Fair is Around the Corner...

Fair is coming up and the deadline to submit entries is even sooner. I've been thinking a lot about how I want to enter some jams but the fruit I need still hasn't gone on sale...and I have a new baby.

You see, for the family I married into, fair is a big deal. My husband and his siblings were involved in 4H for years, showing themselves and then becoming project leaders after they were too old to participate. His brother and his father both work for the fair, and you can bet that we will spend almost every day there once it is open.

I enjoy fair season and I'm looking forward to enjoying it a little more this year since I was pregnant last year and all the smells of food bothered me. All I wanted to eat was salad and healthy food, but I was surrounded with fried Twinkies and chocolate dipped bacon. Yuck...

I didn't enter any canned goods last year because I was working a crazy job and planning a wedding, but I want this year to be different! Even if I can't get anything canned in time, I'm telling myself that I could enter the baked goods category with my cinnamon raisin bread and or maybe some cinnamon rolls. Yum! The only thing terrible about baking for fair is that you have to turn it in without getting to eat it yourself (unless you make a double batch :P).

What about you? Is there a fair in your area? Have you ever entered anything?

A Storm on the Way

There's a storm moving in over the mountain ridge behind our house today, and it's a race against time to get the laundry done. When it rains out here, the washer fills up with rain water and usually a whole host of dirt with it too. I just put my last load in and am hoping it finishes before the rain drops start to fall!

The rain we've received in the last few months has been a welcome blessing and I'm trying to soak in every moment of the view from my windows actually being green. It is usually just plain old brown dirt, so I feel incredibly blessed with this view.

Today, I've been baking for my baby shower, which is at my mom's house tomorrow. I made mini brownies in these cute little wrappers. I can't wait to see everyone and celebrate tomorrow! The shower is an afternoon English tea theme (one of my favorite things!).

Yesterday, my landlady let me look through bags of baby things she had been given. They were all for boys, so I tried to choose only the gender neutral things that could work for a girl too. I got a few clothes, a bunch of socks, some toys, blankets, burp cloths, and bibs. We haven't gotten much for the baby until this point, so these are some of the first things (other than the cloth wipes and diapers I had made) that are going into the space.

The last few days I've been having a lot more contractions than usual, and I also feel like the baby has moved down lower into my pelvis, which makes walking a chore. I am hoping this means that my body is gearing up for labor and that baby will come on time. Where I live, there is a state law preventing you from having your baby in the care of a midwife past 42 weeks, so I am definitely hoping it is sooner rather than later...

Creepy Crawlies and Other Critters

Ever since I moved to the country, my life has been full of encounters with all sorts of critters--some good and some not so good. I had no idea that where I was moving was a spider haven. I find a spider in my house almost every day.

The first one I found was a black widow. I have never in my 24 years seen a black widow indoors. To find it in my living room in plain sight multiplied the horror by ten.

I had placed a box near my front door with a bunch of things I was going to take to Goodwill and apparently the black widow thought it was a good place to take up residence. I have since sprayed my entire exterior for spiders, which has been greatly helping decrease the amount coming inside. Even so, I still had one plop down into the dishwater as I was washing dishes yesterday (thankfully not a black widow). *shudder*

Next in line on my encounters list were the green caterpillars that suddenly attacked my tomatoes. I'd been noticing that the tomatoes were going down hill and couldn't figure it out, until I took a closer look...

Not being aware or on the lookout for these guys, I'd probably let them attack my plants for a few days. They blend in well until you look closely. And the squirt a nasty yellowish liquid at you when you try to pluck them off.

And lastly, the only "good" critter on my list, is the kitten I adopted two weeks ago. I've named her Nora. She keeps me company and makes my house feel more like a cozy home.

Hanging Laundry on the Line

I don't have a drier at my new place, and I was actually looking forward to having to hang my laundry to dry. It's one of those country type things I've always wanted to do. And yes, sometimes I like doing things the "hard" way. What I learned, however, is that it's really not that hard to hang laundry out.

Before going outside I put my cowboy boots on. I'd been walking around in flip flops and realized from the weird looks my neighbors were giving me that this is not smart where I live now. Not only will your feet get incredibly dirty, but there are briers, spiders and who knows what else out there. 

My washing machine is outdoors, and I had to pick out leaves and clean the dirt out of it before using it. I'm hoping I don't have to do that every time and it's just that it was sitting there a while since it had last been used...

Hanging my laundry on the line was a cinch. It probably took 5 minutes, and by the time I was done with the last piece, the first piece I'd hung had already dried. I was able to fold it in my basket and take it inside. Voila! Super simple.

It's funny, but my coworkers, who are very much city people can't believe I actually hung my clothes up to dry on a line (They don't know why I wanted to move to the country in the first place). They feel sorry for me! I suppose if I had children and was doing multiple loads a day, it might be too much. But for one person, it's no trouble. 

More "city girl" country updates to come...

This City Girl is Moving to the Country

I've been absent from this blog lately, but it is not without good reason. I have finally decided to take the plunge and move more into the "country." In my new place I will have a lot more space, a dirt backyard, and the chance to raise chickens and maybe some even bigger animals. I have big plans but for now I'm going to take it one step at a time.

I've been a city girl for the past 12 years, somewhat against my will. Until now I haven't had a chance to pursue my dreams of living in a more rural area. So when a place opened up in a good area where I know the neighbors, I decided to take it. Now, I have a hundred things swirling through my mind as I prepare to put a little household together. I'd forgotten how much is involved in moving, and I'm already finding out I had a lot more stuff than I thought I had.

Still, all of it is very exciting. I will have a new place to decorate and organize and a kitchen all to myself, where I can cook and can to my heart's content. There is a lot to do in the coming weeks. I'm picking out paint colors for the kitchen and living room this Sunday and moving in August 1st. I'm ready to start this new adventure!

In other news, I just got back from a week's vacation in Wisconsin where I had a chance to soak up all of the beautiful countryside and relax a little before heading into a busy time. Almost everything in Wisconsin is green and it is incredible, especially when you are used to only shades of brown.

One of the gardens we visited in Wisconsin

I'll share two more pictures from my trip. First a washboard I bought at an antique store out there. I plan on hanging in my new kitchen.

And last, a new purse, that goes perfectly with a dress I have in the same color. I absolutely adore this color.