Canning with my...

September 2013

When I was a little girl, I was excited to grow up and be a mom so that I could can with my mother each fall time.

I know this is going to sound really funny, but when I found out that my mom was going to pass away, I thought to myself, "But who will can with my when I am a mom?"  I had watched my mom can with her mother.  Grandma Allen always came for a couple days and helped my mom put up many jars of peaches and pears from our trees.  I guess I always thought that if you didn't have a mother, then you wouldn't be able to can?

The last few years, since I got married, I have had the opportunity to can with my mother-in-law.  My mother-in-law is wonderful and actually reminds me a lot of my mother.  We had canned applesauce and salsa and tomatoes together.

This year, we grew some produce in a small garden.  When it came time to harvest these things, I had a few sad days of missing my mom, probably because my mother loved gardening and the thought of harvesting and canning things always reminds me of her.

We picked our produce and Blaine and I decided that we would use a lot of it to make homemade baby food for Afton.  I was a little sad at the thought of not having my mother here to help me.  On the day I had planned to make the baby food, my sweet husband Blaine asked me if he could help me and we made an afternoon out of making baby food while our babies were asleep.

We made baby food green beans, baby food squash, applesauce and apple juice.

 

 

 

That afternoon, even though I was worried would be gloomy because of my sad feelings of missing my mom, turned into a sweet experience with my Blaine.  We laughed and told stories of growing up, and he listened to me talk all about my mom.  I looked into his sweet eyes as I snapped green beans with him and I felt so much love from him.  I just know that my mother loves him too!

Sometimes I really wonder how I got so lucky to find this sweet man who is my husband.  He is so sensitive to my needs and feelings and is always willing to help.  He cheerfully does things that he knows will help me feel happy and loved.

I am so grateful that this year I got to do canning with my....husband Blaine!