Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Saturday, October 7, 2017

October Round-Up


My title sounds like a cowgirl post . . .
but no it's a "rounding-up" all the 
 end of the year
outdoor projects and getting them done :)

 The main garden and all the boxes 
are cleaned out and ready for 
a long winters nap.

 In cleaning them out,
I came across the last of our harvest.
Sunflowers to feed the birds.

Carrots to feed us :)

 Peppers

 Peppers

 And more peppers.
We dry these and then grind them
up into spices.

Chives drying

These will be great on baked potatoes,
in spaghetti sauce, in omelets and more :)

I took the last of my zuccinni 
and baked more bread for the freezer.
Oh, and one loaf for now, LOL, YUM!

I have two gallons of cucumbers picked
and will be making more 
Bread & Butter pickles. 

I took a little time to redo 
the mantle and give it an 
Autumn Glow :)






Then baked a Beef Pot Pie
for Friday evening's dinner.

I enjoyed being outside this week.
October is such a lovely month,
crisp mornings and sunny afternoons.

I hope you enjoyed your visit
&
that you'll leave a comment
so that I know you popped in to 
say "Hell-O

 Keeping Smiling!

Your blogging sisiter,
Connie :)

75 comments:

  1. What a good harvest you had from the garden.

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    1. I feel very blessed with our garden this year and also feel like if the Lord is going to bless me in this way, then I do not want to waste anything, so I've shared a lot with friends and family and put the rest up for the winter :)

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  2. Whew....you have more energy then the "Energizing Bunny" !!!!! Love all the things you have accomplished. My word....I have just been drying tomatoes, green and red and canned a few tomatoes too. The weather is still nice, but could freeze any day now so I better get the rest of my tomatoes and zucchinis in. Have a good day.

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    1. We had one morning last week where it got down to 33. Our days are nice and sunny but our evening are getting colder all the time. It won't be long before we are scraping ice off the car windows. Some years winter comes earlier than we plan for . . . it feels very good to be getting all the autumn jobs competed.

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  3. I am heading over for some of that delicious beef pot pie!!!

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    1. It was very good . . . this is the time of year when I start thinking about comfort foods. Salads are great but in the fall I want stews, chili, soups and meat pies :)

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  4. I love what you've done with the fireplace surround. And the bowl of colourful peppers looks lovelier than a bouquet of flowers!! You've sure been busy!

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    1. There is not much time to get bored around here . . . I like being busy. How about you?

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  5. Hi Connie! Your mantle is gorgeous! Your veggies and your harvesting are very inspiring. I wish I was your neighbor so you could give me some of that chili spice! Have a great week. October really is so inviting.

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    1. We dry all of our peppers out and then put them in the food processor. It does a great job of grinding them into power. One of our favorites is the jalapeno power, it is so good:)

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  6. You've been busy. You always get so much accomplished. I just sit here thinking about what I should do lol

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    1. Hi Ann, the truth is I never get everything that I want to get done, done. I guess I still feel young in my brain, because the lists that I make for my day are not the kind a woman in her 70's should be trying to accomplish. I try all the same, LOL. Believe me, there are days when I feel it afterwards.

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  7. Hi Connie, You did it again with another wonderful post with all your amazing accomplishments! How neat to have a double mantle for you fireplace to decorate! I have been hoping Carrots could go down in price and then I would buy some to freeze but it has not happened yet! Yours look yummy. That beef pie sure looks good also. I just cut up chives and dry them on parchment paper but I am not real impressed with them. Are yours quite green and yummy? Maybe I should try my dehydrator with them next year. Do you have a poem for the cuddle quilts. I looked on Pinterest but so far have not found one. I think it would be nice to include one saying about warmth and love. Looks like you are right on top of things for the fall but I hope your winter does not come too soon for you! Enjoy your Sunday! Nancy

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    1. I would love to see Autumn last until a week before Christmas and then just after New Years see Spring start, LOL. Wouldn't that be nice. A white Christmas but only a couple weeks of driving in snow and ice :) Oh, that would shorten my quilting season . . . I think I'll just agree that the Lord knows best, so however long Winter is, it will be perfect. It sure feels good having my Autumn chores finished. I do not have a poem, but I have seen some, so I'll help you look. If I find something pretty I'll send it your way.

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  8. You have been very busy! Your mantle looks lovely. Hope you get to have a little rest soon.

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    1. Thank you . . . now that my Autumn chores and preparation for winter is coming to a halt, I will have more time for the fun stuff. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. I love reading them.

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  9. It seems such a short time ago that we were admiring your Summer garden. Each season brings its own specialness doesn't it? I think gardening and being creative keep us young.I could almost smell that beef pie! Love looking at your blog.Thanks.

