Ah, it's summertime. A wonderful time, especially for teachers, when we can lay textbooks and papers aside. No schedules, no deadlines, no grades. Time for personal pursuits. Time to do all things leisurely. More time to blog. Time to ponder the wonders of creation, from the buzz of hummingbird wings to the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, to the purple and pink of sunsets. Time to dig into those drawers and closets that have collected my overflow of stuff: including worn out socks, old shoes, and lots of notes written to myself to remind me of my to-dos. More time for prayer and seeking the Lord and asking lots of questions. I guess in the summer I lay down my teacher role and become a student. Scripture becomes a chest full of treasures, that beg examination and awe. What will I find tomorrow? The Holy Spirit is a great summer tour guide. It's always fun to find out more about that mysterious place called, "the kingdom of God."
I also started doing something that I haven't done in decades, make homemade jam. Yumm!
We regularly spend our summer vacation time at a cottage on a small lake in Michigan. In fact, this will be our 26th summer up at the cottage, named, "Catherine M." after the owner of the resort. (More about the cottage in upcoming blogs.) This particular area of Michigan is filled with fruit and vegetable farms. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, and apples are among the most plentiful. When my children were young and I was staying at the cottage for the entire summer, I used to can a variety of fruit jams. In fact, I purchased not one, but two canners. One affectionately known as a "baby canner," for small jam jars and the regular size canner for large quart jars (applesauce, salsa, tomatoes, etc.) I would then store the jams until Christmas time and give them as presents to family and friends. Honestly, homemade fruit jam on a Ritz cracker is a scrumptious snack or dessert. My kids loved it. So did many of their teachers. Canning and jamming, however, went the way of many other crafty pursuits when my attention turned back to teaching, furthering my education, and caring for my elderly parents. "Why make jam when you can buy it?" thought I. I left all my canning supplies on a back shelf at the cottage, not be be pulled out until this year. This week I put up my first batch of strawberry jam. Even today I found some small baskets that are perfectly sized for the jars for Christmas giving. I guess I need a break from the intellectual arena that I dwell in for most of the year and get back to doing something that is simple and immediately gratifying. No fat in jam, just the bounty of flavors that come from the earth by way of the hard work of farmers, pickers and the master grower are there to enjoy anew.
For anyone interested in jamming. Here is a good link with pictures and easy to follow directions.
I value homemade items whether they are crafts or food because the gift demonstrate the giver feels that you are worth the time required for the project. That is why I enjoy making dinner rolls from scratch and sharing them with others. Lovin' frorm the oven :)
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