I have raised some huge squashes this year: Big Red Warty Things....look like 75-pound pumpkins. So, now what do I do with 'em? Anyone have any cooking ideas? I expect I'll have to hack them in half with an axe to get them to fit into a roaster! Do any of you have any recipes?

Speaking of any of you...are there any of you left out there? Are we going to let this forum die?

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2004

Answers

I was thinking the same thing lately.

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2004

I still check in occasionally, but spend most of my free time in my lab or playing chess.

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2004

Been working, helping Jes get ready to move to NC, traveling without a computer, panicking because Jes is moving to NC, cleaning up the garden, worrying about Jes flying to NC for her tests and interviews, organizing the pantry, wondering where all the food I put in the pantry goes, freaking out about Jes being able to fly home in light of Hurricane Jeanne, taking care of Pop who is noticably slowing down, trying to play peacemaker between my co-workers (and pretty much deciding to say "Screw it" and let them duke it out, except then I'd probably be working even MORE freaking overtime), and worrying about Jes.

No, I don't want to let this forum die. It has been my favorite place on the net since it's inception, and it's still the first place I go when I get online (except right now, while I'm watching that damn hurricane!) I wish the old group would suddenly remember their passwords and drop in to see us. Guess we need a good pending disaster, like Y2K, to get us going again. No, the election does not count!

-- Anonymous, September 27, 2004

Polly,

We missed you!

My aunt and uncle live in Stuart FL and have now been in through 3 out of 4 of the hurricanes. They are in their 90s, and this has been really rough on them. I haven't heard from them yet on this last one, but I hope they evacuated since Stuart was a direct hit.

Yeah, it's a busy time of year!

I also have a ton of spaghetti squash and zucchini still. Time to make pickles?!! Very foggy here in the morning, but pleasant (high 60s) in the afternoon. Weird new schedule for us too with Mr. S. being gone so long b/c of the commute. We're going to have to revise the chore schedules this week I bet.

take care.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2004

Sheepish, I used to feed zukes to all my critters this time of year!

Only have a minute...........sitting here at Ali's puter, which has been invaded by pop=up demons GRRRR (people who create popup ads: a curse on all your generations!)in an empty log home. Bren is working on getting internet at our new place, but hasnt been able to get mine to work yet. Still have a connection here. I'm still going through the stuff in the attic, downsizing once again, throwing stuff away, giving stuff away; it's hard letting go sometimes. The only thing that got me cryin was the stock trailer: my last vestige of the farm really, but we haven't even used it since we moved here. Lotsa good memories went down the road in that trailer.

Weather here has been gorgeous; feel badly for the people suffering from hurricanes. We still haven't had a frost, so still pickin tomatoes off my deck. Two and a half more weeks, and off to the city I go full time. Yikes.

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2004

Sheepish...I gave up on squash that looked like "75 lb. pumpkins" last year. The hubbards were given to us were that big...at least it seemed like :-)!! I'm sticking to buttercups and so far so good! Got several nice ones coming along. Even have some sweet potatoes doing well. I think I'll pressure-can those 'cause I don't believe I can keep them in the right conditions here for very long.

Polly...hope things are okay with Jess in N.C. I know that hurricane Jeanne went right through the central part of that state. According to news reports I've heard, the Southern Pines area was hard hit...that's where my mother's nursing home is located!! Can't seem to get through to her the past day or so. Phone lines are busy (or screwed up!)!! But I guess no news is good news :-)! Frankly, I don't know how folks down south can deal with hurricanes the way they do. They gotta be tough! Hurricanes are so devastating!!! We don't ge them here (or they're extremely rare) and I'll take two months of snow and cold any day rather than just one bad hurricane down there!

Like you, EM, our weather here for the month of Sept. has been gorgeous!! Tomatoes are rather sparse, but that's my fault! I didn't stake them and the slugs are having a feast!!! Right now we're feeding lots of squash (zukes and yellow) to "Amy" and she's growing bigger by the day. Butchering day can't come soon enough for us :-)!!!

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2004