My computer has been giving me fits for the last few weeks, allowing me only very small pockets of time before shutting down again for the unforeseeable future. Husband-dear finally decided he missed my blogging enough that he fixed the problem (yes, he reads my blog. Hiya Mattie! *muah*) This is why my blogging/emailing has been sporadic lately.
My camera, though having been in a sorry state for some time, has become even more sorry after having a jug of ice water poured all over it in the van coming home from a state park. Yes. Lovely.
Before, the camera was
~ not allowing for other lenses to be put on (no macro, my friends)
~ no automatic settings---everything must be manual.
~ random ERR 99 codes every few days, forcing the camera to shut down.
And since the water spill, the brokenness includes:
~ the manual aperture can no longer be changed (!!!)
~ SOMETIMES the shutter speed gets stuck too
~ a newly charged battery needs to be put in EVERY SINGLE TIME the camera is turned off.
It is really, REALLY a pain and rarely results in a decent photo. Incidentally, it is also really, REALLY hard to commit to saving for something that you really, really want/need! You know I am a "don't buy it if you don't have the money first kind of girl"....this is where the rubber meets the road. Saving up for things before buying them is no problem when it comes to a pair of shoes or a couch, but for a camera? That takes some serious discipline. This is why I rarely pick up my camera anymore.
It is all good though~ even with less blogging and less picture-snapping, time still seems to slip through my fingers. Tell me it isn't just me??
Garden harvesting is a must now....a very happy must. We eat like kings and I put all the extras up. Still in the flash-freezing stages of food preservation though, and blessedly so, since who wants to can when it is almost 100 degrees every day for a week? Not I.
I have no less than 12 bouquets of flowers around the house. I pluck and I pick from our yard every day and the children have grown accustomed to me swerving to the roadside by a particularly lovely patch of color. It is just what I do. The other day Matt brought me home a bouquet of bee balm that he had picked along the creek (saying, "I don't have any idea what they are but there are tons of them along the creek and I thought you would like them..." um...YEAH.) A happy surprise. A patch of creek-grown bee balm?! It is like a present just for me!
It has been crazy hot here and terribly dry and each day I have to decide whether a dry well or a watered garden is more important. But today it is raining and there is nothing so pretty and happy than to see a sky of gray and practically *feel* the earth heave a sigh of relief as it slurps up the rain. I will celebrate by cleaning. Because, in all truth, cleaning a hot house by my hot self on a hot day wasn't on my agenda for the last week. Instead, I opted to read-even then, working up a sweat. So the fresh and cool rainy outdoors has me ready to make things fresh indoors too. I'll be tackling the School Room and the Spare Oom today.
How are you spending your day today?
Be happy!
14 comments:
It rained here yesterday for the first time in WEEKS, and brought some cooler weather and I too am celebrating by cleaning. 'Till my energy gives out, which could happen in like, the next 10 minutes.
Bummer about the camera.
And Matt *never* brings you bouquets????? Rock-on Bee Balm!
Beans here soon, squash I can see from the window, peppers that are doing terrible. But that seems to be the thing for this area, based on what B.'s fellow workman are saying. Rats.
Going, the laundry (probably) won't wash itself...
I WILL be happy THANKS to you and these GORGEOUS photos! Man, you are a magician taking beauties like these with a wonky camera! ;) I'm sorry about the camera, btw...yikes, that's like missing a limb, isn't it? What kinda of camera are you saving for? Do you care if it's used? I can ask my SIL...she has like a million cameras and sells them at times! We JUST got rain in the last couple days as well and oh blessed relief...
I'm in the process this week of finishing some school work that we didn't so we can start again ;)...probably after Labor Day...coming up SO fast...I really, really need to dig the children's rooms out...they are at critical mass...I can see the days of flying by the seat of our pants in regards to their rooms has been OVER for about 5 years. I just figured it out. Duh. Do you have your kiddos do certain chores each day in the rooms? What are they? I need help! Otherwise, I sent you a letter blathering about other things on my brain...
What are you reading? :) I just finished C.S. Lewis' first book in his "space" triology. Definitely weird but I liked it...later I must go to the grocery store...blah...I'll take Noah to make it more like a mommy/son date! :)
Blessings!
The cool, rainy weather has been wonderful! I've been painting my daughter's room while she is at camp this week. Tomorrow is a bread baking marathon to get ready for the local farmer's market on Sunday afternoon.
