Thanksgiving and Beyond…
Mimicking the old song I learned as a child, “Over the river, and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go…” it seemed appropriate to head “Down to the river” and “Up to the woods!” on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, when my own grandkids were scheduled to arrive. As you can see below, everything was GREEN!
Early in November, prior to all the leaves falling, the maple tree by the pizza oven again displayed it’s true colors. There’s a reason it’s called “October Glory!” It started turning mid-October, and continued until just before Thanksgiving, by which time all the leaves had dropped.
November 10, 2025.
Tomatoes and peppers were abundant this year… Kashaya jarred 14 cases of Cowboy Candy! But we only planted a couple of Shishito Peppers…. Not too long ago, we picked a nice batch, seared and salted them…. then enjoyed the heck out of them, along with some sourdough foccacia that had just come out of the oven.
Chrysanthemums are my new flower passion of choice…. dahlias claimed that title for awhile, but they’re finicky in this climate. I think chrysanthemums are hardier. Below, some from the garden for Thanksgiving…. and one that I hope to grow next year. I found it at a Chrysanthemum Show this fall. It’s called “Zaryah” I’ll plant it for my daughter, of course…..
This year’s Pizza and Wreaths event was spectacular! Glorious weather, exquisite wreaths, scrumptious pizza, magnificent melodies, beautiful people, excellent assistants. Who could ask for more!?
The MORE came as Scott Miller, Knife Sharpener! Anyone who wanted their shears sharpened, all they had to do was ask!
Scott makes it to most of the Farmers’ Markets in Mendocino County. You may contact him any time by calling: 707-272-7274 (cell) or 707-468-8785 (landline)
Wreath-making for me began on my birthday….. when I assisted the 8th Grade PTO from Baechtel Grove School in Willits, at the Community Center. They brought in a couple thousand dollars in wreath and food sales for the event. Last weekend, after Thanksgiving, another fund-raiser, this one for 4-H, took place behind the new fabric and craft store in Willits, Country Quilts and Fabric. Both Bobbie and I brought machines, and helped folks create really beautiful wreaths. And this Sunday, I’ll be at River Oak Charter School, helping friends Geri and David, with wreath making at their faire.
It’s a joy to work with a younger generation of folks who are contributing so much to their community.
Here you can see me next to Bobbie (a friend willing to do most anything, from poker to baking cookies), Kara Garman and Mary Fonsen. Kara and Mary, along with Ashtan Bloomquist (the photographer), have been orchestrating wreath-making workshops for 4-H for the past couple of years, along with heading up various groups for interested youth in the Willits area.
A cookie exchange at Ridgewood Ranch, hosted by the Mendocino Grain Project. Of course I said YES to the invitation! I made Tam’s Jam Bars…. with Cherry Berry! Below, in the middle photo, you can see Rachel Britten in the blue sweater on the left, who owns and runs the project. On the right, her husband, John Kelleher, can be seen selecting his 24 cookies. All were supposed to be made with grains ground by MGP. To contact Rachel and learn about her practices, as well as procure some of her product: https://www.mendocinograin.com/
It’s been a busy time since Thanksgiving. Two rehearsals for our choir performance, and the two concerts. One of each in Ukiah, as well as Willits. So many potential events, activities, programs, faires…. wow! Kashaya and I will go to town for the Trucker’s Light Parade…. in conjunction with getting a hamburger from 101 Burger, and eating it across the street at Northspur Brewery, with one of their amazing beers (Probability Cloud is my favorite). It’s become quite the tradition! Trivia happens again next week (I happened to be on the winning team a couple weeks ago).
We’ve opted NOT to ship jam this season. We’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not a profitable arm of the business. We sell a lot in the summer, at Thanksgiving time, and throughout the year to 3 retail outlets. I’m sorry we can’t accommodate the way we used to. There’s just not enough time in each day! We will still deliver to Ukiah and Willits, as long as it’s a case or more.
It was foggy this morning…. our flock of 6 wild turkeys has grown to many more.