Waiting for Earl, harvest update, and odds &ends

My in-laws said that the weather was just turning bad in Maryland, in advance of Hurricane Earl. The path of the storm may or may not strike us here in Massachusetts. I hope that it does not hit them on the Chesapeake Bay.

It's hard to believe in such a ferocious storm given the past several days here have been so hot, dry, and still.

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We're still in full-on harvest mode. Today was about raspberry jam. I picked the berries this morning. By evening, they were cooling as jam in glass jars. How cool is that?

So far this season:

Dehydrated strawberries
Strawberry preserves: 8 half-pints
Raspberry preserves: 6 half pints, 4 pints
Sliced peaches: 16 pints
Peach 'honey': 5 half pints
Fig preserves: 6 4-oz jars
Dehydrated cherry tomatoes: 12 pints
Chopped tomatoes: 10 quarts frozen, 6 quarts canned
Tomato sauce: 12 quarts

Next up: more tomato sauce, and then apples! Dried, sliced, and apple sauce, and perhaps eggplants and zucchini to dry.

I like to go downstairs and visit the jars in the pantry. Yeah, I know that's weird. :) But it makes me happy to see all the colorful food we can eat all winter long.

All that lovely abundance--sunshine and water transmuted to delicious food with a little work.

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School starts for my kids in a few days. While it's been a looooong time since I've started a new school year, I still look at September as a time for new beginnings.

I'm looking forward to finding my work-a-day groove again with my writing. Now that I've set up my keyboard tray and the office is more ergonomically kind, I hope to be back to 1K/day writing.

A few 'passes' on the newest WIP out to editors. Disappointing, yes, but that's the way this process goes. I remain optimistic. My agent, the lovely and gracious Nephele Tempest remains optimistic. I have no control over how the editors regard my work. I can only write the strongest story I know how to write.

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The Redsox are winning tonight--always a good thing in our family's life. Hubby poured me a lovely glass of red wine. He and I will celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary this weekend.

I am fortunate beyond measure.