It's All About the Blueberries

It has been stinky hot here, and in the mid-atlantic region, that includes h u m i d i t y in a big way. We had 19 days of temps in the 90's in June (a record) with dripping heavy humidity, so thick it was hard to breathe.

Rant over. I really dislike humidity.

So last night, when the temp went down and the air felt drier, I opened up the windows to air out the house and decided that Drew and I would spend today away from the house, out of the air conditioning (for which I am forever thankful) and into the world.

After some deliberation, we decided to head north-east to Lancaster County, PA to visit our favorite bulk food store and, well, you know they have quilt shops in that area, which is a nice little bonus, don't you think?

We drove to Intercourse, PA, which is a small village known for its quilt shops and buggy rides. First stop was Kitchen Kettle Village, absolutely the most tourist-trappy place around. It's a collection of little shops that is always crowded in the summertime, the parking lot full of tour buses and cars. Being a Wednesday, though, it wasn't too bad.

 
And the weather was totally perfect for walking around.

I love the mural painted on the side of the Quilt Shop building. Oh! I didn't even notice the smaller mural up on the second floor until I looked at these photos! Aren't they nice? I am such a tourist.

 
Drew and I stopped for lunch at the Kettle Cafe, a little cafeteria-style place with delicious sandwiches, our favorite. (The pie always looks really good, too, but we've never tried it.)

One nice thing about Kitchen Kettle Village is that it is right next to Zook's, a fantastic fabric shop. Ahem. Yes, I bought fabric. No, I don't have enough. Truth is, I love the fabric in my etsy shop, but I love other fabric, too, and because I can't have everything in my shop, I should do some personal stash enhancement. Periodically. Right?

It's good therapy. I give you Exhibit A:

 
So pretty, so feminine, 20 prints by Tanya Whelan, Grand Revival for Free Spirit. I haven't decided what to do with it yet, but it has made me realize that our house is totally manly and a girly quilt would look very, very out of place here. Maybe I could put the two youngest boys together (well, they're the same age) in one room and make the other into a girly guest room? Would that be just a wee bit selfish?

Ah, but the true reason for the trip was not fabric, or the touristy thing, but blueberries. Lots of blueberries.

 

40 pounds of fresh blueberries. Yep. 40 pounds. (It was really worth the trip...the gas was nothing compared to what I saved on the berries, hehe.)

I plan to freeze 30 pounds, because that's what I need to get us through the year without rationing too much, but I haven't a clue as to what to do with the other 10 pounds. I've never canned, and don't know how. Any ideas?

Happy summer everyone!

Sue
 

Comments

[Allie]

I hate humidity too - today was MUCH cooler and I loved it! Looks like a really fun trip, and I love the fabrics you got.
I'm surrounded by boys, and I love to make girly quilts - it ensures that they stay nice, lol. I made the boys quilts too, of course.

[Erin]

Abigail and I are driving to Lancaster TODAY ... I'm so glad you told CVB has blueberries. =)

Jam Making Tutorial:
http://www.pickyourown.org/blueberryjam.htm

Freezer Jam Recipe:
http://savorynotebook.blogspot.com/2005/08/blueberry-freezer-jam.html

Wah! I wish I could see the fabric better. =( I'll just have to visit you to see it better. LoL