Poor Form.

I procrastinated. I avoided. I meant to. I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted. I thought it was maybe late October. I knew it was bad when I couldn't remember what my log in password was to Blogger.

Poor form.

Let's see:

-The test. Remember when I said I would be embarrassed if I didn't pass the test because it was all social studies content and I TEACH social studies and I should pass with flying colors and I don't need to study, it's social studies content for Cripes Sake? (Should it be troubling that I just read "sake" as Sah-Kay".....as in the Japanese alcohol and it is not even 8 am? Hmmmm.) Back to the test. Yep. Didn't pass. I thought I did just fine, the writing could have gone better (But I thought that about the GREs last spring and that was my best score, so I didn't get too wrapped up in beating myself up)...but the social studies content stuff I did fine. I think. I have also been meaning to send the fax requesting the test results to see just where I bombed it. There was other stuff on the test that I could have been more prepared for. Eh. I can take it again next year....and I don't know, maybe study for this next time? It will always be there.

-We put up a fence. You don't even know---well, some of you do---how gleeful this makes me. A bit of privacy from the many, many, many children that live in the cul-de-sac we share with 8 townhomes. Don't get me wrong....I like kids (teacher---remember?) but not 25+ screaming and crying and whining and yelling and crashing bikes and trying to destroy anything and everything with a plastic baseball bat.......all 20 feet from our house. Personal fave: Playing Frisbee with a metal garbage can lid. I kid you not. If I wanted that, I would have moved into a house next to an elementary school. Or a penitentiary. So, a privacy fence to block sight and much of the sound-----the true test will be this spring when it warms up-----does a world of wonders.

-Lionel is huge. He is almost 8 months and we estimate just under 100 lbs. Leviathan. He still tries to walk under the dining room table even though he clearly can walk up to it and his chin is above the table top. There is zero struggle to rest his chin on the table or take something from our plates, should he so choose to do. We are thinking he will stop gaining height soon and just start filling out. He is lanky. He also celebrated Thanksgiving the traditional way by getting neutered. You're welcome?

-School seems to not be kickin' my ass so much anymore. We may or may not have had a conversation about "not having to hit a homerun everyday" with school. MY response was "Oh, believe me, I am not trying to do that. I am just trying to keep my head above water and not give worksheets and show movies everyday." I think something sunk in, or I got into a groove, and it doesn't seem to be taking all my time. Many changes this year:

1. A new schedule going from 3 class periods to teach to five class periods (60+ more students' work to grade)

2. 2 brand new classes to teach that I have never taught before, and 1 class I have taught before, but not on this schedule (Also switching the pacing from semester to full year classes) and not with the new textbook. This is the largest part of the the time commitment. Planning is fun, but not all the time. I mean ALL the time.

3. Teaming where four teachers share the same 150-ish kids. So, we have lots of meetings about our kids that are struggling, misbehaving, going through traumatic experiences, meeting with parents, meeting with the counselor, meeting with the administration.

There are lots of meetings.

4. Freshmen. New to our school, previously we were 10-12, now we are 9-12. Three classes of them. On a good day, in a good mood, I love their energy and enthusiasm. I love their puppy-ness. Lanky, awkward, goofy, sweet, insightful, still "get into" school, naive, fresh. On a not so good day, when I am in a not so good frame of mind, they bug. That lanky and awkward turns into clumsy and accident prone, goody become irritating, sweet becomes not so, and so on. They become less fresh and become more of energy vampires. I have said a lot of things I never pictured myself saying while teaching high school. For example:

-"Were you unaware that he was coloring your arm yellow with a marker?" (Literally, the entire arm was colored yellow from a sharpie. Fingertip to ELBOW. The response to my query: "I wasn't really paying attention." SERIOUSLY?!?!?! You have no space to complain about it unless you are numb from the shoulder down. In which case, a yellow arm is the least of my concerns. Go to the nurse.)

-"At what point did you all agree that it would be a good idea to play "Ninja" in my classroom?"

-"There is NO air shanking in World History class! Period."

-"No, you actually are not allowed to cut her ponytail off."

-"Seriously. Even if she says it is okay. No. End of discussion. This is a World History class room, not a hair salon."

-"SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?" There are lots of these. Not that I would ever picture myself not saying this......it is the frequency with which I say it and the tone of actual (not fake, just for effect) disbelief that is adopted upon utterance of said phrase.

