Putting Up

Well. Hello. It's been a long time. Anyone still out there? I'm actually sitting at the computer tonight, uploading pictures from the camera, and so I decided I should take the time to write something here and let you know what's been going on around here.

Summer season is in full swing. And by this I mean the preserving season. So far we've canned some sour cherries and frozen a boat load of strawberries and blueberries and a few boxes of roma beans. I'd have frozen the green beans by now too, but I forgot them at my mom's house earlier this week, so I have to wait until Dan brings them back here tonight.

If it wasn't for the fresh produce and the satisfaction I gain from "putting up" food for us to eat later on in the year, I think I'd struggle to enjoy the heat of summer. I can handle the cold of winter with a lot more cheerfulness than the mugginess. (Sorry LJL, I know we're opposites here!).

This year's freezing and canning process will most likely be a little crazier thanks to my two eager helpers. The last two years I only had one helper, so now I have to figure out how to do what needs done productively while preventing all the fresh food from being devoured before I can or freeze it. I figure, maybe if I let them "help" now, they won't know any different, so in the years to come, when they are actually capable of real help (Edwin's actually getting there this year - he competently filled the jars with sour cherries.), they'll just think it's normal. Right? Maybe?