I am posting this picture of raspberries for Marybeth of Making Cents of it All blog. She has some raspberries at her house that look very, very different. Around here, in the Pacific Northwest, we have 2 main kinds of these berries. We have the June-bearing, which these are, and the ever-bearing. They look similar. Hers have a fuzzy wrapper. I was astounded! I’m still picking berries from my bushes, although they are starting to wind down.
I was able to work in the garden some more. I pulled spent snow peas, added steer manure, and replanted lettuce. I have several more little projects out there to do and areas to replant when they open up.
I took Jake to Baskin Robbins for an ice cream as his prize from the chart he does over at my house. When he fills it doing chores and activities, he gets a prize. Later in the week, I sent Rob to Fred Meyers when they ran a super deal on ice cream for $1/carton and had him pick up the 5 allowed and a box of cones. Patsy and Jake feasted on ice cream cones several times for a fraction of the price it would have cost me to take them to the ice cream shop.
Michaela and Patsy gave the dog a bath, saving at least $40 for a grooming fee.
I froze raspberries from our bushes, blueberries from my mom, 11 or 12 baggies of broccoli from the garden, and canned a total of 12 quarts and 20 pints of green beans from the garden. One morning, when I was up super early to preserve food, I was surprised to see a hot air balloon sailing through the sky nearby!
I did two things this week that cost absolutely nothing, but gave me great joy. First, I went to a wedding reception for a young lady that used to play with my girls years ago. I got to see some old friends that I have not seen for quite a while.
Second, I got to hold this sweet 6-day-old bundle on Friday. I also got to attend her baby dedication today at church. Babies are so precious and I never get over the miracle that they are!
We attended the Farmer’s Market again this week with friends. Again, Patsy received the $2 coupon kids get for tasting an item–blueberries were the item this week—no hardship for her. Our friend’s 7 kids got their tickets as well. My sister brought Jake, as well, and he ate a blueberry and got his $2 coupon as well. We were amazed he ate one! I didn’t see that coming:). It was really fun, and we even saw a lady dressed as “Ima Blueberry” who handed out recipes and things. The kids were tickled with her. They picked the perfect woman for the job–she really hammed it up. They loved it. After all, it’s not every day you see a lady in a round, blue costume talking like she was a blueberry:)
I’ve got so many zinnias blooming now. These are all from 25c baggies of seeds Rob bought at a garage sale and volunteers. Jake’s case worker was coming to see him. He told me he wanted to take the man some flowers. When I asked where he thought he would get some, he said, “From your garden, auntie” like it was the most obvious thing. It was all his idea, and the caseworker said it was the first bouquet he had every received from a little kid on his caseload. I love how you can cut and cut these and they just make more blooms when you do!
You look so happy holding the baby. Babies are precious but grow up way to fast.
Jake’s comment about getting the flowers from aunties garden was cute. And it was very thoughtful on Jake’s part wanting to give his caseworker some flowers. Not many kids his age would think of something like that. Kudos to Jake.
The caseworker looked a little sheepish holding the bouquet, but you could tell he liked getting the flowers. And, he said, “First. Bouquet. Ever.!”, and that pleased Jake:).
It’s not often that I get to hold one that little. I consider myself very privileged to have done that.
There nothing like holding a new baby! It had been one’s heart hope and joy. I love be that the kids can earn coupons at the Farmers market. Hubby and I enjoyed a free milkshake for ice cream day ? on our way to the lake house yesterday. Now we are settled in for a two week stay. We packed all our food from the stockpile so we don’t even have to shop until we run out of something perishable. Have a good week!
A lake sounds marvelous right now! It’s warm for our area today, and I’ve been preserving food. I know you will have a great time.
That’s such a great idea for the Farmer’s Market to encourage kids to taste fruits and veggies. Ima Blueberry sounds like a hoot. The pic of you and the little one is beautiful! Very sweet story of Jake and the bouquet.
I think it’s a great idea, too! Because I grow so much produce, I haven’t been to very many farmer’s markets–I just don’t need to buy very much produce. I sure have had a good time just wandering around with friends the few times I’ve gone this year. Also, I have a good appreciation for what it took to grow those veggies!
Thanks for posting a picture. They look so weird to the kind in NY. I have been picking raspberries my whole life and only have seen my type of plants. I wonder what raspberries look like in other countries now. There must be all different kinds. I got mine for free so I don’t know the name.
The baby is beautiful. I haven’t held such a little one in years. My youngest nephew is 15. Some of my daughter’s friends got married last year so maybe soon. $1 a carton for ice cream is a great price. We eat a lot of ice cream. It is always cheaper to eat at home so it is extra special to get it out every once in a while. Jake is so sweet.
And I think your kind of raspberries are so strange to my west-coast eyes! I wonder if they taste the same….
Jake is sweet. Like every other boy in the world…. most of the time:).
What a sweet picture! Precious baby!
Your zinnias are beautiful too. How cute of Jake to give the man a bouquet.
I need to check out our farmers market. How funny about the blueberry woman.
We went camping this weekend, and it was so hot. Thankful for the a/c in the popup . Not sure if we will get to go again this year.
Hope you have a great week.
I hope you can go again, and I’m glad you have AC in your camper. We do, too, and it’s a lifesaver in our little tin can:). We’ve only been out once this summer, and are not sure how many times we will get to go as well, for many reasons!
I do notice that the prices are not especially low at the Farmer’s Market here, so it encouraged me to only buy the extremely short list of items I really needed. The thing is, though, I can totally see the labor that went into growing the products, getting up super early and picking them, and the fact that they likely lose product when they don’t sell it all–I’m all for the farmer and was happy to pay the price for the things I actually needed!
I’m so happy Jake got the thrill of giving home grown flowers. There is something extra special when you pick that bouquet for someone special.
I was happy for him, too. He enjoyed taking those flowers.
Your garden is looking wonderful! I didn’t realize there were different kinds of raspberries!
I never knew that before, either!