~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
{happy}
So happy about Rosie's news! What, they don't look happy? (I had to steal this picture from Rosie since we need some kids in this post.) Ah… I wish I could hug them!
I miss all my kids!
As I think you know, Deirdre, the Artist, and Finabee were living with us for a few months while they found permanent lodgings in New Hampshire, where the Artist is going to become an even greater Artist through diligent study.
And so now they are gone. <sob>
This means that my house is quite, quite babyless.
My own baby, Bridget, is gone as well, off to college. It's quiet here, Kemosabe. Too quiet.
I am happy, though. This new part of life means that I can go around and speak to people about all sorts of things, and then when I come home, the people here don't actually need that much to eat! They wait patiently for me to produce the food, or they produce it themselves. I shockingly had my first thoughts of eating such meals as baked swordfish (maybe the way Natasha cooks it — so yummy! I'll try to get the recipe!). And even maybe just some crackers, cheese, and fancy sausage, with a few grapes or something.
You know, like it was 35 years ago, before the madness started. It was good madness, though…
Sorry, just rambling.
I'm also happy because the St. Greg's Pockets are burgeoning! Do check the page for updates (and to learn more), and please consider starting one if you don't see your area there. How about Albany? Are you in or near Albany? Rose is waiting to hear from you!
{pretty}
Fall just lingers here in its best Indian Summer mode. The kale is yet thriving.
By the way, I figured something out. On my phone there is a setting for photos called “Square” and amazingly, this takes square pictures! My Instagram is going to be vastly improved, because turns out that cropping a picture that you've taken on the regular phone camera into IG is super disappointing. But using Square makes all the difference.
You're welcome. (If only for relief from looking at my sub-par instagram pics!)
Remember when we were talking about Foley Food Mills, pear sauce, and whether making the sauce with no chunks whatsoever is a deal breaker?
I took a break from pear sauce and turned my attention to the big box of apples languishing in my mudroom. A quantity went into the pot, receiving the same treatment that my pears do — a quick wash, a cut in half, and no peeling or coring. The Mill takes care of it.
But I did a batch that I pared and chunked — I picked out the phenomenally large apples (most unlike my pears, which are so small that it's not worth it if you have to cut most of them away).
I don't know. It didn't seem worth it. The apples were cooked almost to a mush regardless! But now I have a big batch of applesauce, sliiiightly chunky, tucked away in the freezer (just didn't have time to process).
Aaaanddd, naturally, let it boil over and crust up all over the stovetop. That's the funny part if you like to laugh at me when I do the same thing every time. A wet rag makes the cleanup marginally easier.
In other homesteading news, I cannot bring myself to rip out plants that look like they have an ounce of life left in them. Thus, I actually do have a small harvest here of peppers, so who has the last laugh?
{real and also, sorry, funny!}
So poor, but also just so cute! Freddie likes to play with his teething ring, but then it falls on his face and it's terrible! There's nothing he can do! Despair makes him hold his hands so far away!
And maybe, yes, I will just have to resort to taking pictures of pictures on my phone!
M. says
Leila, your comment about little Freddie, “So poor, but also just so cute! Freddie likes to play with his teething ring, but then it falls on his face and it’s terrible! There’s nothing he can do! Despair makes him hold his hands so far away!”, reminds me of us humans, when bad things happen. Despair can truly paralyze one from righting the situation. But, I declare, Freddie so cute that he puts a lovely face on despair. Thank you for sharing this photo and your thoughts about your grandson. God bless.
Kathy@9peas says
Oh no poor Freddie! I like my applesauce a little chunky so I bet yours turns out delicious! I’ll have my {P,H,F,R} up in a bit.
Denise T. says
Your applesauce is BEAUTIFUL. This reminds me of winter mornings when I was little. My mom would give me a bowl of homemade applesauce and a toast with butter. It was faboo! I miss my older kids too……..when you home school, especially, you have a bond so tight for years that when even one leaves, something is all off balance for awhile. Sigh.
priest's wife @byzcathwife says
The photo of Freddie reminds me of my first baby (she is now 15!)- she was born with a very very thick head of straight black hair (like a Monchichi- if you remember that toy). Newborn, she would start pulling her hair and then she would shriek “Someone is pulling my hair!”- I would open her hands and release the hair and she would stop crying. 😉
Ellen says
I love the Freddie updates because my little Gus was born on the same day! It’s fun to see how similar they are. Also, Rose in Albany is my sister!
