Lament For The End Of Summer

This time every year I begin to panic. Summer is almost over! Summer and Spring are most favorite seasons. The heat can be horrible especially for my husband who works mostly outside or in un-air-conditioned places with an un- air-conditioned truck. However, the summer means green grass, green trees, flowers, fruit, vegetables, swimming, beach trips. At this time of year I begin to think, " I may not see the ocean again this year." And I try to calm myself by thinking, "You have seen it twice this year already which is more than most and the year is not over yet." My sisters think I am crazy. Kelli's family is the Addams Family. They like cold, grey, rainy days. I like a good summer thunderstorm too but I need to know that the sun will shine later in the day or at least by tomorrow. And Erin is a wilting flower in the heat. Yesterday I went out to pick vegetables in the garden and this picture is what I got (and a bunch of ant bites). While I am thankful for what I was able to pick it is a fraction of what I could pick a month ago. Another sign that summer will be over soon. Fall has it's perks- Halloween, pumpkins, Thanksgiving, crisp evening air. But the leaves after the leaves fall it is so grey. Grey trees, grey sky, brown grass and cold days. This year we are going to plant a fall garden. Maybe that will show me that fall has more to offer.

I went a little canning crazy yesterday. I canned roasted tomatoes, tomoto-basil jam (yummy), green tomato-strawberry jam(mock strawberry made with green tomatoes), and corn cob jam. Not sure if I will make this one again. The reviews on recipezaar.com said that it tasted like honey and apples. I think that is a stretch. More like sweet jelly with very little else going on. It is a novelty though or proof that I have a canning maddness. Tomorrow I am going to pick pears. So I have been looking for pear jam/jelly/preserve recipes. I found one that I want to try with red zinfandel wine & bay leaves. We will see. Of course I will make something more traditional too in case it is disgusting.

Tomato with a yellow star

Went to the gym yesterday & today. Yippee! Ran for 20 minutes straight! Usually I walk a song run a song but today I decided to push it and I would have kept going except for the cramp in my hamstring. I was afraid that I might cramp up and fall off the treadmill. Not a pretty thought. I also went to my knitting group. I finished a really crazy looking, long wash cloth. My first finished project. So even if it is weird, it is mine!