Amber and Gold

Sheesh. I can't believe it-another week has practically passed without me knowing it! I haven't been updating as frequently as I used to...I hope that changes. I do very much like updating frequently. I guess I was busier than I thought-again! Well-now, I have LOTS to say. You will be BORED out of your skull at the end...if you MAKE it that far! :-)

I keep telling myself that I will be done canning 'until apple season' but I keep needing to make ONE MORE batch of something. Or more. This week I made MORE bread and butter pickles, cherry green tomato pickles, peach butter, regular salsa and tomatillo salsa and about a bazillion hot peppers in different variations. I guess I need to update my sidebar! lol

Now~apple season IS upon us and I still have ONE MORE batch of salsa to make. I guess I will not be able to get a canning reprieve until the FINAL one-after the apples. Good news comes twofold though:
1) Matt finally was able to make me a shelf for my canned goods-so they are no longer covering my entire counter! He used all the lumber he had available-and it is JUST big enough for the stuff I have made thus far.
2) We will be getting a few free apples this year after all! WOOHOO!

Our monarch chrysalise completed it's transformation this weekand THIS time, we actually got to SEE the butterfly come out of its home. It was NOT what I expected. At all. Just WAIT until you see pictures (which will be coming soon, I might add!) The bug was more like a fat swollen bettle with patheticly small wings. I thought it was 'broke' at first. Such a bizarre thing. I watched the ENTIRE time and I STILL can not figure out what happened. Somehow, before my very eyes, teeny wings and a HUGE body become the very opposite. Next time, I will be taking a movie for sure. I will be posting a complete post on that probably the beginning of next week...so if interested, come back! :-)

On Wednesday I went to a bible study for women put on by a church in State College. Boy was that FUN! I loved it. About 40 women come together to sing and pray and then break up into groups of about ten to study. This year it is the book of Romans. They have childcare for children up to two years old and from 3 and up they have a story hour. So-I was all by myself. How REFRESHING it was for me to have ALONE time to fellowship with other women and really delve into the Word. Andrew slept through it all (he takes his morning nap at that time so it is PERFECT!) and Corynn just ADORED her little class. She doesn't go to Sunday School at church (none of us do...) so she especially enjoyed it. I am so glad such a place is available to me-even if I am unable to go there EVERY week.

This weekend we are going to a wedding. I am SO excited. I LOVE dressing up like a princess. Really. Corynn and I have a lot in common-she gets it from nowhere strange, for sure and for certain! So I am going to be SUPER feminine this weekend-sparkly from my teeny tiny ears to my painted toenails. And I am going to DANCE! Matt promised that we would get dance lessons together-but that didn't happen. YET. I am STILL holding him to it! It will be super fun though. I love weddings and I WISH they would happen MORE often! :-) I love elegance. I love dancing. I love twinkling candles and lights. And fine china. And drinking from wine goblets and beautiful water cups. I LOVE fresh flowers. And I LOVE seeing EVERYONE smile. I will take some pictures to share. You know me!!! :-)

Oh-and I am proud to announce the 'School Year' has officially started for us here! I am ACTUALLY setting aside specific time with Corynn each day now. Only about 20-30 minutes but time just the same! Fun Fun Fun. Not that her learning is limited to that. Not at all. Her newest thing is shouting out letters as she spots them. Anywhere. In stores, at home, on signs, in books. Most frequently we hear random outbursts in the car as we drive "Look-a 'C' Mama!" "Look-an 'O'!!" She is a chief letter spotter.

This week I have also done a LOT in the way of Autumn preparations. I am getting into it now. There is no denying that Fall is here and it is time to stop moping about missing warm days and time to start embracing the changes that God gave us. (Els is a smart woman...) Next week we will be doing some more decorating-including making our annual Newman Family scarecrows. Again-pictures to follow. Why I say that when you all MUST know to expect it, I do not know.

But now it is off to make three batches of chocolate chip cookies and fold an entire families worth of clean clothes. Seriously. None of our clothes are available. Not because they are dirty-because they are all clean. But not folded and put away. Just in big huge piles atop my bed. That wouldn't be very comfortable for me to sleep on tonight so I best get a move on it.