-"Alright. Who is carpet bombing my room with flatulence?" Lies; I didn't ACTUALLY say this. But, believe me, there has been a stretch of two weeks here where some has had some serious gastrointestinal issues. I know who it is, but how do you have that conversation??? I know, because they have been audible---during the time I am lecturing and they are all blessedly quiet----so I know who it is by the studied, rapt attention of the perp as well as the tittering going on in the immediate vicinity. (You want to make an entire room of 14 year old boys giggle? Have someone fart. Done and done.) My response: "Alright, enough. I am aware of it. Let's move on." Everyone else who is unaware of what is happening (very few of the students): "What? What happened? What are you talking about?" And then all looking around like prairie dogs popping out of their holes.

Pray for me. Just.....pray for me.

Hmmmm...

So. I registered for the foreign service exam....step one in a process of a lot more steps.

An intriguing option for a new career path. Living overseas again intrigues me. I was invited to take the test which is a good sign. The test, from what I have read, is pretty heavy on Social Studies content---US History, US Economy, World history, current events, geography......it really shouldn't be a problem and if it is I should be embarrassed to not have passed it. There is also a writing portion, again, not worried about it. I took the GREs last spring and writing was my best score.

We shall not discuss my math scores.

Test date is October 3rd. I am excited to get moving on it.

People. It's Power to the People Time...Just Do It Before Sunday.

Folks, I need your help. I have a great friend who has been working hard at setting up her own business. She works out of her home, she works hard and she works a lot. Now, many people hate when others ask for this kind of help, but I can vouch for her, she is top notch.

She has been working hard the past couple years, and is doing okay, but this vote could really help her out. It is through American Express and NBC. The winner can get $50,000 in marketing money to help support their small business efforts in these tough economic times. It is really difficult for small businesses to get grants. And that is what this is; it's not a loan, it is a grant. To a small business owner, manna from heaven.

Here all I need you to do:

1.) Go to this page: (Sorry for no hyperlink, for some reason, it shows up when I am editing, but not when I publish the post. My sincere apologies.....you'll have to do it the old fashion way: copy and paste.)


http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=8283

2.) Do the quick registering in order to vote, up in the upper right corner of the page.

3.) Go back to the "simply homemade" (The same link above) page and click on the "Endorse now" button with the flashlight at the top of the column on the left.

That's it. Clickety-Click-Click.

So simple.

If you want to check out what she simply home makes, just to make sure it isn't some lurid site specializing in niche market porn, there is a link to her website on the page linked above.

I assure you, it's all above board, people.

Power to the Peeps. Here is your chance to make your voice heard. Don't squander it.

Seriously? I am so in love with this dog. Someone in our house has made the comment, "You really like taking pictures of his snout, don't you?"

Yes, yes I do. I am not really sure why.
The jowls?
The whiskers on the front that tickle you when he comes in close to sniff you?
It doesn't matter. I like it all.


He is growing so fast. He is still all legs and paws and ears. People think I am starving him because he is so skinny; not true people. Giant breeds have really delicate joints, especially when they are puppies. You can't let them pack on the pounds too fast because it can do serious, permanent damage to the joints. Also, too much running and gallivanting around.

With him? Really not a problem most of the time.


I mean, he IS still a puppy. He likes to play. He likes to chase after moths and catch them (it is hilarious---he really stalks them and gets a hunter pose, even though mastiffs are not hunters, per say.).......when he does catch them, he is as surprised as we are and he dutifully eats them since he has them in his mouth anyway.


He is still a puppy and figuring out his world. Sniffing is huge. In this picture, the neighbors were having a pool party....some new smells. 13 and 14 year olds. Lots of them. Lots of squealing--a noise he had been unfamiliar with coming from this side of the house. The other side? He's got those neighbs down like a textbook. Lots of kids, lots of high pitched screaming and shrieking from those kids. He doesn't even bother turning his head. When we are outside, he will just look at them when they are making noise and then look at me like, "Why, mama, why?"


And his is a total doofus. He still sleeps on his back, but now his jowls flap open to expose his new white big boy teeth.


His paws are huge. They keep getting bigger and he can't catch up.


And then.........the crash. The drugged out look when he can no longer go on. The dropping on the floor or yard wherever he is and instantaneous sleep. He fights it most times, especially if he is having fun.


He is getting really mastiff-y. I love with puppies sit on their butts. I hope he always does this because it slays me everytime.


He is growing into more of his brindle. He will be mostly black, like his dad, but he has gotten more of the fawn color.



