Week in Review

We didn't "do" the 4th of July.  At this point in my life I'm sufficiently disenchanted by my country and the neo-Nazis running it that I couldn't dig up a shred of patriotic pride if you paid me.  I'm sad, terrified, and enraged by what has happened and what is yet to come.

But since Wonderful Husband had the day off, we went to Ikea since we'll hopefully soon be in our own house again and thus want to have a bit more furniture.  Like a sofa.  And maybe an outdoor dining table and chairs.  And bookcases.  None of which we really decided on or bought, but it was something to do, and the drive ensured Jazzy got a decent nap in.

Though it was quite strange that the food section at the end was out of frozen meatballs.  Is Ikea allowed to be out of meatballs?

Afterward, we went to Carpinito Brothers, since it was quite close, and got some fruit and vegetables.  Including a flat of raspberries!  It's been a good few years since I've gotten to indulge, and, well, last night I ended up reading about how to grow raspberries and whether marauding rabbits are likely to eat the plants.  (Spoiler: they are.)

After a pizza dinner, we took the boys and walked over to the mini-park by our apartment, where I'd noticed there were fireworks set up.  Because despite my feelings about the USA, I was not going to deny my children colorful explosions.  Apparently there was a sort of block party going on for all the apartments and new tract homes in the area.  The fireworks display was really quite impressive and went on for over half an hour before the sprinklers turned on.  Oops!

Friday was Legos at the library, after which Jazzy caused an unfortunate bit of excitement by pulling our apartment building's fire alarm. -_-;;

Yesterday, we went to the Puyallup Farmers Market, which was sufficiently impressive that Wonderful Husband wants us to go back.  We didn't get a whole lot - lunch, some corn, some strawberries, and a half-flat of boysenberries - but a good time was had by all.  And afterward we went to my sister's house for a bit, where I raided her sour cherry tree for everything I could reach.

After washing, culling, destemming, and pitting, there ended up being just over two pounds of cherries, which I used the very last of my sugar to turn into sour cherry jam:

Two jars for us, two for my sister.  Since she's moving soon, and her new house doesn't have a cherry tree (and neither does ours), this may be the one and only time I get to make this jam.

(And while I was making the jam Jazzy opened the spigot on my sun tea jug and emptied almost the entire gallon into the bottom of the fridge.... -_-;;)