Mmmmmm nummy apricots! They are so sweet and juicy!
Hello sweet ladies,The other day a friend called and said that she had so many apricots to pick and there was no way that she could use them all. She wondered if I would like some. She said I could have allllll that I wanted. Well, that was the evening that Alaska our horse died. She ended up coming over, remember with two buckets full of sweet nummy apricots for us? That night it was so sweet to be loved on like that! Well, she called the other night and said that we only had about 3 days left to pick. We all hopped in the little white truck around 8 last night and this is what we found. Absolute beauty. There were so many and I just knew that there was no way we could pick them all.
Some were so high, but we did our best! The chatter that goes on when you work together is priceless. You end up finding out lots of things, that you normally wouldn't if you didn't take the time to work together. We giggled and laughed so hard sometimes, because when you would pick one apricot another that was so ripe would fall on you. Yuk! I had apricots drop on my shoulders and then it would go down the front of my shirt, same with the girls. It was worth it though.We came home with a lot of produce. I will put them up in the freezer now and use them later. I took quart freezer bags, filled them and will later make jam. I just don't have the time right now, but I will in the winter months ahead. I will also share with a family that I know will want to do the same up. That is one of the most special times in the summer when the produce is plentiful, to make sure you share some of what you have been given with someone else. Tonight the same family has given us permission to go pick Sandhill plums. I will take pictures and show you. The jam you make is the best in the world! No kidding, it is a "must" gift for our sons for Christmas. I make it in quart jars for them and have for years, when the plums are available. Sometimes we get a freeze and we don't have any plums. They grew up with their Grandma Jo making it for them and then she taught me. It is so good! I will share the recipe with you.
Kitties make kids so happy!
Thought this was the cutest picture! Look at the kitty on the right. He wants some attention too.
Forgot to share this little guy with you yesterday. Isn't he the tiniest little grasshopper? He is cute now, but he can be naughty in your garden when he gets bigger!
As my friend Rosa says, "the sweet potatoes are getting bossy!" They are growing really fast now with all the new rain. We can water and make sure the ground has moisture for the crops, but when the Lord comes along and does what He does so well, you really see the plants grow! We are so dependent upon the Lord, even if we don't realize it! I don't want to forget to be thankful for all He does.
I woke up at 4 this morning. I couldn't sleep. I have a two sons who drive real early in the morning. It was impressed on me to pray. I want to listen. The roosters are out a "cock o doodling". The world is waking up.
If you wouldn't mind praying for my Mr. Phil. When we worked on the fence a big post hole digger implement fell on him. I don't know if I mentioned it or not. Anyway, it was amazing that it didn't hurt as much as it should have. It still has a big 4" knot on the calf of his leg. Someone said we should have it looked at, because of a blood clot. We have an appointment today. Thank you so much ladies for those of you who pray for our family. You are loved bunches and I really mean that!
Almost forgot to tell you, we met the couple that wanted another fence built yesterday at their property. I had not met the wife before. She is a sweetie! I love her heart! We will be building another fence. Work! Thank you for praying and thank you Lord for blessing! He says He won't leave us. I believe Him! Sometimes I get scared about our future. I don't have to. Right?
I showed her their blackberry patch. She liked! After I got home I had a little deer tick on me. Creepy little bug!!!!!!
Blessings and hugs from the farm,
Good morning Linda!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a blessing!!! We have had neighbors like that, it is so nice to be able to stock up on yummy fruits for Fall & Winter and make Jams too!
I will be praying that Mr. Phil's leg is alright.
Have a blessed weekend!
Sharon
For I know the plans I have for the Stubbs family," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper them and not to harm them, plans to give them hope and a future. Jer. 29:11
ReplyDeleteDear heavenly Father, Thank You for Your constant watch care over the Stubbs family. Thank You that You hold them by their right hand, and You go before them and are their rear guard....and You do it all with grace, mercy, goodness, and lovingkindness beyond measure. Hallelujah to the Lamb! May they rest under the shadow of Your Almighty wings and feel Your presence for You never leave them or foresake them....You are with them always ~ until the end of the age. May You BLESS them, please Lord, as only You can, as they are such a blessing to others. Giving You all praise and thanksgiving for You alone are worthy. In Jesus' awesome name I pray. AMEN and AMEN
Pax Christi, dear friend.
