We enjoyed a wedding yesterday afternoon. This is the car they drove away in:). We enjoyed seeing many friends we had not seen for a while, the beautiful bride in her gorgeous dress, the handsome groom in his suit–a young man we’ve known and loved since he was 5, the cool breezes as we sat under the hazelnut trees for the wedding and reception–a lovely venue and a very pleasant afternoon.
The rest of the week was not as restful, but it was fun as well! At the beginning of the week, I worked in the garden quite a bit, processing or serving the harvest as I picked it.
On Tuesday afternoon, we escaped the heat and drove down to the beach. We did a little shopping at the outlet mall for Patsy, and then just went and sat on lawn chairs and watched the waves. 
I often forget that beach is only a little over an hour from our house now…we could go more often if I just remembered that it was an option.
Since Jake and Michaela spent from Wednesday-Sunday with us, as their parents were out of town, we did a few extra things with them. Rob took Patsy and Michaela to a train museum one day, as trains are one of her absolute favorite things in the world. It was free, not very big (so not overwhelming) and they had fun. He also took her to her volunteering opportunity so her schedule could continue uninterrupted.
Alissa showed up one evening with popcorn, popcorn buckets and a movie, and we had a movie night. We had a very fun evening, and Jake loved seeing his big sister. I really liked the music in the movie she brought–The Greatest Showman.
Jake and I are in the book, “The Long Winter”, so one morning I made him “flapjacks” and bacon like Almanzo and his brother ate during the winter storms. He was sure theirs were bigger, and I am too, but he didn’t even finish these, so…..
We went swimming with them a couple of times. We went to the library to check out books and movies. He got another “Betsy” book (by Carolyn Haywood) and we had to read part of that, as well. He likes having the Little House books going on all the time, with Betsy books thrown in. It’s a treat for him to find one at the library we have not read yet.
They both did very well, and we were pleased with how it went.
I did get some gardening done, such as clipping off some vines, a little weeding, and Rob tilled up a small area in the garden that was finished and I planted some more seeds–lettuce, spinach, snow peas, cilantro, basil and beets. The lettuce I planted a couple of weeks ago is up, but patchy, as it’s been so hot. I’ve been out there all morning again today, but, now, I’m going to tear into the inside work as it’s pretty hot out there now. Today’s my only day off for a while, so I have lots I want to do.
I have no grocery bargains to share this week, as I didn’t have time to go shopping. I guess that’s the best bargain of all! We are making out like kings and queens with all the garden produce, and things in the freezers and cupboards, so I think I’ll hold off until next weekend, unless we run out of milk.
Wow! Your produce looks wonderful and that stack of pancakes looks so fun.
I rained and rained and rained last week so we pretty much just stayed in. My big thing was $100 of Amazon gift cards earned through Swagbucks in July. We must have eaten at home a lot because we had $125 of our $175 eat out money left at the end of the month. That went into the vacation/weekend getaway envelope. All nine seasons of ‘The Waltons” are on Amazon Prime and we have been watching those pretty much daily. It is good to be reminded of simpler times and how to make do. It also makes us appreciate what we have.
I’m excited to hear about the Waltons being on Prime. I have Prime on my Kindle, and will certainly watch a few there.
We have been in a season of exceptionally hot (for us) weather, so we feel like staying in!
Every amazed time we watch The Waltons we are amazed by all the pies. And ready to eat pie! My Mom and her sister where big pie bakers when they were younger but this would certainly not be the norm today.
I agree! I love pie, but should not eat it daily:)
I have fond memories of the beach as a kid, I grew up in the SF Bay Area and our house was an hour from the beach as well. My mom would keep beach chairs, towels and ‘sand gear’ in the trunk of her car. I have many fond memories of her saying ‘want to go to the beach’ on the spur of the moment. And off we’d go.
We need to do it more!
The wedding looked beautiful. That is an awesome car. Glad you had a nice time. We are close to the beach and don’t go often. We like to go in the evening and walk on the boardwalk but during the day it is mobbed. I also burn very easily and both of my parents have had skin cancer so I am extra cautious.
Your garden looks amazing. I am so happy for you that you are getting so much. Your pantry will be so full. Have a great week.
Thanks! The groom was so excited to be driving away in that car–before the ceremony, he was mingling with the crowd, greeting people–and he pulled me aside to point it out and confide that he was going to drive away in that car–pointing with the biggest smile on his face. Clearly, they were going to trade it out for the honeymoon journey, but he sure was looking forward to driving it for a while. I believe it’s the bride’s father’s car.
I am glad to be getting so much produce as well. Today, I did some cucumber dill pickles, as well as some more zucchini dill chips. I dug some poorly-growing carrots, freeing up the ground for some snow peas, and peeled and cut them all up for future meals, snapped, blanched and froze 3 bags of beans and 1 small bag of broccoli. I’m going to be done with some of the veggies, such as beans, very soon and will pull the bushes. Then things will get easier for me. It takes a lot of time (3 hours in the garden, and 8 hours processing it today) but it’s worth it to me. I love having it all stacked up in the freezer and cupboard, and it’s only for a short season so I keep telling myself to push on.