He does love laying in the sunbeams in the morning. Sniffing...surveying his kingdom.

School starts tomorrow. I am gonna miss hanging out with him during the day. That, I know for sure.

Growing...

Our garden, our dog, my impatience to find out what I am teaching this year (in less than five weeks...) my love of our life at this house.

Garden:
Just pickled the first pickling cukes from the garden. Eh. I think I could have done better, but I am definitely getting better at just diving in and not worrying about it being perfect.

This could potential be a problem. Botulism and what not.

Dog:
Lionel gained 20 pounds in 4 weeks. Enough said.

School:
Frustrated.

My love of our life in this house:
We have been working on sprucing up the "Grounds". We took down two apple trees......and by we, I mean, not me. I was brush duty. Lopping off branches, hauling branches, loading branches, unloading branches, raking branches.

Which is fine because no one wants to see me try and operate a chainsaw. And theoretically come out of the experience with all limbs still attached.

I'm just saying.

You're welcome.

Tonight, we worked on the creek bed and getting a lot of the brush knocked out. And by we I mean mostly not me. I was primary pickler at the time and also supper maker. I can't believe how low the creek is. Or that we have a creek. It looks really good already---way better.

Plus, with us taking the house off the market, I have been in the process of changing my mindset on staying here for a while longer.

And directing all my concentration at winning the powerball so we can put a fence.

Saturday Morning Update.

So far this morning, we.....and by we I mean Lionel with me observing---and occasionally intervening....have done the following:

-Come downstairs all by ourselves:

Bunny Hop from SoThereThen Gal on Vimeo.

-"Helped" (Attacked) bring the hose up from the garden to the house

-Chewed on all the toys in the house

-Chewed on the leather ottoman (That may have gotten us an ear bite from me)

-Drank all the water and shared with everybody via the drips from the jowls (He got those this week....he is really starting to look like a mastiff)

-Defended the homestead from the Evil Angel Bulldog:

Defending the Homestead from SoThereThen Gal on Vimeo.

-Tried to dig a hole to China (Another ear bite when we didn't listen to the mama dog growl from me)

-Tried a second time to dig a hole to China after we were told to knock it off (another ear bite.....five minutes after the first bite. Attention Span or just Short Term Memory Problem? Nah, just being a puppy.)

-Sat and watched the runners and walkers go by in a race around town

-Investigated the culvert at the corner of the property.....not too much though, cause it was dark inside and a little scary

-Defended the homestead from the Trifecta of Fiendish Foes:
*Sundry Rocks (Stellar bit of luck that we have a gravel driveway!)
*Bark-Slash-Sticks-Slash-Things-That-Can-Come-Off-Trees-Including-Leaves
*Pine cones
(Hand to God, I have my hands in his mouth or prying open his mouth at least once every 3 minutes when we are outside)

-Had a light breakfast of kibbles---just 1 of the 2 cups for the morning feeding. We'll finish it when we wake up from our morning crash.

Snuggied up to the radiator for said nap. Our legs and as much of our body that can fit, is shoved under the radiator. We can't fit under the Hoosier Cabinet any more.

We need to rest up for our second Puppy Playtime at Petco today at 3.


Seriously, this dog is hilarious. We went to puppy playtime on Thursday and I was a bit concerned when he wouldn't come out of the corner of the bigdog pen for the first 40 minutes. There was a pretty aggressive puppy that Lionel would have NOTHING to do with except when Aggresivo tried to engage him in "playing".....it was more of an attack/fight. Lionel bared his teeth for the first time to defend himself successfully. Which was good; that is the whole purpose of puppy playtime. Learning how to behave like a dog and get along with other dogs.

Once the aggressive dog left (Got kicked out......in a passive aggressive Minnesota way. The trainers didn't ask the owner to take the puppy, they waited until the owner finally clued in that the puppy was terrorizing everyone and asked: "Should I take her home?" The response: "Uhmmmm, yeah, you know, I think that might be a good idea. She seems to have had enough today."), things got better.

Lionel started trying to play with the toys first and then worked his way up to actual other puppies. Two golden retrievers, a 1/5 his size, were clowning around and Lionel started barking.

And then wagging.

And then he got up.

And then he was playing.

And all the puppy parents cheered for Lionel.

And then, 10 minutes later, puppy playtime was over and someone---I am not naming any names but it starts with a "Lie" and ends with an "O-Nell"---didn't want to leave the store.

So, we go back today to a different store. Big plans for the day, and for the evening as he absolutely CRASHED when he can home.

