Thanksgiving-Labeling Jam
Going through umpteen zillion photos, not capturing everyone that came, nor photographing all that went into the splendid feast, I did notice some that could have been taken at just about any family Thanksgiving….. the spread (even though ours was hamburgers/not turkey), the conversations… and the meeting between generations.
It was a grand celebration for me. My birthday was the day before (Kashaya made a walnut prune cake with cream cheese frosting… that was gone by the next morning). Malanyon and family came, Zarya and family, Kashaya and Tony, Big Bob and his family, the Savages, Christopher and Lucy (she got her knee replaced two weeks prior, but made it with bells on her walker!), my brother and his wife Patty from Arizona, some of his former students, friends George and Amy from Berkeley, Sean and Deb and their son Aiden, cousin Steve and partner Ruben, Tom, and all the way from Oregon, good friends and former employees, Louisa and Paul. The plan is for Louisa to come back in the fall to teach basket making during one of our ArtStays. Without them, breakfast on Friday would never have happened as easily.
Apple to Apples made it out each evening…. two nights with the same box, the next with an updated version, far too updated for me, since I didn’t know half the people on the cards! Hilarity reigned! And it brought together people aged 10 to 83…. such fun!
We’ve been making jam for months, it seems, even though it’s only been 16 actual days of stirring pots and filling jars. Lots of things have been going on between jamming day, assuredly. Below, you can see how each jar is individually labeled…. one step out of how many times the jar gets touched/moved/placed? What would we do without Tony!?
A few new varieties this season, including some syrups. Hot Pepper Pear, Pear Marmalade, Cherry Rhubarb, Morning Sunburst and Crimson Peach Plum. Emandal General Store is open now…. but we won’t be shipping except before Christmas, and perhaps another time in the spring. It’s impossible for us to remember to check for orders, unless that’s our complete focus. Stocking up in the summer seems to be the best option for most folks, or buying them in town at Mariposa Market and Cat’s Meow…… OR, coming up for a weekend in the winter/spring, and loading up for the year.
