My How the Time Flew!

 The Wordy Bit

I accidentally took over a month off! How did that happen?? Well, to be perfectly honest, I do know how it happened. Here at our house, it has been a summer full of gardening, cooking, baking, prepping, teen drama, and toddler drama. Not to mention, the Mr. is still working from home, and that can impact the daily flow. As such, the daily flow now looks nothing like it did this time last year. I also can't decide which I prefer: then or now. I truly enjoy having him around more, but our little is still having difficulty grasping the fact that Daddy needs to work. I'm hoping that starting preschool in a few weeks will keep her busy enough to even her out a bit. 

That's right, I said preschool. I've been stocking up on supplies, and I even purchased a curriculum (The Homegrown Preschooler). I like the fact that it is all hands-on and craft-based. I even like that there are opportunities to include faith-based learning (I swapped their stuff out for my stuff to match my beliefs; easy peasy!) because that's something I struggle with finding time for myself. The sheer amount of time that planning this stuff takes (I couldn't imagine also designing the curriculum, though I probably will be next year)...and resources! Holy mackerel! We severely underpay our teachers in this country. That's all I'm saying. My teen is also doing distance learning through his regular school. He seems to really like it, and his grades definitely show it. While school stuff has occupied the last few weeks, even more of my time has been spent in my garden.

My garden has absolutely exploded!! If you follow me on social media (I think Facebook is more current for me than Instagram), then you saw my herb harvest. I spent this past weekend (with my youngest) transplanting my thyme to pots, as well as harvesting the basil, parsley, and oregano. My little loves the smell of basil, so she sat and pulled all the leaves so we could make pesto. All in all, we had over 7 cups of basil leaves! I made 5-ish cups of pesto (basil, roasted pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil) that is freezer-friendly so we can use it over the next year.

I've also been making so many jars of pickles! I've made 16 half-pints, so far, and I've got more cucumbers on the counter and on the vine. I had a bit of a slump in my cucumber production. But I sorted that out with a bit of research. This is my first time using containers, and I didn't realize how often I needed to be fertilizing. I stepped that up on a more regular basis, and my plants have been producing like crazy. 

I've finally started seeing buds on my eggplant. And my Thai chili plant has been thoroughly enjoying the heavy afternoon showers. I've even got a pot of tomato sauce out of my tomatoes, so far. It smelled so good while I was reducing it. I'm also being a bit "stern" with my plants. I pulled my herbs, which freed up a good bit of space. But I'm also pulling plants that aren't producing a bit quicker than I normally would. It's getting kinda late in the season, and I do want to plant a fall garden. I don't want to clean out the beds and replant all in one weekend, though. 

I've also fallen victim to pandemic bread baking. I haven't ventured down the rabbit hole that is sourdough, however, but I have perfected a loaf of potato bread (I use the King Arthur Baking recipe). 

See what I mean? Now, the only thing I haven't done in excess (other than blog, yeah, yeah...) is crochet. Sadly, I just haven't had the strength some nights. Here lately, I've resorted to playing video games in the evening for a little escapism. I have picked up my hook and busted out another section of the Woodland CAL from Attic24. Gosh, that blanket is beautiful. I adore her colorwork. 

Here's my plan: I'm going to start wedging in a blog post every week again. That should get a little easier once I start teaching my youngest. If she is super busy with me and learning, she'll definitely want a break...and for me to leave her alone. In those windows, I should be able to get some blogging done...

I'll work on that. If you have any questions, I can always be reached at info@whichcraft.net . I can also be reached via my socials (though I don't have push notifications set up, so it may take some time this way) @whichcraftyjess on Instagram and WhichCraft with Jess on Facebook.