Mid Week Notes :)

Making butter now and winding down really fast tonight. We went to fill water jugs today, stopped at the butcher we use while in town and she wants milk and butter, too. We drove home and went back in with 3 gallons and a pound of butter. That took me down to 5 gallons and was well worth the 30 min one-way drive :). She's going to get gallon jars for me, too. We sure can use them, so that will be a blessing.

I got prices at the butcher today, so I think I'll make out this year's stock up list and see where it gets me. We lasted near a year last time (600# between the sausage, ground and stewing chunks). Of course that included a lot of church dinners, but still, a fair indicator of consumption around here I think. We'll work it differently when ordering this year, and I'll get each done up individually in 20# bags and I'll can that, then go for the next batch. Like all the ground first, can it and go for the stewing chunks. We didn't care for the sausage canned up, so that and our roasts, hams and chops will be in the freezer. Everything else canned for the pantry.

Tomorrow is laundry day- our 3rd hand washing. Still running at about 2 hours for everything, including the rinse and getting all on the lines to dry. A wringer would do a lot to speed us up, but we don't have one yet. Maybe soon. I've got some friends in TN keeping an eye open for one or two for us. After that, we'll finish up the cleaning for a long, enjoyable weekend with Dad. He'll be home late Friday as they are working 10 hour days, but he'll be here until Monday afternoon. He wants to get the hardwood floors laid this weekend, and we'll do a ham in the smoker. It will be nice to get the bundles of pecan boards laid instead of stacked in the corners behind things :)

I'm going to start thinning out everything I know how to 'can up' in the freezers and empty them as best I can. I'll need to re-stocking the flats (lids) for canning. Oh I wish I had a nice supply of bail jars with rubber gaskets so I didn't have to re-buy lids every so often! Probably just basics out there...chicken and turkey, only a little ground left, a 10# bag of stewing chunks, some venison and I think there's 3 cases of bacon to tend to. The rest is mainly veggies (broccoli and such) and larger or special meats like roast and chops and a couple deer quarters. LOL...and lots of milk in bags and jars :)

Still have a couple headcoverings to make and mail off. And our winter sewing list is still in progress. I'm on to flannel bloomers and longer pantloons, as nightgowns/PJ pants and other underthings. I'm hoping the last couple boxes in the back reaches of the closet hold my darker solid fabrics....ugh! Haven't started the boys' shirts yet at all. You'd think that fabric sprouted legs and walked off, I've hunted high and low and can't find it!

And Jamestown still rolls along. We're doing some nature sections, looking up information on some of the animals and plants they 'discovered' in The New World. And from there, we'll branch off into herbal medicines, not only the native medicinals the Colonists found in Virginia, but a quick and general look at the 'common' medicinals we use today as well. Nothing too in-depth really, I think they learn all that more with just our regular daily uses/needs (we aren't an OTC kind of family).

That's about it for our plans from the Homestead here for the Labor Day weekend I guess. What are your plans over the weekend?