, being very hot and humid, was apparently good for the apples crops and definitely for grapes. We have a grape arbor behind the shop that each year produces grapes, but never like this year. It was the best year we remember both in quantity and sweetness. I haven't canned anything in years. Canning tends to come either when it is so hot, the kitchen is unbearable to be in..or in the fall when I don't have any time. However, as both apples and grapes are so good this year, the person who lives here who doesn't actually DO that canning, thinks we should take advantage of both surpluses. So in my spare time, which is a total oxymoron, because those two words don't go together in my fall vocabulary, I am making apple pies. AND in the past several days, even though I have given away several 5 gallon pails of grapes to anybody who would take them, no doubt seeing the pleading look on my face.... we still had LOTS of grapes. My only knowledge of grapes is the episode of Lucy and Ethel stomping them with their feet in a big vat. Dragging my feet to do this, I finally decided the only way to get around this with Ron was to just do it. However, I want to go on record as saying, in my next life time, I will NOT be a grape jelly producer. This is why we have Smuckers, right?? My name is NOT Clotilda Smucker! Although.... I think that has a nice ring to it. I now, know first hand, that you cannot find a jelly bag in Meijer or Walmart, no matter how many times you go up and down the aisles. You cannot find cheesecloth. You can find where it is SUPPOSED to be, by the little tag that is in front of the empty hook. NO doubt, other people have been coerced into making grape jelly, too. AND the only clerk you can find, doesn't have a clue even what you are talking about, let alone if they have any!! So, grubbing around in the basement, I find some old cheesecloth I use for folkart and I am in business. That being a very generous term for my grape jelly project. My kitchen has white walls and cupboards and a sage green countertop. Grape juice adheres to whatever it touches INSTANTLY. That includes your hands, any clothing you have on, the wall behind the sink, under that previously CLEAN window, and all the 74 bowls, big cooking canners, spoons that are now permanently purple. Also do NOT use one strainer that was the right size, that WAS old almond colored graniteware with green trim. Unless of course, you think purple goes nicely with that. How does this man expect me to get any work done outside if I now have to clean the entire kitchen with a Brillo pad??? I know, you are thinking..doesn't she know about papertowels and newspaper on the counters. But while you are trying to protect the walls from the grape juice, you are SQUEEZING out, you innocently put the big metal cup on the newspaper which soaks thru, and leaves the full news of the day on the sage green counter.My new found theory on the grape production for next year is...I will just throw the grapes after he picks them all, in the swamp down the road, and empty Smuckers grape jelly into all my canning jars. Our secret!Let's see, what else have I been up to? I had to change the 14 clocks in the house back over the weekend. I HATE that it is now dark at just past 5:30PM. And the fall back is much more difficult than the spring ahead, as the "organized" insists I do it the proper way, instead of just moving the hour hand back one hour. Wouldn't you have thought after all these years together, SOME of his methods would have worn off to me by now??I am working on Christmas things now. As I mentioned www.rantingraven.com was released today. We can be found at http://www.rantingraven.com/Exhibit95.php . So check us out when you have a minute! I would encourage you to always check out the offerings of my friend Wendy Stys Van-Eimeren (Miss Elspeth to me) of PineBerryLane. She is most talented and her work always brings me a smile. http://www.rantingraven.com/Exhibit165.php I have been taking some new pictures of the new stuff for Beulah to upload to the website, so that will be changing looks soon. Still having some trouble with the flash on both cameras, so if something doesn't look quite right, consider the photographer! I read that drated manual several times and still can't figure it out.Our Christmas at the Farm Open House is November 18.19 & 20. The times are listed in the calendar of events. And a reminder to those who live in this area. I am not doing any shows this fall. We are open Fridays and Saturdays 11-5 to mid December. Other times by chance or appointment. Mostly appointment, little chance. The answering machine will always tell you when I am open. I will be closed this week.Okay, I have more apples to peel for a pie this afternoon. Wouldn't you think this man would be sick of apple pie by now??Oh, Beulah has to get them up on the website, but we have Christmas cards for sale. If you want to see them before she gets them up, email me and I will send you the pictures directly. They are $2.00 each.Thanks, as ever, for asking to be a part of the farm!in fond regard, Clotilda