Checking in...

Hi, all. Just checking in. I've got only 5 days left until my surgery. The house is clean except for a load or two each of dishes and laundry. It feels like this week is crawling by, it may never end!

DH is being very supportive and we just got back from a 5 day camping trip. Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Oregon is really neat, but the desert is hot! Unfortunately we were there during a heat wave too, and I am more of a fir-forest-on-the-coast kind of girl. We spent the last night in Fremont National Forest under the pines on the shores of a small reservoir. We spent the evening watching ospreys and kingfishers, the night watching the stars and bats, and the next morning watching the pelicans. It was lovely, peaceful and quiet and we had the whole place to ourselves.

We also put up dozens of jars of freezer jam. We have apricot, peach, plum (cooked jam), Oregon strawberry (once you've tasted one, you'll never suffer another commercial strawberry!), and tomorrow we are going to try and get enought blueberries from a local u-pick place to put up 8 or so jars of blueberry jam (my favorite!)

With all that, we'll be ready for my surgery. I'll post after I get back.

I'm from Oregon... you should try to get some Marionberries for jam. They are amazing. Even better than the strawberries in my opinion.

Good luck on your upcoming surgery. Honestly, the waiting is the hardest part of the process. After you wake up, you'll be so glad that you did it.

Patti

Hi, Patti,

DH is from Oregon. He grew up in Medford. We still visit his mother there several times a year. We like the fruit there, lots of good peaches, pears and strawberries. Here on the northcoast of California it never gets hot enough for good fruit DH likes marionberries but I've not tried them yet. His favorite are the huckleberries, especially in a pie. I just stand by the bush and eat them as I pick them, lol! He is the one who taught me how to make freezer jam. We like to make the low sugar variety and since the fruit is not cooked or over-sweetened, it tastes just like fresh fruit.

I've also got a brother-in-law in Portland, he is a veterinarian in Beaverton. I am really fond of Oregon. DH and I talk about retiring there someday.
katie

Hi! I lived in Oregon for 5 1/2 years (been gone from there for 2 1/2 now and I really miss it!). We lived between Beaverton & Hillsboro. It's an absolutely gorgeous state! We really enjoyed the Marionberries as well as the Tillamook cheese. Can't find either of those in Indiana unfortunately. katie67---best wishes with your surgery! I am now 6 1/2 weeks out and soooo glad I did it.