I have eaten the last of the caramels made by my grandfather. I think I made the last batch last three years, sneaking them one at a time out of the freezer. But they are gone now. I may go into withdrawals at any moment.

To add to my list of things for the kitchen: candy thermometer and marble slabs and a stainless pot of sufficient size. Maybe one of those neat double handled knives Mom has… which could be useful for cutting large cheeses as well. I still need the 16 or 20 quart stainless pot for cheese making, plus the cheese press and molds for cheddar and gouda, and the mini-fridge for aging the cheese.

Don’t ask about the cow. I still have to figure out how to convince the neighborhood that a herd of goats would be ok, never mind a cow. And the goats are going to have to wait until after I’ve gotten the anti-outside-clothesline rule repealed. Well, ok, I think I have a chance with the clothesline rule – the goats are probably more of a stretch than my neighbors want to make.