Peaches and the Shower

Today Kylee asked, "What are you going to do while we nap?"

I replied, "I don't know. Mayabe blog."

Kylee: "What are you going to blog about?"

Me: "I don't know. What should I blog about?"

Kylee: "Maybe about when we went to the beach with Grandma and Grandpa."

Me: "But, we haven't gone to the beach with Grandma and Grandpa. I can't blog about that."

I am sure if we had gone to the beach I would blog that we had a great time and that the girls loved playing in the sand and the water and that Grandma and Grandpa thought it was the cutest thing ever. However, we have not been to the beach, or really anywhere with a whole lot of water real recently. So, maybe she is just longing for that adventure. Soon enough, but not for awhile.

Well since we haven't been to the beach, what have we been up to? Projects. Projects that have taken way longer than I or Gaupo intended them too. My project has been peaches. I bought four cases of peaches (about 80lbs). I bought that many because I was hoping to teach a friend, can some with Kitt, and do some myself. Well, I couldn't get a hold of my friend and then I found out she got a concussion, so I didn't think she would be up for much canning right now. Kitt went to Hawaii, so we will can her's either tonight or tomorrow morning, but I still have 60lbs of peaches to do. So, I figured it was time for me to try somethings I have always wanted to do, but never thought I had enough peaches to spare. So, I have done about 10 jars of peach jam, 6 quarts pie filling plus one I didn't can, and 10 bottle of peaches slices. Kitt is lucky I love her because I am kind of tired of doing peaches. 

However, I really enjoyed doing the jam, and the peach slices weren't too bad, but I am not sure I will do pie filling again. Oh man that was a mess. So, I tried to make the 7 quart recipe I found online and that thing turned out so much bigger than I thought, so it like barely maybe fit into my stock pot that supposedly hold 10qts. Anyway, because it was late and I had never done this before I didn't know exactly how things were suppose to go, so I didn't quite cook it long enough. So, when I filled the jars and tried to can it the clear jel in it decided to expand more and when I pulled the jars out they just overflowed like crazy. I was so mad. It had taken so long to do anyway and then to have it all overflow oh boy I was frustrated, so I thought I am going to bed I don't care. Problem is I do care. So, after about 1 minutes of laying in bed I got back out and went downstairs. I then opened the jars and dumped them back into the pot and cooked it again. I got all the jars washed and new lids and rings. Got things cooked right. Filled the jars and started the canning again. I pulled them out and they all looked good. I leaked a little and I am still trying to find out if that is okay or not because it did seal, but anyway it had to be be good enough because by then it was like 1:00 in the morning and I was totally not thinking anymore. Luckily it seems to have worked I made a peach pie with some extra filling I had and it tastes pretty good, but I really need some ice cream with it. It was a grand adventure, and we will see if amnesia kicks in sufficiently for me to want to try again next year. I am telling you between all these peach projects and Gaupo's project we haven't gotten to bed very early this week.

My peach jam and relish.

Gaupo has had his own project this last week. It wasn't meant to be a project, but accidents happen and just like I tell my kids that is okay as long as you clean it up and boy howdy has it been quite the clean up project. Gaupo noticed that our shower handle was leaking and so he was just going to take it off to see what kind of gasket needed to be replaced. Well while he was trying to undo the gasket, he twisted the how thing off, breaking three tiny copper pipes that were in there. Oh man, he felt so bad. Anyway, we went and talked to our neighbor Don and he came and looked at it. He said he could probably help us, but he would probably recommend a plumber. So we had our first experience calling a plumber and we will probably never do it again. It cost a bunch just to have him come look at the problem and give us a diagnostic on it. Then he wanted $250 just to cap it off, and if we wanted him to fix it fix it it would be $750.00 and he intended to cut a giant hole (12inX18in) in my bedroom wall. NOT COOL! When Gaupo heard the numbers he said I can do it for way less than that. So we paid the plumber his stupid fee and sent him on his way. Well that was just the start of the whole adventure. Gaupo got Don back over to our house and they spent the majority of the day trying to sweat copper pipes and stuff together because the plumber said not to use shark bites in a wall. Well, after sweating and soldering still left leaks, Don said to try this other fix. So, they did and that got our water back on, but I kept bugging Gaupo asking him if it really was okay. He got really annoyed, so I said I wouldn't say anything anymore, but the next morning he woke up and said he would call the inspector and just ask. So, he did and the inspector said, "No that wont work because the constant pressure causes leaks. However, shark bites are and we could use those. Also the plumber he always uses, uses shark bites." Man, that plumber we had was a JOKE! Anyway, Gaupo got the pieces we needed, caulk, tile, and stuff like that and by Thursday he had everything together except the actual fixture on. So, Friday he put that on and I haven't been satisfied with the sealing around the handle, so he had to caulk that too on Wednesday. So, hopefully by Saturday night we will be showering in our own shower again.

Our facetless shower.

Our sink. Gaupo and Don's tool bench.

More needed tools on the bed.

I know our crazy doesn't sound crazy, but it sure feels it. Between canning, and projects I feel like my house was super hard to make it feel like it was clean and functional. However,  we are now done with both and it is so great.