Campout!

A month or so ago my dad and his best friend had a campout in his friend's hay field. It was really fun. They made a fire pit out of a horse trough and some brick. Don't worry, they had the fire department come out and check on it, there have been a lot of wildfires this year. They also made a path down to the river so people could go swim or sunbathe. I was too sick to camp in the cold but Jake and I went and hung out both days.

 

We took our dogs so they could run around like crazy banshees all day. My dad had a guy he knows come out and barbecue chicken and tri-tip, it smelled so good. They also had a live band on the second night. They played country music and a lot of people were out there swing dancing. One of my dad's friends who goes by Apple Pie brought her homemade apple pie liquor which was passed around the campfire the first night. I'm happy I got to go do one normal summer thing this year. It felt nice to be out. Plus, it was right when the blackberries were ripe so I got to pick and eat tons of yummy blackberries, they grow like weeds out here on the coast.

I have toilet paper shoved up my nose, because I'm classy.

My sweet niece and sister drew this for me, I'm saving it forever and ever. 

I really miss my blog, a lot, but I've been spending most of my time sleeping lately. Every little thing wipes me out, from going to the grocery store to just cooking dinner. I try to cook things that I don't have to stand and stir the entire time, so I can sit down and just check on them periodically. Sitting down is my new best friend.

I went to the doctor a week or so ago for a cough that just wouldn't go away. We were hoping it was caused by allergies but I had to go back yesterday because it is worse and now he's thinking cough variant asthma, although he is also testing me for a blood clot in my lungs and whooping cough. I did get some new meds though so hopefully those will help.

Last night I coughed until I puked which was something new and completely disgusting. I wish our bodies had some sort of alarm that warns you that you're going to puke later, so you can watch what you eat beforehand. I think that would really take some of the horror out of puking. Some foods are just a lot worse coming back up than others (pizza, I'm looking at you).

It's time for flu shots, so if you are into immunizations, don't forget to go get yours!

Out & About (Mostly).

Since I can't walk far and am not supposed to drive, I don't get out of the house much but my mom has been really good about helping us run errands when we need to and on the days when she gets the afternoon off. Fleas are a huge problem over here this year and when we moved here, I didn't think to get our dogs on flea medicine because where we moved from, there aren't any fleas. I mean, there might be fleas but they keep to themselves and don't harass dogs. So we went to the vet and got the flea situation sorted out.



My Uncle built a pizza oven in his backyard and had us over for pizza night. He made two different kinds of dough and he made a red sauce and so did my Aunt. He had me try both of the sauces but wouldn't tell me which was his. They were both really good but his was a bit runny so I said my Aunt's was better, then he called me a traitor. He called me pumpkin head all throughout childhood though so I didn't feel too bad. It was really fun to make our own pizzas and try out different dough/sauce combinations. My Uncle is our next door neighbor and I had to cross some gravel to get to his house. I was worried about it but with Jake's help and my cane, it went pretty well.



This is part of the mural on the best sub shop in town. My mom took me to the library so I could check out some books and then we went to get some City Subs. I picked up a couple mystery novels and some Harry Potters I had wanted to reread. The ridiculous thing is, one of the HPs I wanted was checked out but they had it in large print, it's over 1,200 pages long. I blast through it but the thing is really heavy. I have to ask Jake to carry it up and down the stairs for me.



Speaking of stairs, because I walk with a cane and my balance isn't the greatest, I asked my dad if he could install a hand railing to help me get up and down the stairs in my apartment. It is so beautiful in person and nice and sturdy, which is perfect. It's immensely helpful to have something to hold onto, especially while going down the stairs. Jake still has to help me too, by orders of my physical therapist but there is no way I'd be able to get into my apartment without it.

I'm Going to Whack People with my Cane

I've graduated to a cane!! We found my cane at the Goodwill and it had some return address labels stuck all over it with the previous owner's name and address. I decided it needed a washi tape makeover. I love how it turned out, it looks like it belongs to a 26 year old, not a 70 year old. Walking with a cane is kind of weird. I get a lot of looks but I'm used to it, I got a lot of strange looks with the walker. I thought about wearing a sign around my neck that says, "I have brain lesions!" Not because I mind the staring, but to alleviate people's curiosity.

