Torn Between Two Loves...

Week 11 - Primitive Gatherings "Twilight Garden" Summer Block of the Week and Freebie

I'm seriously torn between my love of all things "needlework", and the canning projects to ready for winter.

Week 11 of Primitive Gatherings' "Twilight Garden" Summer Block of the Week (and the weekly freebie) kits arrived in the mail yesterday. I'm behind...with one more weekly kit to arrive along with the finishing kit.

Plus, there's my beautiful, Royal School of Needlework silk butterfly to work on. I spend an hour here or there, one thread at a time, and I am making slow progress on my actual piece. I need many more hours in the day...and a bit more energy to be able to work on all these things ad infinitum.

Hickory Hill Farm Vegetables

I'm also harvesting tomatoes and peppers from my little garden, so I have a list of canning projects on deck. Vidalia Onion Relish, Zucchini Relish (YES!! Another way to prepare all the zucchini inundating kitchens this month), the last of the crab apples to become jelly, harvesting lavender to make jelly, and soon there will be Concord grapes, (hopefully) a few jars of pears, and applesauce! 

This is my thinking right now...As much as I love my needlework time, it can wait until the weather grows cooler and the days shorter. The fruits and vegetables in abundance right now wait for no one. It makes my decisions easier, knowing that our pantry will be full for the winter, and all that deliciousness will carry us through to the next growing season. I do have a few commissions that I'll take care of in the next week, and then I'll be back to the kitchen.

So, I guess the decision's made. I'll be canning until the last of my list has been preserved for this year. Once I've restocked our pantry, I'll be back to needle dancing. Isn't it wonderful that I have this delightful dilemma? More blessings from the farm...and because of our life back in Wisconsin. Life is good!