Blessings, love and prayers,
Becky
Wow, what a bounty of apricots!! That tree was loaded now. We love apricots here at our house too. We have grapes in our backyard. Mom and I made jelly one yr. It was alot of work and almost cheaper just to go buy it. We usually just let the birds have them. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteI just love coming to your blog and reading your cheerful, fun posts everyday. Thank you for sharing YOU with us. You are a blessing. That kitten pic is precious!
ReplyDeleteI am very interested in the plum jam recipe. Can you use any type of plums in this? We do not have any plums here but I thought I might could purchase some to make this jam. It sounds delicious. God bless.
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love fresh fruit and all that can be done with it. Jellies, jams, cobblers, pies(yum, yum). Not every made the jams or jellies but willing to try. Some one gave me a quart of blackberry juice, if you know what I can do with it please let me know) God is so good. Keeping your Mr. Phil in our prayers, I am believing that everything is just going to work out fine.
ReplyDeleteI'm in awe(sp) of all that fruit. Lucky you. I do miss the days when it was so plentiful in Calif. Our weather here does'nt stay hot long enough for lucious apricots or peaches. I make jams of the fruit I can get or freeze them as well.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you,
Oh...the things you can do with that yummy fruit!!!
ReplyDeleteIf you're cooking it up, won't you email me some recipes for the recipe exchange?
{drooling over fresh fruit}
What a blessing for you to be able to get all that fruit! We have a few raspberry plants and so far the children have been eating them as fast as they ripen. I don't really mind though since I'm not a huge fan of raspberries.
ReplyDeleteLinda, first please know my prayers are with you today that the Drs. appt goes well. That is a very good idea--those clots can be so dangerous. {Father~bless and watch over the Stubbs family today and forever...amen} As you can see I'm not much of a prayer, but God knows my heart!
ReplyDeleteWow..what a plentiful harvest of apricots..knowing you the jam will be delious especially this winter when it's cold and you must be inside:)
Love the kitties picture:) They are darling...
Blessings.......
xoxo Gert
Another wonderful post :) I want to give my belated condolences and hugs in the loss of your Alaska horse. So sad to lose a beloved pet! Prayers for Phil's recovery and hope it's nothing 'big'. Also, I was awake and praying for my son about the same time as you this morning. He has been working terribly long shifts.. and last night was the worst. Always worrying about him staying awake for the drive home. -Tammy
ReplyDeleteLinda -
ReplyDeleteI wanted to let you know that those apricot seeds are very valuable to you and your families health. When you take the seeds out of the apricots, save the seed and dry them outside on the porch in the sun. The seeds inside, once you crack them, are good to just eat. They will even heal cancer, if God so chooses. We had a friend who was healed just by eating 3-4 seeds a day. The gov. has taken them off the market and refuses to sell them. The only place you can buy them now is in Canada or Mexico. The seeds taste a little bitter, but not bad once you get use to it. My husband has plum seeds (because we did not have any apricots) and cracks open and eats a few just before dinner. If we had a farm, we would plant apricot trees and then save the seeds. Not to mention, I LOVE apricots. Oh they taste so GOOD!
Blessings to you, dear Linda!
Oh my all those apricots are going to make some good jam! Indeed a bountiful blessing! Hope Mr. Phil is doing ok.
ReplyDeleteApricots??? Lucky you! Boy, do I live in the wrong place! Any apricot dares show itself around here is quick-frozen in November!
ReplyDeleteThey look beautiful! Enjoy and think of us poor folk of the North. ;-) (where it's actually 78 degrees today)
Oh, I would LOVE to pick apricots someday. It looks like so much fun! They must be so tasty fresh like that...
ReplyDeleteWonderful memories for you and your fam! :) Your blog is always so cheerful and a joy to take a gander at...
