This week has been all about getting organized, preserving summer, and soaking up as much of this season as we possibly can.
It feels like summer is flying by, and I’m not quite ready to let it go yet.
A Little Spring Cleaning… in August
I’ve spent a good portion of this week going room to room, cleaning, organizing, and purging.
I’m not quite finished yet, but I’m getting close, and I can already feel the difference.
Clearing out the clutter and getting things organized just makes me breathe a little easier. I especially love doing this before we start a new homeschool year. When the house feels somewhat under control, I feel like I can start the school year with a clearer head too.
Of course, “somewhat under control” is the goal. We do live here, after all.
And Just Like That… School Is Here
Believe it or not, the homeschool year has officially arrived!
The kids started this week at home, although it was a pretty gentle start. Mostly, they spent their time looking over their syllabi, getting familiar with what they’ll be working on this year, and easing back into the school mindset.
Our homeschool community day is Monday, which will officially kick off the school year for us.
It’s my son’s senior year and my daughter’s last year before high school. It’s an exciting time, and I’m looking forward to seeing what this year brings.
Peaches, Pears & a Very Full Kitchen
Of course, no week on the homestead would be complete without a little food preservation.
This week I spent quite a bit of time processing peaches and pears that I picked up through my local co-op.
The peaches were absolutely incredible.
I made a big batch of peach salsa and canned it to enjoy throughout the year. But if I’m being completely honest, we ate a LOT of those peaches before they ever made it into a jar.
They were just too good.
And the pigs agreed.
They got to enjoy some of the peaches (and pears) too, which I’m pretty sure made them think they are were living the good life around here.
Yesterday was pear-processing day.
I canned most of the pears so we’ll have them for snacking throughout the year, and I dehydrated the rest.
Soaking Up What’s Left of Summer
As we start settling into our school-year routine, I’m also trying to remind myself that summer isn’t over quite yet.
If I’m being honest, I feel like we got a little shorted this summer.
Between the wildfires and all the smoke and poor air quality, there were so many days when we couldn’t comfortably be outside and enjoy the things we normally love about summer.
So I’m hoping we still have plenty of warm, sunny days ahead.
I want to soak up every bit of sunshine I can, spend time at the lake, let the kids enjoy being kids, and make a few more summer memories before the seasons change.
The garden is still producing, the pantry is filling up, and our homeschool year is beginning.
Life is shifting into a new rhythm, but we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to summer yet.
Here’s to soaking up every last bit of it.
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1
From our homestead to yours,
Eliza
