The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, has come and gone. Though the calendar year is not yet half over, the lengthening of the days, with earlier sunrises, and later sunsets, is.

With the fields full of lupin,
and the rugosa roses blooming,
it is hard to acknowledge the shortening of daylight has begun.
It seems as if summer has barely started!

RUGOSA ROSES

Spring and early summer seemed to have merged into their own season this year.

Everything is blooming at the same time!
The lilacs are out two weeks early, and even forsythia is still out!
And everyone agrees we have never seen such a display
of apple blossoms!

It is glorious!

Trillium and Virginia blue bells are lovely together!

Spot enjoys the garden!

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MONDAY- May 26, 2015

The last six months have been very busy. We have listed, and listed, and listed new products. And, while we still have some new fabrics to put on, we have finally come to a place where we can catch a breath. Debbie, that artist of organization, is keeping things on an even keel, giving me time to write. We are so happy!

Hopefully the last of the new fabrics will go on in the next two weeks. After that the hope is to get some long over-due articles written.

OVEN DRIED TOMATOS

In days of yore I used to do a lot of putting up. Due to circumstances, the last few years have not encompassed putting things by for the winter. But, this year I am out of nearly every staple. The preserving year for me starts with oven dried tomatoes. And, as I write five pounds of tomatoes are in the oven.

See how to do your own!

Sewing Notions,
Recipes,
OVEN DRIED TOMATOES

For those of you interested in putting things up, there are several books that one should read. The most important in my mind is “the Bible”. It clearly lays out the joys and dangers of dealing with food for storage.

Putting Food By
by Janet Greene, Ruth Hertzberg, and Beatrice Vaughan

is where one should start.
Read it,
and pay attention to the immense amount of detail that is in it.

Putting food up for the winter is a joyful activity. But, it is also something that is not a joke. It needs to be something one takes seriously so as not to endanger oneself or others. “Putting Food By” is into its fifth edition.