My life is scored by music and hearing a song can instantly take me back to a time and place. This song is my summer anthem. It's time to find one for what is starting out to be a perfect autumn.

This time I helped Eric finish up the new wall in the barn.  Now all three equine can be in the barn feeding or tucked out of the weather together.  The weather is changing and the wind has a definite chill to it.  It's going to take a little time for them to all find their feeding positions but they seem to be settling into the idea that all can be in the barn at once without pushing little Dinah out.

The plan is to finish fencing the back pasture and shutting off the main one for re-seeding this autumn.  It's a good day for digging post holes.

Since finishing the pantry project I haven't spent much time on the WC part of the project. Today I had all the parts and no excuses not to mount the little marine toilet onto its foundation. I had taken a nap one day during which my deceased father came into my dream to show me how to make a base for the toilet. It was a puzzle I had been working in my brain. He, true to his nature, made it out of wood. Me, being true to my love of plumbing, made it out of galvanized plumbing parts. It's built for stout. The beauty of making the legs with 1 1/4" nipples and floor flanges is I could raise or lower a leg by turning thus leveling the unit. Saltillo tile is notoriously uneven.

The top of the platform is actually two 3/4" pieces of plywood laminated together and covered with a sheet of aluminum from the Chelan Mirror's offset printing templates. I had gotten several of them years ago to use as cover for cabinet doors in my Airstream trailer. One side, of course, is the news of the day and the other is a flawless expanse of silver. I personally love the stuff and was able to get it free from the newspaper office. I've heard of people covering sides of buildings and roofs. It's a heavier gauge than a soda can but not so thick as to make it impossible to cut and bend.

I'll get into the reason for a marine toilet after I've plumbed it in. It's cute, though, isn't it? And fits the tiny WC space perfectly.

Few things give me the type of joy I feel after a morning of canning. The fun of picking the fruit, preparing it for the jars, hearing the "ping" of sealing lids and the gleam of the colorfully filled jars. It's cooking at its best.

My mother's fruit trees were dripping with perfect peaches and Italian plumbs. Free for the taking and prime for canning. Oh sure there was some eating of the fresh fruit but the idea of popping open a can to savor this winter is what inspires me. Peaches are a labor of love with all that peeling of skin and syrup making. I put some up in the freezer as well.

I used half of the plums gathered to make Chinese plum sauce. Nice little treats to give at the holidays and oh so good with spring rolls. Yes, there are gluten free spring roll skins.

Here's the recipe I used.

Chinese Plum Sauce

8 cups plums pitted and halved (about 3 pounds)
1 chopped onion
1 cup water
1 tablespoon ginger root minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne chili
1/4 teaspoon clove
1 inch chunk of tamarind paste
1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
1 tablespoon tamari

In large heavy saucepan, bring plums, onion, water, ginger, tamarind paste and garlic to boil reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Puree in food processor or blender. Return to pan and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring, then cook on low until the consistency of applesauce, about 45 minutes.
Fill and seal in sterile jars. Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

Wth inclement weather looming on the horizon and having three equine to use the barn's shelter at the same time, the space needed to be enlarged once again. This time as I was off playing with my family, the other half of the team was busy working at home. The design and work wasn't for me to "worry my pretty little head" about. Okay, I could do that but the idea a single person, albeit a big strong one, left to muscle those heavy timbers into place left me feeling a little uneasy. He was certainly thinking stronger. Smarter came later in the day by using the tractor to jostle them into place. Of course everything is double bolted to beams and as square as a person can get construction inside an old barn. By the time it's completed all three animals should be able to be inside without a big raucous. If not then stalls will have to be built.

Eric placed the 2x6's in a horizontal position to give more strength and less flex if bumped by the big horses. Smart! Sheets of plywood cover the beams to keep the animals trying to reach through to the hay.

Having this website down for a couple of weeks made me realize how much I enjoy this part of the process. Documenting each step and writing about it here has become a part of my life. I missed it.

