Keeping up with Farmers Markets and Home

Hello: The sword fights the whole 4-H Group for the sleep Over

Wow! its been along time since I last wrote to you all. So you know what that all means right.... This will be a catch up chapter or book. I'll condense it down or I'll have to be writing for a long time. Here goes.

The first thing that happened is my X husband died of cancer on the 16th of May. My daughter from Texas flew in on Friday. I made cheese all week - about 150 gallons into cheese. I did a presentation at the Proctor Farmers Market. I made my marinated Feta white sauce and put it over noodles (that were sold at the market). I also made my lemon and honey chevre and a ranch chevre. It took about an hour for the demonstration. Ali went to the market with me so she could man the booth while I taught. David went to Longview Farmers market. The days before I had made 80 garlic and dill packages - 50 plain chevre's. And about 50 of the Marinated feta and the fresh feta as well as Grande Rosa and Pepper Rosa. I was busy counseling my older children about their dads death and comforting them. It seemed I was on the phone or hands in cheese that week.

We were also working with our 4-H club getting ready for our sleep over. We had a meeting every week on Wed. for about 2 hours each time. Our club had to make the swords and get the map ready for the "Risk - Lord of the Goats" Game.

Our family went to the funeral on Tue in Longview. It was great to see all the family there. David's mom and dad even came for the funeral. As well as my girlfriend who lives up the road from where my x lived. In all it was a good funeral as funerals go. Tami flew back to Texas a few days after the funeral. Danyel and Ali and I drove into Longveiw on Wed. to have lunch with Tami and Mike and Heather and Jamie and CJ.

Our sleep over stared on the 24th at about 5:30pm. Everyone showed up and we milked the goats and did the chores. Then we went to Hope Grange and unloaded our gear and ate dinner there. Then made our crafts and got into our groups for the game on Sat. We roasted marshmallows and made somemores for dessert. Lights out at 10pm and then the alarm went off at 5:30am . We all got up and dressed and headed back to the farm for chores and milking. We finished the farm chores and headed back to the grange where one of the moms made breakfast for us which was french toast and goat sausage, juice and fruit too. Then we packed up our stuff - cleaned the Grange, vacuumed the carpet, swept and mopped the floors and put the tables back. Then back to the farm for the game. The kids ran all over the field having sword fights to win territories. It was alot of fun. We built a fire and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for lunch - and ate the left overs from dinner and breakfast. It was a fast weekend.

David went to the Tacoma's farmers market on Proctor street. To get ready for the weekend ment I had to package and label cheese on Monday and Wen. and that was a busy week. I have to say I was glad when it was over. But the next week was just as bad.

We had a 4-H meeting to get ready for the youth fair. We were suppose to work on showmanship and clipping with our club from 9-2pm. I had cheese going too! It seemed I had to keep moving. David did the Olympia market on Wed. starting the 16th of the month. So all together we had three markets going each week. Danyel and Ali went to a Civil Air Patrol Spring Conference for the weekend. Katie and Nichole came to spend the weekend with me to go to the Youth Fair and help me do chores for the weekend. It was a busy weekend again. We had to get up at 5am to milk and do chores in order to be at the fairgrounds by 7am to get the animals ready for show by 9am. We did it. We had to do the same thing on Sunday for the rest of the Fair. David did Pikes Place on Friday and Tacoma on Sat. and then came and hung out with us at the fair. The girls got home about 5:30pm on Sunday -- just in time to help with chores.

The next week I had Grange - so I had to make a potluck dish. I didn't have to prepare anything as our speakers were going to talk about the Levey for Evaline School District. I had to make a potluck dish for a funeral that our grange was doing the lunch for too. I made four batches of cheese for the week, 200 gallons. And again packaged and labeled enough cheese for four markets. Danyel and Ali again are gone on Friday and home on Sat. They went to a Civil Air Patrol Search and Rescue thing up in Randle WA. So Sat morning I had to get up at 4am to set up the milk parlor and milk the goats (1 1/2 hours) and be over in Adna to pick up Meg (Black Sheep Creamery) to go to the Puyallup Farmers Market (1 1/2 hours drive). David had to leave also by 7am to get to the Tacoma Market, so he got up at 4:30am to bottle feed 9 baby goats, hay all the goats, water all the goats, and grain the ones in the pens. It all came together somehow.

So Now I am up to this week and its Tue. Monday we went to two events. One in Shelton Wa, Farm to Table workshop - we only got to stay for an hour.... but wished we could of stayed longer. Then we went to Seattle for a Chef Greet and Meet. It was local wines and cheeses. We sampled our cheese to chefs - who we hope will want to buy our cheese. This event was from 5:30-8pm. Needless to say we got home around 10pm. The girls had to milk and clean the parlor and feed all the animals without our help. They did good.

Oh! yes, and Danyel turned 17 on the 6th of May. We will celebrate her birthday with Ali's in June. And Mothers day - Heather my #2 daughter came and spent the day with us at the farm. I got a great email from Jami and a card and call from Tami. I really am doing Mothers day next Sunday - The Herb Festival - Just David and I are going!

Today I made our raw goat cheese and our chevre - used 100 gallons of milk.

Tomorrow is another day and we are getting ready for four markets again this week. We also got a 30lbs order from the Seattle Art Museum Taste. This is up from 10lbs every week. David will deliver this on Friday. So I know my schedual makes some tired. And now that you mention it I am tired too!

Have a Great Day, until next time.

I'll try and blog more often..... or at least a word or two each week.