nectar

A friend and I both took advantage of the great deal Azure Standard offered on organic nectarines, and today she came over to can some of them in syrup.  I was so inspired by what she did that I made a few jars of my own.  Pretty, yes?  Like jewels.  For all my jam-making and pickle-making, I don't have a lot of experience canning fruit in syrup, but I'm inspired by the possibilities in such a simple way of saving fruit.

Last year I took advantage of this deal on nectarines, too, and D and I froze most of them.  (We cut the nectarines in half and froze them on cookie sheets before bagging them -- perfect!)  Tonight, I'm using a bunch more to make BBQ sauce, and I think we'll try to dry some, too. (I'm imagining making a special granola that has chunks of dried nectarine in it...  can you imagine how great that could be?)

Yesterday was a hard day.  I have been buoyed today by the comment made by Taylor (she of the amazingly helpful aching muscle elixir):

"...my son has heard from his infancy  'Not right now...we have to weed/harvest/plant/can this food so we can have it later.' ... I DEEPLY believe that his understanding that we work for food, that we inconvenience ourselves in order to have deep nutrition is actually good for him."

I think "I inconvenience myself in order to have deep nutrition" is my new mantra for the rest of the harvest season.  This is big.  It's not what we can grow in our gardens but how we can work with our gardens to sustain us.

I appreciate having a blog today.  Yesterday, I felt helpless.  There was something in what my mother said and how she said it (there were other bits that didn't make it into the blog post) that made me feel really icky.

I realized today what I wish my mother would say to me:  "Wow, Cathy...  this food preservation stuff is so important to you, and you're working so hard right now.  Could I come over for an hour tomorrow and entertain E while you get a little more done?"

I'm 45, and she's 67.  Every time I talk about something I'm doing that is challenging to me, she finds fault with my aspirations and my process.  She also tries to scare me by telling me I'm ruining my marriage, my relationship within the family, and now my bond with my daughter.  She has been doing this since I was E's age.

This week I have been working with:

• 40 pounds of nectarines
• 20 pounds of peaches
• 20 pounds of apricots
• 10 pounds of kale
• 10 pounds of figs
• 30 pounds of cucumbers
• 10 pounds of carrots
• a 4-and-a-half-year-old child

I kinda, sorta think that would challenge anyone.  There is long-term value in what I'm doing.  Tonight E and I cuddled and read a chapter in Beezus and Romona -- about what happens when Romona takes one bite out of each apple in the crate. E and I are still connected even though I sometimes ask her, "Why don't you do watercolors in the kitchen while I work on these nectarines?"

Comments

[Stephanie]

My daughter wants to eat all the canned nectarines now. I'm like 'NO! I just made them!' Heh...
For what it's worth, I think you are setting a fine example for E... and even a good model for D too!

[Sarah Head]

The only people who know the true state of your relationship are you and your husband. You are also the people who know what nurtures it or affects it adversely. You will only know about your relationship with your child when they are mature enough to discuss it with you and by then they will probably have a home of their own, but will hopefully continue to want to visit you in yours and ask for your help with theirs. We all invest blindly in the future nourishing it with hope and love. Food, its creation and preparation, along with communication and sleep, is probably the most important stabilising facet of any family. Extended family members and sometimes those closer can sometimes be the most wounding in their dismissal of our personal talents. I remember my mother-in-law picking up and reading some of my more emotion-laden poems (one of which described fetching a wife to be with her dying husband) and telling me I should never show them to other people because they wouldn't like them. I kept silent, because I realised what she was actually saying was that she couldn't cope with the emotions contained within the poetry. I also had the confidence of having performed my poetry to several different audiences and both holding their attention and knowing they appreciated my words. Look for supporters outside the family and build your confidence from them.

[Janice]

was your mother the kind of wife, mother, and family member that she suggests you should be? how did that work our for her?

i recently read a quote that i've been mulling over daily for a week or so now by agnes mcphail (1st woman elected to the canadian house of commons): "do not rely completely on any other human being, however dear. we all meet life's greatest tests alone."