Holiday plans already?

Yeah, holiday plans already...

The heat of summer has passed along with the first harvest. Lughnassad was a total failure in August. For all the hundreds of corn seeds I dealt with this spring, only got 3 plants- and one of those didn't have any ears :( Local farmers might have looked better, but the corn celebrations were definitely a no-go this year.

But we have more holidays coming up :)

This equinox we are having a couple family and friends over for a celebration- seriously yummy seasonal eats, perhaps a run to the local cider mill to see what they got for mulling (our trees didn't do squat).. a bonfire if the weather is nice. Some two-man yard clean up stuff. If we are really lucky, our favorite harpist who's coming might be able to bring one of her instruments so we can have joyous music for the occasion. So already second harvest is looking better than first harvest did. Tomorrow I get to check the cattails I cut recently and see if they are ready to be sprayed with hairspray to preserve the spindles. I'm really hoping they will be ready for the equinox table- and for my sister to take home. She wanted a bunch, and it's a nice bday present I think, home grown and preserved with special wishes for her.

Third harvest and one of my favorite holidays, Halloween :) Woot, making some preliminary plans to hit a haunted house or two this year. Quite a few of those Beltane planted gourds will go onto the Halloween table. Of course food and the usual rituals.. And a bonfire weather permitting.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving and my sisters turkey.. and the carcass to make big delicious pot of turkey stock with. Tis been requested that I make squash soup this year. Which is a good thing, I need to write down how I make it when I make it, lol. It's going into this years family cookbook.

Christmas- yeah, christmas planning already. Started working on the second volume of the family cookbook this week. Already got the second spiral typed up, recipe list sent off, and starting on adding my part of the list. Thinking about what to make for folks too. Perhaps some big jars of spice mixes- those are always popular with some folks, maybe some bath salts- those were loved by a couple folks too. Probably some ornaments- I always have ideas and new stuff I can do with those. And I got some lovely new origami paper this summer in Ann Arbor to use. And a couple books of pretty cardstock paper. I have to check over my seed stock, but I'm thinking some young herb plants might be nice too. Of course, I have to go hunt down addresses for christmas cards- but that's ok, need to make sure I got addresses for the wedding too. Maybe make some jewelry for a couple of the gals I know will like the kind of stuff I make. Maybe some sewing of house clothes and buying some basic smallclothes for the boys- stuff they can leave here.

Just as a random thought while I'm thinking about it.. I'd also like to update my desk to something more suited. I'm looking to go metal, or at least metal base so I can just leave my desk in one spot year round. Move my current desk into one of the boys rooms, and get another for the other room.. Lol, make them go through what they got, make space for their own regular stuff here. Probably clean out a bunch of stuff. Put things in order for a handful of christmas clothes, lol.

On the To Do List..
We now have enough cans recycled for me to put in the pond border in the solarium. Need to pick up some rust resistant paint, and paint them all up so I can sink them in.
Time to start in on the next phase of building the Rose ballroom for the wee folk. It was just too hot to try painting and using adhesives. Now that it's cooled down, it's time to kick it up and work on it again- need to pick up some suitable adhesives.
Need to do a serious scrubdown of the upstairs kitchen, and the workshop in general.
Cut down the willow withies in the sanctuary. Though I'm enamored with the idea of creating a living space with them, some serious cutting down and work is needed in the area.
Start turning in bottles again- geez, we got a mess in the garage. STILL need to move the other bottles down to the pole barn. Snort- and clean up the tent from the pole barn- I had forgotten about that till just now. Anywho, move pole barn stuff down to the pole barn. Resume turning in recyclables.
Find out where to turn in toxic/unwanted recyclables for 2013. We have a dead TV, a small pile of dead batteries, and a couple empty paint icks to dispose of.
Drop off the paper bags of donations to the local resale shop. We have several built up now, mostly fall stuff like business sweaters and warmer formal clothes- we just don't wear so much of them here. And they just reorganized the store to show and move the goods much better. There is a goodwill nearby too, but I'd rather donate to the more local folks if they can handle it. I really do know where their donations and dollars go to.
Lol, feed us before the evening goes on much longer....