Salmonberry Jam

Oh! How lucky we've been here in Juneau!

The Lord has blessed us these last couple weeks with beautiful warm sunny days. And with all the sunshine and warmth, the salmonberries have been red and ripe!

I'd say its time to make some salmonberry jam, wouldn't you agree?

For berry picking adventures such as these, a traditional native Yupik tribe kuspuk was in order! My amazing mother-in-law Melissa sews these amazing dresses (a lot of it by hand!) and it takes hours and hours (I know because I made one as a Christmas present last year for my Aunt Freddie, who is part Eskimo). 

Now that the weather is getting nice and warm I have been able to pull my kuspuks out of hiding and start wearing them again. The ones that I have are older dresses that I took in. They once were worn by my sister-in-law Laura and also Melissa for their shows as the Alaska String Band. I then wore them for shows when I played and sang with them, but now I get to wear them on busy street sides picking berries!

Quinn and I each had a basket and we went to the edge of downtown on the side of the road to find the salmonberries. We were in luck! They were absolutely everywhere!

The only problem?

Stinging nettles and indian rhubarb also covered the steep mountain side...

Can you spy Quinn?

Because we were right next to a busy road, many tourists walked by and called to us asking what we were doing. We must have looked rather interesting, scaling up the steep mountain side (and me in a dress!). But if you've been reading my blog for too long, you probably already know that I don't mind sticking out a bit...

Two kind women who were my age came trooping up the mountain after us! As we saw them coming we called out, "Don't touch the indian rhubarb!" We may have freaked them out a bit, because they wouldn't touch ANY green plants after that. But they did try the salmonberries and they wished us happy picking!

Though we did eat quite a few salmonberries during the evening, we found we had plenty to make some jam! So, our baskets full of berries we journey home and set the water boiling...

One of my goals this summer is to can as much as possible. I've never really canned before, and this was my first time making jam of any sort. I am happy to report that it turned out very well (though the kitchen was down-right hot after both the warm day and all the cooking).

The jars of jam had the night to rest out on the counter, and when we awoke the next morning we had a wonderful breakfast!

English muffins with salmonberry jam, tea and early fresh blueberries on the side. 

I can't think of a more perfect breakfast!

Quinn and I had so much fun making this jam, I think it will have to be a made again next summer as well! And oh...how we can't wait for the rest of the blueberry bushes to ripen!

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-A Giveaway-
NOW CLOSED!

You have often seen me wearing Russian rosemaled brooches here on the blog. When Quinn and I were first married we went to one of my favorite stores in downtown Juneau on our simple honeymoon. Its an old Russian store that sells Polish pottery (someday I wish to own a whole set!) and beautiful matryoshka dolls. I bought my first rosemaled brooch that day and I have gotten two others since! I simply love wearing them, especially with a shawl or on a kuspuk, so I thought I would give you a chance to win one. Please comment below and tell me what you would like to do if you came and visited Alaska. If you'd like to tell a friend about the adventures we have here at Blueberry Barn, I would be very happy, but that is not required to win the giveaway. 

Because of the scrumptious salmonberries, you'll be winning a lovely salmonberry brooch!

Have fun, and I shall announce the winner a week from today.

Thank you everyone for entering my first giveaway!
Jaclyn, you are the winner! 
Again, thank you everyone. I'll have more giveaways in the future. This was fun!

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Little Girls & Wildflowers

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you've probably already guessed how much I love flowers.
It seems to me that all I do during our long Winters is pine for the wildflowers of Spring and Summer. And because our winters have been so mild the last two years, the wildflowers are blooming much earlier in the season!

This meant flower picking was the perfect thing to do when my two most favorite little girls came over for a visit! This is Melissa and Rebecca, and we've been best friends since they were tiny and I was their babysitter.  I can't tell you how excited they were to go through my closet and find shawls and hats to wear on our flower picking adventure. Melissa kept repeating: "I feel just like Laura Ingalls!" And don't they look like the most perfect pair with little Greta?

We each got a basket and off we went flower picking! 

Of course, Greta loved to eat the flowers more than pick them...

I was super envious of Becca's pink sparkly boots.

The girls had a lot of fun keeping an eye out for different flowers to add to their baskets, but they had never picked any chocolate lilies before. This was Melissa's face when she smelled it:


It's okay, Melissa.

I totally agree with you.

Our amazing view from the trail, low tide.

Becca in among big berry bushes, just starting to put out their flowers.

Sea shells belong in flower baskets too!

When we reached the end of the trail we sat on the beach and sang songs together. Greta hunted around for hidden things in the sand, Becca searched for pretty shells, and Melissa took some photos of me!


Funny Fact: I think this may be the first picture of me on this blog not wearing a dress. Blue jeans! Eak! 

When we got back to the house, everyone sat outside and had fresh baked snickerdoodles and oreo icecream. After the treats, we made our bouquets and carefully wrapped the bottoms in wet paper towels for the ride home.

