Finding CHEAP Jam Berries!

My friend, Anne, was a little hesitant to share her secret with me, but I finally got it out of her.  

If you love to make jam, but you hate paying the price for berries, you might want to TRY THIS:

1. Find a local berry patch and ask for their business card (phone #).

2. Ask them to save the jam berries for you. Take what you can get.

3. Learn to be patient - they may not always have jam berries.

Anne just bought 3/4 of a flat for $2.

You can't beat that!

It's well worth the wait, and if you don't have a berry patch like we do (my kids are great strawberry pickers!), this is a great resource for all my jam-making friends!

What is your favorite place to get summer berries?  Do you pick yourself, buy, or go to a Farmer's Market?  

Or what are your secrets to finding cheap berries?

If you can, take the time to vistit Kimba's Gigantic Pin Sale going on right now!

Exercise and Me

One thing that makes me a better person, wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend, and even hostess is a certain friend missing in my life right now.

Meet my missing friend:  exercise.

Exercise helps me in many aspects of my life.  It gives me more energy and better sleep, which gives me more time to plan and be organized, it helps me think clearer and it even helps me spiritually.  I find that I have more patience and creativity when I exercise.

I didn't realize how much I needed my friend in my life.  Having foot surgery has taken me out of commission for a while, so my last exercise routine with my friend Jenny went like this.  It was over an hour of pure workout.  Ahhhh ...

Scenery

Friendly cows

And horses

Wild flowers

Childhood memories - moving irrigation pipes

Views - Roxy Ann

Soothing ponds

Sharing life

More memories - picking gallons of blackberries

Back to the car to say good-bye

I miss my workout friends, and my exercise. I miss our inspirational talks and the encouragement that we give one another.  I just need to be patient. And heal.

Do you have a regular workout routine, and do you think exercise makes you a better person?

(Last two pix: Jenny's dog Buddy being friendly with a cow.  He wasn't actually with us the day of this walk, but this photo is priceless. Buddy doesn't know a stranger.)

Make a New Memory on the 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to all my friends and family!

I'm gearing up for the 4th, are you?

1. Box of yard sale canning jars - $1 for all

2. Flowers from my friend Jeannie's yard - FREE

3. My flower arrangements will be made for less than $1

And we're making my mom's delicious frozen goodness - Millie's Vanilla Homemade Ice Cream!

Millie’s Vanilla Ice Cream

Beat 3 eggs, 1 quart ½ and ½ and 1 quart of whipping cream. 

Mix in ¾ cup white sugar and ¾ cup brown sugar; 1 tsp. salt, and 2 ¼ Tbs. vanilla.

You can use an electric ice cream maker, or do it the old-fashioned way.  The traditional way that I grew up with, where you'd sit on the ice-cold freezer while your Dad and Grandpa did all the cranking ... and then you got to lick the paddle: YUM.

Your family will think that they've died and gone to heaven.

It's that tasty.

Let's celebrate our country's freedom!

And enjoy the freshness of summer!

Watermelon and good ol' American 4th of July food!

And award-winning, Millie's Vanilla Ice Cream! (Award-winning in my family!)

Have you thought about starting a new tradition with your family this year?

(Photos:  My favorite childhood memory - Abby licking the paddle. And my charming St. Louis cousins - Johnny, Paul and Maggie.)