Winding Down

Many apologies. We've had a such a busy summer I haven't been keeping up with the blog. (okay okay okay, I don't keep it up well anyway...)

I've had an amazing time selling my soap at local farmer's markets and other events through out the summer. The interest and the feedback has been really fantastic. We added nice crochet washcloths, handtowels, and babysets. I'm looking to do a big online push for winter and the holidays thru my website (http://www.hilltopsoaps.com/) and my ETSY page (http://www.hilltopsoaps.etsy.com//). If you are interested in free (free!) all natural soap and would like to write a review on your blog and say something nice about me - please comment or send me an email. I would really like that.

We had a slightly scary encounter with a bat and the entire family has had to endure the series of rabies shots. We awoke to a bat in the bedrooms. Since we were sleeping when the encounter occurred we are to assume we had some kind of contact with the bat and need the shots. If we were smart, we would have caught the bat and had it sent out for testing. Unfortunately we just shoo-ed him out the front door and went back to bed. We get our final vaccination on Carlie's first day of kindergarten. Awesome.

Our garden has been pretty fantastic despite some really crappy weather this summer. It's been pretty cold and wet in this part of Michigan and it has taken far too long for things to ripen. We've already pulled the onions and are waiting on the potatoes, carrots and pie pumpkins. I planted the carrots late for a fall crop and we just put in some more lettuce a few days ago. The popcorn and oats we planted are drying nicely. Our freezer is full of shredded zucchini and we still have some waiting on the counters. We have tons of tomatoes now that they're turning. I've been canning a few times a week as things come in. I'm hoping we'll have enough crushes tomatoes to get us through the winter. It'll be close. I canned some jam this year too. It was my first attempt. It was a lot easier than I expected and everyone loves it. I'm hoping we don't eat it all before the snow flies! :)

Tonight is my brother's first football game (marching band!), school begins next week, the farmer's market winds up a week from today. The weather is cool and fall is in the air. I've been knitting fingerless mittens for the past few weeks. Bruce has been chopping the last of the wood and fixing the wood stove. Everything points to a change in the seasons. A time to unwind, slow down, cuddle up, and take it all in.

~jill