My Tireless Retirement – Week 130

 

Our weather has been warmer, cooling down quite a bit at night, and for the most part clear and sunny.  The smoke from the summer wildfires has been thinning out and we can see the foothills.  It is very nice to have better air quality once again.  I know we are only mere weeks away from the Fall season cool down and our first frost so I want to take advantage of every warm day we have left.  Last week I began working out in my backyard to get things tidied up and winter ready.  Usually I start at the front and work my way to the backyard, but this year I decided to go in the opposite direction, backyard to front, and see what happens.  I’m hoping to get everything checked off my “to do” list before the bad weather sets in.

 

Pear butter - Yum! 😋

After picking the rest of the pears off of the tree I made a batch of spiced rum pear butter in my large slow cooker.  I haven’t made pear or apple butter in several years.  I put it up in jelly jars as well as some of those cute little four ounce jars to give at Christmas this year.  I’m planning to pair it with a loaf of homemade bread as my gift to my friends since we are pretty much just into consumable gifts these days.  We are all trying not to bring more stuff into our homes as we shift into the Swedish Death Cleaning mindset more and more.  Food gifts are pretty wonderful.

 

After picking all of those pears I filled up a large box and took them into the senior center to share.  I had several people take bags of pears home and it made me feel so good to be able to bless them with some fresh fruit.  I still have quite a few left to enjoy myself and I have to say they are really delicious.  I may go ahead and make a pear pie and invite some friends over to help me eat it.  I haven’t had pear pie in ages.

 

The hummingbirds are gone, have been for a couple of weeks now, so the feeder was removed, cleaned and put away for the season.  I’m sad to see them go, but I know they’ll be back in May and I will get to enjoy them once again.  When they return next year I promise to use a step ladder to hang up the feeder with.

 

The apples this year are amazing!

Wednesday morning I went outside and picked the last of the tomatoes and pulled up all of the plants.  The cooler weather, especially at night, had pretty much stalled any additional growth so it was time.  My tomato garden sure did bless me with abundance this year.  My Golden Delicious apple tree did remarkably well this year and the apples truly are delicious.  I am absolutely thrilled to be able to go outside and pick apples from my very own tree to put up and enjoy in the coming months.  Another blessing to be sure!

 

The show was great!

So was this terrific group of ladies

Later that evening I took a group of seniors to the Idaho Shakespeare Theater and was able to enjoy the performance as well.  It was nice to be able to accompany them and have the bonus of being able to see a live play.  They allow you to bring a picnic if you wish so I packed myself a chicken sandwich on a croissant and enjoyed that while we watched.  The weather was perfect and we had a very nice time.

 

On Thursday I decluttered the patio chairs with their poor sun rotted seats from the backyard deck.  I arranged to have them picked up as part of our bulk trash service.  We are allowed to have up to five items a year hauled off for no additional charge to our regular trash bill which is very nice.  I am quite happy to have those chairs gone now so no one will be at risk of injury.  Especially me!

 

I grabbed the ladder once again and started picking more apples from my tree.  I was able to fill up two of my slow cookers with apple slices and canned six quarts of pie stewed apples that I can either eat as they are or use in a pie or other apple dessert.  While the apples stewed I went back outside and filled up a copy paper box with more apples to take into the senior center when I go into work on Monday.  After taking a bag over to the neighbors I still have loads more apples left on the tree.  I suppose I’ll have more picking to do in the next couple of weeks.  Yet, another blessing!

 

Stewed apples

I had received some birthday money this month so I treated myself to a new bedding set.  I got it on Amazon and it had a coupon offer attached to it so I got the coverlet and two pillow shams for only $32.  I like the new look in my bedroom and I think it goes nicely with my existing thermal drapes on the windows and the contemporary style lamp on my bedside table, which was my goal.  I didn’t want to replace everything this time around so after a lot of thought and some shopping around I was glad to find what I was looking for.  I think it’s pretty and makes for a very nice change.

 

Another busy week is in the books and I’m onto yet another one.  Hope everyone is doing well!