Dear Linda,
ReplyDeleteI love it when God meets my needs in unexpected ways...when I pray for them and especially when I don't..:) :) :) It makes me glad to hear stories like yours of God's provision and your thankfulness!!!! I enjoy seeing God's provision in other peoples lives too..
Oh the apricots down the shirts...Isn't apricot good for the skin? I guess that's a poor rationalization..hee hee hee :) :) I probably wouldn't like being brained by an apricot either...
I love apricots...cant' wait to see what you do with everything..post pics, once you decide!!!!
My dad and I will pray for Mr. Phil!!!! We'll pray for healthy strong bodies for the both of you, too...and for more work than you know what to do with :) :) :)
Love the photos...always beautiful and clear...what type of digital camera do you use? I'm really interested...maybe that's what I'll save up for next...
Oh the photo with the kitty cats and the dog...is that a beagle or a basset hound? My dad had a beagle as a kid named "Tiger"...:) :) :) So he's especially partial to beagles..or beaggies, as he calls them. Oh, I think big kids like me love kitty cats too!!!!
Sounds like you have some really darling new friends...the ones you built the fence for!!! I hope that will prove to be a super blessing for all involved..
Oh speaking of berries...I've seen these bushes all over town...and in Ashland, OR too..look like wild blueberries...found out they might actually be "Oregon grapes"..will google it later and post pics on my blog this weekend. Otherwise, YOU can see them on my Facebook page :) :) :)
I'll continue to pray for you Linda, Mr. Phil...and the kiddos...the grown ups and the littles!!!
Extra love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :)
Praying for Mr. Phil's leg to be healed and not have any blood clots. God Bless y'all with good health and good work.
ReplyDeleteJeannie Schlitt
First off, you all are so precious!!! Honestly, I am in awe of the goodness of the Lord to give me such precious ladies that really care. Thank you so much. One other thing, I wish I was a millionaire and could send every one of you some of my apricots, so you could make jam!!!! I would even do a youtube video and show you how to do it. Heehee!
ReplyDeleteHi sweet Sharon, It was so fun to wake up and see you had visited me!!!!!! Thank you for praying for Mr. Phil's leg. It was not as bad as what we thought. The doctor was so good! He said if it had been an internal bruise it would have been bad. It was a surface bruise and just a big knot. It was wonderful news to us!
Sweet Becky, I read the prayer to Mr. Phil and he was so touched. Thank you for taking the time to pray scripture for our family. It brought tears to my eyes to think that you were asking the Lord on our behalf. I do join and give Him praise.
Sweet Dawn, I made grape jelly also. It is a lot of work and the taste wasn't that good at least when I made it. You are so sweet to feed the birdies!
Hi sweetie Casey. You are so kind to me!!!!! You are so welcome! Thank you for saying I am a blessing. I am going to tell my family that. Smile. I love your blog! I want some blueberries. Loved your picture of the. I loved picking blueberries when I lived in Alaska!
To bad we couldn't trade apricots for blueberries!
Hi sweetie Donna. I will put up the plum jam recipe. I didn't get to go pick the plums yet. We had unexpected guest for dinner tonight and that was to fun to pass up. I will get it up though. Yes you could buy plums and make it! It is our favorite!!!!!!!!!
Hey Angie, did you get my note I left on a comment on your blog? You must read! Yes I love fresh anything!!!!!!!!! Get a box of Ball Liquid Fruit Pectin. It makes the best jam and jellies. Never a flop. I looked on the recipe and you need 3 3/4 cups of blackberry juice. I will put up a post tomorrow to show you! It would be wonderful to make that up!!!! If you don't use the juice now you can put it in the freezer in # 3/4 cups and use it when you have time! Hope you are feeling better! Mr. Phil is doing great just knowing that it is just time we need to heal.
To be continued!
Hi again. They tell me I have a to big of comment so I have to break it down.
ReplyDeleteHello sweet Gail, Every time I see your little photo on my comments, I just love how you look in your hat. I have one also, but you look adorable. I am not sure what I look like. Smile. I did feel pretty blessed. Isn't it just wonderful and easy to do jams. I think they make the best gifts to and CHRISTmas, with a loaf of homemade bread. NUMMY!