It was pretty much the best day when my PT said I can use my cane if I wanted. I still have my walker, it's really good for when I do something where I might end up tired because my walker has a seat on it. Not only that, I "graduated" from Occupational Therapy this week and my PT said I'll likely have one last appointment with her because I've progressed so quickly and have been doing so well that I can continue to do my exercises and stretches on my own. I also saw my local neurologist and he was really happy with my progress. He wants to keep an eye on me though so I go back in two weeks.

This week was a good week! I even finished reading a book and my eyes haven't been hurting the last two nights. Usually by the end of the day my eyes ache so badly and get really blurry. It's due to inflammation on my optic nerves, but I think it is getting better. I'll write all about the book later, it was good. Some stranger recommended it to my mom when she was at the library getting some books for me. I love when strangers do nice things.

Charleston Seafood Festival

My Aunt and Uncle came up to visit and see how I'm doing. It was so nice to see them. They brought us some chocolate zucchini bread and I can't wait to try it. I keep forgetting how far along the growing season is. When I was sick it felt like time was standing still, so I have trouble realizing that we're almost halfway through August and it's not the end of June anymore.

We had a family dinner at my mom's house Saturday night and it was so nice to visit and hang out with everyone. Earlier Saturday we went to the Seafood Festival where my step dad does the sound for the bands. I took my walker and walked all around in a big square to check out every single food booth. I'm all about the food at things like fairs and festivals. There were fried oysters, tuna kabobs, and clam chowder. I skipped all of that as I don't eat fish and instead I had a giant burrito from the Mexican food trailer. I really love burritos and had dearly missed them. I also picked up some cotton candy to take home to Jake. It was a fun little outing with family. The only thing that could've made it a little more pleasant is if it wasn't freezing cold and overcast. I need some sunshine in my life.

It Got Worse Before It Got Better.

I've been missing again. It's because I was back in Portland at the hospital. I'll give you the short-ish version. I was on a medicine that was making me very very sick. My doctor admitted me to the local hospital to take me off the med. Then the neurologist told me I needed to go back up to OHSU hospital in Portland (5 hours away). You can only get a bed if a doctor refers you and a doctor up there agrees you need to be admitted. So when they say you need to go, you don't argue, you get in your car or the ambulance and you go right then. When my mom and I got up there, they did more MRIs and found another lesion, a really big one, down my neck and a good portion of my spine. So if you're keeping track, that's a lesion on my cerebellum, lesions on my optic nerves, a small random lesion in my brain, and a ginormous lesion down my spine. I like to rack them up.

I also had some other developments that weren't so fun. In addition to my previous issues of being really weak from not being able to eat without vomiting, having problems with my balance, being dizzy, etc. all of the sudden, I couldn't feel my right leg anymore. That's not quite accurate. The sensation in my leg changed. When the doctor took a safety pin and pricked my right leg, I couldn't feel it. My leg just felt warm and tingly, from my toes to my hip. That was one of the scariest moments of my life. I'm 26 happy and healthy one moment, I get the flu and a few weeks later my leg feels like a log. What the heck? So the doctors have decided that I have post viral encephalomyelitis. At least that's what I think he said. Really they aren't sure what's wrong with me and that's one of three things he said but he thinks it's the most likely so we're going with that. With auto immune issues, it's hard to give a definitive answer.

So what is post viral encephalomyelitis? I don't know. From what it sounds like, I had the flu, when the flu virus left my body something else in my body decided to go all crazy and attack itself thinking it was helping attack the virus, giving me these lesions. Gee thanks body, I appreciate it. So I've been home for about a week. I have in home physical therapy which is so nice. My physical therapist is super nice and awesome and I've been doing my exercises like crazy. The best part, the sensation in my leg has changed again. It still doesn't feel like it should but it feels a lot lighter to me, which makes it easier to walk. It used to feel like a stump I was dragging around. So that's good. They told me it could take 6 months to a year to recover, if ever. I may still have problems with my legs, my eyes, my thinking, for the rest of my life, but let's hope not.

