No Memory!

I can't believe I brought 2 cameras up to the fairgrounds today( people are starting to move their booths in and they are setting up the rides....) and neither of them had a memory card in them! One has some internal memory, but I will wait til tomorrow!

Fair Photo Entries

These are 4 of the 6 photos that I am entering in the fair next weekend. It's a pretty stiff competition so I don't expect to win anything ( pros & amateurs compete against each other). So if I do win something I will be pleasantly surprised. There are two new judges this year so that may be a good thing--if you keep the same judges for too long, they get used to some peoples style......

The cat that disappeared this summer....

Danielle & her chicken--Goshen fair photo section

Marilyn--our "goddaughter" Gaby's younger sister!

A photo I took at Alan's business
I have one more printed & have to decide on the last. And then to get my canning ready--gotta wash the jars--make sure they're not sticky!

Long Bloomers!

This is about the only color in my yard right now & these have been blooming for several weeks! Hope they go up until fall! Today is the last day for getting in entries for the fair, so I am swamped with paperwork & phone calls--this is the part I won't miss next year !

Pink Ping Pong & Berkeley Tie Dye

Some of the interesting tomatoes that I grew this summer. This is a pink ping pong--it's shaped & sized exactly like a ping pong ball! Berkeley Tie Dye--an appropriate name.......

More pink Ping Pongs and a Garden Peach

And the tie dye again!

A Baking Day

Was a cool and rainy day yesterday so I thought I'd bake some cookies. Found a new peanut butter cookie recipe recently and decided to try it. It's a 1950's Bisquick recipe--only has Bisquick, peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk & vanilla

Makes about 4 doz. cookies!

1-2-3 chewy peanut butter cookies

1c. peanut butter

1 can ( 14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

2 c. Bisquick mix

1 tsp. vanilla

2 T. sugar

heat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl mix peanut butter and milk. Stir in Bisquick and vanilla until blended.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll tops in sugar. On a ungreased cookie sheet, place balls sugar side up, 2 inches apart. Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork dipped in sugar.

Bake 7-9 minutes or until centers are set and bottoms are light golden brown. Do not overbake. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool 15 minutes.

Another One Bites the Dust...

My place of employment for the past 24 years ( until I stopped working after Xmas 2009) is closing on August 31st after being in business for 55 years! Another casualty of the economy....
When I went to work there in 1986 ( 2 weeks after I got married & moved to the area), it was the only game in town.....It is a gift/china/crystal/housewares store.
At the time there were no Targets, Walmart, Home Depot, Bed, Bath & Beyond around.....
Stores were closed Sun & Mon & Thursday was the one night it was open--all of downtown torrington was like that--and boy, were we busy that night! Everybody in the area did their bridal registries there--30 or 40 a month!
With the advent of big box stores the retail climate changed.....
I went in today...lots of people in there looking for bargains...All the employees have seen it coming, but it was still a shock. The woman who is the manager is 60 years old and has worked there 43 years--all other employees have been there at least 20 !
I am moving on to the next phase of my life--I signed up for Social Security last week & will get my 1st check in mid October.....Makes me realize I'm growing older!

And I just realized that I'm posting this on my 24th wedding anniversay!

Spotted on a bush outside & then enhanced with Picnik! Have a great weekend!

A Girl & her Pigs...

I think the photos say it all! Relaxing after a tough morning of shows.....

What a life!

Peaches

One of our neighbors gave me a bag full of peaches from his tree. I cut up over 12 cups of peaches! Here's what they started out looking like....not like what you get at the grocery store, but peel them & they were delicious! Of course, I made one batch of peach jam & then treated & frozen the other 8 cups.

Hope to make peach ice cream--one of my favorites in the summer!

You Say Tomato & I say Yummy!

A few of the cherry tomatoes I've been picking everyday! Variety is "Matt's Wild Cherry" and they are almost like eating candy they are so sweet!

Just spotted....

Was sitting out on the patio & looked up & saw this spider web--of course I went in & got my camera! Have a great weekend!

Canning...really!

Another comfortable day so after I came home from the fairgrounds I decided to make some jam. I had taken the fruit out of the freezer before I went out so it was ready to be crushed.It takes about double what you need to make the crushed amount ( 8 c. whole makes about 4 c. crushed)

The ingredients: berries, sugar, liquid pectin & a tsp. of butter--that cuts down on the foam--pretty simple.

