We have dug our potatoes and have them in the root cellar curing. Today I picked the remainder of the tomatoes that were turning red and some of the green ones. The red ones are on the table where they will turn the rest of the way red in another day or two and then get canned. The green ones got wrapped in newspaper and put into the cellar. This will allow us to have ripe tomatoes for some time to come.

The mugwort I hung is drying nicely. So far only two bunches have fallen – one the rubber band broke on and I am not sure why the other one fell.

We are still canning – tomato sauce, tomato juice, fruit, whatever is available. The nights here are cooling down and winter will arrive soon.

I also infused some lavender buds in olive oil today. I have some other herbs to infuse yet to get them ready for making salve. The distiller I bought to make essential oils has not arrived yet. I am hoping it gets here before the first frost so I can distill some oils.

The rose hips are ripening nicely. I found a recipe today for rosehip wine. I thought that might be interesting. Although I do not drink I do like to use wine for cooking.

I purchased a really interesting book on ebay from 1867 that is full of neat info on homesteading, including recipes. It has not arrived yet. I have asked the nice lady if she has some other books I am interested in and she is looking. I may have found some real treasures!

I am exhausted and have to help Jerry make some lasagna tonight. He just came in from trying to finish up the new chicken coop. Once that is done we will need to work on the barn roof so the roof men can come and finish it up. Then we have to work on our office roofs and build a new greenhouse. Something tells me all of this is not going to get accomplished before the snow flies, but we will just have to wait and see.

 Sheri