The Porch Swing

After coming home from a productive day at work and only feeling the need to wring one or two necks on the job, I was feeling pretty good. So good in fact I canned some bread & butter pickles, fermented dill pickles, made gluten free zucchini bread, made dinner, and sat down to write this post. Today was good.

But you know what ended up making it great? The Porch Swing.

Now, when I think of a porch swing I think: relaxing, inviting, comforting, and so on and so forth. This is exactly what I am about to introduce but it isn't that swing on your front porch. Oh no, this is a drank. A perfect summer drank.

The Porch Swing came to my attention last summer courtesy of Smitten Kitchen. It screams summer and is so refreshing. What isn't to like? Pimms, great, even if you aren't English. Gin, sippin' on it. Lemonade, oh god. Cucumber? Y.E.S.

So if you need an evening siparoo, pull this concoction together, you won't be sorry.

Porch Swing
adapted from smittenkitchen.com

INGREDIENTS
1 part Gin
1 part Pimms
4 parts lemonade (a good one, like newton's)
some cucumber slices
nice amount of ice

Mix her all together and don't have too many. Plus, don't drink and drive. You shouldn't be anyway though, you just got home from work. You need rest.

What the Farmer Doesn't Tell You

As you may well know, we went to our first Farmer's Market last Saturday. (actually it was a Public Market, hence why it didn't go so well.)

As you may have well guessed from that last sentence, the Public Market was a hoppin' but not so much money was made. Let's just say it is a really good thing both Mr Pepperworth and I have our full time day jobs. We made back about a 1/5th of the cost of the damn tent we had to buy but really, I can't complain too much, it wasn't all bad.

Our first Market sale ever.

Okay, it was that bad money-wise but fun-wise, it was pretty darn good. Mr Pepperworth and I spent Thursday and Friday prepping ourselves, saying, "do you want the bad news or the good news first," and things of that nature. We had to figure out what we had, how much we would need to take and it was actually all very exciting trying to guess how many customers we would have and what they would buy.

We got to the Market at 7:30am, first ones there, whoop whoop! Then had to wait around until someone could tell us what to do. We set up and totally had the best looking booth. Cute, inviting, and better than the plastic tubs other people were using.

Alas, for our first week we didn't get the attendance we were hoping for. In this one horse town people don't seem to actually go to the Public Market to buy food. Hopefully by pulling through we will get people to go for that purpose. We do have some great things but most people don't know that baby beets and purple kale can be made into some smashing, awesome stirfrys. Eat that for dinner, not your veal parmesan TV meal. I held my tongue though and didn't tell anyone they could loose a few lbs with more veggies in their diet.

We had fun. We met some great people and hope to really help Ferndale grow their local food movement. They need farmers and I must stick by Mr Pepperworth as the Farmer's Wife. I pretty much am the best Farmer's Wife and have to live by my name now! Plus, I make the signs look pretty damn good. I even put one of our engagement photos on a bulletin board. Everybody thought it was pretty cool.

Unfortunately, we won't be at the Market for a couple of weekends because 1) we took everything we had the first week. It is a hard "summer", throw us a bone now. 2) my baby sister is gettin' a married. Can't wait to get back though and establish ourselves a bit better. Plus, when those cantaloupe and melons come out, ain't nobody gonna pass us up. Oh lord, please let them like melons.

Summer Swim

We have a swimming pool. That's right, a real swimming pool, not a hole dug in the ground with a trap lining filled with water. (Which is what we had to do as children because we really wanted a swimming pool.)

Last summer the pool wasn't up because we had a wedding and decided having a big blue thing in the background of pictures wasn't the best back drop. Turns out the weekend of our wedding we def could have used a pool, it was around 90 degrees!

This summer the pool is back and totally awesome. Times I have used it....twice. Once for 10 minutes and once for 20 minutes of cleaning and 15 minutes of crawl stroke, butterfly, diving and doggie paddling. Pool = free, Swimming fun = priceless, all around great hand-me-down from the in-laws.

So yes, it has not been above 80 flipping degrees this summer.  The pool sits lonely most days under the clouds but when the sun peaks its tiny yellow head above the clouds, I am ready. Although, I haven't taken the noodles out of the garage yet. Those are only for fights and so far I haven't got anyone else in the water with me for more than 10 minutes.

I dream of the Saturday I can lay on the air mattress and read a book. Alas, there is now Farmer's Market so now I shall dream for a sunny Sunday (hello it IS SUN-day and the day of rest!). I dream of the day there is a patio around the pool for sunbathing exercises and a slide into my pool. Everything is better with a slide and, well, a patio!

She's a beaut!

Did I mention my pool is about 3 feet deep? Size doesn't matter though. I still love it. Summer swimming is always the best! Hopefully August and September have some smashing hot Sundays.

Zee Farm

I apologize for the lack of my presence, blah, blah, blah.

I do have something for you though. This will be the only time I will link my blog to the farm so go ahead and take a gander.

In the mean time, I will think of something funny/amazing/heartfelt to write about.

