Apples, apples everywhere!! (and a testimony)

Trying to help our neighbors out, before we buy from strangers we bought three boxes of apples from him for the holiday season. We planned on giving lots of them away in Christmas treats. But we didn't check them out and they were full of spots, not good enough to give away. We bought another box to give away. We had part of a box put away in the cellar that we had bought about a month earlier.

We took the better apples for 80 treats and had three and one half boxes left. Our family spent one full day processing apples. Seth used an apple peeler/corer and froze one box for pies. Allona, Vova and I worked on another box and a half and made it into applesauce all day. None of us wanted to see apples very much for awhile.

We've had applesauce cake. We've had plain applesauce. We've had applesauce cookies, two kinds so far. We've had apple pie.

And most of a box of apples were left.

Olya came in last Friday. "Twila, your apples are spoiling! Let me help you with them. I'll mop floors like normal and then work on your apples." So she cut off bad spots, peeled and sliced apples for another two or three hours.

We have maybe a peck left for eating after all of that was said and done.

I washed some apples and then worked on fixing supper while she worked on peeling and slicing. She chattered non-stop. She talked about her family. She talked about men's role in the church. She talked about her own church history. Among other things she said, "I think God sent your family here for me. I'm not happy with my daughter and her husband. I want them to serve God, too. We left the orthodox church when we started reading the Bible. We left the other church when the pastor started using narcotics. He's in prison now and women are taking turns preaching there. God sent you here for me."