Reflections of katlupe: September 2013

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Water Project Is Half Way Done!

New Porch with Battery Room underneath!

This summer was a very productive summer for us here at Peaceful Forest Homestead. My husband and I worked on so many projects and completed many of them. Now we are onto to even MORE projects. Isn't that the way life is? One project after the other. We were just saying that you never are finished. There is always something more to do. I feel content at the end of this summer, due to the fact that we accomplished so much.

Root Cellar door leading to what is now the Battery Room!

One important project that is just about finished, is closing in our battery room. It is built under the porch and connects to the root cellar by the original cellar door. My husband made sure to keep the two areas completely separated. The reason for that is we don't want anything that could generate heat or smells of any kind in the root cellar, since that is where our food is stored. The battery room will store our batteries in a box built special for them. It will also house our water heater, that will run when we are getting more power into the batteries than is needed. Instead of dumping the power, which would waste it, it will heat the water.

Water Heater and Pressurized Water Tank!

The pressurized water tank is next to the water heater. The water will be piped in from our well. Those pipes are already in place. Our water pump is the very next thing I think, that he has to hook up. Then the next project for my husband is to pipe that water into the kitchen and bathroom. Our washing machine is in the bathroom just dying to be used! It means the end of fourteen years of washing most of the laundry by hand! I can't wait!

All Photographs Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2019

Sunday, September 15, 2013

A Stop Along Our Way Home Yesterday - Hallstead, Pennsylvania,

Hallstead, Pennsylvania

Yesterday, my husband and I had to drive to Montrose, Pennsylvania to pick up something I had bought from craigslist. I woke up to rain and was afraid we couldn't make it there yesterday. We took a chance and packed our tarps and went anyway. It is a very pretty drive. Pennsylvania is a beautiful state. If you have never been there before, it is mostly mountains and trees. Lots of trees, thick forests covering the mountains. They made the roads throughout the state by blasting through the mountains without destroying the forests. That is probably why you will find the roads are very narrow and very curvy. Going up and down the large hills, mountains really, constantly.

Dobb's Country Kitchen

One of the things we love to do is to go out to breakfast. Especially in the old fashioned type of diners. You won't find us stopping at any of the fast food or franchise type of restaurants. Diners really do have the best food. We stopped yesterday at Dobb's County Kitchen on our way back home. It was very good and so much cheaper than in New York. Very nice restaurant and the waitress was friendly and fast. Our food was good and we were happy with our choice.

Fireworks Outlet

According to Wikipedia: "What is now Hallstead was incorporated as Great Bend Village on November 28, 1874. In 1887, it was renamed to Hallstead Borough in honor of William F. Hallstead, president of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad. The boroughs of Hallstead and nearby Great Bend are bisected by both Interstate 81 and the Susquehanna River."

Adult Outlet!

When we got to Montrose, we could smell gas in the air. I don't know if that has anything to do with the gas drilling going on down there, but it was very noticeable to me. Maybe because we don't have it here in New York. I got a slight sore throat from it and had to take cough drops. It would bother me if I had to live with it though. Smells have always affected me. Other than that, our trip there was a nice break from the every day chores at home.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Ball Blue Book Published In 1974 Was A Real Find!

1974 Ball Blue Book

A few weeks ago, my husband and I went shopping at a local thrift store that sells a lot of books. I always look for the old homesteading type of books. I am addicted to old canning or pressure canner or pressure cooker manuals. They are packed full of good recipes. Most of the recipes in the old ones are not in the newer ones. They think we cannot can so many types of food just because they decided they didn't come out good enough. I like to make my own choices. As long as I follow the modern safe practices of today, I will be okay.

New Lid Design - Red Sealing Ring!

I really did buy this book thinking I could sell it on eBay. Once I started looking at it on the ride home, I knew I could not part with it. I love the old Ball books and I use them constantly. Actually, it is a bit of history, as you can see the changes they made in the way we can our foods now. That is why so many old time canners are so stubborn about changing over to the new ways. They say, "I did that for years and no one ever died from my home canned foods." Hard to argue with that.

The Table Of Contents

I feel that the older canning books were more personable. The newer books have an industrial feel to them. Like someone was paid to write it and they don't care about what they are writing. Just following an outline or something. This particular canning book from 1974 had feeling. They were excited about the new design of the lids and the new quilted jelly jars. Maybe that is why my favorite jars are the older styles. That is why I am never one to share my canned food, besides the fact that when I can food, I am following our plan, and I need so many jars of each item for the following year. But I hate to give my jars away with the food. I have thought about buying the cheap jars at Walmart to use for that purpose. So many people hint at or come right out and ask for my home canned food. Can't do that though. It will throw us off for the year.

How To Preserve A Husband! On back cover of book.

I plan on keeping my eyes open for more of these old Ball books. I already have some of the old Presto and Mirro pressure canner and cooker manual or cookbooks that came with their products. I am keeping them too. Maybe I'll be sharing some of those recipes here soon!

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