May Be Worth Noting

Deb dressed up...

Well, not fancy or anything, but more than the norm of jeans and jeanish things.  Two and a half weeks ago I had to temporarily assume the role of president of our local historical society when the reigning pres was hospitalized.  I'm the vp.  Of course, much to my dismay, this was just two and a half weeks before the annual meeting and 'chowdah supper'.  The informative email that I received from the pres's wife was that nothing had been taken care of.  Oh _____.  So, while juggling a massive amount of key work (which seems never ending at this point still), tunings, SC estate stuff (though now minor), and of course canning(!), I endeavored to get it all together for the meeting...which I had to lead.  Which I can force myself to do, but I hate public speaking.  And to my surprise the recuperating pres. showed up and ate. Well...it's done with.

And...

I am so glad to back to jeans and a t-shirt today!

And Then...

I decided to try my hand at canning.  You must understand that, although I can cook, I'm not enamored with cooking.  But I do like a challenge and I hadn't tried canning before.  My mom had made relish years ago but she didn't remember what she did.  Honestly, I think my grandmother did most of it!

So, armed with some internet research, canning jars, ingredients, and a friend's large pot, I dove in.

I learned a lot.

1. The size of my kitchen (read teeny) is detrimental to the process.
2. The recipe that says it makes 9 pint sized jars of relish requiring a large bowl, large pot, and large colander, really means gigantic when describing those items.
3. Due to number 2 above, I threw away a lot of diced up green tomatoes.
4. A food processor would be handy.  All that hand chopping is tiresome.  But because of the aforementioned teeny kitchen there is no room for a processor worth buying.
5. However, despite the odds being heavily against me. It worked!  I made relish!

Batch 1 - green tomato relish 

This morning I went out to buy smaller canning jars.  Half pints this time.  This afternoon I'll be at it again.  It's fun in a masochistic sort of way.

And Still...

tomatoes

I think we are up in the hundreds range.

A Family Story - part five

Well, it has been nearly a month since I wrote here.  Kind of a long time, for me!  Once Marion, George, Peter, Mr. Marshall, my grandfather and his wife moved to Florida it was long spells between visits.  We traveled to Florida several times to visit with them.  Then, with more family of our own, we moved to Florida, too.  By then I was married and we had a daughter.  My folks moved down at the same time.  We all lived about two and a half hours from Marion, George, Peter and family. 

Over the next few years the families visited each other frequently, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Thanksgivings would alternate between the households.  Always Peter would say grace and although we could not understand most of what he said, we could always hear our names in his prayer.  Shortly after Thanksgiving of 1990, Peter became ill and died.  While obviously a sad time for Marion and George, they were relieved that he would not have to be without them to care for him.  They put the Morse Shores house up for sale and moved further north in Florida.  They bought a small house on a lake where George enjoyed fishing until his death in 1993.

Paul at home in Connecticut

 Marion felt very insecure living by herself after George's death and Paul left his home and job in Connecticut to move in with his mother.  Hating the hot and humid weather that draws others to Florida, Paul wanted to move back north but Marion didn't want to live with the cold winters.  They decided to move to South Carolina where the climate was a bit more moderate and where Marion and George had often spoken of living.  They bought land and built a house in the north western part of the state in 1996.

Marion, Christmas 2003

It was in that home that we continued our holiday exchanges, particularly at Thanksgiving, and as my parents had become seasonal Florida residents (snowbirds), they stopped to visit with Paul and Marion on their trips back and forth between Massachusetts and Florida.  And it was in that home that both Paul and Marion died.  Paul in December of 2010 and Marion, just over six months later in July of 2011.

Paul (L) and Marion (R) with Marion's PT nurse after Marion's stroke in 2006-07.  This is the last picture we have of them.