It was very warm today. When I was coming back from Jeff and Kathy's a thermometer in New Holstein registered at 90 degrees, though my car thermometer was less the mid 80's.

Kathy and I picked enough currents so that I can make 3 gallons of wine. They are nice and ripe and ready to do. Kathy also gave me some starts of a flowering plant that she got from Aunt Helen's house after Randy and Donna bought it. It has a pink fluffy flower and she thinks it is called the Queen's plume or something like that. It was really pleasant while we were picking the currents.

When I got home I cleaned the currents and got them into the primary fermenter with boiling sugar water poured over them. This is the first step. Tomorrow, after the mixture cools, I will stir in the additives and then the next day the yeast. Then five days later it goes into the Secondary Fermentors (the jugs with the air filters on top) for a long time. Wine making does take patience and is providing good practice for me as patience has never been one of my big virtues. We find that the wines we make from scratch, really are the best if they age for at least a full year. They lose any harshness and really mellow.

One of the wine companies always said "No wine before it's time."

Yesterday at lunch with the Plymouth girls, we grandma's got to talking about toilet training. Betty has a little grandaughter who came over to see her with her pants REALLY full and very cheerful about it. She is about two and learning but not too very concerned. I was remembered and shared how Bret got potty trained. He had learned to use the toilet for urinating but didn't quite get the other. One day he came to me with a disgusted look on his face and asked me to change his diaper. I said to him. "You could to that in the potty you know." He got the funniest look on his face and said. "I CAN!" and that was it. Never had a problem unrelated to sickness after that.

He was only about 1 1/2 years old. But I was fortunate. He did not like being messy.

Tomorrow should be a bit quieter. Have a nice Sunday yourself.

Mary