Pickled Again and Ooh, La La!

I need to get another refrigerator! This one is packed and I still have a drawer full of cucumbers! So far, I've made 15lbs of strawberries into jam and 30 jars of pickles. On Friday, I had to spread the love. I packed up the car with preserves.  I put together some knit dishcloths, jam and pickles with handwritten notes. I dropped them off with several friends. It was so sweet to see the looks of delight on peoples faces when delivering hand made goods. They all seemed a little confused at first. I could see them wondering if there was a holiday that they'd forgotten about. One person even gave me a hug and teared up. So nice! (and it helped reduce the pressure on my bursting fridge)

It really made me feel great. 

I'll post some recipes as soon as I get the chance.

I can't believe that my baby is 4. What happened to my sweet, pink, cuddly, slobbering baby? She is all grown up! 

 We threw her a Fancy Nancy Tea Party. We based it on the books by Jane O'Connor. OK, so I got carried away. I had so much fun putting it together from the invitations to the food to the cake. We asked for everyone to come dressed up. One family took us very seriously, the dad actually came in a tuxedo! Awesome!!!!

So she is all grown up, but she'll always be my baby!

Let's Jam! - or - I'm in a pickle!

I'm not sure what evil domestic demon has possessed me lately! Frankly, it's a little disturbing. I've had the overwhelming urge to preserve. As in Jams. VERY SCARY! Yet, yummy.
I've sought the help of a physician (luckily, I'm married to one). The problem is he wants pickles. What am I to do?
My kitchen is a wreck. The fridge is full of tiny jars of jam. We can't even find the milk. Now, add the pickles and watch out! Jars and jars of pickles. There are cucumbers everywhere.
Can I do just one variety of pickle? Oh, no. Since everything is out we might as well try a few kinds. We never know when this plague may strike again. After all, I'm 37 and this is the first time I've been afflicted. These canned goods may need to last another 30 years!
I need to take some pictures, but I can't find the camera. Where is it? Is it behind the pickling spice? In the fridge buried among the jars of jam? Am I losing my mind?
The only solution is to hit the streets and see if anyone will take some of this off my hands. Actually, I'm going to gift them to people that have been sweet and spicy in my life. Just a little "Thank You".  I love homemade gifts!
I just realized. It's only spring! What if this condition persists? What happens when the tomatoes ripen?
Zucchini anyone?
HELP ME!!!

The Baby That Never Was

The first mother's day that I considered myself a mother was passed pretending everything was fine. Inside I was experencing wrenching grief that I felt I was not allowed to express. The month before I'd experienced the miscarriage of my first child. Although I was only 12 weeks pregnant, it was a very real child. Being my first pregnancy, I was so excited and wrapped in that was all my hopes and dreams for the perfect little person that I imagined our baby to be.


The loss was truly devistating for me. The fact that society seems to view morning for a lost pregnancy inappropriate made it all the more difficult. The insensitive comments or silence from others was unbearable. Even though I have a wonderful and very supportive husband, who as also greving, I felt so alone.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I was able to hold my child in the palm of my hand during the miscarriage. He/she was this perfect, tiny person with 10 fingers and 10 toes. Beautiful and perfect. Yet, it was all of my hopes and dreams for the future gone.


I still think about my perfect, tiny child. I wonder what he or she would have been like. As I watch my other children grow, I wonder what would have been.

So this weekend, give a little love and attention to Moms that might have been and Moms that want to be. They need a hug!

How does your garden grow?

Growing up, my family always had a garden. Now, with a house and kids of my own, I wanted to share the joy of gardening with my kids. The problem? South Carolina is HOT. VERY, VERY HOT. Also, our yard does not really have an area that would be suitable for a garden. What to do. What to do.

We came up with the solution. A combination of boxes and containers. It  is small enough to weed and take care of without the risk of heat stroke. But large enough to have fun and provide a few veggies. We started planing seeds last week. We are really enjoying watching how fast the plants grow.

It really made me think about my children! It is so much to watch them grow! One day they are little sprouts. Before you know it, they are growing, blossoming andproducing fruity comments! My daughter turns four this month. I can't believe it! It really seems like just last night that I was getting up in the middle of the night. Oh wait, it was last night!