Your veggies look divine!
Hi Rebecca! I am wondering what kind of peppers the dark ones are? I've not seen that kind before..I've been canning even though it's been so hot...I just wish I had an outside burner :( I don't comment often..but I'm still reading!! I always check your blog for posts...I love visiting you here:)
Blessings, Jerelene
Oh! Your poor camera! But at least before, shooting in manual makes you really good, right? :P (Haha, kidding. That's gotta be frustrating.)
Your pictures are always BEAUTIFUL. But I love your writing too, so I'll still read your blog even if you have no pictures. :)
Pictures or no pictures, I still look forward "everyday" to relax and enjoy your writings! Please keep it up in between your other duties. My garden is a flop this year. I think it is a sign for me to look into other activities that won't hurt my body. Genealogy, sewing, crocheting and exercise!
Bonnie~ this is the first ever year of bumper peppers. Usually, I don't do well with peppers at all. So I feel your pain.
Amy~ I am thinking Canon with a large LCD screen and possibly a video? Maybe the Rebel T3?
As for books- I have been reading too MANY! A great one is Heaven Is Here by Stephanie Nielson. HIGHLY recommend (though she is Mormon, so I don't recommend that. :-) )
Terri- you set up at a Farmers Market? Wow. I'd love to learn more about that. Are you committed for every Saturday of the season? Must you have some sort of sellers license or insurance when selling food? I have thought about taking our eggs.
Jerelene~ they are called the Purple Beauty Pepper-purple skin but green flesh. Very pretty. And canning is going to have to start for me very soon, regardless of hot weather. :-( I have friends that can over a fire pit outdoors. And yes, I am jealous! :-)
aeolian~ I always shoot in manual anyway-but this has basically stopped Matt from taking pictures. Not to mention, manual settings are hard to get right when you can't move the aperture. ick. But you are right- it forces you to think outside the box! :-)
Rebecca~ thank you for writing! I will do my best. And the camera might not be sooo long a wait after all.... even still, I have lots of words. ;-)
Rebecca, I sell bread, granola, jam and craft items at our local market. Many markets around here require liability insurance in the form of $1,000,000 which is insane!!! There is no way I could do it if that was required at the one I participate in. However, ours does not require that and it's a fun way to meet people and make a little extra money on the side.
Oh and ours only meets every other week on a Sunday afternoon from June-August. Then it's once a month during the winter. I was bummed when they switched to Sundays because it's hard with church. I usually leave about 15 minutes early on those days but I hate doing it. As the pastor's wife I feel that it's important I'm there to visit with people or there are times that there are things going on in the church on a Sunday afternoon so I don't participate in the market all the time. It generally ends averaging about once a month. Fortunately, they don't require you to be there every single time.
Nice! Yeah, I see what you mean about Matt not being able to shoot.
I've been trying to limit myself to only shooting manual mainly because it's really helping me learn it all quickly. The only time I don't use it is when I need to shoot something really really fast, then I'll put it on one of the Aperture or Shutter priority modes.
Anyway. I hope I can get as good as you are someday. You are truly an artist. :)
Terri~ thanks for the information! I have often wondered about that! I will have to look into whether or not one needs insurance at our Farmers Market, or a contract. I think it would be fun to do every now and then.
Aeolian~ pshaw. That was awfully nice of you to say...
Love your harvest! You are truely eating like Kings!! How thankful I have been for my summer garden this year.Living here in Georgia the heat has been brutal though. But I look forward to a big Fall & Winter garden. I'll start putting in seeds next month to have an abundance of lettuce, beets, kale, carrots, & more. Fresh food is so good for us and our families!! Take care dear, Mrs.Clark
The thing with the bread making is that when all is said and done, I'm probably making a pittance. A lot of the reason I do it is to get to know people in the community. I'll also advertise events our church is hosting and just use it as an opportunity to get to know new people.
The cool thing though is that just this past week someone stopped by my table who is the chef at the local gun club. She is leaving and the new chef doesn't do baking. She asked if I would be interested in providing bread and other baked goods for them on an order to order basis. Now THAT may actually bring in some money!
This last time I took 15 loaves of bread and sold 12 so that really was a good day for me. I also sold 5 jars of jam and 3 jars of granola. So I took in about $100 which paid for my groceries this week. So while I'm not making a ton, I am making enough to pay for food. :-)
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