The other issue I was having was that my skin felt like it was itching all of the time. I felt like I needed to scratch my skin clean off. I didn't care if I had flesh hanging off, and I was scratching, so hard that I was breaking blood vessels. I didn't have a rash or anything and lotion did not help. Finally I had a doctor say that it was probably a nerve problem and he prescribed me some medicine that was developed to help with seizures but it never did, but the people with seizures realized it was helping their nerves. So now I take it 3 times a day to calm the nerves in my body, otherwise I have this obnoxious itching issue.

So that's what's been going on in my world. I've just been working hard exercising my legs, trying to get muscles to return. Last week I could barely walk with my walker. I'd get 5 feet and have to stop. Today my gait is almost normal. I can't even tell you how good it feels to make progress so let's hope it continues.

Scared to Death

Hello friends, it's been awhile and I miss my blogging buddies. If you read the last few posts you know I've been ill. Well, my regular doctor returned from vacation and squeezed me in. He decided to do an MRI just to be sure it really was a virus that settled in my inner ear but when my scan came back there were abnormalities. To be specific, there were lesions on my brain. I was immediately referred to Oregon Health and Sciences University Hospital in Portland. My mom was by my side the entire time and we drove the 4.5 hour drive immediately. I was scared to death but trying to be strong for the benefit of my loved ones.

Once there, they did another MRI, this time with contrast and found more lesions. The largest is about the size of a walnut still in its shell and it's right in the area that controls balance, which is why I've been having such a difficult time walking and with not being able to keep my food down. I'm sharing the abbreviated version today but they also did a spinal tap to check the fluid around my brain. At first it looked like an infection so they put me on a ton of IV antibiotics which really harmed my body. When further tests indicated it wasn't an infection they took me off the antibiotics. In the meantime they started throwing out scary ideas of what it could be, tumor, cancer, multiple sclerosis. I have never been so terrified in my life and I'm crying writing this right now. My grandma passed due to complications of MS and watching my mom's face when they said that was an option was so heartbreaking. They eventually mostly ruled that out along with a lot of other really scary things. In the end, after doing a second MRI and a second spinal tap they still didn't have any conclusive results. Their best guess is that it's some kind of virus and I just have to wait it out. It's incredibly frustrating.

There was a week in there where I couldn't eat without it immediately coming back up so I lost a lot of weight which is really bad because of how small I was to begin with. Now my legs have atrophied and I can barely walk. I have a walker but even going from the living room to the kitchen wipes me out. I've learned a lot during this ordeal though. I was trying so hard to hold in my fear and anxiety because I didn't want to worry my family even more than they already were. I have an incredibly close family and they all checked in everyday. What I realize now is that it's okay to be scared to death and it's okay to tell your family, they will be there to support you and to go through it with you, my friends did an awesome job of making me feel loved, it's okay to let others be strong for you when you can't be strong for yourself anymore. I've always been independent and now I have to rely on others for basic necessities.

The doctors are saying if it is a virus like they think, there is no medicine for viruses, you just wait them out. They're treating my symptoms as well as they can. But now I'm so weak I have to have someone help me in and out of the bathtub. It makes me feel so pathetic but I am so grateful for their help. If I didn't have them, I have no doubt I'd injure myself badly. It's just hard to put aside my pride and accept the help. Especially knowing it could be months before I'm well. Although it wasn't quite a near death experience, it could've been if my doctor hadn't returned from vacation, I was slowly wasting away. Because of this experience I want everyone in my life to know just exactly how much I love and appreciate them and that includes all of you who left sweet comments, they really meant a lot to me. It's going to be a long time before I recover so I don't know about anyone's religious beliefs but if you would send you prayers, good thoughts, happy vibes, or whatever it is you feel comfortable with, I could still really use them. Thanks so much!

The Third Doctor Knows What's Up.

We went to a third doctor today, because I needed to. The first doctor was nice but not incredibly thorough, the second doctor was kind of a dbag, and the third doctor ended up being Asian, which was a good sign. As my family is Asian, we tend to put more stock in what Asian doctors say, you know, because of all of the stereotypes of Asian people being smart and hardworking, for the most part, in my experience, those rumors and stereotypes are true. So I was excited when today's doctor happened to be Asian.

Yesterday was by far the worse day of my sickness. I puked up EVERYTHING I ate. I puked up my anti-nausea meds, I puked up water just as soon as I drank it, I even puked up a tiny piece of bread I had tried wrapping my meds in and the 3 whole fries I ate from Jake's chicken nugget meal from Wendy's. It was awful. This morning was the same thing, I even managed to throw up on my feet. Talk about miserable.

