Almond Joy 2012

2011

 What a difference a year makes.  Last year we got a small bucket of the fruits, but after hulling and cracking, only a small handful of edible kernels.  I had to laugh. 

This year the tree is 4 years old and the branches were loaded.  I will have to research this, but should I have thinned them like peaches?  Hmm

I learned that almonds are harvested by shaking the tree.  I couldn't shake the whole tree so I shook all the branches I could reach.  Then I got out a ladder and rake and shook more.  But the rake was too short and got tangled in the branches.  Cumbersome and heavy.

 I then had a brilliant thought (few and far between): get an old hand cultivator and fasten to a small piece of PVC with the connector end (for easy removal and storage) and attach that to a 10' length of light weight PVC pipe (all that we had laying in a pile of leftover sprinkler stuff).  Perfect!

 It took 2 days to shake and then pick up all the fruits in the hot sun.

Then it took another 8 hour day to hull the nuts. 
Here they are in my rock sifter.  They have to dry for a few days in the sun.

This is our 2012 harvest of nuts.  Now, I am not naive enough to think they all have edible kernels in them, but so far most of them do and they are nice and plump and have the best sweet almond flavor.  Mmmmm-mmm

I need to find a better cracker than what I am using.  I have pinched a blood blister on the palm of my hand already. 
I'm dreaming of Christmas Almond Toffee.

stock photo from CA almond orchard

So, after all of this, I did some more research on harvesting almonds and discovered that I harvested mine too soon.  The California farms wait until the fruits are dehydrated-looking and peeled back.  Well, a lesson learned for next year.  Also!!!! I will not be picking up the nuts like this year.  I will lay down tarps.  How silly am I anyway to not have thought of that?

VT message for Sept 2012

 

Sometimes it is easier to read a message if it is fun to look at.  Sister Speak is a phrase borrowed from (somewhere) that we are using as the theme for our September Enrichment meeting (tonight).  Should be lots of fun.

The monthly messages lately have been to uplift, strengthen and instruct the teachers and has not been a message easily shared with the sisters we visit.  If we could all learn the underlying principles we wouldn't need a printed message to share for we would know our sisters well enough to know how we could uplift and strengthen and help them - and we would know our scriptures well enough and be in tune with the Spirit to share pertinent stories and verses.
Anyway-- this is what I came up with for this month.  At Enrichment meetings I will try to have a small handout for everyone that they might consider taking to their sisters as they visit.  It is often easier to get out and visit if our hands are not empty.  Why is that?

No Gnomes Here

I haven't spent the time I should have doing yard work this summer.  Fact is, I had more important things to keep me busy and the heat has been unbearable.  Also, I have been waiting for Dad to call the cement jackers to fix the sidewalk before I spruce up that area.  And then, one of our big beautiful red rocks out front has turned to mud.  So sad and flummoxed as to how to remedy the situation.

Yes, those are weeds above the rocks.  Like I said, I have been pretty lazy about getting out there.

On a happy note - Dad finished the steps to the higher deck today.  YEA!

You can see some of the new cement work here also.  I can now go barefoot from the house to the driveway and back to the shed. 
It is wonderful.









The hazelnuts are starting to drop already.  The almonds, although plentiful, look dehydrated.  I have to water with a hose so it hasn't gotten all the water it needs, I'm sure.  By next year we should have the sprinklers done.
Back in the garden the raspberries are just now starting to come off.  The beans are all dry and crinkly and ready to be pulled up. Alas, the zucchini and yellow squash have succumbed to the squash bugs so I dug them up today.  The only tomato plant that is producing is the Roma, and the bush seems stunted.  I don't know what is going on with the tomatoes this year.  Even the grape tomatoes that usually overrun the garden are spindly and very sickly looking.  On a brighter note, the peppers are doing very well.  I picked 4 of the jalapenos today to make some poppers for dinner, stuffed with some chive and onion cream cheese.  YUM
Today I went to the store for a water filter for the drip line, and came home with a pot of gazanias.  It took me all summer but I finally got flowers in the porch pot, only, it isn't on the porch.  These flowers need sun.  But I love gazanias.

 Dinner time, so I will have to share more later on.
kisses

News and Toys

You will never guess what!!
   My long-time dead-end  in family research has broken through in a BIG way.  Out of the clear blue sky I received a call a couple of weeks ago from the daughter of Great Grandma Alvena's little sister, Dora.  She did a google search for the surname Strohman and found a post I made back in 1999, then tracked me down from Colorado to here.  Amazing!  I am so thrilled that I can't adequately express my feelings of joy, amazement, gratitude, love....
   You know that I don't believe in coincidences.  Especially when it was just one month before when we located Richard Romain and Alvena Strohman Mann's graves.  I don't know when was the last time any family member had been there.  I had a special feeling there and wondered if they were aware of our search for their graves. 
   I am now making plans for a visit to Norma in Iowa soon.  She put me in touch with a descendant of another of Alvena's sisters who has more information about their hometown in Germany and lots more.  She has a daughter named Christina also!  The family is being reunited.
In preparation for my trip, I have been organizing records and making copies for the family members I will be meeting; both paper and digital form. 
   I had some extra energy one night and stayed up making a receipt holder because I couldn't find one at the store that suited me.
I quilted a cover then sewed inside pockets and then some zip-lock bags.  You remember those, don't you girls?
Here is my version:

Yes, it is very bright and colorful. (That is all Dad had to say about it, ha ha)  I didn't take time to make labels for the bags so for now it just has painter's tape labels.  It works.

