. When I pull out my large kettles I get to musing..... I don't 'can' because I 'need to' to put food in the pantry......I do it to feed my soul.. To do it is a pure labor of love.. It centers me. I have been 'puttin up' ripe tomato relish the past couple of days--can't get it in stores.. and we love it with pintos or northerns... For generations the women of my family were responsible for the family vegetable garden.. The men worked the fields for crops to market or to feed livestock through the winter... But, mamas and yungins grew and prepared the vegetables and fruits for the long winter. Planting a garden******* There is a great satisfaction from growing your own garden, working the soil, making straight rows for the seeds to be planted. Covering them ...and either waiting for the next rain or watering them in..... to get them started faster. I love watching the vegetables grow, tend the soil. Smelling the mingled aromas of earth and plants is one of the best medicines! to cure what ails you. Such a simple thing.. to just take a hoe and go into the garden early in the morning...(while dew is still on the grass and the shadows are still long)...... and chop out real or imagined weeds... walking backwards down a row.. in a slow relaxed rhythm~ listening to the day wake up..... it truly the best time to reflect on people, ideas, problems... life problems seem to get a balance to them.... The muscles get tired, you get dirty, sweaty~ but, you loose the knitted brow line. The tension knot between your shoulders relaxes while you gain insight on your thoughts........ Harvest time ******** I love to go out to the garden and harvest my hard work... to take it to the house or under a shade tree to snap the beans... or shuck corn . While it is time consuming, it is so rewarding to see the perfect vegetables in my clean sparking jars. To have them sitting on the counter .. and listening for the ping of the lids to seal as they cool. Smiling privately when you hear it! Yup! There is another good jar! <bg> Paramount cannot touch my pickle recipes..or relish recipes... Smuckers? Naw, my black raspberry jam puts em to shame. Some of the recipes that I have are generations old.. not even written.. they were just taught from one homemaker to another down the line... There is a palpable connection with my grandmothers when I garden, and can..... I am doing the same work they did... using some of the techniques and materials they used and taught me....These ladies knew work...hard work. They were practical and quite poor with not time for frivialities. But, they had the spirit of creativity in their hearts,,, it showed in their daily lives, in their quilting, gardening and canning . Storing food for the long winter was a necessity for my fore mothers. Whether the food was stored carefully and lovingly was the difference in vegetables and fruit would not survive until December in the cellar.. or whether the jam turned to sugar . Sure, food could be 'put up' with less attention. But, I like to believe the extra care in their stirrin and tastin and fussin make a difference.... and it showed in their work and and I hope shows in mine. Time to stir my pot..... Thanks for listening... Cher