a new leaf

packed: check

very hot and sticky: check

jumping out of my skin to move on: check

What the heck? It's super hot here again and I'm not diggin' it. I'm not gonna lie, I'm sort of over summer, at least sweltering, humid, buggy Vermont summer. Gosh, I really HATE bugs, like the biting ones. I wish they would all just go suck their own damn blood .

Enough kvetching, I'm actually really excited for the next, and hopefully long, phase of my life. Sparkle (my trusty powder blue Honda) is $800 dollars more reliable with three spiffy new tires and new front axles. One more day of work and it will include more biscuit making, so it's bound to be sweet and lovely, as long as I don't get a sacrificial pie in the face or some comparably thoughtful farewell.

My transition will actually be 3-fold, because, well, my life is never simple. First I drive south a little past Burlington to stay and work at Freedom and Unity Farm for a little over a week, then it's off to Wisconsin (about 20 hours), then a few days later off again to California for a short visit with the fam and a very exciting wedding.

The farm will include:
getting dirty in a non frostingy, buttery, sugary, floury way, but like dirt dirt. Man, I miss that.

presearving the summer's bounty as fast as we can before it turns to chicken feed or compost. meaning: tons of pickling (we're even experimenting with pickling summer squash, green tomatoes, and kale among other strange things we're not quite ready to give up), zucchini bread up the ying-yang, and freezing just about everything our limited number of pans and freezer space will allow
yummy dinners featuring too many vegetables. The game plan when making a meal at the farm is: what can I make that will use up the most vegetables?

other surprises I'm sure