Bucket of Tomatoes

It's canning time! We also need to freeze some zucchini !

More barn dance pictures...

You may get sick of seeing pictures from the barn dance this last weekend...but I can't stop thinking about how much fun we had at the party!  And to warn you... these are still more pictures from my phone and not the really cool pictures that farmer J took!

The party hosts! 

Mimi and Papa (my parents)

JJ and my footwear for the dance!

The Wary Farm Wife (aka-me) and my mama

Yum!

Farmer J is not a big fan of the "selfie"... but he loves me so he puts up with me!

JJ found a salamander right as the party was starting!

Pig roast!

I wonder how many random drinks have been placed on this very wooden beam over the 165 years this barn has been around.  

End of summer cleaning!

Thanks to Norwex...I was able to dump all these nasty chemicals down the drain and recycle the containers!  Now, I clean mainly with just water and microfiber cloths! 

I used the Norwex "P/Purple/Polish" cloth (aka-window cloth) to clean my fridge glass!

I used my Norwex kitchen cloth... a Norwex MUST... to clean out the nasty food remnants, stains, etc.  This cloth is a work horse!

BEFORE

AFTER: Cleaned with just cloths and WATER.  No chemicals or paper towel waste!

A: Frozen moth and a random piece of paper

Q: What will I find in my freezer when I clean it out?

PS: I also found a frozen chicken egg (surrounded in ice) as well as frozen acorns (surrounded in ice)!

It's always fun and interesting being a mama of boys! 

Happy Monday!

Farmer J really knows how to grow amazing sunflowers.  For the many years, he has grown sunflowers but this year, they have really taking to the garden soil and are so tall and beautiful.  

Hope these pictures brighten your day! 

Summer tomatoes.  Still warm from just being picked from the garden.  Garlic rubbed on toast, good Midwest cheese, olive oil and Balsamic vinegar... we ate like hobbits and LOVED it! 

End of the summer BARN DANCE

I'll admit.  I'm a little tired today.  I'm tuckered out from being up until PAST midnight last night partying like it was 1865! Partying "G" style that is... as

I was a responsible Mama to our little boys who stayed up as late as Farmer J and I... all fueled by fun, sugar, a pre-party nap and excitement! 

Our lovely landlords, "Mr. Jim" and "Miss Mary" (as the boys refer to them... so its really the only way I think of them as well), along with their equally lovely grown children, family and friends, put together an amazing outdoor farm dinner and dance last night!  Who knew that being rental tenants would come with such perks?  Actually, I had a sneaking suspicion, after first setting foot on this property, that amazing memories would come to our family here!

I'll have more details about the party to come as soon as Farmer J uploads our pictures to the computer (these iphone pictures are to "tempt your tastebuds")!  

Let's just say:

pig roast 

homemade pies

plenty of beer (we are in the Midwest- we have a reputation)

square dancing with a "caller" and all

Farmer J singing Mumford & Sons

JJ thought the goats needed to get "ready" for the party as well!  Ciaran loved the attention, as usual!

They are really hoping JJ will give them some "goat chow" that is stored just behind this door! But they enjoyed the grooming and attention regardless.

The barn.  Cleaned out.  Lights hung.  Probably the cleanest this barn has been for 165 years! Definitely the cleanest its been since we moved in over three summers ago! 

The farm looked beautiful.  I imagine oil lamps, just like this one, were used to light up many an outdoor party at this farm, years and years ago.  

The tractor was placed in front of the barn which a digital camara set in front of it for guest photo shoots! I snapped a few of the boys before the party!  

Pretty skirt.  Cowboy boots.  Ready for barn dance!  More pictures and stories to come... JJ starts school tomorrow so I'm off to bed... and to dream of promenades, circles left and right, & do sa dos!  

Vacation