Good Ole Fashioned American Camping

Mr Pepperworth and I are somewhat outdoorsy people. I mean, obviously, if you are gardeners and what not, you pretty much can count yourself as an outdoorsy person. Unless, you garden in a greenhouse. Which in that case you are cheating anyway so you are not an outdoorsy person. You are supposed to be at one with Mother Nature not defy her with your extra big tomatoes and ginormous hanging baskets! Jealous? Perhaps.

I digress though.

Last year Mr Pepperworth and I didn't get to go camping. Never, not once. It is a sad state of affairs seeing as we had been every other summer of our lives and we were even engaged whilst camping. Yet, home chores called and something called a wedding took up a lot of our time.

First time hammock testing

So because July 4 was a long weekend and because I wanted to get the heck outta dodge for a mini-vacay, we packed our things (tent, sleeping pads, camping bin, camp stove, lantern, two tables, two chairs, and forgot our headlamps) and left this one horse town.....to.....a smaller one horse mule town. Winthrop, WA.

We went up some Forest Service Roads in the Chelan National Forest and did some camping. We ended up staying at Ruffed Grouse C.G. It was pretty nice but the fishing was awful as the snow pack is still so large that the creeks and rivers are running high. Actually, we didn't catch a fish, not even a bite. And, I broke my rod. On the last day. I shut it in the car door. Whoopsie Daisy.

Sweet bike jump

Camping Dilly Beans

Firewood

Painting with my Indian Paint Brush

All in all, it was a great weekend and I definitely wasn't ready to come back to life and work and a messy house.

Pity Post

Just yesterday it seems like I was finishing the spring fastpitch season and was planning all my summer camping trips. I was looking at my calender and realizing I had a full month ahead of me and I needed to put some things aside in order for me to get all those things done. Just yesterday I told you I wasn't going to post anything for awhile.

Holy shit, just yesterday was 3 weeks ago. Has it really been 3 weeks? I can't believe it. It may have seemed long for you without my witty words but for me I am pretty sure the last thing I knew was that it was the first day of spring and then, like, 6 days ago they told me it was the first day of summer. I am also hoping that my calender is wrong and Father's Day is in fact July 3.

I'm tired.

Honestly though, the whirlwind that has been my life isn't over but I promised to show myself again today and that is what you shall have. Lovely ole Me.

Let's see though, besides trying to make you feel sorry for me, I wanted to give you a brief overview of what I did while I was away. In "list" form.

1. That running I said I was going to do....well I did it. Well, most of it anyway. Mostly I just dreamt I was running.

2. I had a huge event at work that went very well. I talked to Jake Locker and he responded. And, I love him. And, I met saw his wife who is also a brunette. That makes me feel good about myself.

3.  Red (my sis in law) moved in. It is great. However, every time I turned around the goddamn dishwasher is full and/or ready to be emptied. Granted, she empties it, which is uber cool. What is not cool though is she watched, For the Love of the Game in my home.

4. I started a facebook page for our farm. I pretty much just entered the name but it is a start.

5. And, one of the biggest events that happened was the acquiring of another g.d. cat! (g.d. = god damn.) The story is as follows...I went to work. A girl brought kittens to my work and was handing them out to other young girls. I heard. I arrive at the scene when only one cat was left to be given. I confiscated the cat. Maybe I was going to take it to the Humane Society, we don't know. I didn't really want to keep the black/white kitten. Kitten is a girl. Cute, but I wasn't feeling it. Decision to auction off cat in big work event made. We are foster home for a week. Kitten is temporarily named Suzanna (for Oh, Suzanna sake). Kitten is a boy. Now named, A Boy Named Sue. Red falls in love with kitten. Red buys kitten at auction. I bang my head against the wall.

So yea, we have another shitter in the house. He is very precious and sometimes we call him Sue. However, he will be leaving in December. Its a good thing, we need room for next year's cat since we seem to acquire a new one every year.

There you have it. Some main life happenings of the last three weeks. Tomorrow I have to go to work and be with children ALL day long so lord help us all. I think we are all going a little crazy at the moment with the busy schedules. Mr Pepperworth just looked and Simon and said, "Wouldn't it be fun to take cats camping?" He really thought it would be fun.

Someone help this household.

My June Leave

I have some bad news.

I am sorry, I really am.

But I have to do it.

I am leaving you for awhile. My life is just too busy right now. I am sorry, I must leave you in order to make time for my husband. It was either you or him. I chose him. I'm sorry, I really am. I may regret it, I know.

From now until the time I return I will: run 20+ miles a week, work with children daily, coach 3 practices a week, go to another fastpitch tournament, pull 12,540 weeds, clean the toilet 3 times (if it's lucky), sleep in twice, get home after 8pm four times a week, get a new housemate (my sister in law is moving in for the summa), start some net-media for the farm, and hold an auction for my work. Hopefully you understand.

That means, mark your calenders for Monday June 27. That is when I will be back. In full force. Clever, awesome, beautiful, and hella f-ing tired.

I'll miss you. You'll miss my new potato salad recipe, don't worry though, I'll be back before the really good BBQs start.

Best ever ending to a BBQ