And she's off!

Today was Naomi's first day of school as she will be going every Tuesday and Thursday from here on in. She was a very excited girl this morning and wore a "perma-grin" before and after school. Tonight she was quite upset that she has to wait all the way until next Tuesday to go again. It is easier for her to play with Anna than to lead Bethany in play. She knows that is what she must do on the days that Anna is in school and, therefore, doesn't look forward to her days at home. I hope this year doesn't go too slow for her, only for me, as I shed some tears when I saw her get on the bus.

Waiting for the bus to come! (Her hair is longer than the springy pony tails, that's just the short ends poking out.)

Still smiling at the end of the day!

On to other news, I decided this year to attempt making relish. My sister-in-law came over with her grinder so we could grind up the cucumbers and then turn them into relish. It went really quick but then you have to let them sit for 24 hours before adding all the other ingredients. So today I canned all of it and here is the result:

I hope it competes with my Mom's because for the longest time I wouldn't eat any other relish then hers. Anna and Naomi both like it so hopefully this recipe will last the year :)
My garden is getting near the end. I've dug up half the potatoes and they look really good. Most of the onions are also out and drying up outside. I still have kale, tomatoes, carrots and beans ready to be harvested. The tomatoes I have been picking every few days and just eating them fresh as they were not that plentiful due to the wet weather. What amazed me about gardening is that you don't need a very big plot to produce a bountiful crop. It makes me realize that if you really wanted to be self-sufficient, it wouldn't take all that much (besides a ton of work :). Now, where should I store my cows?