Margo, Thrift at Home says
Foley food mill all the way! I despise peeling apples, so I am always seeing if I can only peel SOME of the apples that go into pie and crisps. I might have to spring for the fancy thing that peels and cores apples. . . I also adore super-smooth applesauce (baby food, really) so I will even take my immersion blender after it post-food mill sometimes. Mmmmmmmmm.
I’d like to hear more about your transition to the infamous empty nest. So many people seem to suffer such travail and you seem quite philosophical about it and eager to reclaim your pre-kids life. I’m intrigued. And I always love your wisdom for life situations. I don’t even have teenagers yet, but I can see how quickly time is flying and I’m wondering what I can do now to be in a healthy mindset when they fly away.
Leila says
Margo — thanks! I will mull it over, and of course, it seems like it’s just starting — this empty nest thing. I’m not at all eager for my pre-kids life, which was boring and dumb — but I’m eager to enjoy my kids having their own kids and me having some time to do other things. It does seem odd, though!
And I’m just as busy as ever (accounting of course for being older and slower!).
We’ll see…
Stacy says
Poor Freddie being a baby is so hard sometimes. Love your post!
Christina says
This is my first time linking up! I have thought of trying the square option on my phone will try that now on your advice. My 4 year old son is asking to make applesauce daily and your pics are inspiring me to get going on that. Congrats on the newest addition to your family too! God bless.
Maurisa says
Lovely photos, especially the one of your grand babies up top. Such lovely lighting on such cuties. LOL, poor Freddie! Your applesauce looks delicious. I also prefer mine to have some texture/chunks.
Jennifer says
Rosie’s news is so happy, indeed. I wish I could take some gardening lessons from you, I read and try, and toil and hope, but my garden never seems to amount to much. We have a lot of shade which doesn’t help but I would love a beautiful, productive garden.
Kinga says
I also have hard time clearing my garden while it still has hope of harvesting something… nevertheless I ripped out my tomato plants, but saved the tomatoes. They are ripening now in the darkness. I am checking on them every couple of days.
Stephanie says
Wow..so all it takes is a wet rag on the stove top sitting there for awhile…my signature cooking style is to leave burned goop on the stove top and we know things are “done ” when the smoke alarm goes off 🙂 with your empty nest I was wondering how long you have lived in your beautiful home…being a Coast Guard family I think a lot about sense of place for my children…
Leila says
Stephanie, the applesauce wasn’t burnt, weirdly — it was just sticky. So yes, wet rag to loosen it all up.
We have lived here for 15 + years! And it is big. Not when everyone is home 🙂 But we’ve lived in Massachusetts for 28 years. It’s definitely home… unless I can find a lake house in New Hampshire, that is!
Rose says
Thanks for the shout-out to Albany, it’s working already! I am with you on the garden — I went out tonight and picked a handful of peas from our second planting (there are still blossoms on the plants!) and a bunch of teeny sprouts that keep popping out of our broccoli plants. It was enough to feed the kids, anyway, even if I didn’t get any myself!
Congratulations to Rosie on number three!
Elise says
Congratulations to Rosie & your whole family! And that homemade applesauce looks absolutely delicious. Thank you for hosting us, as always!
Amy says
I use a little Easy off on my stove top to get off burnt food. The secret is just a little.
Leila says
Amy, that’s an idea. The applesauce wasn’t burnt — it was just sticky! So wet rag did the trick. But when something burns, ugh. I usually try to get it cleaned up while the burner is still hot with a combo of hot wet dishcloth, back of the sponge, a little scraping with a metal spatula, and then the special cooktop cleaner. But my cooktop will never win awards, that’s for sure!
Barbara says
Leila– you are too funny…
I’m about your age…. With 5 grown children , all gone and the food thing makes me laugh. Last year we actually went for quite a few months with only two of us and meals were much simpler…since summer though, a son who lives nearby seems to arrive with his large appetite every evening, so I’m back to cooking…just a season as they go through some more comings and goings…I shall enjoy it for what it is..(most days that is.)
Thanks for your Catholic inspiration, too!