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    1. Hi Judy, I certainly and wholeheartedly agree. Having a garden and being outdoors in the fresh air . . . canning, quilting, doing anything that is creative and that brings you joy does nothing but make life rich and helps to keep the mind and body young.

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  10. Your Autumn mantle looks lovely. Fall colours always look so warm and rich.
    Looks like you have been doing a lot of work with your garden as well all the preserving.
    We are at the opposite end with Spring starting and all the preparation being done.
    Hope I can do well in the garden, too.
    Cheers, Karen
    http://sunburntquilts.com.au/

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    1. One of the best times of the year is when Spring starts and the weather warms to a temperature to start gardening. I'm sure that you will enjoy your garden as much as I have enjoyed mine. It will be fun visiting your blog this winter and seeing your garden photography. I seem to slow way down on my quilting and sewing in the warm months of Spring and Summer, so as you plant your gardenIi will be starting my creative indoor projects. It's nice to have a change.

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  11. Wow, that certainly is an impressive harvest from your garden and all that work preserving is you have been busy. Love the mantle, your Autumn decor is a delight.

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    1. We have been busy and just yesterday we finally finish our back fence . . . it's exciting! We bought this little acre 3 and 1/2 years ago and we had a huge list of improvements that we wanted to do. Our list has gotten checked off one job at a time, when time and budget permitted, but now it looks well done and complete. Oh, except for some light fixtures that are still in boxes inside the house . . . maybe that will be our next completion :)

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  12. Oh my! Your fireplace and the mantle look so warm and cozy. And all those chives! All the vegetables you put up look perfect. Connie, you remind me so much of my sister, and me! Seems like the older we get the more we find to do, and want to do. There is just not enough hours in the day. I hear women say they don't want to retire and sit home with nothing to do...and my mouth drops open. I love seeing and hearing about all that you accomplish!!! You are amazing!!

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    1. You are such a sweet woman and I appreciate the encouraging words. I would love to squeeze a few extra hours into my days, like you say, there are so many things that I want to do and try and life is so short. I think having many interests and staying active is your best shot of living a long and healthy life. I know that some people retire and spend their days sitting in front of a TV feeling bored out of their wits . . . I can't imagion spending my days like that. I enjoy being busy and tackling new projects . . . we are alike in many ways:)

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  13. Hi Connie, Oh my goodness ... You are such an inspiration. Putting up all that wonderful garden produce for the winter. And that beef pot pie ... what a beautiful dish. If you host a holiday meal I'll bet you have to set up a giant tent in the yard for the overflow guests! :-) Great post ... loved the photos! All the best to you and yours! John

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    1. John you are so sweet . . . I have put up a lot from the garden this year and it feels so good. I believe that if the Lord is going to bless me with a great harvest it should be shared and it should be saved and not wasted, so that's what I've done. We'll appreciate it when winter sets in :) I wish there was a way of offering you, over the internet,a slice of that beef pie. Thanks for stopping by.

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    2. Hello Connie, My, what of bundle of energy you are! So much accomplished. You would have made a great pioneer woman. I on the other hand, have only dried a few apples from my tree and hope to make a few loaves of apple nut bread for the freezer before calling it quits. Your autumn decorations all look so warm and cozy and I am sure some yummy things will be coming out of your kitchen as you enjoy the fruits of your labor over the winter. Blessings to you and yours.

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  14. Homemade bread and butter pickles? wondering if you have shown how to do them before or maybe in future? We love them around here. I'm just trying to get back into cooking from scratch more and get some of my projects done so I can put the house back together. Love your white mantle with the fall colors...so happy looking!

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    1. We made the pickles this afternoon. Do you need a recipe? I got mine from the book, The Joy Of Pickling. Cooking from scratch and using home grown vegetables and fruit help us know exactly what we are putting in our bodies . . . that has got to be healthier :)

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  15. You definitely got summer rounded up and are ready for fall. Your beef pie looks delicious. What time was dinner? Sorry I missed it. Heehee

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    1. It was good and we'll be having leftovers from it one night this week. I love leftover nights, more time for sewing and less time in the kitchen :)

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  16. What a beautiful bounty. In my imagination, I see you and your hubby on a cold stormy day sitting cozily near the fire, your dining table filled with the fruits of your labor.
    And your autumn decor is so lovely. But that pie makes my mouth water!
    We have begun putting our garden to bed, but the Roma tomatoes want to stay and play awhile, so I guess we will give them an extension. :-) Can't beat fresh garden tomatoes, even if they are not summertime prime.
    Blessings!

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    1. I agree, I left a couple tomatoes plants, too. I'm not sure if it will be hot enough for them to turn red, but I'm hoping we still get a few :)

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  17. We are counting carbs so I stay away from bread, but seeing yours makes me want to do some baking.