He is still crammed under the radiator, but now he is dreaming and barking in his sleep. I love this dog.

All this, before 9 am.

The Italians Are Coming! The Italians Are Coming!

I just like saying it as if I was Paul Revere. I am pretty sure there will be no gun play upon their arrival. The family I nannied for almost 20 years ago is all grown up, mostly. The father is coming with the two boys as the eldest is going to a attend a couple courses in Ann Arbor and the youngest is traveling with dad to come visit after they see the eldest off on the train from Chicago.


Wow. Good thing I am not an English teacher. That sentence is a wicked run on.


The youngest was 10 months old when I arrived. He is now in high school.

I refuse to admit, officially, any sort of aging on my part.

June. A Few Highlights.

Seattle, Washington. I was so excited to show my family this as I loved visiting in college (crap...20 years ago.). Somehow, it wasn't the same. I don't know why I am surprised. It's been 20 years, but, it seemed like just yesterday. Wah.

Blueberries, Tongass Rainforest, Sitka, Alaska.

Mosquito Bay--through the trees, Tongass Rain Forest, Sitka, Alaska.

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska.

Docks in Sitka, Alaska. I pretended that we were moving here and life would be dreamy. Then.....I realized that there is a lot of down time in small towns and Alaska is really far away.

Just kidding. I would move to Sitka for a while in a heart beat.

Ketchikan, Alaska. There were lots of diamond jewelry stores. I think maybe I was done being on the ship on this day. I did like this little area, though.

Monkey Puzzle Tree, Buchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada. One of the highlights of the trip for me. This place was flipping amazing. I really, really liked it.

Sunken Garden, Buchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada....this was a surprise. You would never know it is there.....the amount of time and effort put into these gardens was mind boggling.

Himalayan Blue Poppy. Buchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada. Poppies. We Already established that I heart them. But blue??!?!?!? What will those crazy kids come up with next? I may or may not have bought some seeds to bring home regardless of the fact that they probably won't grow in zone 4. A girl can dream.

A cedar.....I think. A flippin tall tree, at any rate. Same place.

We went on a family cruise to Alaska. Second family trip in 39 years. Plus various spouses. That's a lot of family time. It went much better than I expected..........AND I won $500 the first night in Bingo. That doesn't stink.

Lionel Live.

Hiccups. from SoThereThen Gal on Vimeo.

MY favorite is when he goes for the camera and hiccups right into it.

When we got him six days ago, he looked like a black lab puppy. He still does but today, or maybe yesterday, a mastiff wrinkle became more apparent on his snout, right behind his nose. We took him to the vet on Wednesday and he had gained 12.5 pounds in three weeks. Lionel---toddlergoofball. With the attention span to match as the next video demonstrates:

The Attention Span. from SoThereThen Gal on Vimeo.

He Might Be Lionel.

Mastiff Mug.

Superman Style Sleeping.

Baby Teeth.

The Sleep of the Dead, Toddlers and Puppies.

Our Newest Addition.

Poppies. I Heart Them.

A poppy. What a fun name. It sounds hoppy and happy. It is one of my top three favorite flowers. This beauty was waiting for me when I came out to water before school this morning. Glee-producing...that is how much I love them. If I could have had them in my bridal bouquet, I would have. My mom said that they didn't do well as a cut flower. Boo and hiss.


I love the crinkles. I love the hugeness and boldness of it all.


I love the papery look, but when you touch it, it is petal soft.




This one should be open tomorrow morning....as I was walking into the garage to put the camera away so I could go to school (the boys have been using it in the garage as they document the restoring of the Torino)---I noticed this:


How many people can say their outfits coordinated and downright match their garden flowers? Huh? And I didn't even plan it. My poppy and I......we are one.

One More Step Forward.

So, we had a home visit for MidWest Mastiff Rescue on Sunday. I think we have decided to go the rescue dog route again. I must say it was an easy decision. A: Cheaper. (By a lot.) B: Good Karma. C: Sophie was a rescue dog and enough said. I have a soft spot for drama cases. Shocking no one.

I, of course, want to adopt them all. Again, shocking none.

But, we shall start with one. We have requested a female, puppy/young dog. Sometime after July 4th after we are back from our travels so there are fewer transitions to said dog. I think/know I really want a fawn mastiff but, truth be told, I would take just about anything. Although, I am really hoping not a brindle like Sophs because I can still tear up at a picture of her and that might be too much. Or it could be really fantastic therapy. Something tells me that isn't the case.

