Fine, we can eat the &$^#* harvest!

This title is inspired by my usual response to my partner when he asks if we can finally eat some of the canned goods that I preserved back in June, now that it is April. He is very cute & supportive. (pictured below)

repping EMU, 24/7.

Since I have gotten into canning, one of his small pet peeves is that we can't immediately nom up all of the delicious things I just canned. While I do allow small samples to take place :) part of the whole appeal of canning for me is the idea of saving the harvest for those cold winter months when the only fruit available is the bananas that took quite a long trip to join our breakfast table. We actually did a fairly good job this year of eating home-canned fruit rather than buying trucked-in produce: I only bought frozen fruit several times because I didn't freeze enough and I just needed some color in my diet! I think the only majorly far-away produce we bought this year were bananas (two-three bunches) and several pineapples (one of Sam's favorites).

It's hard to have to deprive your family of delicious fruit, especially when you want to just go nuts and drive to Kroger and buy 4 pints of raspberries in the dead of winter! But I tried very hard to stick to my guns. So now here we are in April, and Mike is so nice and supportive, and usually asks, when I make dinner, "can we eat some of the harvest?" :) Sweet, huh? So why am I intent on portioning out the goods I canned specifically for eating-purposes like a crazy preserving-nazi? I want that apple sauce to last until we have apples again! I want those peach slices to let us hold out until peach season! It's a valid feeling. It is!!

Maybe there's a balance between "preserving the harvest" and "holding the harvest hostage so no one can eat it except when I deem it to be so". I'm trying to find it, folks. Trying! Tonight I packed up a cloth bag for my love with all his faves: canned peaches, applesauce, baked apples... nom away, dear. 

Rest in Peace

Dear water heater,
You lived a long full life. You were brought into this house in 1989, and here you are, 20 years old. You are leaking inside and will probably flood our entire basement soon. It is time for you to go. Thanks for all your hard work and hot water.

Why did you have to break now,

Arika

I would love it if we didn't have to file an insurance claim or buy a new appliance for our house for the next 6 months or so! Yesterday night Mike and I drained out the water heater completely, because I was panicking that it would flood overnight, since it is on it's last leg. I don't even think it has any legs left!
A nice, helpful water heater guy came out this morning to inspect out water heater. The only unhelpful thing is that we had to fill up the freaking tank again so he could confirm that it was broken. Hey... it's leaking water everywhere. I think it's most definitley broken. And we're going to have to drain it once more this evening- Can't think of a sexier date than emptying a water heater.
BUT some of it (a small amount) is covered by our stupid home warranty, so we only have to pay for installation pretty much. Which is still a lot. I asked the nice helpful guy, from Fairlane Plumbing, about energy efficient water heaters, and he pretty much debated the validity of energy efficiency. I don't have another $60 to pay a different company to come out and replace this- I think we are going with what this guy is giving us unfortunately. Oh well. He was nice and straightforward, so we will give him the benefit of the doubt.

I think it is true that there is pretty much a huge gap between a tankless and any tank model, so when you compare the tank models, the differences there probably look pretty small. I just wanted an EnergyStar one so it might qualify for the tax credit thing but I don't even know about that anyway.. We reaaaally wanted a tankless water heater, but they cost like $2,5oo (including installation). I don't have that kind of money.. or any money right now as a matter of fact.

So tomorrow brings a new day, and a new water heater.
On a lighter, unrelated note, here is a happy picture of me and Helo and Athena! The kits are getting HUuuuugGGe!

Office almost finished! Woohoo!

So yesterday we blocked out the whole day and used it to clear out, clean, tape, paint, and then decorate the office! This was a project a long time coming, so we were glad to get it over with! We ended up painting half of the walls Radiant Sun and half of the walls Northern Pear Tree (might look familiar from the dining room...)

I think it turned out great- The green really compliments our futon! We're thinking about taking off the closet door and making that built-in bookshelf nook instead- I think that would be awesome!

Here are pictures!


Mike posing, ready to go :)


Halfway through...


Finished office!!


Desk is a little big, but that's ok..

busy weekend!

This weekend was Mike and my anniversary, so we shlepped to A2 to a bed and breakfast to get out of the house for a night- It was fun! The inn-keeper? reminded us of Ruth Fisher from Six Feet Under so that made it even better. It was nice to have a saturday off with Mike. We walked into A2 and went to Shalimar, our favorite of fav Indian places, went to TTV, and then got some Mo Mo Tea.

Missed the little kitties! Sara stayed over on Friday, and Ashes and I pickled green beans on Friday- they look pretty awesome :) Was a beautiful, fun weekend- nice balance of friends and family and kittens!

I was thinking about all the cool stuff that is going on in my life, and I wanted another way to share, besides Facebook, and talking in a monologue to people for hours. I've started a few blogs before but I always write one entry and then I forget to update.. ever again.

Since this is not topic specific, maybe I will update more?

This has been a very busy year for me, and it's also been one of a lot of fun and loving and learning and doing stuff! Doing-wise, I graduated with my Masters in Social Work, Mike and I got married and we got our own apartment for the first time! I have a pretty great job at Girl Scouts that I like too, which is nice after 500 years of school.

There are a lot of activities that I began to get into this year that I have really enjoyed; canning (with Ashes!) eating local food, having a community garden, learning about seasons and what food grows when. I think these help me to feel more connected to life and like I am becoming more of an "informed consumer", and maybe also less of a consumer!

Jen and Jesse have been great friends to me, especially this year- it has been great to see so much of them and I hope we can continue to see more now that they have moved to A2!

There are also a few big things coming up that I am very excited for; starting my position as a Commissioner for the Human Relations Commission for the City of Ypsilanti, buying our first home right near downtown Ypsi, living with Sara again (and maybe Shana) and being a pet owner!!!

I've also had a chance to reconnected with some people this year that I fell out with a bit during my last year at Eastern. That was a really stressful year for me, and I kind of ignored almost everyone and just tried to plug through and get done. Luckily, Sara, Shana and Ashes still like me. I've really liked being able to get to know Ashley more during our canning adventures, getting together with Sara, and spending almost ALL my time with Shana, although now Shana moved and left me :)

I'm really excited to live with Sara. Sara might not know this, but she is one of my favorite people. I haven't made the time to see her like I want to and like I should. It should be a LITTLE bit easier to see her when she lives in our house! I think it will be nice to have a Sara-friend to come home to and spend time with, and I'm looking forward to getting to know Sara even better. Ultimately, I'm hoping our cats could date.

and the most exciting thing right now- KITTIES!!!!!! We are taking care of two baby kitties; Helo and Athena. One of our friends' friends found them on her doorstep, when they were about a week old! They are sweet little lovies. I was NEVER a cat person- I always had dogs and fish and birds and rats and turtles and birds growing up, haha, but never cats. But our cats are the sweetest little kittens I've ever seen. They're loving and friendly and it's really fun to see them develop personalities and grow up with us! I already have an unhealthy attachment to them, and Marie might have to fight me to get Athena from us when she's old enough.