Got the lids and rings sterilized in hot water......

Mixing it up.....

Essentials for the operation....jar lifter, canning funnel and measuring cup ( used to fill the jars)

I use a steam canner--not approved by the USDA, but I have used one for 15 years & never had a poblem. I never make anything but jams, relishes and pickles. Most anything else you need a pressure canner & I don't have one.

Just about to boil...had to stop taking photos here--everything goes quickly at this point & can't be distracted by the camera!

And then on to the batch of blueberry jam....

Finished product--the blackberry

And the blueberry...are they blue ribbon contenders? I hope so! Will know in a few weeks....

Canning..sort of!

A friend gave me a few cukes & squash yesterday, so I decided I'd make some refrigerator pickles. Alan doesn't eat cukes, so I used them. The squash will get grated or chopped & frozen. Didn't want the hassle of getting out the canner, etc. so I found a recipe that you make & put in the refrigerator & can eat after one day. I didn't want to buy separate ingredients ( peppercorns, bay leaves, mustard seeds), but I have a jar of pickling spices so I substituted that.
Finished product! This has been one of the nicest temperature -wise days we've had in quite awhile--even had the windows open. Should have planned to make jam, too, but got started too late--maybe tomorrow!

You may have noticed the new button on my blog--I'm a New England Blogger.....I happened upon this one day recently when I was blog surfing....and am now listed with other bloggers from New England. If you click on the button, it takes you to a list of lots of different blogs...take a look!

Email from YouTube

Received this email from YouTube today
"Your video, Isla Mujeres Carnival 2008, may have content that is owned or licensed by Sony Music Entertainment.
No action is required on your part; however, if you are interested in learning how this affects your video, please visit the Content ID Matches section of your account for more information."
So I went to where I was directed.....here's what it said
As a result your video is blocked in these locations: Germany
Germany!
Can't believe they have someone that's checking videos--it's a little ridiculous --it's not like I put the video to music, it was already there! Sorry that they can't watch it in Germany....

Litchfield County 4H & Linda McMahon

Yesterday we went up to the Litchfield County 4H Fair held at our fairgrounds. I enjoy seeing all the kids with their animals--many of them show at the Goshen Fair, too. I took along a bag full of fair books & passed them out. An exhibtor & her beef cattle. Exhibitors and their dairy cows. As at most fairs, the dairy department had the most entries. I was sorry to see there were only 4 sheep entered. I talked to one family that has given up sheep--said it was just too expensive.

There are not as many large dairy farms around, but many families are now keeping a dozen or so cows.

This child below was so small next to her cow--her family is from one of the larger farms in the area.

Linda McMahon decided to come to "Meet & greet" at the fair. I know that folks in CT ( Unless they've been living under a rock) know who she is, she is a candidate for the US Senate( and the wife of Vince McMahon of the WWE) & is spending LOTS of her own money on her campaign. We have a primary on Tuesday & hopefully after that, things will calm down a little. It will be weeding out a few people from all the races. Alan & I both spoke with her for a few minutes--I'm still undecided. Here she is with the Goshen First Selectman, Bob Valentine.

Happy 100

Saw this on Kim’s blog yesterday and thought it was an interesting list --the bold ones here are what I’ve done--how about you?

Happy 100, from Kimberly Gauthier Photography

These are 100 things you should do in your life. I’ve BOLDED all the ones that I’ve accomplished. How many have you accomplished? Here's my(Ann's) list---and I learned how to do something new by publishing this long list......spent awhile trying to figure out how & then went to help!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band — (grade school anyone??)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (or at least tried to)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris:
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book --does the 90 page fairbook count?
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day--

Magic Wings

Thought I'd have some fun with some butterfly photos I took awhile ago at Magic Wings in Deerfield, MA. All are done using different prcesses in Picnik--starting with a lomo. and a little boost....

Just sharpened.

cross processed

and last but not least, a frame!

Blueberries!

One of my friends showed up this morning at the fairgrounds with all these blueberries ( she picked these and many more yesterday!). Brought them home & washed & measured them--At least 10 cups! I then spread them out on cookie sheets & stuck them in the freezer. Will make jam with these, too! Will try & find some time in the next few days to start my jam making--with these and the blackberries I picked yesterday. Also have enough to make some muffins or blueberry cake.