I just want a dog in the house again. A lot. Frannklin, the bulldog, came for sleepovers this weekend and I had forgotten the sound of clickity-click on the wood floors and the messy water drinking and climbing up on the couch ordeal.

I miss her.

Many Sophomoric Things Could Be Said...

Wurstmaching. That is a lot of meat that will thus become bratwurst. Ah, the Bratwurst. We have already grilled some of this batch and I must say that the boys did a very excellent job. I have yet to sample the cheddar and jalapeno version. This is loading up the sausage stuffer thingy. I am sure there is some official name, but no clue.

These are the casings for the sausage. Apparently, they must be soaked to make them pliable. Sheep intestines, I do believe.

The meat has to be packed in pretty good to avoid air bubbles in the brats.

Sausage stuffing contraption hooked up to the press that will press down on the meat that is packed into the stuffer that will squooge the meat out into the sausage casing....

But first you have to load the casing onto the sausage stuffer and oil it up so that it slides off easily....entering the sophomoric area (If we don't already have a day pass in sophomore land.)

Those casings are long! There is a finished picture at the end of the post. I was surprised.

Some trouble bubbles that were popped with a sharpish knife.

This apparently took some finesse. The person doing this job has to make sure that the casing doesn't get caught up on the loader tip and at the same time wind the stuffed casing into a coil.

Ta Da! This was one casing...I left before they were completely finished. They had two big tubs to fill up.

This is the same first finished product. After there were a couple coils done and in the tub, but before they were pinched off by twisting the casings into sausage shapes, I had a job. That job was to pop the air bubbles in the casings. I was steadfast. I was focused. I did NOT pay attention to keeping the coils neat and orderly. I was thorough in my bubble investigations. I might or might not have gotten a little yelled at for messing up the coils. They were pretty.

And now, they are yummy as the finished product.

Huh?

I can't decide if it looks more like a potful of parasites or really poorly made linguine. Details to follow...

Parasitic Linguine, maybe?

And I Don't Even LIKE Geraniums.

I was in conversation on a walk the other day and was asked what my favorite flower was. I listed off 5 or 6 in rapid succession and then just as rapidly, the same amount of those that I don't like. These are geraniums that I took a picture of at the gardens one morning on a walk with my mom. I guess I can palate these geraniums.


Flowers I do like, Tulips (Around my birthday bought from a store but not when they bloom in spring. Novelty in February, over it by May.), Blue/Purple Delphiniums (They are almost ready to bloom at my house--yay!), red, red, red poppies....no, wait, I lie. I like poppies in generally--they are one of my favorites, but especially poppies. Peonies, also ready to bloom. Butterfly Weed, the orange variety. Purty. Hollyhocks, but only the old fashion single bloom, not the double hybrid one (It looks too much like a carnation or mum.) Oh and lilacs (love the smell). And lavender. And lilies of the valley. Cosmos are fun because they look like a flower that a kid would draw.


Flowers on my Not Love List: Geraniums (everyone has them...), carnations, mums, marigolds (stink-eee.), most roses, petunias, impatiens (worked at a garden center and spent my days dead heading those buggers. Not fun.), lilies (stinky and funeral-ly.), and day lilies but not because they stink...because everyone has them. Oh, and anything I can easily kill. I lust for the positive reinforcement of a plant in my care successfully living to see another day of sun and potential overwatering by moi.

I am a picky gardener. One area where I am not wishy-washy in the least.

I Know........I Know.

I have no real reason. "End of the school year" kind of holds water. Does "Spring fever" work? Sure, I guess. But, I am back to check in now........anybody out there?

Here is something for your viewing pleasure....I am not super into this kind of dancing, but this, this I liked watching. I like observing people doing what they love to do and do it well for that reason.


I just want to bite those dimples. Those of you that know me, know that cute babies and sundry cuteness in general make me want to bite. I am not sure why.

I don't think that I would ever actually bite a child with fatty sausage roll legs or this kid's dimples, but my husband has been known to throw out the precursory warning before seeing potential cuteness, "Now remember...what do we not bite even though they are super cute beyond belief?"

And I am forced to reply in a petulant, somewhat confused-somewhat embarrassed monotone, "Babies and cute kids. We don't bite babies."

And then he says, satisfactorily, "That's right. No biting babies."

And then we go. Is there a name for this? A clinical term? A condition like dry scalp or allergies that I could take a pill for and be a tad more socially functional.....or at least without reminders?

