Harvest Time

I love Fall. It's really the best season for fashion (not that I really know anything about that these days -- "Hello maternity pants and shade shirts.") But it's been harvest time in our garden. Farmer's Markets are buzzing. We've got tomatoes coming out of our noses, and I even took my own advice and canned up a storm this year (wanted to have ample spaghetti sauce available for when baby comes). Even my pies for Thanksgiving are sitting in my freezer waiting to be reheated so I can contribute on Turkey Day with more than just cankles if Baby Z decides to stick around past the due date.

A big piece of this inspiration: the vegetable garden, my lavender, pie making and canning comes from up North at the Purple Apple Farm. Remember our "FRENTERs?" (Friends that lived in our basement = Frenters) Well Q's parents live on this amazing farm with apple trees, tons of lavender, chickens, and huge plots of land for vegetables etc. It's amazing. In fact the Dez News did an article about them and cooking with lavender last year.

We got to head up a couple of years ago to pick apples and visit -- Q's Mom Peggy taught me how to make apple pie and the whole day felt like I was an extra on a Martha Stewart with special guest "Barbara Kingsolver." They are homesteaders at their finest.

last Saturday the Nelson's (Quentin & Christie) invited a bunch of friends up for apple picking, food, frolicking and fun. And Holden almost went the whole time without making any of the other kids cry. (Apparently he thought our friend's three year old daughter wanted to play "Touchdown"... although she wasn't aware of the game).

Yesterday I turned part of our harvest into applesauce that I plan on using as baby food in about seven months or so, and I'm going to use the rest of the apples for juice and dried fruit.

I don't know if I'm nesting per se.... with Holden we just decided to overhaul our kitchen and bathroom the week before he was due; so this doesn't feel quite as over the top.

I don;t know what my point is, but I guess I'll just point out we had a wonderful time, and I'm grateful for good friends.

You can see more pictures and read the hilarious quips of Christie on the QNCJ blog. She's definitely worth the price of admission.

Thanks "Tintin" and "Kiss-tee" (as Holden so affectionally refers to them.)