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    1. We are doing low carbs too . . . but we slipped up this week, LOL. It happens!

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  18. Connie your mantel looks great. You've accomplished a lot during the summer season and your freezer is proof. The zucchini bread looks delicious. This is great weather for baking.
    xx Beca

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    1. It's wonderful weather for baking and I love baking and all the goodies that it brings, my problem is that I shouldn't be eating that many carbs . . . and I Love Them, LOL

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  19. You sure have been busy with all that great bounty from your garden.
    Mantle looks lovely.

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    1. I'm happy that you like the mantle, it was fun to play with. We have had frost the last two nights so it feels good to have had all that garden cleaned up before the frost. It's a much messier job once the frost hits.

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  20. Yummy, everything looks delicious!!! Your Mantle looks so festive and cozy.

    Enjoy, Janie

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    1. Don't you just start thinking more about warm comfort food in the Fall. The cool weather seems to get my taste buds going crazy with cravings for stews, chili, hot soups and meat pies :)

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  21. Yahoo! You have been rounding 'em up fast and furious! Wow.... you are amazing. All that gardening and canning and baking... oh that bread looks scrumptious and that pie.... sigh...... I need to be at your house. I haven't done much around here other than cut a few dead flowers down and dug up a few.... and picked the last of my cherry tomatoes and froze them. Not much energy these days. I'm so DONE with gardening and yard work! Your kitchen, I bet, is full of such wonderful smells! And by the way, I love your mantle and all the pretties on it. Your style of mantle is still on my "wish list" around here. We may be getting our fireplace fixed so that it will actually work! That would be so awesome. I'm thinking about baking some oatmeal raisin cookies today. Our weather is very "Fall-ish", cool, windy and cloudy, but the sun still managing to peak through. This kind of day IS for baking! Have a nice week..... Marilyn

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    1. Have fun with your baking . . . wish I lived close enough to knock on your back door and beg a couple warm cookies. Oatmeal raisin are my favorite. I'm making oatmeal for breakfast I like to add cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice along with raisins to the water when I put it on to boil. It's not oatmeal raisin cookies but it will do me for now :) Have a sweet day.

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  22. Oh my goodness, I wish I had your energy! Love the mantle and that beef pie looks delicious!

    Grace & Peace,
    Pam

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    1. Thank you so much . . . I can feel my energy slowing down. I think I'm going into winter mode . . . the labor-some work of harvest is done and now on to the fun stuff like sewing and quilting :)

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  23. Your post made me hungry! LOL You've certainly inspired me to start canning :)

    rue

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    1. Last year was our first year to can, but now that we know how this year has been wonderful. I love having all that food put up for winter and I know that it doesn't have the preservatives of mass produced foods. It's a great feeling :)

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  24. Hi Connie!! You have so many pretty and delicious things "chez vous"! :) I think your title is fine, you DID have to round up all them pun-kins for your porch area! :) The mantle looks so beautiful and what a harvest!!! I have to say I'm really envious of your garden clean up. I HAVE to get to that this week and plant my garlic...we had an addition of 2 dogs to our little family, quite unexpected, and it's been a little crazy around here. But I need to get back to my garden!!! I LOVE zuke bread! And your beef pie looks awesome! I make chicken pot pie for Alex, but I think he'd really like a beef pie too, thanks for the idea!! xx

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    1. Good Morning Rain, I wish that I could go outside and say those words to our weather, LOL. We could do with a sweet Autumn Rain. I love making meat pies from leftover roasts. They are easy and my husband adores them . . . great way to use up leftovers:) We have already had a couple frosts, so I feel very good about having the garden done . . . good luck with yours. It's much more fun planting in the Spring than cleaning up in the fall :)

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  25. You have so many cute things for Fall decorating! You're making me want to do a little more today. It's still hot here but you can see the changes already. Enjoy your day girlfriend!

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    1. It going to be a lovely day. My housework is caught up and I have nothing to do except play in the barn all day. I have a quilt with a deadline, so I want to work on it today . . . thank you for the sweet words and here's wishing you a wonderful day, too :)

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  26. Wow you have been busy and oh my do you have some lovely looking peppers!! I haven't made zucchini bread in such a long time, that sounds really good! Your mantle looks beautiful!! Already for Autumn!!

