Drying Apples

I have 2 Northern Spy trees. These apples are great for apple pies. Every year that I have a decent crop, I can apple pie filling. Then, any time during the year, when I want a pie, I just have to make (or buy) the pie crusts, and just dump the filling in and seal and bake them.

One year, we had a lot of early windfall apples, and I kept them picked up. They weren’t quite ripe enough to eat, nor did I get enough at one time to make a canner load. So I sliced them, and froze them. Eventually, I used them to make apple cobbler. The last batch of them (already almost 3 years old) I used about a month or so ago. As I had them setting out to thaw, I would periodically pull a piece off and eat it. I realized that it tasted a lot like dried apples, and thought, “I’ve got to get a food dehydrator, and dry some apples this year.” The crop looks to be pretty abundant this year, so there will be plenty to can, and I can still dry some. So, I got my food dehydrator last week. There are a few apples falling, but I’m not sure they’re really ripe enough to dry. I may try some of them anyway, to see how they turn out – when I get enough to load the dehydrator.

Now thinking about drying apples reminded me of a piece of doggerel my father quoted a couple of times. I couldn’t remember all of it, but I found it on the internet, and also a small write up on how it came about. At this link Overland Stage, scroll down to page 97 (don't worry, it's just one page, starts with Page 93). The little poem doesn’t have a specific author; my understanding of it is that it just sort-of grew – contributions by people who shared the sentiments thereof. And here is the little poem:

Dried Apple Pies

I loathe, abhor, detest, despise,
Abominate dried-apple pies.
I like good bread, I like good meat,
Or anything that's fit to eat;
But of all poor grub beneath the skies,
The poorest is dried apple pies.
Give me the toothache, or sore eyes,
But don't give me dried apple pies.
The farmer takes his gnarliest fruit,
'Tis wormy, bitter, and hard, to boot;
He leaves the hulls to make us cough,
And don't take half the peeling off.
Then on a dirty cord 'tis strung
And in a garret window hung,
And there it serves as roost for flies,
Until it's made up into pies.
Tread on my corns, or tell me lies,
But don't pass me dried-apple pies.

September Views

How many of you had to memorize this in school?

September

THE golden-rod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.

The gentian's bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
In dusty pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest,
In every meadow nook;
And asters by the brook-side
Make asters in the brook.

From dewey lanes at morning
The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather,
And autumn's best of cheer.

But none of all this beauty
Which floods the earth and air
Is unto me the secret
Which makes September fair.

'T is a thing which I remember;
To name it thrills me yet:
One day of one September
I never can forget.

Helen Hunt Jackson

I only have 3 family birthdays on record for September. Note that I don't have a record of everyone's birthday. September 4th is the birthday of my great-niece Kathryn. She is not sure of the exact date of her birthday, since she was abandoned as an infant (adopted by my nephew at age 4), but it was near enough to September 4. Kathryn will be 24. September 26 is my grandson Christopher's birthday. He will be 27. The 27th is the birthday of my sister-in-law, Pat Harriff.

August Birthdays

There are 4 generations around of a family that was rather large to start with, so it seems there are quite a few birthdays every month. I don't even know the birthdays of all the great-nieces & nephews, and the great-greats.

For August, my sister-in-law Lucile turned 80 on the 1st. It was fun to read on Kathryn's blog how she selected a gift for her grandmother - an electronic "brag book." It is a small electronic frame and you can load pictures into it. Kathryn's biggest difficulty was in convincing the sales people that an 80-year-old woman could learn to use an electronic device without on-going assistance.

Tomorrow - August 16 - is my half-brother Paul's 82nd birthday. He is Lucile's husband. Some of their children and grandchildren and great-greatchildren attended a combined birthday celebration on the 3rd.

And on the 8th & 9th, there was another type of celebration. Paul & Lucile, my half-sister Lois and her son Steve, and my brother Tommy arrived in town. Tommy & Lois timed their visit with Paul's, as we don't often have the opportunity to get together. Paul's main purpose for the trip was to attend his high school reunion (he graduated 64 years ago!).

