Canning Season Is Here

I've been busy in the orchard, and in the kitchen this last week.
Picking apples before the deer eat them all is an never ending "chore" around here.

Once we picked the organic apples, then "putting them up" is the next task on the list.

Thankfully, I've had the best kitchen help possible...my foodie fanatic daughter. Well, I must say, that is "fanatic" in the very best way! She keeps me sharp in my kitchen skills, and mostly, we just have a lot of fun together.

No wonder women of yesteryear, did things in groups. Sewing circles, quilting bees, and even preserving the harvest together. I've decided that together is the best way to accomplish what other wise may seem like a chore.

So, if you don't seem me around much on Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, or Etsy, just know that I'm in the kitchen, laughing and perspiring, and savoring the sweet smell of cooking apples.

Canning 2012

Laughter in the Walls

Through out the changing seasons of life, I believe that laughter is the one emotion that you can't live without.

Children are born to parents. Parents nurture and care for their children; something that changes in method, over time, but the message never changes; "I love you for who you are."

Remember the cases of "spilled milk?" Our parental reaction may not have been the best at the time, but through the course of daily living with children, then adolescents, and onto young adults, parents mellow. They realize that somewhere between the disappointments of life and the triumphs of life; laughter serves as a healer, a stress reliever, a "don't-take-things-so-seriously-enjoy-the-moment-because-it-may-never-come-again" feeling.

Laughter ties a family unit together with an unseen thread of belonging. Shared experiences, funny photos, jokes told; all of these are parts of the weaving process of a family tapestry.

Today, I was able to share laughter with my parents as we recalled previous generations. The way they did business, the way they did chores, the way they did life. We weren't laughing at them, but maybe more at ourselves as we identified with parts of their experiences. A sense of warmth, comfort and belonging came over me.

Then later, this evening, laughing with my children over some of the antics they pulled, silly things like dressing the dog in boxers and a t-shirt. All of the memories lead to one thing...gratefulness for a full life of love and laughter.

Thank you God for creating laughter. Help me to be quick to laugh and love, and slow to be critical and angry. Sharpen my ears to hear the laughter in the walls of our home from days gone by, and to cherish the thoughts and memories as one of my most precious possessions.

"God has brought me laughter...." Gen 21:6