Basement Walls and Root Cellar

This morning, Jon and I worked on putting up boards for the basement walls.  The cement walls have insulation and studs up and rough planed boards will make up the final wall.  This corner of the basement will someday be my weaving studio (as well as home to a hot water heater).

The middle section of the basement will be root cellar/pantry.  This section will be walled off on three sides with insulation.  The left side has drawers and shelves and the right side has shelves floor to ceiling.  I am waiting on a quote for a countertop.  All of the extra kitchen supplies will be kept here and I am very excited to have a place to stock up on bulk items and keep canned goods.  The temperature stays steady and cool.

The last section will be closest to the door and will be Jon's workshop.  There is only one wall to go now, and the weather keeps getting warmer!

Barn raising.

The barn raising event is done and pictures have been edited!  

 Yes, that is me way up on the very top of the barn, screwing on the whetting bush.

I am on the top left.

I think that I am starting to get over my fear of heights!

I am also on the front page of the Timber Framers Guild website.  Jon and I learned a lot about how to raise a frame, and we got a lot of practice in with joinery.  

Now back to garden work!

Hiking, timber framing, and rain

For our first anniversary, Jon and I decided to hike Mt. Washington.  We didn't quite make it all the way up, because Jon has a tendency to go for the most direct, and somehow also most difficult, trail, and I am also very clumsy and not so good at boulder problems...  I also now hike in a skirt.  The link is to a newer version on the one that I got on sale.  I'm very amused that it is called the 'Chocorua Skirt', and my first hike wearing it was on Mt. Chocorua!

After our hike, we set off for a timber framing event.  You can check out photos of the progress at the link.  I made my first tenon by myself!!!  Positive thoughts for better weather!

Canning and Old Sturbridge Village

I have been translating when I can get the work, but I have quite a bit more free time now.  So, I decided to get started on Christmas presents, hostess presents, and stocking up the pantry for winter.  Canning!

Yesterday, I did 3 quarts and 1 pint of pear butter.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/pear-butter/detail.aspx

It tastes so good!  The orange flavor is perfect with the pear.  But...it takes 2 lbs of pears to make 1 quart.  Fortunately, we have maybe 50 lbs of pears (friend of the family sent Jon home with half a truck full), so I can and should make as much as I want.

Today, I started two more batches.

That one is a saged pear butter.
http://tigressinajam.blogspot.com/2010/04/saged-pear-butter.html
It has pepper and sage, and is making the house smell wonderful!

The next batch is a caramel pear butter.
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2008/10/caramel_pear_butter
These take half a day to cook down, but they are completely worth it.

My other project today was making pickles.  My grandparents had the most amazing sour mustard pickle recipe, which my uncle continues to make, that make your mouth pucker and eyes water.  I found this recipe, which is the closest I could find.
http://www.almanac.com/recipe/ruth-feeneys-mothers-sour-mustard-pickles
I am canning them, though, so I used these instructions.
http://www.pickyourown.org/makingpickles.htm

Three of the jars are filled with lemon cucumbers, and the other five are regular straight eights.  I've never actually canned before, besides making the jam, so I hope that they turn out alright.  The smell of the brine was enough to make me cough, so they should be strong enough!

My biggest problem now is running out of counter space.

Jon and I went to Old Sturbridge Village for the second time last Saturday.  We had an amazing time there in the rain, with very few people around!  I got some photos to save for inspiration when we are building our house.  I love the little house in the front of the village.  I want to live there, right now.  Can I just stay there, get paid to just work and live, and not have people ask me a million questions?

Here are some of the pictures from that day.

 I want this wallpaper!

 My parents have a fireplace in their kitchen just like this, but not used in a very long time.

 Timberframing

 Very nice step.

 The siding has something to do with ship siding

Jon, sporting his new beard