Summer is Good

We've been experiencing a heat wave here in southwestern Pennsylvania. It is SO very hot, but I don't want to complain because this is the weather I was dreaming about all winter long! We have many trees which provide some wonderful shady spots to sit and enjoy a popsicle. And...every once in a while, a nice breeze gives a welcome relief.

I have been patiently waiting for my tomatoes to ripen. I think maybe a couple more weeks until I get to bite into the first red one. A little salt and pepper on top, and I am in heaven!



Yesterday, my husband and I took our two boys to two different local farms. One is a dairy farm which we go to frequently, and one is a farm that grows fruits, veggies, flowers and such. We bought so many wonderful things....I was so excited! I forgot to take my camera, so I am not able to share with you all the wonderful things that filled our day.

At Brunton's dairy farm, we bought our usual 4 glass bottles, 1/2 gallon each, of 2% white milk. We also treated the boys to a 1/2 gallon of strawberry milk that's only sold during the summer months, and a 1/2 gallon of THE BEST chocolate milk in the world! Brunton's is known far and wide in this county and the next county over, for their wonderful fresh milk...and whoever you talk to, raves about the chocolate milk!! It is so THICK, and so CREAMY, with just the right amount of chocolate.

At Janoski's Farm, we bought their homegrown black raspberries, dill, zucchini, pickle cucumbers, corn on the cob, peaches and tomatoes.


I can't even tell you how much I appreciate food fresh from the farm! We are so lucky to live in a place where there are farms all around us. I am in love with this. Farms are life!

When I was walking through the market at Janoski's it almost brought tears to my eyes to see all the beautiful homegrown food....sweet corn just picked from the stalks, soft fuzzy peaches, plump tomatoes that have been allowed to ripen on the vine...



bunches of freshly cut dill fragrantly filling the air, and perfect, tiny, black raspberries, just waiting to be eaten or baked into a cobbler.







I love to live where food is grown. That is one of the many reasons why I love Pennsylvania.

So..tonight, I will cook the corn for dinner, I will be looking for a recipe for a perfectly rustic raspberry cobbler...my dill has been rinsed and is hanging to dry from my dining room chandelier, the peaches are tucked away nicely in a brown paper bag to soften on the counter top, and the zucchini will find it's way into a cake with cream cheese frosting this Sunday. Oh life is good. It's just the way it should be. It's summer, fresh fruits and veggies are filling our kitchen, ice tea is the beverage of choice and fireflies greet us every evening with a twinkling "hello".

Yes, all is right with the world here in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Happy 4th of July

Some scenes from my 4th of July. It was a very family oriented, and relaxing day. Hope everyone had a wonderful day!

Forever Young

Today, July 3rd, is my 40th birthday.
I don't really like the number, but I still feel the same as I did yesterday.
Wow....my 20's...whoosh! Where did they go?
Wow...my 30's...whoosh! Where did THEY go?
I better really start paying attention to where my days, and weeks, and months, and years go!!


Well, what I DO pay attention to is this:


I am happy to be alive.
I am happy to be healthy.
I am happy that I have my two boys.
I am happy that I have my husband.
I am happy that I still have my Mom and my Dad.
I am happy that I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers.
I am happy that I have my husband's family.
I am happy that I have my friends.
I am happy that I live in Pennsylvania.
I am happy to have a family that I love and loves me.
I am happy to have friends that I love and loves me.


And Soooo.....Happy Birthday To Me!

I bought myself one of those little containers of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream..."Imagine Whirled Peace"...it has caramel and sweet cream ice cream swirled with fudge peace signs and toffee cookie pieces! oh yummy!


I almost didn't buy it because I felt guilty. I thought about my kids and their cousins staying with us and my husband's face. I put the Ben & Jerry's back on the freezer shelf and started looking at half gallons. I looked and I looked, but none seemed as interesting. I went back to the Ben & Jerry's containers and thought to myself, "If I can't treat MYSELF to a Ben & Jerry's pint of Imagine Whirled Peace on my 40th birthday, I've got a real problem!" I put it back in the cart and I bought it!! Being a Mom, you ALWAYS, ALWAYS think of everyone else's happiness. I have to get over this, and sometimes think of myself a little more often. I have decided that I am going to eat my ice cream after everyone goes to bed. I would obviously never, ever eat it in front of everyone! And, besides, they all will get a nice piece of my birthday cake anyway! It's not like they won't get any treats!!

A week in Review

A little recap of my week. I have been a little busier than usual. My niece and nephew are staying with us for one month. No reason...just for fun. Now...just to clarify...my niece is 9 and my nephew is 19. He will be working with a landscape company for the month while he's here. He's too old for a free ride...and his Momma said he needs to get a job during the summer! (He is a college student) Well, I very much agree! The kids are having so much fun together! (the 19 year old is having fun too!) They've been playing in the creek, looking for little critters to put in their clear plastic bug boxes, playing Bakugan, Chess, running after the chickens, driving remote control cars up and down the driveway, hiking,lighting up the night sky with colorful sparklers....stuff like that!

My house is taking somewhat of a toll with the extra people living here. Lots of extra laundry...the kids are in and out of the creek and want to change clothes all the time. I am trying to curtail this by telling them to wear their swim suits every time they go in, but oh no...that would be too easy! The dirty dishes seem to be endless...


but that is to be expected as every meal is cooked at home. There seems to be 100 pairs of shoes around this house, coming out of every which direction. There are tennis shoes, (otherwise known as sneakers, but I have always called them tennis shoes even though we don't actually play tennis)...and there are lots of flip flops and Crocs. Oh, and my son's hiking boots that he wears to Boy Scouts...I just found those in the mix too. I have been trying to keep the flip flops and Crocs at the back door on a mat...


and the tennis shoes at the front door on a mat.



SOOO...THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF I HAD FOUR KIDS! Oh my gosh...to those of you with four or more children...my hats off to you...bless you...you are one busy Mom!!

I'm not really complaining about all the extra mess because I am glad that the kids will have these memories when they grow up..."Remember the time....when our cousins were at our house for a whole month in the summer.....and we did this....and we did that....and then you scraped your knee....and then I got stung by a bee....and then the time we went to the pool...." and so on and so on. I have such fond memories of playing with my cousins as a child. They were over every Sunday and we have SO many stories. Stories that are brought up time and again by my sister and I or if we are lucky enough to see our cousins as everyone is scattered across the United States. Now we are on Facebook and the stories are coming out again, and some old photos have been posted as well. Good times! Good memories!

Well, it's almost lunch time, so I need to go rassle up some food and make some more Kool-Aid. After I conquer the tiny mountain of dishes in my sink, we are going to the public library today. Believe it or not, my niece and nephew have NEVER been to a public library!! How is that possible!?! They say they have been to the library at school, of course, but never the public library. Well, I am about to introduce them to this wonderful world of FREE BOOKS, FREE CD'S, FREE MOVIES!! Well, you know what I mean by free, of course you have to bring these wonderful free books BACK! Anyhow, I really hope they will continue to go to the public library when they get back home. To me, it's just about the most wonderful place you can go!

awesomeness

As I was doing some lazy Tuesday morning blog surfing, I came across a very sweet video made by Jeana Sohn. I love the music and...well, pretty much everything about it. Take a look and see for yourself. http://www.vimeo.com/12660781