June, July, August blur

Well, uh, um... It has been some time now hasn't it. Let's see. Oh, yes. June 18, a Wednesday, I left at 5:30am for Eugene, Oregon. We (Julie and I) drove for 18 1/2 hours and stayed over night with Ona in Cottage Grove. We got to bed about 12:30am and I don't remember breathing in the night or anything else, but we woke up about 8:30. After showers, breakfast, a romp with the turkeys, and some porch time, we went on to Eugene to set up camp.
It was great to get the tent up and get a feel for things like showers, bathrooms, and various venues before dark. It got dark about 10pm so we had lots of time to wander and see everyone setting up their booths. Then we had all day Friday to find stuff and watch judging, and goof off. We met wonderful people, saw exciting demonstrations, and generally loved the day- including the cold/hot shower that afternoon. It was a pretty hot day and the cold shower part felt really good to me. Eventually, we found the hot spot on the knob and continued with warm/hot showers.
I found a place in Oregon selling wonderful raw honey and bought 2 gallons for my sweetie. And a bunch of fleeces, and silk cocoons, and bamboo and flax and.... uh, I ran out of money and had to stop. I took some wonderful classes, though. And my socks won 3rd place. They were touched by Judith McKenzie, the goddess of all things spinning and knitting. And they were deemed worthy. She hand wrote a note about how to improve things and I don't think I will ever remove it. The socks go into the shrine.
Then we drove home- 18+ hours with a hotel in Redding and fires all over California- Hot, hot, hot. And a bunch of good looking forrestry fire personnel, too.
At home life hit the fast lane- Spin group, Sara week, unpack, get house ready for new windows, get Scott back to China, Bills, wash car, recover from drive, visit mom, Eduard's car service, and 4th of July. Apples! Oh did I make applesauce and dried apples, then the peaches started. There has been so much work and cleaning, people to take care of and visit, stuff to put away and move to new places. I can't really even remember all that we have done and are doing. Life is just too busy.
So today, I am still canning and drying peaches. This is the last weekend, I hope. Mom went to the hospital July 15-22, with a near stroke experience and stayed there a week- I spent almost all week with her. Then she went home and has to relearn how to take care of herself with a walker. I am still trying to catch up from the week in the hospital. Taylor's getting married, Lahren is having a Boy! The month is ending and I haven't had time to call or schedule my cabinet maker for the living room. Plans on hold for now.
But I can mark some progress- I have washed all of the Wenslydale fleeces, the Moorit Merino, and the Black Merino. That leaves the 4 Alpacas and 3 Shetlands. My guest room is full of washed fleeces and I am spinning every night for at least an hour. Much cheaper than therapy. I am going to the gym. I am canning and dehydrating. I dyed some Locks and sold some. I am keeping up with my email and friends and home family. Two rooms of the house are pretty clean and we can park in the garage again (one car).
I am going to make a new year's resolution this year, that I don't want to do so much for other people. I want to focus on my own health and needs. I want to exercise more and lose some weight. I want to sell some of my handspun yarn and go to another fiber festival. I may give up my Renfaire activities and focus on other events for awhile. I am just getting more selfish with my time and energy. I want more time with my sweetie, real time, time-off time, vacation time, hammock time. I want to slow the wheel down.
But for today- the last of the black merino is getting washed and there are peaches waiting for me.
Cobbler to you, my friends.

Cobbler Recipe: Oven at 425f
This can be made with the cake part under the peached or over the peaches. Under gives a soft, moist cake part and over gives a crusty top.
4 cups fresh sliced peaches
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 up to 1 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon corn starch

Put the water, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and peaches in a large sauce pan. Stir and heat until sugar is dissolved and comes to a boil. Turn off heat.

1 1/2 cups flour
6 tablespoons butter or shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk

Mix flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter in with a pastry tool, a knife, or a fork, like for pie dough. Stir in the milk until a medium soft dough forms. Kneed the dough for just a little while (two or three pushes with the heel of the hand). Spray a deep baking dish with non-stick spray or rub with butter.
Maked little rounds or cakes (about 1 inch high) and lay them in the pan. Cover with hot peaches and syrup. Bake 30 minutes.
OR
Put peaches into the baking dish and roll dough out gently to form a cover for the peaches (like a thich crust). Prick or cut holes for the steam to escape. Bake 30 min.

You can spice the peaches with cinnamon or use 3 drops of vanilla. Some people serve it hot with ice cream. Yum!