Let's talk about good things, shall we?

There is only so much negativity that I can stand before I have to come up for good, positive air.  It's been a week that tested my mettle sorely, but there are also things going on in friends' lives that make my little inconveniences just that.

Without further ado...

Kay brought over a huge bowl of fresh-picked red currants!  This, when she was here to help rassle sheep for worming.  I rassle, she administers.  I mean, how generous is that?  I may have to live to 100 just to pay her back for all her kindnesses.

Very little was lost in the great freezer meltdown, thanks to my pressure canner and a neighbor's freezer space.  I managed to get all the meat-type thaws cooked or canned.  The only loss was my frozen pumpkin, but it wasn't a total loss, as the chickens sure loved it.  All the rhubarb and rhubarb strawberry sauce has been safely water-bathed.  This has made me rethink 'convenience' foods, and I am going to start canning make-ahead meals.  I also have a nice, defrosted freezer!

Garlic has been harvested and will be hung in the barn this afternoon.  It's supposed to be a corker today, so I will be doing my outside stuff early.  On the list is staking the beans - my initial 'string' method is woefully insufficient for the plants.

My Swiss Chard turned out wonderfully, which is doubly wonderful, as it is my favorite green.  The peas are done, so Sage and Chickie are enjoying some extra fiber.  I've started them on a natural wormer that I used before with goats -- it's from Hoegger's, which is my favorite place for everything goat & dairy.  I'm hoping to work on the sheep yard, but it depends on the heat factor.  As we all know, I am not a hot weather person.  But, there is plenty to do inside.

This morning's barn treat was Grandma's Donuts -- an amazingly easy concoction that doesn't entail turning on your oven.  With the water bath canner going full steam this morning, I didn't want to add to the kitchen temperature.  It does entail hot vegetable oil, but only for a short time.  The bad thing about it?  It involves convenience food.  Well, hot times call for drastic measures.

I've just started a home remedy that I think I will really enjoy - drunken raisins.  For purely medicinal purposes, I've put a cup of golden raisins in a quart canning jar and covered them with gin.  There they will sit for two week or so, until the raisins soak up the medicinal properties (ahem) of the gin.  Then I will consume them at a rate of 9 a day to help combat the arthritis in my hands.  Really, no lie.

I've decided to rename Slim.  He's now Trip.  Nuff said.

I hear the kids calling, so I'm off.  Here's to lots of good things for all of us.