Now to show you my new toy!  At the library I often saw patrons scanning books with various sorts of handheld scanners.  At the time I didn't need one because there is a fantastic book scanner on every floor that I would use.  Well, now I can see the virtues of such a device.  Mine uses 2 AA batteries.  Scans jpg or pdf in resolution from 300 to 900dpi.  uses a mini SD card (mine is a 4G) so I can scan all day when I get to the libraries  there. 

It is smaller than my curling iron!  So cute and easy to use.

   My friend, Andrea has research to do in Iowa also and is wanting to come along with me so I am waiting for her to get things in order at home so she can start making travel plans.  We are thinking in September so maybe it won't be so hot and sticky.
More on this later.

If Mom is 80 What Does That Make Me?

Mom can't be 80 years old.  She is still that 21 year old inside, and is a dear friend to me. 
Sister Jo planned and hosted her party (great job, Sis).  All I did was the cake.  Luckily it traveled the 347 miles with very little problem.  Fondant is nearly indestructible, unlike the buttercream-frosted cakes of the past.

 All Mom's friends and relatives were very closed-lipped and it remained a secret until she walked in the door.   ##SURPRISE##
Even though she said she didn't want any fuss for her birthday, we were able to pull off a nice little gathering and she was pleased with it after all.
Jo made her a beautiful light-up floral arrangement and I made her one of my favorite aprons:
My Neighbor's Apron (link removed because it was corrupted)
This is so comfortable that you forget you are wearing it.  Really!
It is hard living so far away.

Past 3 Months = Life Changes

   I had thoughts of abandoning this blog (again) but was encouraged by 2 friends today to get back on the blog wagon, so here we are.
   First off, life has made a dramatic change for me.  Much to my dismay, I am no longer serving at the Family History Library.  A new responsibility was given me that requires my availability pretty much all the time.  I thought I could do both at first, but on 2 occasions I was needed at home when I was unavailable at the FHL.  My zone leader fully understood and my last day there was May 12th.  But that doesn't mean I have stopped my research.  In fact, I have found 2 more generations on 4 lines and 4 generations on 2 lines - all in Cornwall, England.
   Have you ever taken a Google vacation?  I love to zoom in on the areas my ancestors are from and "drive" around the countryside and villages.  On the old (1841 - 1881) censuses in England the name of the street, house or farm is even written.  In some cases those names are still in use so I can see the actual homes my ancestors lived.
   Familysearch.org has parish records from Cornwall, some that go back into the 1500s.  I haven't gotten that far yet, but I expect to be able to go back a few more generations.  My family is getting bigger and bigger.
   What else is new?
  I was treated to a So Cal vacation, courtesy of our daughter and SIL.  So much fun I can't begin to tell it all.   Notwithstanding the stingray sting to a grandson, the beach was my favorite.
Besides all the really fun stuff, we took time to track down 3 cemeteries where my Mann ancestors are buried.  Very rewarding.  It was sad to see my grandfather's grave without a headstone so I asked for information on having that remedied.  to be continued.....

   Hubby has decided to re-do the backyard to reflect his vision of convenience and ease of maintenance.  There went my rock surrounded retreat area, my fig tree and all of my perennials on one fence line. In his defense though, I must insert that the weeds were grown up around the fig so high that it was undetectable to the untrained eye.  Nevertheless, I will have to buy all new plants next year. Such is life.

freebies

   Quilts!!!  I went on a Shop Hop with a neighbor and our daughter and had such a fun time.  I won lots of fat quarters (which I gave away) and patterns from the games along the way.

purchases

It goes without saying that I bought plenty, too.
 









Four of my quilts are to be displayed at a local celebration this weekend.  I wouldn't have offered them because they really aren't professional, but I was asked by a friend who is in charge of the art show.  What could I say?
   I am currently working on one that I am not thrilled with but am going to finish by our December QG meeting.  It is a Delectable Mountain pattern that we all chose as our BOM for this year.  Of course, I had to put my own spin on it and that is my problem.  (If I would just follow a pattern it would all be so simple!!) Here is what it currently looks like.  There are 2-3 more borders to go on it.  If you remember a post earlier this year, you can see that this quilt has undergone major changes.