I told all of this to the new doctor, including how all of the skin inside my mouth is peeling off, I get dizzy if I even move my head from side to side let alone stand up and I looked right at him with tears in my eyes and said, "Please, help me." He thinks I have a viral infection of the inner ear. That I did originally start out with the flu, but that the virus migrated and settled in my inner ear which gives me vertigo which leads to all of the puking. He prescribed me a few things. One is an anti-vertigo patch I wear behind my ear to not get motion sick, the other is a rapidly dissolving anti-nausea pill that melts on my tongue in a matter of seconds so I don't have to swallow it and puke it back up before it can even have any effect. So far all I've tried eating are popsicles, saltines and water but since none of it has come back up, we're in business. Tomorrow I might get wild and try for some macaroni salad. Who knows?! My regular doctor who has been gone this entire time is supposed to be back in the office Monday and I'm to go in and check in with him as well, as per Asian Dr.'s instructions.

The only bad thing is that there is no antibiotic or anything to get rid of the virus. I just have to wait it out, which will be a lot easier with some food in my belly. Thanks for all your well wishes guys!

Life is Being Ridiculous.

We try to avoid the 4th of July in our house as fireworks are one of the biggest triggers for Jake's PTSD. Last year in Idaho they shot them off right across from our house which made them ridiculously loud but at least I got to watch a few out the window. This year, since I'm still sick, I just laid on the couch and listened to them. Jake wore headphones with the music cranked way up and played video games, like every 4th. My mom is making some kind of either macaroni or potato salad tonight so at least we won't miss out on the best part of the 4th of July - the food.

I have a strained relationship with the 4th of July. On one hand, it's supposed to be a celebration of our freedom and the fact that freedom meant so much to us that we were willing to fight for it. On the other hand, there are thousands of people out there like Jake, who were in the military and did follow orders into war for this country, who view the 4th of July as the worst day of the year because it reduces them to hysterics. Jake says it gets worse for him every year and this year he felt like digging a foxhole and jumping into it. It doesn't help that people shoot fireworks well before and after the actual 4th. He's basically a prisoner in the house for weeks because if he's outside and hears fireworks, he drops to the ground in a panic, thinking he's being attacked.

As mentioned above, I am still ill. My head feels a little clearer everyday but my stomach is still in a lot of pain and I still feel weak and exhausted. On facebook I likened myself to Frodo Baggins in Return of the King. I'm wimpy, pathetic, and can barely walk on my own. It's ridiculous. My doctor is out of the country so I went and saw a very nice but not very thorough doctor on call who never called me back with test results. Then my mom took me to the ER because 10 days with a temperature and not eating is really bad. After insinuating I was on drugs and then taking my blood and finding that I'm not, they decided I probably just have a virus and have to wait it out. They also told me to check back with my regular doctor because I might have peptic ulcers. They told me to get Prilosec and to eat anything I can manage, even if it's pizza and soda for every meal because I need to stop losing weight. All I've managed to eat the past couple of days was a cucumber, half a baked potato, half a cup of veggie broth, some saltines and water. I'm so frustrated with being sick. I want to be back to my old self.

New Couches!

Jake and I got some amazing new couches this week. The furniture store was having a 50% off sale so I ran down on my lunch break, took photos of some sets I liked, and texted them to Jake who was at home. I'm not really certain that 50% off is even that great of a deal, kind of like with jewelry, but hey, it saved me a ton of money so I'll take it. The set we ended up getting isn't what I would normally choose but once I sat on them, I was sold. They are so soft and comfy. They're made of a velvety type material and the bottom cushions are full of down feathers.

I thought I was getting better but it just isn't happening so I've been laying on our new couches resting a lot. It's so much nicer than laying on our tiny, hard as a rock, old couch. I went to work today but came home early because I felt like I was going to vomit. Working in a restaurant is not ideal when your stomach is upset because all of the different smells start to get to you. I was able to work yesterday for a few hours but felt really lethargic and dizzy. Hopefully I'll get better really soon. Like tonight. Hopefully I get better tonight, that would be amazing!

Summer Illness.

