Preserving Memories

This is the time of year when the leaves change colors, the wind blows cooler, and the gardens are full of beautifully colored vegetables bursting with flavor. It’s the time of year when, like squirrels gathering nuts for the winter, homemakers are canning and freezing fruits and vegetables like crazy. They’re “squirreling away” goodies for those days when snow covers the ground in thick blankets and Old Man Winter paints icicles on the window panes.

Canning season is an ideal time to teach children. Yes, it takes longer when tiny hands help, but children enjoy filling jars, measuring and stirring ingredients and seeing the jars lined up on the cabinets, full of brightly-colored foods. Although they might not like salsa or green beans, they know they helped preserve those foods. It gives them a sense of pleasure to know they helped and you’ve created memories that will last a lifetime.

I spent yesterday morning canning salsa with family. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that, so I embraced the morning. My two-year old granddaughter and three-year old grandson were with me. It reminded me of some of my favorites times… canning season with my kids.

We skinned the ruby red tomatoes, diced them, and poured them into a huge pan. After dicing and adding other spices and vegetables such as onions, peppers, olives, and mushrooms, we boiled the mixture. We poured it into jars, covered them with lids, and placed them in the pressure cooker. Later, we placed the steaming jars on the cabinets to cool. What did we gain for our efforts? Aching feet and backs, tired hands, and jars and jars of mouth-watering salsa.

We shared memories, laughter, and companionship yesterday. I miss the days when my children surrounded me and their busy hands were in the middle of this pan or that jar … the days have flown. However, it was comforting having my grandchildren there. Even though they’re so very young, they’ll remember the glass jars filled with the ruby red mixture, and maybe one day they’ll be sharing the same memories with their own children. I sure hope so.

This is a good site for tips and recipes on canning: http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/home/1.php

The Apple Tree

My husband’s grandfather and grandmother bought a special gift for my daughter, Angie, when she was two years old. It was an apple tree. That apple tree has stood in our side yard for 23 years. It’s not just an apple tree, though. It has special meaning.

It was a beautiful spring day when Grandpa Ray and Grandma Pansy carried a bucket of water, the new tree, and a shovel to our yard. Angie followed them, so eager to help. They helped her pick a spot to plant it, explaining that it needed lots of sunlight. When Grandpa Ray started digging the hole, Angie wanted to help. Since she wasn’t big enough to push the shovel into the ground, Grandpa showed her how to place her foot on top of his and they pushed together. He helped her tenderly place the tree inside. She pushed some dirt into the hole first, and then he finished covering the tree.

Grandma Pansy handed Angie a cup and showed her how to dip the water and pour it around the newly planted tree. Angie watched the water seep into the ground.

Grandpa and Grandma talked about each step of the process as the three of them planted that tree. Angie had lots of questions. They answered each one with patience.

That apple tree flourished. I look out the window and see the small green apples that will make up this year’s harvest. There have been quarts and quarts of apple pie filling made from that one small tree. There were also apple pies and apple butter. Even though the apples are sour to the taste, each year both of my girls have to eat one straight from the tree.

Through the years, there were many hours spent in Grandma Pansy’s kitchen preparing tasty goodies. The kitchen smelled of cinnamon on those days. It was hard waiting to get a taste. My girls didn’t just watch us work. They helped. They turned the apple peeler when they were little, and they filled jars and helped in other ways when they were bigger.

Grandpa Ray and Grandma Pansy are both gone now, but the apple tree remains. So do the memories of all the apples and years past. Good memories. Memories of family time, laughter, and love shared with people near and dear to our hearts.

It was something as simple as planting a tree, but in the process, they created memories.

Create memories. Share with your loved ones… time, laughter, and love. There’s nothing else in the world like it.

Old-Fashioned Fun With No Bells & Whistles

Hello, Everyone...

Welcome to my blog. I'd like to share some of my experience in life and maybe a dream or two. I hope you'll find something of value here, something that creates a memory that will last a lifetime.

You don't need a lot of money, toys, or supplies to have fun with your family. There are so many ways to create memories without a lot of hassle. I'll be sharing tips to create simple crafts. There'll be ideas for games that take no supplies at all. And I'll give you ideas on how to handle anything from a bully to a power outage.

Sometimes our lives get so busy, we forget our families. It may be that you can't schedule a family dinner together because everyone's running their separate ways. Or maybe there's never a spare minute to just enjoy each other's company and talk. But I believe there's a way to stop, take a breath, and experience what family is all about.

Family togetherness is an important element in our lives. I can't imagine my life without mine, that's for sure. And it's important to create good memories for our children. We honestly don't need the "bells and whistles" that money buys. You won't find high-tech games or crafts with supply lists a mile long here. I'd like to give you old-fashioned ideas that remind you that a simple life is a good life. I'd like to help you bring your family closer together and create a tie that binds.

I hope you visit my site often. Have fun...

Lisa