Several more are in the que for piecing and a basket under the table is full of tops that need quilting that I will save for those long winter days when it is too cold to go outside. 





 Cakes -
Here is a wedding cake without the fresh flowers that I made in June.  I always hope I will get a picture from the bride's mom with it all set up at the reception to add to my album.  If not, I have this one.  I just noticed that this photo makes it look lopsided.  It wasn't. 












So, I think this will have to do for today.  Much for my hands to be doing before bedtime.

Family History in the 40's

The 1940 census won't have a searchable index for the whole US until maybe September.  In our inservice classes this month we are learning how to find people on the census without the index.  It takes longer but I have been successful in several instances.  To find Dad in California because they moved around so much, I will have to wait for the index.  But here are some I have found if you would like to see.
Louise Pyle age 7 on line 55
Lena Respess age 6 on line 14
Ethel Russell age 16 line 22
Art Corradini age 14 line 37
Richard and Alvena Mann (my Great grandparents) line 22
I have also been finding parents on the census for friends.

I made Dad a wall hanging with a picture of his dad and the census that looks like this.  You can see that someone wrote "1940" at the top of the photo.  Cool.

Just so you don't think that family history is all I do; I am working on 2 quilt tops for quilt guild (only because I started one and didn't like the combination of blocks so I took it apart and am making 2 from it) and have made 12 exchange blocks plus a bag challenge (picture below), I'm helping a neighbor with a quilt for her son, I made one (of 4) bag(s) for a sister missionary, and I made a skirt from some white crinkle fabric (which I can't wear yet because I have no white shoes!@!).
Just today I ventured out into the  yard for the first time and weeded the driveway strip (that was enough for one day!).  I foresee needing to spend much more time outdoors in the near future if I don't want the yard to become a jungle again.
Okay, time to stop the narrative.  Here are a few pics to peek at.

 This purple bag started out as a freebie with a logo on the front and back.  We were challenged to transform it into a bag you would not be embarrassed to carry around.

 Here are the 2012 exchange blocks for Quilt Guild.  The theme was "things you might find in a sewing room". 

At the FH Library we got all excited about a site someone found that creates name clouds using the names from your family tree.  I made a handbag using my namecloud and got many requests to make more for others.  Here is an example of a namecloud used on the latest project.  I don't have a finished bag to show here so use your imagination.  Cool, huh?

This photo I am using for the quilt label for one of the quilts I am currently working on, and is from where I got my inspiration.
I am sure I am forgetting something but this is enough to show what Granny's Busy Hands are working on.
Hugs & Kisses


P.S.- I had to drop the "Biggest Loser" group because I found myself GAINING weight at just the thought of dieting.  There has to be a better way for me.

In case you thought I've been idle...

Not a chance.
I joined a neighborhood "Biggest Loser" group.  I haven't lost a single pound this year.  I have to say that I haven't been as committed as I should be if I want to lose.  I don't think it is my eating, but my inactivity that is the problem.   My rear end is spreading to look like a negative impression of our huge office chairs.
Lots of quilting going on here.  I am learning different ways to stitch feathers.  On my "Bull in a China Closet" quilt (play on the pattern name: Broken Dishes, and my astrological sign: Taurus, and what a mess I can make out of a perfectly good quilt pattern) I have tried a few different techniques to see which one I like best.  Maybe it depends on fabric, thread, thickness, size and many other factors.  I am still such an infant quilter.

 This is the center of the next one I am going to piece.  Our Quilt Guild chose the Delectable Mountains pattern for a block of the month this year.  I am going to put my "mountains" around this centerpiece.














I have enjoyed some time with a few of our grandchildren as well.


Grandson #4 helped me with lots of heavy housework.  One project was putting up these shelves. We also made Spaghetti from scratch, using the new noodle cutter.













When Grandson #3 visited he taught me how to play NinjaGo, we ate 5 Guy Burgers - twice.  We rode bikes around the neighborhood, and much more.


Grandson #6's turn for Grandma Time.  We had brunch at Arctic Circle and went shopping.

Granddaughter #2 was next.  We were lucky enough that it snowed enough for us to go sledding.  She went down the hill at least twice for every time I made it down (and then up again). We played beauty parlor and I still have polish on my nails.  I baked a cake that she decorated all by herself for her brother's Arrow of Light award presentation that night.

When I am not playing or sewing I am doing genealogical research for friends and neighbors.  With my subscription to ancestry.com and my serving in the Family History Library, I have a lot of resources that most do not so I can't help myself.  Although I really need to get back to my own family before long.  Missions don't last forever and I may not be able to afford ancestry someday.

So, what are Granny's Hands doing?  
Today they dreaming about a day in the near future when I can walk out to the garden area and poke some peas into the mud.  They are cyber visiting with grandchildren who are not close enough for sleep-overs, they are holding sacred words as I read, and writing memories before they fade and finding "dear ones we call dead, but who, indeed, as spirits live, they've only gone ahead."