The day is starting out cloudy and cool. The leaves are on the ground and Lona raked a pile in the front yard. Job and Lona are reading "Little House in the Big Woods" together. In the book Laura talks about the attic with pumpkins, squash, hams, sausages and dried herbs. All this makes me feel like baking/ canning and cooking. Two weeks ago, John told everyone to hop in the van we were going blackberry picking. He wanted a blackberry pie. I didn't know this but his favorite pie is blackberry. (I guess I know what I'm making for his birthday.) So off we went and picked enough blackberries to make 3 pies. He had visions of me baking three pies that day and giving them to neighbors and then freezing a bunch to make pies later. Instead I made one pie and we had neighbors over for pie and ice cream. Then I put blackberries into the freezer to make two more pies later. Yesterday, my running partner stopped off before leaving town for her new job with 16 pounds of plums. So after school I went to the grocery store for supplies and then canned 17 pints of plum lemon jam. Little did I know that John's favorite jam is strawberry. Plum is OK and he doesn't like grape jelly at all. Go figure. So now I'm just going to freeze the plums because he does like plum pie. After being married to John for 14 years you'd think that I'd know this but I don't. I think that my favorite jams are the ones that are a little tart. My grandmother in France makes the best jams. Sometimes my mouth waters thinking about eating a tartine (french bread with jam) and having a bowl (not a cup) of coffee with milk and sugar for breakfast. I know, not that healthy but really all breakfast is over there is a little snack to get you by until the real meal of the day lunch. So how does this tie in with the weather and reading? The weather and the dream of a "pantry" has me nesting. I feel like having a clean organized house with food stored in the freezer and jams, sauces and peaches stored in the garage. Hopefully I'll get over these feelings soon. If anyone knows of a great U-pick apple place, please let me know. Applesauce simmering on the stove is a smell that I love to have permeate throughout the house.