it's getting colder

It's near the end of the leaf season.  I might be able to get a bit more, but I've got about twice as much as I had last year, hopefully I won't run out again. I've got big plans for next year's garden and all those leaves will make it happen. We got rid of the minivan and it is a lot harder to gather leaf bags with the toyota.  I still manage.

The big news around here is that my mother, who was staying with us, moved into her own apartment.  She's so happy to be on her own again.  It is a senior community, so they have services available.  It is a bit quieter around here now.

The chickens are laying eggs, at least two of them are.  Yesterday I gathered the most enormous egg, it was a double yolk.  Huge.  I never get tired of reaching into the nesting box and pulling out some eggs.  It is just fun.

We're still experimenting with the pork we bought.  Yesterday I used the smoked bacon with some kale (kale from the CSA stored in the freezer).  Today I made pie, using some some lard I rendered and tonight we're having pizza with sausage I made.  I think the biggest hit so far from the pig has been the slow cooked ribs.  We do not normally eat a ton of meat and I'm trying to use this pig up gradually, at our normal meat eating pace, but I really like having it in the freezer.  It's also a joy to have all the CSA and garden food in the freezer.  Next year I need to do more canning, we totally ran out of freezer room this past year.

Something I feel really strongly about is to NOT have a lot of stuff.  Lately I've been going through my closets and tossing stuff I haven't used in a the past year or so.  Feels good.  I'm positive I got the recessive gene; most people love to accumulate, I love throwing stuff away (actually I give most of it to a thrift store).  The present part of Christmas is a real trial to me.  More stuff.  I love the music, the food, the decorations, the mood, the stories, the scriptures, the worship of our Savior, but the presents?  No.  I have everything I need and I don't like contributing to others having excess stuff.  It's hard on me.