I have been sick on all of my days off this week. Boo! I've pretty much lived on my couch for the past 3 days, which hasn't helped my house get any cleaner but that's okay I guess. At least I didn't puke on anything. Even though I've been sick, I'm chicken sitting for my uncle who lives right next to me so I had to go out and feed his chickens, cats, and koi. Jake did it for me on the days I felt particularly awful but it felt good to get out in the sunshine, even if it was just for a short time.







You can follow me on instagram, my name is jordantg

Time to Rest.

I don't think Rocky is the culprit. 

Yesterday I ended up not having to go in to work because the restaurant was slow. I wasn't really able to revel in my day off as I didn't know it was going to be a day off until it was time to go in and my boss text me that I didn't need to. That's okay though, I think I really needed the extra time off to relax and get some stuff done around the house. Earlier in the day I was able to meet up with some friends I hadn't seen in 3 years and it was so nice to see their faces and finally meet their youngest son.

Sometimes my days off aren't very relaxing. This week, my "weekend" was spent at the VA for appointments. The first day was supposed to be the nice and easy appointment but the doctor accidentally took the wrong patient back and that made an easy in and out one hour appointment last almost 3 hours. The next day's appointment wasn't too bad but I had to sit in on it which always makes me nervous. Counselors weird me out a little, I'm not sure why. So with the appointments and the horrible weather on the one day we didn't have appointments, I kind of felt like my weekend was blah. I felt blah. I didn't really get much accomplished.

I think I would've made a great Home Ec teacher, except for the part on keeping up with housework. Since I've been at my new job, my steak cooking and pasta sauce making skills are already vastly improved, now if only they could teach me how to keep up with the cleaning too. I feel like I'm always behind and it really bothers me. I'm not looking for a perfect Martha Stewart house, I totally get that she pays people to clean her messes, but I don't want to be embarrassed to have people over either. One of the major problems is that one of the cats keeps peeing on the bed, creating a never ending pile of laundry which just exhausts me. How do you all keep up with that stuff? Sheer willpower?

Dealing with Crazy People.

So this happened on Saturday. No, I didn't back into anything, although that is what the lady who hit me is trying to claim. People make me so angry sometimes. The accident itself isn't what bothers me, it's the woman's reaction to the accident. Instead of being a responsible adult and exchanging insurance information and going our separate ways, she threw a giant tantrum in the parking lot, like a small child. She screamed and screamed at me until finally I had enough and told her that I did not have time for her shit and to go get her insurance information, now. And people wonder why I rarely leave my house, ugh!

Crocheting in Public.

I spend a lot of time in waiting rooms while Jake has appointments and I don't like to sit idly reading the awful magazines you so often find in waiting rooms, so I bring my crochet. I always have a fun time watching people as they try to surreptitiously watch me crochet. I get baffled stares, looks of admiration, and especially at the VA, I get elderly gentlemen coming up to me and asking where a young lady, such as myself, learned to crochet. They then proceed to tell me stories of how their mother used to knit or crochet when they were kids. I'm glad my public crocheting doesn't embarrass Jake because I love hearing these old stories of favorite blankets or hats made long ago.

I also use the waiting room time to work on old projects I put to the side. This blanket has been in the works for close to a year. I keep it in a bag in my car to bring out whenever I have some down time. I'm in no hurry to finish and the stitches are so easy and repetitive that I have no problem picking it back up months and months later.

For those of you visiting from Ginny's Yarn Along, welcome! I'm not currently reading anything, hence no book photo, but I'm thinking about going to the library and revisiting some of the books I loved from my youth. I've gotten to the point where I remember I loved a lot of different books but I can't remember what they were about so I need to refresh my memory. What book did you love as a child?

Nifty Thrifties (2)

I'm keeping the name for this little series. I find it hilarious. Last week when I drove the stroller down to my sister I stopped at a yard sale on my way home. At one point I thought I might get murdered but other than that it was fun. The guy was really nice but decidedly strange and I was the only person there. I gave him cash for the few things I had picked out, he went inside to get change and when he came back out he said, "Did you know there is no phone service out here right now?" He was already pretty odd to begin with and that was a really creepy sentence but he meant it nicely. The phones really did go down all down the Southern Oregon Coast. Still, I almost peed my pants for a second.

