A Day To Collect . . .

A beautiful Maine "fall" day (almost). Copious sunshine. Heavy breezes. Cool temperatures (comparatively). We started today with Amanda walking, and me going for a long bike ride through Fairfield, Benton, and Clinton. I rode up to the Shawmut Dam, which I will have to photograph sometime--it is both beautiful and a fantastic fishing spot. I mowed the lawn and trimmed the beds. And soon, we'll go out to plant some trees we bought--an ornamental pear and a sugar maple.

Amanda baked some zucchini bread this afternoon, and I uploaded a bunch of music onto iTunes. Also, grandmom and grandpop stopped by to see our new addition. With grandmom's illness, hospitalization and all, this is the first time they have been over since last Christmas Eve--just a week before she had her heart problems begin. Grandmom and Amanda compared recipes, caught up on gossip, and talked about baking zucchini bread. Grandpop and I sampled some of my homemade sauerkraut, which, consequently, was ready today. I started making homemade sauerkraut last summer, after I found a recipe in Mother Earth magazine. Grandpop gave me a really nice earthenware glazed crock (pictured above) for making it. It tastes different than what you might buy at the store (the sauerkraut, not the crock), but I like it better--it is completely natural, and it ferments the "old fashioned" way.

On Monday, we may have our "New Years Day" traditional pork and sauerkraut dinner--this had to be put off until now since grandmom had been in the hospital for pretty much the whole year. It will be a special dinner indeed, and one long overdue. Perhaps my kraut will make an appearance. Also, perhaps I'll make some "Nana meatballs," which are my Nana Courtney's special sweet and sour meatballs which remind me of just about every Christmas of my whole life. It would be nice to honor both grandmothers at once. As of this writing, Nana Courtney is still hanging on, and we are just all waiting for the "news." We hope it happens soon so she can be at peace. Its amazing how she is hanging on--she has no IV, no drugs, no oxygen, no food, and no hydration. Just a testament to what a strong woman she is, I guess.

Its just a quiet and beautiful day here in Fairfield. We have no idea what the next five minutes might bring--a call from my mom, planting trees, or having another stout--but that is the beauty of these rare, special days. Looking at the clock, it is just about 4:30, and I ask myself where the day has gone. But at the same time, I don't really want to know. I am learning lately that sometimes its best just to "be," and enjoy the small moments of time with which we are blessed.