Wednesday, September 23, 2009

What to do after all the canning is done.......

So, truth be told..... I wrote this post a few weeks ago.....and let it sit in my "drafts" for awhile so I could really think about it before I hit the "post" button....because once I did that.... there was no going back....

So....what to do when all the gardening/canning is done?...the garden is basically over for this year. This will be the last week for the tomatoes and the corn.... we will be pulling them up this weekend... and after that, the only things left are the squash, peas, bok choy and kale which will take care of themselves soon when the rain starts kicking in here in Seattle.

I made a list of 5 things....I am hoping that these five things will keep me busy until December 1st....which by then I will be distracted with Christmas projects....... or in the hospital recovering from hip and/or knee replacement surgery...... so really.....with this list I will have enough to keep me busy until January 1st.....then it will be time to start planning my 2010 garden and thus the cycle will begin again....

#1 Make a quilt out all of this left over Amy Butler fabric I bought 2 years ago when I thought I would make aprons for everyone for Christmas but then made 2 for myself and got bored. I am also allowing 1 Andrew Jackson ($20) to complete the project.
#2 Finish this pillow I started hooking for the couch on our recent road trip to Leavenworth.

#3 Finish this rug I started hooking during last winters snow storm in which I did not leave the house for 6 days and instead stayed in my snow pants, drank unhealthy amounts of hot cocoa and came up with the brilliant idea to make a 5' by 8' rug for the entryway....I do recognize now...that I was entering the early stages of cabin fever...but so be it.......I still need a rug for my entry way....and I don't want to buy some piece of crap from china that 10,005 other people have. So, I will finish it!
#4 Type up all my favorite recipes and put them in a binder in sheet protectors that way I don't have to fish thru my crusty cookbook pages or scraps of paper to find my favorite recipes.

#5 Walk the Seattle marathon....for no other reason than:

1. It's Thanksgiving weekend
and it will get me out of ALL CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DUTIES with a particular group of ladies
(whom I love dearly.....but I'm making all my gifts this year)....and......

2. Let's face it....after the lost key incident......why not? If I can walk/hobble 12 miles aimlessly around town looking for a key....I should be able to walk a marathon.....notice I didn't say RUN a marathon....now THAT WOULD BE CRAZY......even for me.

3. I have to do something with my time to fill my 3hour a day gardening habit...

4. I will be able to see exactly how many songs I can come up with for that stupid ipod (actually it's my husbands old ipod...the original one that ONLY (ONLY?) holds 120 songs.....my son thinks that's an outrage....I don't even think I can name 120 songs let alone listen to all of them.

5. And lastly.....think of all the holiday cookies and cakes I will have to eat to make up for the calorie loss from all that walking......gotta love that one.....I am already dreaming of Mrs. Hill Billy's amaretto cheesecake.....and leopard girls pumpkin cheesecake.....and ...and what am I missing here?

And just so you know...I don't exercise....
I literally garden/can/make party hats/get in car to drive /come home and bake crap.

So yes, it's official...I AM INDEED CRAZY.....
Instead of staying inside and knitting little sweaters for the 72 cats at the animal shelter this winter...I am hitting the pavement.

And yes, I have already sent in $95 for my marathon t-shirt and endless supply of Gatorade while I'm walking 26.2 miles...probably in the rain...maybe the snow.....on Thanksgiving weekend...just so I can get out of shopping .....and fill the void in my life that gardening has left....

I suppose now would be a good time to start searching the Internet for "How to train for a marathon in 65 days" .....the lazy/crazy housewife version 101.

Do you have any training tips?
Or any song suggestions for the ipod?
Or the name of a doctor that does knee/hip replacement surgeries in exchange for
frozen zucchini bread?



9 comments:

  1. A walking marathon over Thanksgiving weekend sounds like a smart idea.

    And I love your lists.

    And no, I don't know of any knee doctors...but you could take up swimming...

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  2. All that canning and gardening is such a lot of work but fun -then you have to think what to do next -- looks as though you are prepared with many projects to tide you through
    vickie

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  3. You've reminded me of a couple projects I need to get to work on, but with doing school, likely won't get much attention- finishing Miriam's quilt (it's half pieced) and cross-stitching her Christmas stocking (I don't even have a pattern yet). I am having surgery in December, too. Mid December. This means all my Christmas stuff has to be done by then. Oh, dear. Mavis, you've completely stressed me out. That's okay. I like you anyway.

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  4. No..... I currently do not need a new knee or hip....I'm just thinking/planning ahead in case the marathon thing wipes me out.... and I need a new body part. :)

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  5. I love reading your blog. You have a great sense of humor. It makes gardening, canning, and exercise fun. Thanks for making me laugh.

    I too am glad canning is almost done. My hands look terrible in our dry Utah air.

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  6. A marathon...wow. As an semi-avid runner, who has slacked off greatly this year, my suggestion is to simply take your time and walk a little further each time and most importantly walk in a good pair of shoes. You don't want shin splints. My wife, who hates to run, managed to train and do well in Bloomsday (a 7.46 mile Spokane race) after only a couple months of not so steady training. But to run or walk a marathon...most impressive.

    Oh yeah, and you wul definitely need the Rocky Soundtrack "The Eye of the Tiger" for the last couple miles.:)

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  7. Jacque: I'm glad my life makes you laugh....I think :)

    Mr. H: Eye of the Tiger is already on the eye pod thank you very much...along with YMCA and Holler Back Girl....

    Thy Hand: You better get crackin' on that little girl's Christmas stocking.....Surgery stinks...unless you get waited on hand and foot...then it can be fun ;)

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  8. Rita has been in charge of making me a Paul Frank quilt with all of my old t shirts for a few years now. Perhaps you could volunteer to help her with that :) She wants to do it herself but I wouldn't mind a 'professional' helping her along the way!

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  9. Meester: Hmmm.... I've never made a quilt from t-shirts before...I'll have to look into that.

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