HI Cher: I liked your garden & canning story: it brought back memories of my childhood! I had to plow and help my mother get the garden ready to plant every spring and had to plow it when it needed it. I always had to help pick the vegies and can them : I thought I knew how to garden:: but when I retired in 1978 and came back to TN. I had to learn it over because my mother did ALL the brain work.( I will tell you the story in detail when I see you: but for now one short note,( I planted 4 rows of squash 75 ft. long the first year!! ) enough said.gabbie At 09:52 AM 8/22/99 -0400, you wrote: > >. 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 > > > > > >==== DanvilleCrossing Mailing List ==== >My family tree must have been used for Firewood !!! > >