We went camping last weekend. It was so nice. We went to the mountains in South Carolina, right over the state line off of the Chatooga River. It was the 1st time we have taken Bowie camping in the mountains. When we went camping at the beach we had the really big tent that is the size of my living room. We could let Bowie run around in there but this time we had the little tent. We kept him confined in the pack n play while we were at the campsite. He wasn't always so happy about that. Also, he is not really a snuggly sleeper. He kept waking up and trying to sleep up on the pillow instead of snuggling between mommy & daddy. WE went down to the river and fished a little, took a short hike up a waterfall, wnet to the SC Fish Hatchery and then to Issaqueena Falls.

I am mad that I missed Project Runway last night and just saw a preview for the season finale and saw that Jarel was not there. Humph...This season of Project Runway has not been good. I have not agreed with so many of the eliminations. Also, I am not loving any of the designers- work or personality. I thought of the 4 left Jarel was the best. That Kinley is a little turd. Alright, enough of my TV tantrum.

I have been so bad. I have not been to the gym one time this week. I have been tired and tired of dragging the kids there. But now I am paying for it. I have been on the verge of a mommy melt down for 2 days. Brady is exceptionally wild this week. It could be that I haven't had that "me" time to sweat it out at the gym or it could be that he hasn't had that extra play time that he gets at the gym. Anyway, we are going tomorrow and I will be back on track next week.

I canned some more pepper jelly,pepper sauce, and roasted tomatoes on Tuesday. That is the end of the tomatoes and peppers for this year. I still have a few eggplant that I will can as marinated eggplant the 1st of next week. Justin's friend, Theron is supposed to be bringing me some more banana peppers to pickle too. I put up a notice on Freecycle asking for some green tomatoes. Leslie has inspired me to make some chow chow if I get enough. Or I might just pickle them.



I talked to Gram this week. I really like talking with her and hearing what she has been doing. Papa Bill died in February and I just can't imagine how lonely she must feel. She told me that she hardly cooks anymore since it is just her. I talked to her about my canning craziness and we got to talking about how sometimes the simple or old ways are the best. She said that Daddy Ben (her dad) only ever used baking soda and salt to brush his teeth and that his teeth were beautiful. I also told her that I was thinking about learning to make cheese this winter. She told me about the farmer's cheese that Grandma Bill (her mother) used to make. She said that she would hang it on the clothes line to let it drain. I want to make mozzerella & ricotta. Maybe cottage cheese too, farmer's cheese. And we talked about cloth diapering. The thing with canning or diapering and I am sure cheesemaking is that it seems hard but in reality it isn't at all. No one can ever believe that I use cloth diapers. In fact I never would have even considered it if it wasn't for poor Bowie's bad diaper rash when he was a newborn. Now I wish I had done it with Brady.