 

I got this amazing clock and listened to it tick all the way home and then the next day, when I went to hang it, it had stopped. I'm hoping it just needs a new battery because I'm pretty in love with the painted flowers.

 

My favorite find was this mustard yellow pumpkin cookie jar. I had to have it because we had one like this when I was a kid except it was clear and I've been looking for a cookie jar for a really long time. I love it in mustard and it goes well with the rest of my kitchen decor. He had a really amazing cookie jar there (he had quite the cookie jar collection) and I really wanted it but it was chipped so I opted not to get it. I'm thinking of going back (not alone) to get it to use as a flower planter.

Beach Days.

Due to his PTSD, Jake sometimes doesn't leave the house for weeks on end. He doesn't feel comfortable in unfamiliar places surrounded by strangers but staying inside all of the time isn't good for him. I try to get him to go out and do something with me every week or two and he's usually pretty receptive because he loves to be outdoors exploring nature. Yesterday we went to Bandon, Oregon to have lunch and explore. Although it was absolutely beautiful out, the wind was howling but that's okay. We walked around Old Town Bandon, got chocolates and candy from a local sweets shop, Jake tried some chowder, and we explored a cute little beach area.

New Job & New Phone.

I got an iphone a few days ago and I've been using it to take photos of all the delicious food at my new place of employment. One of my friends recently bought a restaurant and asked me if I would be willing to help out. Since my normal job is caregiving for Jake 12 hours a week, I could easily fit it into my schedule and the best part is... I get to learn all kinds of cool stuff about food!

Obviously I've downloaded instagram on my phone (my name is jordantg) but what other apps should I get? The iphone is a lot cooler than any phone I've ever had and I think Jake wants to get one too when his number is eligible. In the mean time, I downloaded angry birds for him to play so he won't feel left out.

I work at a little cafe that is open 4 days a week. We serve the most amazing food, bread, desserts and a very large selection of wine. It's a fun place to work. Only a few people work there and they're all super cool. My job title is "flying monkey" (not really) which basically just means I help whoever needs it. I wash a lot of dishes, help make salads, get ingredients from wherever they may be hidden, chop things (very poorly) and do all sorts of other random tasks. It's pretty fun because each day is different, the menu is constantly changing, and I get to learn new things about cooking every day. 

Port Orford, Oregon.

My sister and niece headed back down to California yesterday but when they were about 2 hours out of town, my sister realized she'd forgotten the stroller in my mom's car. Since my mom was at work, I went and got the stroller and met my sister halfway, in Port Orford, Oregon. Port Orford is a little tiny town where I broke my arm on my 14th birthday. It boasts some of the most beautiful ocean views. It was really nice to spend a few extra minutes with my sister and Lana. I even got some extra hugs and slobbery kisses.



I've always loved this sign painted on the ground but have never ventured up to see this view. I'm not sure why I haven't but I think I probably ought to.

Cell Phone Advice, Pretty Please!!

Ladies, gentlemen, and lovely friends, my cell phone contract is up and in 4 short days I will be getting a new phone. We already go through Verizon and we'll be staying with them as one of my friends works there and I'm all about supporting my friends. My question is, do you prefer androids or iphones? I've been in the dark ages of cell phones for years, quite happily, but I think it's time to upgrade to something with internet capabilities. I don't really need anything too fancy, I just want to be able to take photos and upload them to twitter, is that too much to ask? So, what are your thoughts, observations, suggestions? Also, does anyone else remember the candy bar/brick Nokia phones that had snake on them? Please tell me there is an app for that snake game.

Happy Birthday, Handsome!

I think you are pretty damn amazing and I hope you have the best year of your life (so far)! xoxo

Today is Jake's 28th birthday and last night we had a little party at my mom's to celebrate. It wasn't really a party, but dinner and cake with family. It was pretty perfect. My niece even helped him blow out his candle. I got Jake a guitar amp for his birthday and it was a complete surprise to him, which I count as a success. He loved it. I think I was looking forward to his birthday more than he was. I just can't help but get excited to give gifts, I love giving people something I think they'll be truly happy about.

Lemony Cherry Jam

Cherry Jam is my very favorite flavor of jam. It probably has something to do with cherries being my favorite fruit. When we went to California for my cousin's graduation there was a guy selling cherries on the side of the road. They were a overpriced but still less than what they are in the grocery store (cherries are so expensive!) and I just couldn't help myself.