Proof that you don’t have to spend over 20 or 30 K on a wedding and have it beautiful !
I swear the ones I know think it is nothing to drop 45K on the wedding and still nothing is covered. We paid another 12K for the rehearsal dinner more for the photos more for our transportation, more for a gift , more for clothing the list goes on and on…. It is obscene!
That wedding was so nice, and they did not spend anything like that amount on it. They had salads, fruit and cake for people to eat, and several drinks, such as ice water, iced tea and lemonade, which were constantly being re-filled because the weather was warm (but not miserable).
We also knew of people who took out a second mortgage to give their daughter the “wedding of her dreams” and were appalled.
love all the beautiful pictures..
Thank you very much.
Patsy is becoming quite the young lady! It seems like she was a little girl last week and look at her now. Very pretty.
Your garden looks so nice. I know it is so much work but the produce always tastes so wonderful. I would love to have more of a garden but our backyard has cottonwoods so the yard (and the house) is pretty well shaded during the summer. But then again, it keeps the inside of the house cooler during the afternoon.
Thank you. Yes, they are all growing up. When we went to the wedding on Sunday, there were a lot of people there who had not seen Patsy for quite some time, and they, too, were amazed at how much older she was. It happens, it just feels like it happens so fast sometimes:)
The shade is worth a lot, especially this time of year! This garden is so much smaller than my other one, but it felt huge yesterday! There was so much to do. But, yet, I keep planting:). I really enjoy the process, and the harvest. And, I enjoy food preservation. If I didn’t love all of that so much, I probably would not grow quite so much, because there’s more than I need out there:)
The beach looks so beautiful! I cannot get over how different it looks from our beaches, but each is so beautiful in different ways. If I ever make it out to the west coast, I definitely want to see y’all’s beaches! At the moment, I am lucky to have one dollar in my budget for swimming at the local river….lol.I love your garden photos and the wedding pics are outstanding! So glad to see children enjoying themselves.
I hear you on the tight budget! We don’t have to pay to go to the beach, or rivers around here, but if we go to a State Park, there may be a $3 day use fee. We have a park pass, though, so don’t have to pay the fee.
Your garden is gorgeous! Beautiful wedding pics, and such a wonderful vintage car. I love that you’re reading the Little House books with Jake, and how you made him Almonzo’s breakfast. I’m thinking that’s peach jam in your canning jars? That’ll be a lovely taste of summer during the winter.
Yes, it’s peach. I’ve made lots and lots of peach because I have so many peaches available to me. Yesterday, I made some blackberry jam with berries that were buried in the freezer–lots of that now, too. I was almost out of jam, and I want to give it as gifts, so I need a lot this year. I’m about done, now, though.
Your garden is doing so well, and I love to see all the canning and preserving you are doing! Ha, ha, The Long Winter is always on my night table – I like to read a little when I can’t sleep at night. That stack of pancakes is making me hungry for some! I, too, live about a hour or so from the beach, but our beaches are packed! And, it is not much fun to go by myself. Maybe the next time my daughter comes home. Enjoy your week, Becky – looking forward to seeing what else you preserve!
I think we might go down to the beach again next week when it heats up, if we can fit it in:). I hope you can go soon!
Your garden looks amazing!!!!!!!!!!! It is so different from mine. I can’t grow corn or summer squash and now my cucumbers have all died! I can grow cantaloupes and watermelons. All 15 which were different varieties and different sizes, ripened within 3 days of each other. How they managed to do that has dumbfounded me. I am shoving cantaloupes in everyone’s face whenever they walk in the kitchen. The 3 watermelons which are on the one plant that has taken over the strawberry bed, are still growing! They are HUGE! I can’t even roll them over to check the underside. Dustin will be hauling them in when they are ready. Hopefully, they will not ripen at the same time.
I canned one batch of peaches, made one batch of peach butter, froze one quart bag and we have eaten the rest! Whenever I walk past the table I grab one. This is a once a year treat for me and I am enjoying it.
I did plant some buttercrunch lettuce since you kept mentioning lettuce. Never have I had any luck with it in the summer. The seeds came up and the tiny seedlings began to disappear. I tried putting a piece of netting over them and guess what – they are growing just fine now. None have disappeared. Learn something new every day.
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
My husband says he’s coming over for melon in your kitchen! If we were closer, we would! They sound so yummy:)
I hope you get a lot of Buttercrunch. It is my absolute favorite kind of lettuce, and usually holds up pretty well in the heat. Just put in a few more seeds every week or two until you think it’s too late for them to ever get big enough to eat.
Prettiest music ever in a movie High Road to China !
We just watched “In The Good Old Summertime” while we were camping. Last time, we watched “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and I enjoyed all the old-fashioned sounding songs in them. I love it that we can check out movies for free at the library now. It always seemed strange to me that they charged money before.
I’ve never watched High Road to China that I can remember. I’ll have to see if the library has it.