My sister Mildred (Middy) - at whose home we congregated - and Lois & Steve & I went to a small cemetery on Saturday afternoon. The cemetery is not very well cared for. The grass appeared to have been cut for Memorial Day - and no more since. Our mother (Lois, Middy & I) is buried in that cemetery; also our maternal grandparents; Lois's father & paternal grandparents and uncle; several of our maternal aunts & uncles are buried there; also our (half)brother LeRoy is buried there (he was Lois's full brother); he passed away 8 years ago, and is probably the last person buried in that cemetery. Also, a small child - Lucille - sister to LeRoy, Lois & Paul - is buried there.

Our main mission to the cemetery, though, was to dig out the yucca on Roy's (Lois's father) grave. Of course, we couldn't get all the roots, so it will grow back again. I tried spraying it with Round-up once, but it didn't do a thing. I'm thinking that perhaps if, in the future sometime, we just cut the crowns of the yucca off and spray the exposed cut roots with round-up, that might do the trick.

We had a good time together, but it wasn't long enough.

And there is still another birthday coming up this month - on the 25th, my great-grandson, Gavin, will be 6 years old! I haven't seen him since before he was 2. I hope to have an opportunity to see him next summer, along with his two little half-sisters, Briana & Keely, whom I've never seen.

Addendum - just discovered more August birthdays! My niece Melody will be 37 on the 18th of August, and her daughter Kitiara will be 16 on August 31.

Lotsa Birthdays

Today is the birthday of Miss Qavah Campbell, my great-niece. She was adopted by my nephew and his wife and she first came to live with their family last August. So this is her first birthday with her new family. She is 5 years old. Check out her birthday wishes here: Qavah

Next Monday, July 21, is my daughter’s birthday. She will be 47 (impossible!). And on the 30th is my granddaughter’s birthday. Annie will be 25. Once again, impossible! Annie is also the mother of my 3 great-grandchildren – Gavin, Briana and Keely. Annie will be celebrating her birthday without her husband Carl who is serving our country, currently in Afghanistan.

Sarah

I never met Sarah in person, but I considered her a friend. We posted together on the same internet site. She was a feisty little lady, hot-tempered sometimes, but quick to cool off. She was very intelligent and had a quick wit. She was beautiful in body and mind. She was instrumental in Mike’s “invention” of “Magnaclams.” (See the blog dated June 22 – 3 entries down). She and Mike chatted on line a great deal.

Sarah passed away late this past May, at the age of 24. She left behind her father, her husband, and her young nephew, all of whom depended on her. She and her family had already gone through a great deal of trauma in the past few years. She was the glue that held her family together. Now it’s broken. Her husband is planning to take a job in Hong Kong, where they had been planning to move before Sarah’s illness. Her cousin has taken in her little nephew, who has suffered far too much loss for a young child.

The first phase of treating Sarah’s illness – supposed to be a very treatable form – failed. The last we had heard of her, she was looking toward a more intense treatment. We heard nothing from her after that – from about February on. Her cousin knew she had many friends on the internet, but wasn’t able to find them until last week. I have been in email communication with the cousin since then.

When I first heard of Sarah’s illness, she became a subject of my daily prayers. Having acknowledged no religion at all, I just wanted to be sure that she would be ready to meet her Maker when the time came. During all that time, I never heard of any change in her beliefs. So, when I first heard of her passing, I was troubled, and prayed asking the Lord to let me know. I received an indication from Him that Sarah was indeed ready! I had several indications of that later from different sources. I praise God for his mercy!

We miss you, Sarah! I will not say the familiar line “Rest in peace;” instead, I will say, “Enjoy Heaven!”

If you hasten off to glory
Linger near the Eastern Gate,
For I’m coming in the morning,
So you’ll not have long to wait.

I will meet you,
I will meet you
Just inside the Eastern Gate over there;
I will meet you,
I will meet you,
I will meet you in the morning over there.


Memorial to Sarah here