Maybe I shouldn't have stayed away so long...looks what it has led to: random confessions and a overuse of dot, dot, dots.

Name the movie: "Good day, sir.----I said Good Day!"

Hitchcock in Suburbia??

Our neighbor has homing pigeons. Which means that, many days, we have homing pigeons. Up until today they kept their lurking to the garage roof, the house roof, or an occasionaly foray into the driveway for some pecking and scraping and general presence. Nothing more than a very minor nusiance as they disperse and sometimes scare you in their flight away from the human walking towards them.

Today was different. They became bolder. More sinister. More......present.


Just before I took the picture, there were four pigeons on the window ledge of our bedroom window. I was sitting on the bed, working on the advisory job work, and I heard them cooing rather loudly. I looked over and there were three. Just looking at me. From the window. Lurking. Menacingly. Stalking almost. I imagined them thinking, "Ah ha. NOW we know where you sleep. Very interesting." I may or may not be extrapolating and exaggerating, but they COULD have been thinking that, who are we to say that they can't have such birdy thoughts??

If you have been paying attention, you realize that I initially mentioned FOUR birds. I, of course, have no digital proof (I think it is all part of their master plan to freak me out)...........but the 4th is the ring leader. He is the one I am worried about. The 4th was hanging off the window screen in an attempt (in my mind) to get inside the house. All flappy with his wings and graspy with his claws....no talons......pigeon talons of death....just there. Making his presence and his posse known. Grasping the screen and then flapping his wings as if to fly off with the screen in an effort to return and better peck his way through the window. To me. As I lay sleeping tonight.

I might be imagining this, but you never know. Maybe they heard we were making maple syrup.

Winding Down.

We have almost two gallons of syrup. How much does a person really need? Lest you think we are sugar fiends and syrup hogs, we are sharing it will those that came out to our house to help with the process.

And the meat smoking that is a week from Sunday...the bacon will be maple flavored this time.

I think I am ready to be done talking about, thinking about and writing about maple syrup.

You?

Now THAT Looks Like Syrup....

Our new set up has produced much better results, for which we are quite pleased. The new brew kettle has almost solved the problem entirely. Instead of dumping boiling sap into another pot (much like you might drain pasta) to reduce further on the stovetop, we have been doing this.


Now, that catches a lot of the sugar sand as it has hopefully settled below the level of spigot. I believe we would have more settlement if we were to wait a period before siphoning it off, but we have so much sap to reduce it just seems like it would be taking too much non-boiling time. So, we have been filtering it as it comes out. Like this:


You can see how much gunk is caught by the filter. Which translates into less gunk for me to skim off the top of the syrup when it is just about finished/finished.


This is what it looks like in between the boilings: from raw sap to reduced sap before we put it on the stovetop in the kitchen to finish it off.


You can see a difference in the appearance: The first picture is our very first, sedimenty, batch. Cloudy, opaque and sedimenty. The second is our second batch that produced much better syrup. It is boiling clear, you can see the boil bubbles as they come up fromt he bottom of the pot, it just looks like boiling syrup, not boiling syrupy milky milk.



Which translates into this: first batch of syrup on the right, second batch on the left.


Look at the clarity! I feel like I am becoming a syrup nerd.......quite honestly, I don't even love maple syrup. There I said it. For me, I just wanted to learn how to do it and just try making it. I rarely order pancakes at a restaurant, preferring to go for the eggs and toast or omelet. I don't crave pancakes with loads of maple syrup. I detest maple flavoring, I never pick maple log doughnuts, I don't like maple in my breakfast sausages.....why am I doing this again? It is just one more thing in the learning hopper from which to draw. You know, if I am ever stranded on a deserted island and need something to do with my time.


It is just so pretty. So pretty.


Just to keep us humble, our third batch has some cloudiness, but not like the first. That's okay, as we will have to do something with the first batch anyway, what's one more jar??


I will share this with you: In the past, when people gave me homemade food gifts, my thoughts were, "Mm. Nice.", and then proceeded to mentally put my appreciation along with the jar and forget about it. After having made blueberry jam last summer, canned pesto, roasted the red peppers and dried the peppers, "helping" with the meat smoking, and now this syrup business....I don't think I can do that any more. I know how much work goes into these things. I am obliged to appreciate the fact that someone is sharing with me something that is precious to them as a result of the work and time that has gone into it. Unless, of course, it is like canned mushrooms. That's my line in the sand. Ew.