Jammin'

We made up a couple huge batches of jam this weekend. Some plum jam from the plums off our tree and some apricot-pineapple jam, which is an old family favorite. It didn't take that long really because we already had the plums processed and frozen from a few weeks back. The apricots we found at a fruit stand and just used canned pineapple for convenience. We figure that you might as well make a lot in one session because you have to use so much energy to heat up all that water for the canning bath anyway!
We also found that if you use plenty of Fruit Fresh or ascorbic acid in the mix, the fruit retains the nice bright color in the jar for as long as you store it.

Uruguay

I've been following some folks' blogs who live in Uruguay and I must say it looks like an interesting place for one of my "home bases". It seems very stable and is close to many countries I wish to visit. Definitely a good jumping off point and with the seasons opposite, I have some flexibility on when to be there versus northern hemisphere destinations.
I only wish the US dollar was stronger in Uruguay. The stupid things we've been doing in the States have decimated the dollar's value so much, so we have to keep an eye on that for a few more years.

Seems too long until retirement!

Well I think about retirement every day. Where to go...where to live...where to journey... Not sure if my wife and I really want to stay in any one place, but are looking at various options. The world is a very big place and all is so interesting to visit. There are so many blogs out there that help immensely with informative stories. I will keep reading and enjoying. ":-)

Missed the Big Moon

We completely missed the big moon event last night because of the overcast skies here. Guess we will have to try again in the next 19 to 20 years :(

Meanwhile, it won't be too long until Spring has sprung and we get to start on our outdoor projects. Can't wait for that!
The fence on the east side is in poor shape and we need to get that redone and garden area is a mess with weeds and it will be good to get that replanted.
We have a plan to get rid of the grass in our backyard, but yet to have gotten that fleshed out. Grass is such a water hog and there are many drought resistant plants out there we are looking into.

Still watching world events and really hope things calm down and the economies get better soon.
Lots of folks hurting out there right now.

Looking for a way to get to where I'm going

We've been kicking around the idea that if we want to see the world, we have to be willing to move around. Vacations are nice, but to really experience a location and its surroundings, you have to live there a while. Becoming part of the community is also important, rather than just having a Disneyland-type experience.
Example: If you establish yourself somewhere in Europe, you only have to hop a train to get to anywhere you wish to be. This is much cheaper and more flexible than if you have to take a plane from the USA every time you wish to get away.
My wife and I look forward to the day when we are able to do this.