Just Call me Suzie!

I'll admit that the past few years as I watched my excess of tomatoes from our garden rot and go to waste, I felt guilty-HORrible, really. This year, I decided I had to get over my phobia of canning and not let it happen again. On the menu, salsa and stewed tomatoes. With my blessed mother-in-law as my life line, I did it! In between the salsa and the stewed maters, she also peeled probably 300 pounds of pears we got for free, so that I could can those, too. I'm not saying this just because I know she'll see it :), but she is an amazing lady. I feel very blessed to have her and Jeff's dad for in-laws.

Anyway, it is quite a feeling of satisfaction to have those FILLED jars on my shelves. "If ye are prepared. . .".

Ghostly Treats

Will was chosen to be the "Star of the Week" this week in his Kindergarten class. Monday he got to bring a kind of a 'Show 'n Tell' backpack full of special things to share with the class along with some photos of him and his family. Tuesday he got to pick a book from home to share with everyone. Wednesday his teacher read a special letter I wrote about him to everybody. Yesterday, he got to bring a buddy to lunch. I got to be his buddy! We had a yummy school lunch together then played out at recess with his friends. Fun! As his last day of Star of the Week he is supposed to bring a treat to share with the class. I got out some of my Halloween idea books and together he and I found something we thought looked "cool" , (Will) and more importantly, cheap and easy. Here's how they turned out.

We have a Rat!

This is not a solitary incident. I wish I could say it was. There are several of my pantry items that have holes similar to this. I have caught the culprit MANY times, but can't seem to eradicate her taste for cardboard. Jeff has never seen holes such as these, but what they were put there by some rodent. I'm going to have to start checking my baby for sprouting whiskers, (or maybe just give her a 2nd helping of supper?!)