Pea Pickin' Time Again!

Well, it's pea pickin' time again! Some of our friends very graciously invited us to come out to their place again this year and pick black eyed peas. Yesterday was the day, so out we went. Ever watchful for snakes, we picked about 10 gallons of black eyed peas. We were just going to shell them by hand, which is fun but time consuming. Some friends from church called late last night and offered to help us shell them with their electric pea sheller. I had never heard of such a thing, but was very happy for their help. That is one neat contraption! It has small rollers at one end that kind of squish the peas out of the shell without smashing them. Peas go into a bucket under the unit, and shells go in the trash can at the end. Way cool!

Summer is quickly coming to an end. It is a bittersweet time, as I enjoy having Aleisha home, but am also ready for her to go back to school. I can't believe it starts Monday. However, there are many things going on between now and then (and have been all week).

Monday was chorus rehearsal and show run through. Tuesday, we were in Amarillo, helping Newton (my brother) and Laura (his wife) move into their new home. I got to set up her kitchen for her! Then on Wednesday we picked peas. Tonight my quartet, Star Struck, and Richard's quartet, Dynamite, are singing at King's Manor Retirement Home in Hereford, TX. Tomorrow is dress rehearsal for the Prairie Winds (my chorus) annual show, and the show is Saturday night. Sunday is our first Sunday with our new group of AIM (Adventures In Missions) students, and we are having a pot luck lunch. Then we are going with the AIM students back out to Keith and Julie's to pick more peas for the widows from church. The peas will be bagged and delivered by the AIM students. Richard and I are going to prepare all the dry ingredients for a recipe of corn bread to be delivered to each lady with her peas. All she will have to do is add the wet ingredients. Then school starts Monday! Whew!

THEN, next weekend, we get to go to Nashville, see lots of family, and celebrate the marriage of my cousin, Paige, to her fiance', Zack. We are super excited to see everyone and can't wait!

I pray all of you have a wonderful day and enjoy whatever it is that keeps you busy and out of trouble!

Pea Pickin'

This last Saturday, we had the AIM (Adventures in Missions) students who come to Sudan and worship with us for the whole weekend.

Friday night we went to the Homecoming football game (which Sudan won! Oh by the way, we bleed black and gold now!) and then to 5th Quarter. 5th Quarter is a supper for the junior high and high school students hosted by different congregations around town. This last weekend we had it at the church of Christ.

Saturday, we went out to a farm that belongs to some friends of ours, Keith and Julie Layton. We went and picked black eyed peas. We then went back to the Layton's home for lunch and pea shellin'. It was really a lot of fun. During the afternoon, we delivered sacks of peas to several of the widows in the congregation. Talk about living in the country! I had never even seen black eyed peas growing, much less picked and shelled them. We froze several bags and are looking forward to eating them for a while. This is a picture of Aleisha in the "pea patch," which she sang about most of the time we were out there. Very fun!

We cooked some yesterday, and I can tell you, they are NOTHING like what you get in a can! They are SOOOO much better! So, we had black eyed peas and corn bread. Yummy!

Speaking of living in the country...we also "put up" (in the freezer) about 16 quarts of fresh Kentucky green beans and some fresh corn on the cob. We will enjoy at least some kind of fresh vegetable through most of the winter. Julie asked me if I have ever canned anything before. I have not, but have some great recipes for it. She and I are going to try and get together sometime in the next couple of weeks and make some pickled okra, dill pickles, sweet pickles, and I don't know what else. She grows a wonderful garden every year and is so kind to share what she has!