When the jam was cooking I tasted it and although it was amazingly delicious, I wanted to add something to lighten up the flavor a bit. I decided to add some lemon and it turned out perfectly and has quickly become my new favorite cherry jam recipe.

Ingredients:

8 c. pitted cherries
5 c. sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 box pectin

Before you start cooking your jam, fill up your water bath canner and turn on the burner, it takes awhile to bring it to a boil. Wash your jars in hot soapy water or on the sanitize cycle of your dishwasher. Put your lids in a small pot and warm them up on the stove so the rubber becomes soft, do not boil them.

Add cherries and sugar to a large non-reactive pot. Stir so the sugar mixes with the juices from the fruit. Bring to a boil and cook for a good 20 minutes. 

Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and pectin and let jam boil for 5 more minutes. It should be a "rolling" boil, where even if you stir, it's still boiling.

Turn off the burner, skim the foam from the top of the jam and fill your jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Wipe rims of jars with a wet cloth and then dry, apply lids and bands and process for 10 minutes. When your 10 minutes is up, remove your jars from the canner and wait for the little "pop" that they've sealed. If any of them don't seal (it shouldn't take very long to know if they haven't) pop them in the fridge and use within a few weeks.

Day Trip: Golden and Silver Falls.

Yesterday I took Jake and our dog Jewels on a little trip I've been meaning to go on since we moved here. The weather has been horrible lately but the past two days it was just absolutely beautiful so off we went. Golden and Silver Falls are only 24 miles away and the drive is beautiful. I think I was born to live off in the country tucked away somewhere, quietly, with a big garden and roaming chickens. Anyway, we made it to the falls and decided to just check out Golden and leave Silver for a future trip.





I feel like if I had some crochet going in my lap this would be an awesome photo. Maybe I should just find some super cheesy clip art and add it in.









We love hanging out in nature. We saw mushrooms growing on trees, all kinds of pretty flowers and even some pretty weeds, a lizard, fish, gorgeous birds, and even a tick. I love seeing big damp rocks covered in moss and flowers.

Washi Tape as Canning Labels.

My Aunties use masking tape to label their homemade applesauce and to label canned food with an expiration date. I have 8 jars of peanut butter they have given me with these homemade labels. While the labels are useful, they are hideous. I finally bought myself some washi tape for my birthday and I thought it'd be a cuter, updated label for my jars.

I didn't notice it at the time but this jar of jam made for a great little mirror. 

It's true, there are many companies that make labels for canning jars, or you could even design and print them yourself. My issue with those labels is that they are a giant pain in the ass to later remove from your jar when you want to re-use it. It requires lots of scrubbing, the use of oil, or a razor blade. The washi tape is easily removed, and you won't end up with Madonna arms from all the scrubbing.

I've been...

I've been hanging out with this little cutie who is visiting. I have to get in all my night-night kisses while she's here!



I've also been listening to this band at the recommendation of one of my friends. I'm digging them.

Savings Jar / Piggy Bank Alternative.

My Aunties gave me several boxes of their canning jars and in one of them was an old glass mayonnaise jar. While some glass jars that aren't regular mason style jars are safe to can with, the glass mayo jar just didn't seem like the right kind of glass to me so I decided to be safe and use it for a little craft project instead. Jake and I have change in little piles all over the house so I wanted to make one central place for the change to reside. I guess you could call it a little home for our pennies.



First I chose my background paper and rubbed the letters onto the card stock and then I added embellishments until it I felt it was properly bedazzled and called it a day.



The 12 inch paper didn't quite wrap all the way around the jar so I used a little piece of fabric to cover the gap.



I even dug out some fabric tape that has been in my ribbon drawer for years and some flowers that my mom bought at least 6 years ago. It feels good using up old stuff that's just been sitting around all this time.



I added some mini pom ribbon to the top. I love how the jar turned out but Jake said it's too girly. Of course it's girly, I don't keep a supply of manly ribbon and flowers on hand. Lastly, I got a little scrap of paper and wrote down some of the things we're saving for on it and popped it inside, in case we get the urge to spend our pennies, we'll be reminded of just exactly why we're saving them.