Parsley, Yes I want to try to get some recipes up. I am going to do the little pie in the jar. I saw that somewhere else other then Yvonne's, but hers was adorable. It will be a fun to do. You could even give as a gift that way with the lid on. If I remember I think that was what it was, for little kids snacks. I do want to do your recipe exchange. Just have to read how to do it! I came over today to see you and then had to leave to the doctors.
Hey sweetie Joyful! Love your name of your blog! RASPBERRY PLANTS.... and you don't like them? I would trade apricots any day for raspberries. LOVE THEM. I make a raspberry and jalapeno jam. It is so good on cream cheese and crackers. I can see your little ones poppin the berries. I would do the same if I was with!
Hi sweet Gert. Thank you for your prayers. We were really afraid of a clot! It did end up showing that his blood pressure was up. They will put him on a med to get it down. Glad you liked the kitties. The girls and grandkids love them!!
Sweetie Tammy, you are so sweet! Do you know that Lord wakes me up every morning at 3:30. I have to son's that are in management positions and they have to be there at work early. I just couldn't get to sleep and one son texted back thank you, because he was so tired this morning. God is sooooo good. So glad you and I were together this morning and didn't even know it! smile.
to be continued.....
This is kind of funny to have to split up my comments! Oh well!
ReplyDeleteHi sweet Anna! I knew that about the apricot seeds. Just not as much as you knew. Thank you for the info. 3 to 4 seeds a day. Wow. Do you need some seeds? Email me and I will send you some. I have been saving them. I could even go back and get some more. Please let me know. I would love to do that!
Amy!!!!! My little sister! smile. Thank you for stopping by! I love all your creativity. Your blog is so full of fun. If any of you have not been to Amy's blog you need to. It is full of fun crafty things. Right Amy? Mr. Phil is doing very well and we are so thankful!!!! I am coming over to see you after I finish these comments.
Hey sweet Cranberry, I love your name of your blog. I just love the color of cranberries! Can you tell? Come and live by me and I will share. SMILE!
Hello sweetie Cheyenne, It was sooooo fun to pick them. We really did giggle as some of the ripe ones attacked us! Thank you for your sweetness! You are so kind with your words!!!!
Okay Heather that was a long comment you left me! I love it. Okay, your Daddy needs another hug and now give him a kiss on the cheek for praying for my honey! How precious! Thank you also for praying for work for us. We are very hard workers! Pray also that sales on our little store would improve. That would be a real blessing! Thank you~
I just got my camera for Momma's Day. It is a Nikon COOLPIX. I love it. It is really easy and only cost 99 dollars. Wonderful price. I think the pictures come out nice almost every time. Sometimes I have my settings off, but other then that it is a neat little camera. I will try to put it up tomorrow.
Our dog is a beagle. His name is Dakota and he is part human. He is really Taylor our youngest daughters dog. He loves her lovin!
Thank you Heather and I will come over to facebook tonight.
Sweetie Jeannie, Thank you so much for praying. It wasn't a blood clot and who knows, maybe the Lord answered your prayers before Mr. Phil got to the doctor. We will find out in heaven, if it matters.
Thank you ladies, you are so precious!! Linda
Oh Linda, the apricots look so BEAUTIFUL. I love apricot pie, I think it's my favorite, but I don't see it very often and we have NO apricot trees. Peach Pie is my second favorite but eaten more often (actually, not very often since I shouldn't have pie of any kind)
ReplyDeleteMy earliest memory of apricots is apricot nectar. A little elderly lady in my daddy's second pastorate would invite our family for Sunday Dinner and serve me apricot nectar. She also fixed mashed turnips with real cream and butter. Yum, Yum!! Everyone called her "Grandma ??". I cannot remember her name and both my parents are gone so I'm afraid that name has gone with them. I was about 4-5 at the time. Sweet, sweet days.
Have a God Filled Day
Shirley
Thank you for being such an inspiration.
Look at all those wonderful fruits! Hope your husband's leg is getting better. Have a wonderful day.
ReplyDelete