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    1. It feels very good to have all of this done . . . now I can have more time out in the barn sewing and quilting. I have another project that I want to get into this winter, and will share it later when I get my supplies. It will be nice just having more time to be creative :)

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  27. You have so many Autumn goodies on here today, Connie. The zucchini bread sounds Yummy, and with a slab of butter, even better. Your mantel looks so charming with all the colors of Fall. I love how you use your peppers and grind them into spices. Sunflowers are so pretty, even if they are dry and withered. The birds will love the seeds. It's always a pleasure to see the happenings in your world, Connie.

    love, ~Sheri

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    1. Hi Sheri, thanks so much for stopping by. I wish you when here, I would cut you a big slice of that zucchini bread and spread the butter on it just the way you like it:)

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  28. Wow girl, you certainly have been busy! Hubby and I have got our work cut out for us when we get home. We need to put all of the summer furniture away and finish cleaning up our garden as well. Your garden have you an amazing harvest!
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. This was a great year for the garden in our neck of the woods. I could not have wished for a better harvest. The garden is clean and I have a huge supply of canned goods put up . . . I'm going into cold weather with a big smile on my face for sure :) I hope that you are taking in easy . . . let your hubby do most of the work, you still have recovery to be thinking about . . . take care :)

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  29. You have been a very busy gal! I love freezing carrots, green beans and corn too, I think they taste better frozen. we also love to dehydrate veggies and fruit. I still need to dehydrate my chives, thank you for reminding me to do that {smiles} Bread and butter pickles are wonderful to have for the winter months, and zucchini is always so prolific, it is great to make up bread to have on hand to share or use for guests. The fall mantle looks very inviting and cozy, ready for the cool fall evenings :) Enjoyed my visit with you today :)

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    1. Good Morning Marilyn and thanks for stopping by to visit . . . My husband and I just learned to can last year and this year we truly got into it. It feels so good going into winter with my kitchen lined with mason jars filled from the garden :)

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  30. Oh my goodness, what a lovely autumn harvest and home you have! Everything looks lovely and yummy!
    (I admire your energy to be able to do so much!!)

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    1. Good Morning Victoria, what kind words, thank you. Our weather is starting to turn cold at night and there are signs of Autumn all around . . . it feels great being able to have the garden cleaned out and my kitchen shelves lined with canned goods from our harvest. Up until 3 and 1/2 years ago we never had the space for a garden so this is all new to us and we are loving it. We only have an acre but it makes me feel like a genuine farm-girl :)

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  31. Oh my Connie, you are one busy gal!! Lovely produce from your garden!! Your mantle is so homey! Love it!!

    Blessings and hugs!

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  32. Hi there Connie, so glad you stopped by to visit me and that you enjoyed the post bout the delapidated yet gorgeous old house! I am enjoying your post as well--the pictures of the food are gorgeous and wow, those are beautiful peppers!!--you grew them? I also love the big pile of "punkins" at your front door, so festive! I have to go get some! I't still awful hot down here charleston way, how bout your way?

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    1. We have been experiencing frosty mornings and cool days . . . Autumn is certainly showing her face around here. This is the time of year that we like to sit around the fire-pit and we have guests coming tomorrow, so we were thinking hot dogs to roast over the fire and Dutch oven bake beans. Yes, everything in my post was grown here on our property . . . that and much more. We were blessed with an amazing garden this year. Thank you for stopping by . . . I love company and getting the chance to get to know my blogging sisters better. Have a marvelous weekend!

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  33. Oh my gosh! Yuu are the queen of home and garden in autumn for me! AMAZING!!!

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  34. Look at all your pretty produce coming in, and those lovely chives and peppers! Your beef pie looks delicious. I bet it is getting chilly up where you are. Here, we are happy that today we only had a high in the upper 70s, which begins to feel like fall, a little. I'm ready for sweaters!!

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    1. Me too! I've cleaned my closet of all summer clothes and hung my long pants and sweaters up. Fall is here and winter, I'm afraid is not too far away :) Thanks so much for stopping by . . . now on to find that hidden follower button of yours, LOL

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  35. You sure have been busy with your final harvest! I need to go outside and pick the last of my cherry tomatoes, but today is not a good day to do so, as it's cold and windy. And yesterday was pouring rain. This week is supposed to be warm and somewhat sunny again, so perfect timing to get everything done outside and wrapped up for the season. Always makes me so sad to put the gardens to rest and cover the patio furniture.

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    1. I always had that same feeling until I switched winter for the quilting season, now I look forward to putting everything to bed for the cold season. Less yard work means more time for sewing and painting:) It also gives us a Spring to look forward to, and by the time it get here I'll be ready to dig in the dirt again :)

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  36. You truly amaze me with everything you accomplish, Connie. So much beauty in your life. From the harvest to the fall decorations, everything expresses the joy you have in living. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face this afternoon. Hugs.

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    1. Thank you Nancy! Your kind words mean so much:)

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  37. I loved seeing your 'round-up'
    You have some amazing produce ... delicious.

    All the best Jan

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    1. We were blessed with a marvelous garden this year :)

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