Updates and West Virginia

Listening to: "Midnight Flyer" by the Eagles
Mood: Wishing
Quote of the Day: "Every fight is a food fight when you're a cannibal." Demetri Martin

UPDATES: Hey, sorry. I can't fix the pic links right now. I'm still trying to figure it out. I'll post when I've got that fixed.

Now. The following is an excerpt from my journal that I kept during my 5 days in West Virginia. It's the only good entry that is worth posting. Anything in brackets [..] is added for clarity. So. Here goes:

"Day One [July 16, 2008]

Our 7-hour long car ride to West Virginia was well worth the reward. When we pulled into the long driveway, the first thing that caught my eye were the lush beautiful gardens of my great-aunt Charlotte. You can feel the rich history of the place [my great grand-father bought the property and the surrounding lands] as you step into the large, colorful backyard. The main yard behind the house and it's screened in porch is alive with vibrant yellow lilies, bright purple butterfly bushes and hostas, and radiant blue hydrangeas. More flowers that I can't name line the main backyard and the aged brick walkway that leads to an old white gazebo that was built on the original property [when my great-grandfather first bought it]. To the right of the gazebo is a towering holly tree and to the left is a heavily laden apple tree that bears the most delicious apples I have ever tasted. They are crisp and sun-warmed and not too tart. No wonder that the deer and bees like them so much. The main yard and the house sit high, overlooking the rest of the vast property. Rolling green fields that are bordered by dense, dark woods were the playgrounds of my uncles' childhood. Butterflies flutter to and fro the bountiful flowers, drunk with their intoxicating scent. Birds twitter and chirp merrily while in the background a dog barks. This place is a reminder of when things were simpler and life was more beautiful. Despite the fact that the original house has been replaced by another, you can still feel the antiquity and original beauty of the property. I believe, no, I KNOW that this is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Here is where my history begins.

Apple picking was definitely a highlight of Day 1. Jonathan [my youngest brother] climbed up in the apple tree and shook out the apples while me, Chris, Mom and Aunt Charlotte were picking up the ripe ones and putting them into plastic bags. Some were rotten and we tossed those over the electric fence for the deer. The plentiful deer that live in the dense wood that borders the large estate like to jump the electric fence and eat the apples. Even with the electricity on, it doesn't deter them. After we picked enough apples for the day [you can't pick too many or they'll rot. This kind of apple, known as Early Harvest, doesn't keep more than a day.] we all sat under the gazebo in the mismatched furniture and listened to the blue jays, bluebirds, cardinals and goldfinches along with other birds in the yard. Out of nowhere, a beautiful doe and her fawn came racing out of the trees. Usually the deer don't come out until a little earlier than 9:00 pm, and it was 6:30 so it was a pleasant treat. My cousion Breana just got here, so I'll write more later."

The next day we made applesauce with the apples we had collected. All you have to do is get a lot (and I mean a LOT) of a soft type of apple (I hear McIntosh works well) and skin them and chop them up into a pot. Add about a 1/2 - 1 1/2 cups with about 1 cup of sugar, depending on the tartness of the apple, with a dash of cinnamon. Cover and put over medium heat. The apples will turn to mush on their own. All you have to do is stir now and then to keep them from scalding. Nothing's worse than burnt applesauce. Ew. It turns into the most AMAZING applesauce EVER. I eat it every morning with either toast, biscuits or waffles. ^^ Now, I don't know how other apples will taste, so I can't suggest any other apples except Early Harvest. It's an old-fashioned apple and you can't get it in stores because it goes bad extremely fast. But the apple is very soft and makes outstanding sauce.

Now don't think all I did was sit around and make applesauce all day. I met my 97-year old (98 in September) great-great aunt Belva. Age means nothing to her. She still walks on her own, with a little help from her cane where the ground is uneven and even makes pies and applesauce on her own. She is intending to have a 100th birthday party and I can see her doing it too! She's such a character. When she came into the backyard, she had two people helping her walk and the first thing she said, in a loud, clear voice was "I don't need to people helping me walk, the ground is just uneven!" She had also just gotten her hair permed and it was a lovely shade of blue. When everyone was complimenting her, she just patted it and nodded, all proud and happy. She's such a funny thing. I also met my Uncle Wayne, who has infantile paralysis and lives in a nursing home. He's a total sweetie and loves to talk. He loves being with his family and wants to know everything. I met a lot of family while I was there, I can't even begin to list them.

I also went to the Coldwater Creek outlet and got a few things. A shirt that would have been $35.00 ended up being $4.50. Great deals, huh? I also got a cute pair of rose earring that were only $3.50, originally $19.99. ^^ We (the girls: me, my mom, Aunt Charlotte and Aunt Marian) also went to Kohl's and got a lot of cute stuff.

Well, I've got to go! I'll write more later!

Ciao!
Bee