Progress was made despite the heat and lack of connectivity. Tonight was cool and fresh after having had a big storm so I was particularly inspired to wrap it up by hauling out the parts, cleaning and moving in some furniture. There's still carpet to put down, art work to put up and cookbooks to tuck away but the pantry is done.

The little WC is almost finished but that's another story.

Oh sure it's hot outside...102 degrees now with a prediction of 103 tomorrow. I don't mind the heat and I worked on the pantry/WC project this morning when it was much cooler. It's the cold of winter that I don't like. I've already started getting prepared by purchasing a pellet stove. The price for these right now is good as not many people are rushing out to procure heating devices. I did say 102 degrees today, didn't I? Monday I go pick up four tons of pellets which are at last year's price and expected to be three times as much this winter.

I have an old oil furnace that I used sparingly last year. I had a miserable time of it. I don't do well being cold. Every two weeks I filled a 55 gallon drum with diesel and pumped it into the tank to save money. It was a reminder that I wasn't in Arizona or Mexico or Hawaii for the season. The whole time I was trying desperately to recover from the spleen surgery and sort out life with celiac sprue without knowing that's what I had. It was a bad winter.

This year is going to be warm and rosy. I have a happy faced and helpful house mate who just loves hauling heavy stuff into and out of the house...pellets should be just the ticket for him, a big marvelous pellet stove and a body that isn't in excruciating pain. I'm actually looking forward to the change of seasons this year. I'm prepared.

A benefit of having a house mate is the ability to get away from animals, feedings and the ever present call of unfinished projects. I took off for Chelan to visit family and partake in the winery dinners prepared by my future son-in-law, Chef Erik. It was also his birthday to celebrate and my daughter's turn to cook (gluten free) for a couple dozen people. Excellent food and wonderful dinner companions.

The weekend was all about food, wine and family. Glorious. I returned refreshed and carting a big box of apricots from my mother's tree to put up in quart jars. Next it will be peaches and then cucumbers to pickle, picked from the garden. I just love summer.

The room is now completely painted and the shelves for appliances installed above the freezer. I'm contemplating putting up one more shelf there as this room can't have enough of them. Now would be the time to do it while I'm still stubbing my toes on all the implements of construction.

The floor in the WC is tiled and ready for grout. This is my least favorite job. Mixing grout is hard work. It's a challenge to put it down without covering me and everything within a ten foot radius. Cleaning off the tile seems never-ending not to mention what it does to my hands but I know once the floor is finished I'll be happy with the choice. I keep reminding myself that I don't have enough of them to do the entire room and that Home Depot won't either. Oh, and they won't be getting any more. It's a convenient little fantasy. Carpeting the rest of the room will be easier and cleaner but in my world the look of saltillo tile can't be matched.

The panels against the wall are foam board to go on the ceiling. It's a bit outside the box but then this whole house is being done from that approach. It covers the damaged plaster giving a clean white surface with insulating properties.

Sometimes I step outside myself and watch as I shun traditional ways of doing a project. It isn't totally out of necessity but because I'm addicted to the feeling of the creative process. My approach isn't always easier as the upcoming installation of the toilet will demonstrate. It's got my mind working overtime.

I'm required to eat a gluten free diet. It's not a problem for me until I want cake or cookies. Since I cook from scratch I'm able to consistently monitor the use of gluten free ingredients. I read all labels as wheat products are in many prepared foods. Sometimes it gets discouraging but as long as I can make up something like this dessert I feel it's worth the trouble. I found it on the website of the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness. Sometimes a girl just has to have a goopy sticky chocolate dessert.

How to make the Pudding Cake:

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup soy flour
7 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
1 1/3 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In mixing bowl combine sugar, flours, 3 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Blend in milk, melted butter and vanilla until smooth.

Pour the batter into 8x8x2 baking pan.

In a small bowl combine brown sugar and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa.

Sprinkle mixture over the batter in the pan. Pour the hot water over the top but DO NOT STIR.

Bake 40 - 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Spoon into dish and top with vanilla ice cream.

I added a thin layer of chocolate chips between the batter and the topping to make it even more gooey. Hey. I need some chocolate.