our province, home to over 100,000 lakes, we try to visit a few of them during the summer months: this particular visit took us out to where one of Canada's largest fresh water lakes resides, located in the interlake and one of my favourites with it's cool, ocean-like breeze
sand, sun, sit, swim, read, water, then do it all over again. it's a hard life.
as in strawberry jam, not the music variety.
It tastes as delicious as it looks, all 12 jars, and it is all freezer variety. Simple and easy as I am not able to do canning on my glass top stove. I did see one of these and I'm thinking it might be well worth the initial investment as nothing beats canning your own fruit. Or maybe it's time to invest in a new grill with a heavy duty burner for outside canning. hmm.
My taste testers both gave me a thumbs up as they munch away on a loaf of fresh bread and strawberry goodness. Next up for freezer jam is the raspberries. Yum!!
savouring a few more of those summer moments, the family went strawberry picking this week...
We:
~ picked a bunch = 5 gallons;
~ made 3 strawberry & rhubarb pies, delivering one to my sister whose kitchen is currently undergoing a major renovation;
~ froze a ton for more strawberry & rhubarb pie because I did not think making 20 pies in one week and eating them all would be such a good idea for my waistline;
~ will be making some strawberry jam as soon I get to the grocery store and replenish our sugar supply.
~ and of course... ate a bunch, there is nothing like a fresh strawberry!
we ride as a family almost every evening enjoying the trails. exploring new areas and paths being paved around our home. Our goal is to have some good ol' bike ride fun, but with that we find a common way to be together as family, a way to engage each of us.
I've been having a paralyzing fear of my kids growing up for the past while. It's happening right before my eyes and I can't seem to slow them down. I vacillate between my longing for those earlier years when days blurred into each other and it felt like those "baby-days" would never end and the reality of where we are today.The transition is both hard and wonderful as I watch my not so wee ones grow into strong, independent persons. My thoughts wander: where do I fit in now? is my job done?
Surely not with 7 year olds, teens & pre-teens still roaming the house. My role has simply changed and finding my groove is not so easy. Then again I am not alone, we are all changing. The eldest one is now a man cub, almost as tall as me at 5'10 ~ well maybe a few more inches to go. He has gone through the most transition this past year. His interests have taken him away from his world of physical imagination play to more adult like mimicking and conversation. It's been expected but at the same time hard on the others. They long for their "leader" to play again like he did once before. To lead them on an adventure filled with magic, monsters and villans. I see their broken heart and it breaks mine. I feel sad for the ones left behind but recognize the inevitability of it. As the youngest of 13, I understand all to well being left behind while others move on, it's a lonely road.
This is where we are right now, navigating a new phase. We are still a family, changing and finding a new rhythym and new ways to express our togetherness. Hoping ultimately that we will embrace it with grace and enjoy the ride.
Now that it is officially July I thought I'd post a few highlights from the past two months instagram style.
from the top:
~ dance recital for the girlies who played the part of orphans singing "it's a hard knock life (Annie)" *ps, they did not dance in the Crocs ;P
~ flowers from daddy for two girlies who did such a great job at their dance recital
~ mass organization of papers around the house, including 5 years of the girls' art work *big job
~ mushrooms along the path of our daily bike ride
~ lunch for me: sole on a bed of lettuce *yum