The plan to go home was derailed however when Becca found bright red salmon berries ready for picking -- right in the backyard! Time for an impromptu berry picking party!











Little bags were handed out and we all started eating picking.

Most of them ended up in the bags.

Becca and Melissa just moved "out the road", which is about as far away from Blueberry Barn as you can get in Juneau. Their father is building a beautiful house, right above the ocean (the best part they told me is that they each get their own room! If only I had been that lucky growing up...). Even though they may be living a bit farther away, I'm sure we'll still see each other quite often.

"A friend is loving at all times, and becomes a brother in times of trouble."

Proverbs 17:17

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Family Birthdays

I am blessed to have a huge family. 

My cousin Cole's new daughter Carly-
eight months old and already SO cute!

When my parents and siblings all moved away from Juneau last November I was heartbroken. At the time, I was stuck 'down-south' for three months and couldn't bare the thought of coming back home only to find my family not there. 

Sure, not being able to see my sisters, brothers, and parents whenever I wanted to was sad, but the Lord reminded me of all my Aunts, Uncles, and cousins I had waiting for me, not to mention my even bigger church family!

My Dad's side of the family is so big, we have birthday parties every couple of months to celebrate all the birthdays in the family that have occurred. Last night was one such special occasion, and we were celebrating May and April birthdays (which means mine was included!). 

It's always nice to gather around and laugh and hear stories about your great-great-great grandma who gave a woman two black eyes with some brass knuckles back in 1920 because her son was a low life who had tricked her daughter into marrying him (Yep. My family is amazing. Someday I hope to meet Mamaw in heaven and hear all about it from her.) And it's also fun to watch your young cousins run around in excitement for dessert (even though its not their birthday)...

Carson is sad it's not HIS birthday.

Colton cheating at basketball (with himself).

There's nothing much cuter than a baby in a big hat! (Sorry Greta...)

After dinner together the birthday people got to sit on the couch and open the cards and presents from the rest of the family:

(My cousin Cole)

Quinn and I are the best at picking out birthday cards. Uncle Val's card had a cute puppy sing happy birthday when you opened it. He was pretty excited.

But the best part of any family gathering though, is of course, the dessert. 

And of course, I had pumpkin pie (lovingly made by my Aunt Jan!).

I think it's safe to say that I got my poetry writing skills from my dad and Grandpa Jim. He wrote poems for all the birthday cards, and I know I'll always treasure mine:

You have your clothes,

Your lovely smile.

They help make up

Your swinging style.

With bubbling spirit

And twinkling eyes,

It surely comes 

As no surprise:

That with Quinn and Greta along the way

You had a very special Happy Birthday.

By Jim Cummins

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Roses

Joy of my desire, all consuming fire;
Lord of glory, Rose of Sharon,
Rare and sweet.

You are now my peace,
Comforter and friend,
Wonderful, so beautiful,
You are to me.

I worship You in spirit and in truth.
I worship You in spirit and in truth.
There will never be a friend as dear to me as You.

"Joy of My Desire"

One late evening in the dimming light of a rainy day, Quinn was kind enough to accompany me to the sea side where the Sitka Roses were all in bloom. It was very near our bedtime, but I recently found a recipe that involved rose water, and I wanted to try my hand at making it.

The little pink petals smelled so amazing, we often found ourselves smelling the sweet air instead of gathering more!

The roses reminded me of the song above, and I have had it stuck in my head since! I don't know what a Rose of Sharon smells like, but its hard to think of it smelling any sweeter then the Sitka Roses we enjoyed picking.

The rose water recipe I found called for two cups of rose petals (wild roses being the best, you don't want pesticides!) and four cups of boiling water. It didn't call for a cute puppy, but I'm sure it doesn't hurt to have one...

I shall take this moment and tell you how wonderful it is to have a husband who is sweet enough to tromp all over and take photos of me. I could not write this blog without him and his amazing photography skills.


The evening we took these photos he stopped after taking a few and told me, "You're so beautiful."

He's always is there to make me feel loved, just like my Heavenly Father.

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her,"

Ephesians 5:25

"In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.

He who loves his wife loves himself."

Ephesians 5:28

 This next chapter in our lives will be an interesting one. Now that I have my new job, Quinn's schedule and mine are very different. It seems we will not be seeing much of each other for this summer, but there is always a bright side: though we only have one day off together, that day is Sunday. The most important day of the week we will be able to spend together at church and in rest. Together. Just another little reminder that God is always looking out for my best friend and I.

 {Lupine and poisonous Indian Rhubarb against Admiralty Island in the distance.}

As the light grew ever dimmer, we decided it was time to start the trek back home...

But not without some wild iris, lupine, and sweet peas!

As I write this, I have finished my second day of work at my new job. I can already see a great need for Christ's love in the teens I am working with and in my fellow staff members. Please pray for me as I try to show everyone His love (and also, starting a new job is hard and there's so much I have to learn! Please pray I can keep up with all the new things being thrown at me!). 

Thank you so much for your kind comments, 

and have a wonderful rest of your week.

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