The melons were finally ready for harvest. These plants had volunteered in another section of the garden and been moved to a spot in the corn patch where germination was poor (likely due to a certain group of duckies digging up the corn kernels shortly after planting). The combination of the move and dry summer slowed their growth, but they were determined to live and bear fruit.

We gathered the fruit before the heavy rains, as too much moisture close to ripening can cause a melon to split. They looked more like a honeydew, but slipped the vine like a cantaloupe. The aroma from the spot where the stem had been attached was sweet and floral. The flesh was green, the flavor bright and a slightly spicy sweet. They wouldn't last long in storage, but we enjoyed the seasonal treat.

Harvest season continues here on the homestead. We did get the grapes picked and processed into juice and jelly. It was a mad rush to gather them before the rain moved in, as, like the melons, they will split from excess rain when they are ripe.

We also gathered the green volunteer melons and the watermelons. My sons got the potatoes dug, so now those need to cure before heading into the root cellar. We've bene harvesting tomatoes as soon as they start to turn, and made tomato sauce and salsa.

We got over 2 inches of rain, which is more than we've gotten in one rainfall since April, if I recall correctly. The temps have dropped like someone flipped a switch, changing us from highs in the 80s to highs in the 60s and 50s. It's a bit of a shock to the system, but at least we don't have frost warnings yet, as there's a lot of produce still to harvest.

We got word from the electric company that they could reroute our service through the new building (the Juice Box) as soon as we are ready (we were told that we'd have to wait 1-3 months to get on the schedule), so the guys have been hustling to make progress. Half the roof decking went on today and the rest should be finished tomorrow.

Knock on wood, the forecast looks like it may stay dry long enough to get the roof on. It's funny how we've been without rain so long, and now it's started raining more since we started construction.

This Week’s Resilience & Abundance Boost

• Make room for happy accidents. Volunteer plants, unexpected opportunities, and changes of plan don't always fit neatly into our schedules, but sometimes they produce surprisingly good results.
• Know when it's time to act. Grapes and melons don't care whether your calendar is already full. Paying attention and acting when the time is right can make the difference between enjoying the harvest and losing it.
• Use what didn't work to make room for something that might. Poor corn germination left an opening for the volunteer melons. A setback doesn't always need to be restored to the original plan; sometimes there's a better use for the space.
• Prepare during the quiet times. Cure the potatoes, stock the pantry, maintain the tools, and tackle projects when circumstances allow. The work we do today gives us more options when conditions change.
• Stay flexible when the forecast changes. Sometimes you've been praying for rain for months — and then you're praying it holds off long enough to get the roof on. Resilience means adjusting to what is, rather than waiting for perfect conditions.

Abundance doesn't always arrive according to plan. Sometimes it volunteers in an empty spot, ripens at an inconvenient time, or appears in an opportunity you weren't expecting. Resilience is being ready to make something good of it when it does.

All our best to you and yours,

Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)

Bringing in the Harvest

This time of year, the kitchen, pantry, and root cellar start filling up as the garden empties out. Some crops need a little preparation before they're tucked away for winter, some go straight into jars, and some are best enjoyed warm from the oven.

Here are a few resources to help make good use of what's coming in.

Keep Those Potatoes for the Long Haul

Digging the potatoes is only the first step. Proper curing and storage help toughen the skins, prevent spoilage, and keep your harvest in good condition for months. Our storage potatoes can last from one harvest until the next when conditions are right.

Read: How to Store Potatoes Long Term​

Turn the Tomato Harvest Into Dinner for Later

Spaghetti sauce is one of my favorite ways to put up a large tomato harvest because it's so useful. Open a jar for pasta, use it for pizza, or add meat when you're ready to serve it. You can make the recipe with fresh or frozen tomatoes, which is handy when the tomatoes don't cooperate by ripening all at once.

Read: Spaghetti Sauce for Canning​

Sometimes You Should Just Eat the Harvest

Not everything needs to go into long-term storage. This easy apple crisp skips the oats and uses a simple crumb topping over fresh apples for an old-fashioned dessert that's especially good served warm.

Because resilience may involve filling the pantry for winter, but abundance should include enjoying some of the good stuff now, too.

Read: Easy Apple Crisp (Without Oats)

Harvest season can be hectic, but there's something deeply satisfying about watching the garden turn into shelves of food, bins in the root cellar, and something warm and delicious on the table.

Thank You — and One More Bit of Good News

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for the Resilient Living Summit this past week. Whether you watched one presentation or tried to keep up with all of them, participated in the live events, shared your thoughts, or simply followed along from home, I'm grateful you chose to spend some of your time with us.

It was a tremendous amount of work to bring everything together, but it was wonderful to see people learning, sharing ideas, and encouraging each other throughout the week.

And now, another project that has been a long time in the making is officially out in the world.

Common Sense Preparedness: Building Resilience for Uncertain Times is now available!

This book brings together many of the ideas we've been talking about here for years — growing and preserving food, water, home and shelter, hygiene and sanitation, practical preparedness, and perhaps most importantly, developing a prepared state of mind.

It's not about living in fear of what might happen. It's about building skills, resources, and habits that help you handle life's inevitable ups and downs with a little more confidence.

👉 [Get your copy of Common Sense Preparedness]​

Thank you for being part of the Common Sense Home community, and for all the ways you choose to build more resilience and abundance in your own corner of the world.