This week has been another busy one around the homestead, but I feel like that’s simply what we say every week this time of year.
We’re still working our way through everything coming out of the garden while also trying to tackle some of the outdoor projects that need to be finished before the seasons really begin to change.
The days are full. Everyone is working hard. The freeze dryer rarely stops running.
‘Tis the season!
Cleaning Up Around the Property
My husband and sons have spent much of this week outside taking down dead trees around the property.
It’s hard, physical work. Once the trees are down, they have to drag everything out and move it off to the side where it can sit until we’re ready to turn it into next year’s firewood.
They’ve had some long days working out in the sunshine, and I’m so thankful for how hard they work to take care of our property and our family.
My role in these projects tends to be a little different.
Keep the hardworking men fed and hydrated.
It’s an important job, if you ask me.
When you’ve got hungry boys and a husband doing physical labor all day, keeping plenty of food and cold drinks available becomes its own full-time responsibility.
Somewhere Between the Garden and the Kitchen
Meanwhile, I feel like I’ve spent most of my week going back and forth between the garden and the kitchen.
Pick something.
Bring it inside.
Process it.
Clean up the kitchen.
Go back outside and discover something else is ready.
Repeat.
Add in plenty of trips down the road to get my daughter to gymnastics, and that pretty much sums up my life at the moment.
The garden is still producing, and I’m incredibly thankful for every bit of it. I know we’re quickly approaching the end of the growing season, so I’m trying not to complain about the work that comes with all this abundance.
Even when my kitchen looks like a produce stand exploded inside of it.
Salsa, Pasta Sauce & a Freeze Dryer That Never Sleeps
I’ve made an abundance of salsa and pasta sauce this week.
Of course, that means the freeze dryer has been working overtime.
At this point, I think it’s running more hours than the rest of us.
It seems like the minute one batch finishes, I’m unloading it, packaging everything up, and filling the trays with the next batch.
It’s a lot of work right now, but I know how thankful I’ll be this winter when I can reach into the pantry and pull out food we preserved during these busy late-summer days.
That’s what keeps me going when I’m standing in the kitchen staring at yet another pile of tomatoes.
Something Delicious Is Coming…
I’ve also been working on something especially delicious this week.
Apple sourdough bread.
I’ve been testing and tweaking my recipe, trying to get it just right before sharing it here.
And let’s just say no one in my family has been complaining about being the taste testers.
I’ll be sharing the finished recipe next week, so stay tuned!
Apple season and sourdough seem like they were made for each other, and I can’t wait to share this one with you.
Seeing God in the Little Moments
As busy as this week has been, the thing that’s stayed with me most hasn’t been the garden, the food preservation, or even the projects happening around the property.
It’s been the little moments throughout the week when I’ve been able to clearly see God at work in our lives.
Sometimes it’s an answered prayer.
Sometimes it’s something falling into place at exactly the right time.
Sometimes it’s simply a sense of peace when life around us feels anything but peaceful.
I’ve had several of those moments this week, and they’ve been such a beautiful reminder of God’s goodness.
It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of everyday life, and to move from one task to the next without stopping long enough to recognize what God is doing right in front of us.
This week, I’ve been reminded to notice.
To notice His provision.
To notice His timing.
To notice His peace.
And to simply say, thank You.
Thankful in the Busy Season
This season is exhausting.
The garden needs attention. Food needs to be preserved. Trees need to come down. Kids need rides. Meals need to be made. Animals need to be cared for.
Tomorrow, we’ll wake up and do it all over again.
These are good days.
They’re days filled with hard work, food we’ve grown, a family working alongside one another, and reminders that God is present in all of it.
So while the freeze dryer hums in the background and another basket of produce waits for me in the kitchen, I’m choosing to be thankful.
Thankful for the harvest.
Thankful for hardworking hands.
Thankful for our family.
Most of all, thankful for a God whose goodness and peace meet us right in the middle of our ordinary, busy days.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” — Psalm 23:6
Here’s to another week of working hard, preserving the harvest, and remembering to look for God in the little moments along the way.
From our homestead to yours,
Eliza
