Time for Canning

Well I have been all tied up for the last few days. I am sorry that I did not get to comment on so many of the blogs that I have done a quick read through every night. Please forgive. You was not forgotten just that I did not have time to tell you
THANK YOU
for all the blogs y'all write. I so love reading all of y'all.

So what have I been up to?
Whew!
Where to start.

Okay. I finally have enough boxes for Santa's Helpers that I can quick collecting them. We are now over 350 plus the 200 folded ones. So that means I can stop the early morning (6 a.m.) and the evening (6 p.m.) collect times. I have managed to get to take some of the kids across the street to school in the mornings while doing these box runs. I know I love seeing the kids and they have enjoyed the warmth of the car compared to walking in the morning chill.


My mother has a great green thumb. Not me. But luck has it she lives with me so she cares for all the plants outside our home. Due to that green thumb we have numerous plants in pots. With it getting colder we needed to bring them in. So I managed to clear off tops of counters, tables, dressers, coffee table, file cabinet, sewing cabinet and even the freezer. Then we did the great migration of plants. Thankfully they are all inside now and should make it through another winter.



Besides that we have started the "Great Christmas Cook off". Well what do you call it when you make 22 mini loaves and 4 large loaves of banana bread and 47 jars of jam, jelly, preserves, conserves, marmalade and butter? And that is just in the last two days. My mother again is a wonderful help there too. She loves to do the jams and jellies (ect....) and I get to do the continual clean up. LOL I don't really mind it. And I made the banana breads. Tomorrow we have more marmalade to do along with banana pecan syrup and start the cookie baking. I plan on some basics there. Sugar (both kaleidoscope and red hots), peanut butter, oatmeal (w/raisins or blueberries or cranberries), Indian (or cornmeal) and my dad's favorite Springerles (anise).



I have managed to catch up on 5 loads of laundry, sweep the front porch (leaves everywhere) along with the front rooms of my house, lay some more tile and get all the dishes done from the last few days of our enterprises. So maybe you will forgive me not being here to blog. To talk and share. But it is my way of trying to battle the holiday blues. To just throw myself into a frenzy of work, cooking and preparing for this time of year. Next week I need to get all the Christmas presents sorted and wrapped. Wanna help?