A Brief Holiday Message and Fall Round-Up

If you have reached the blog through the Christmas cards we sent out, consider putting your email in the email address box on that right hand side that way when I publish a new post, it will get sent directly to your email. Please enjoy the fall round-up below and know I will try to post something once a month. The next post will be pictures of our fall trip to Napa Valley. By the time this post publishes we will have winter prepped the T@B including removing the TV from the kitchen hatchback and covering it with the winter cover. I just couldn't resist posting this picture of it in the backdrop of the sunset. Andrew took the T@B to Michigan again in October, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

September demanded a lot of gardening still and we were picking tomatoes throughout the month. This picture was taken on a Sunday as I weeded the herb garden. A full Tutu post will be coming this winter.

Here is a shot of a butterfly making weeding a little more fun.

Speaking of gardening, a friend of mine went to visit a private garden open to the public and featured in the Urbana Citizen. This 65 foot tunnel with 10 varieties of gourds was a soothing and delightful experience. So grateful for folks in the community who open their hearts and homes to share what they are passionate about.

Another September harvest included a bumper crop of concord grapes. I have found to my dismay that the tannin in the grapes gives me a headache. I love concord grapes but cannot deny the head throbbing pain that follows. I fed some to the chickens and threw some in the freezer maybe for a future project.

Another harvest from the garden included hops. We've had a few hops growing for several years but this was the first year I made the time to pick some. Rather than brewing, I dried them and hope to use them for some future herbal projects. Hops can help one sleep, and I especially like the Aura Cacia aromatherapy oil called "Pillow Potion." It is lavender and hops and can really help you sleep.

I was cutting herbs into mid-October. I planted some sage this year and was inspired by a recent trip to plant more next year. Pictured here is Sage, Parsley, Chives, and a Goodwin Grey lavender.

Some of the sage dried for the year.

Additionally Calendula. This bloomed late and I lost a lot to the cold in October. I mainly use Calendula for a home made eczema salve I occasionally make for friends. I hear it smells awful, but works well.

The chickens are doing well. I'll try to include more about them in a future post. For now, check out what was left of the ill advised placed robin's nest that I featured earlier in the summer. I think one robin fledged successfully. I like this picture and how it reminds me of change. The moon is a good reminder of how things change.

I certainly hope the coop's resident Toad has found a place to hunker down for the winter. He was also featured earlier, and he scared me half to death on a hot day in September. This was his answer to keeping cool. My Dad asked if he could get out or if I would help him out. I'm not getting any closer to a toad than I have to. I figured, if he got in, he could get out and he did. Nowadays we have the electric waterer set up for the chickens.

Andrew's last race of the season was at Alum Creek. He's qualified for Nationals again next year.

I took this nice picture while he was competing.

Andrew got a jump on holiday baking by trying this recipe from the Model Bakery of Napa CA, cinnamon rolls.

Andrew took the T@B the first week of October to Michigan and went on a salmon fishing trip with my Dad. What a catch!