What I've been up to this summer

In case any of you out there have wondered if I fell off the face of the earth.... the answer is no.  Well, then what on earth HAVE I been doing to keep me from my diligent blogging?  Glad you asked!

Let me tell you something I learned this summer.  There are literally dozens of fruit trees in the city where I live.  They are growing in people's back, front and side yards.  And most of them are over producing this season due to large spells of heavy rain and hot humid temperatures.  Wanna know why this is important?  Most of these people.... don't even PICK the fruit from them.  So, I have been picking fruit all summer and putting it up in jars. 

I'm talking preserving folks.  That's right, the art of preserving fruits and veggies in jars and now freezer vessels for later use.  The list of fruits I have had or will have access to this season are apricots, cherries, apples (many varieties), peaches, mulberries, strawberries and sandhill plums.  My veggie garden and my bf's garden have also yielded MANY peppers and soon will be heavy with tomatoes so the canning continues.  We've also had a bumper crop of herbs... when we can pick them before the grasshoppers eat them. 
Jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butters and pie fillings have emerged from my humble kitchen in record numbers.  And I have enjoyed every minute of it.  I've also put up a couple of jars of pickled peppers and am going to be making marinara sauce this evening. 
I also became a member of my local farmer's market.  I bring all my wares, jewelry included, down to the local market every Saturday morning from 7am-noon and have made some extra $$$ selling things.  Anywhere from leftover produce I could not get put up in time to the canned goods I've been turning out lightning fast. 
I will be blogging in more depth about these things in my upcoming entries.  Keep you eyes here for more information about canning, preserving and the sometimes ellusive and coveted Kansas Sandhill Plum.
Are you curious now?  Good!

I'm back...

... things in my life got a little crazy and I decided to take on a new venture this summer: The Farmer's Market.
I have a pretty good little garden... and have helped establish an awesome garden at my bf's place.  I also have great friends who have contacted me this season  and stated they have fruit trees absolutely loaded with fruit they can not use.  I hurried my butt over there and got as much as I could pick, process, jam, jelly and cook.  So, I decided to join the farmer's market and sell produce, jams and jellies.  So far it has been an EXCELLENT venture.  I am also allowed to set up sell my jewelry since it is handmade.  Double bonus points for me. 
Now, compound to that the annual Dodge City Days Arts and Crafts Show this upcoming weekend.... and hopefully I'll have less jewelry, jams and jellies to hock by the end of this week. 

So... there you have it.... I am back and will get back to featured stones, metals, articles about my jewelry making and designs, featured Artfire artisans and everything else that my blog is for.  Sorry I was gone for so long... life gets in the way sometimes.