as I sit here at our local public library, using the computers to check my e-mail and do other sundry things, I become aware of the stares that are being directed my way by the men that are populating the other computers around me.  I know that it cannot be my astounding good looks that cause them to give me such looks.  Some with open mouthed stares are not even looking at my face ( my first indication that it is my comliness that is attracting them).  No, they are staring at the keyboard.  More accurately, they are staring at my fingers flying over the keys of the keyboard.  Have they never seen anyone type with all ten fingers before?  I, of course do not give them even a second look but go blythely about my business of posting on my website.  After all, neanderthals are not worthy of the attention of a person who is so advanced as to be able to both walk upright and type with all ten fingers at once. 

Then my awareness shifts from their staring at my fingers to the fact that they, when they do employ the keyboard at all, only use the index fingers of their hands.  How strange.  Are they not aware of the efficiency gained by using all the fingers at once?  Anyway, I am now, more than ever, convinced of their position as the lesser members of society.

Outside my window..... it is dark and dreary.  It is misty and the sun refuses to shine.  I think that fall is oficially here.

I am thinking..... about my son who just called to tell me that he made it for special forces.  Two more years of training.  He is realizing his goals.  I am happy that he is happy but it is hard to be happy that he is moving that much farther away from us and closer to danger.  More prayer is needed.  Holy Michael the Archangel defend him in battle.  How coincidental? that he should call on the feast of the holy archangels.

From the schoolroom..... it is dark and silent.  No school this week since Matthew has to work Mon. through Thurs.

I am thankful for...... things too numerous to mention.  For my loving and supportive husband.  For loving children.  For a deep faith in God.

From the kitchen..... leftovers.  I will be home alone most of this week so why bother cooking.

I am creating...... a new fleece for Matthew to wear out in the coming cold weather.  That boy grows too fast.  Maybe I should make Doug one too.

I am going..... to stay home today.  I have already been to Mass and to take Mary-Kate back to school.  That is enough for one day.

I am wearing..... jeans, a pink tee-shirt, and a green sweatshirt jacket until the fire gets going good.

I am reading..... nothing at the moment.  Too much sewing to do.

I am hoping..... to get a lot of sewing done while Matthew is working this week.  Wednesday is his birthday so I want to make him some shirts for his birthday.  I also need to get some more pies made for the freezer.

Around the house..... the washer and dryer doing their jobs.

One of my favorite things...... having had Mary-Kate home this past weekend.  We spent a lot of Saturday sewing together.

A few plans for the rest of the week..... finish all of the sewing that I have going in the sewing room, bake bread, make a few more pies for the freezer.  Plan Matthew's birthday celebration.  Treat the new piglets after they are all born and call the people who are interested in buying from me.

A picture thought that I am sharing with you......

My beautiful daughter at the Ag. Expo last weekend.  She is getting more grown-up by the day.  I think that one of my favorite things is to spend time with her listening to the things that she has to say when she comes home from school.

Every mother should have a son like mine.  This past week Ian did the brakes on my Dodge Durango.  Now, it's not a small vehicle and he is not an idle man.  I am very greatful to him for doing this job.  I used to do this job myself but I am getting too old to crawl under vehicles.  When I asked him how I could thank him he said that thanks were unnecessary.  So I decided to make him an apple pie because I know for a fact that the way to the hearts of my men is definitely through their stomachs.

My pies are nothing to look at.  I can't make the tops fancy but they are good to eat.  So, thank you Ian for fixing my car and enjoy the pie.

This morning, after Mass, Mary-Kate went out to the barn to check the pigs.  We knew that they were going to farrow any day now.  What a surprise awaited her when she got there.  Next to Ian's pig, Carolina Ruby, were eight little newborn piglets, only hours old.  She has quite an assortment of colors too.  She is a mix of Yorkshire, Tamworth, Hampshire, and Duroc.  The boar the bred her was a mixture of Bentheim Black Pied and Tamworth so the piglets are a strange mixture of all those breeds.  They are pink and black and red and spotted and the cutest things that we have ever had here on this farm.  I am glad that Ian's pig was the first one to farrow.

This is a little video that I took of Carolina Ruby rooting in the hay and "talking" to her babies.  Yes pigs actually do talk to each other.  If you listen closely you can hear the piglets making their little noises back to her.

Tomorrow is the feast of the Holy Archangels and it Ians feast day.  His middle name is Michael after Michael the Archangel who drove the demons out of heaven into hell.  So today I am making a special dinner for him.  We are having roast beef, long grain and wild rice, corn, peas and carrots, and peach cobbler and vanilla frozen yogurt for dessert.  It is always great for a mother to spoil one of her children. 

Yesterday Matthew picked up a bunch of apples and ran them through the press.  This morning I set to canning the cider that he had made.  Twenty-one quarts is a pretty good amount.

I also made a batch of applesauce and canned some of that.  Matthew was rather affronted by that.  It is my way of insuring that some of the sauce makes it to the end of the week.

Then I peeled some peaches and made a couple of my very delicious Bourbon Peach Cobbler.  Boy does that make you think of fall when the house is filled with the smell of baking peaches.

Matthew got up early this morning to help me by pressing the grapes that I planned on using to make a batch of wine.  

Around and around he went turning the screw to make the follower go deeper into the oak bucket.

He pressed so hard that the cheese cloth that he used to line the bucket tore so he had to use a piece of burlap instead.

As the follower goes deeper into the bucket out comes the juice into the pan.

A lot neater and easier than using your feet, I suppose.  The only body parts that got purple today were my fingers when I strained the juice.

Ian baled the last of the hay for the season tonight!!!!!!!!!  I took this picture of him bringing the baler back down to the shop.  I think he is as happy as I am this year.  That baler has given him more trouble than he anticipated. 

Next he has to tune up the 9 and then it is time to plow the fields for next spring.  Then his corn will be ready and he will have to pick that.  He is one hard working man!!!!!

Matthew has been out picking up wind-fall apples.  He is very excited to be the sole member of the family who will be carrying on a fall tradition.  Today he got out the cider press and cleaned it all up.  Then he brought the apples that he had picked up and started to grind them up in preparation for pressing them into cider.

When I came home from my class he pronounced the press in good working order.  In the refrigerator stands two pans of apple cider for me to strain and can tomorrow.  Tomorrow I will also put the grapes through the press in preparation for making wine. 

How I miss the sounds of my boys out working together to grind apples and press them into cider.  It was a fortunate day when our neighbor gave that press to us.  Many a quart of cider has come from it.  I have some precious memories of my children gathered around that antique.

The stove is all blacked and ready to be put into the house.  Today I built a fire in the stove while it was still outside so that the paint can cure and to get the smell off.  Now it is time to put it into the house.   There is only one small problem, Mr. PG OBrien threw out all of the chimney pipe when he was helping us clean the house and outbuildings this past spring.  He was so zealous about getting things cleaned out that he forgot that that pipe went to the stove and threw it into the dumpster.  I mistakenly let him have sway over the garage and shed thinking that he wouldn't do anything like that, I guess I was wrong!!!!!   I guess it will be my job tomorrow to go and get some new pipe.