This summer I attempted my first round of home canning, thanks to the generous hand-me-down of my mother-in-law's canning equipment. Like she and my mother did, and their mothers before them, I watched for fruits and vegetables in season and "put up" produce for the winter. Canning requires a lot of drudgery: hours of washing, peeling, chopping, steaming, blanching, boiling, and labeling. At the end of a hot, steamy session, I listened with satisfaction as the lids "plinked" into a vacuum seal one by one. Once the jars cooled, I set them on a shelf with satisfaction and pure enjoyment of the colors and tastes awaiting us.
All my attempts did not go smoothly. Two jars of blueberry jam refused to seal, despite re-processing, trying new lids and rings and jars. Ken (my husband) happily applied himself to the "problem" of eating the jam before it spoiled. I never did get any of my many batches of tomatoes to come out evenly into the jars prepared: there was always a little left over or one jar too few. Some of the jelly never set and stayed a sweet syrupy goo. Improvisation became the key in making my first jaunt into canning a complete success. The "un-jelly" will become topping for pancakes. Leftover tomatoes were added to an impromtu pizza. And a half jar of salsa made great quesadillas! It was a bit frustrating. Following a recipe was no guarantee that it would work out as I expected. Every experienced cook I talked to told me this was normal, which was somewhat reassuring. But I had to put the perfectionist inside me to sleep!
Musing on on how things didn't turn out as predicted, I remembered reading about the origin of "crazy quilts". They were born of necessity; not enough of a fabric or color to make a pattern but too much or too fancy a fabric to be turned into rags. By happy accidents, quilts were made. The designs were free-wheeling and, at times, whimsical. Sometimes they kept people (or horses) warm. Other times they were just for show, displayed in parlors on chair backs. They lasted and lasted because of all the stitching and piecing. I have a crazy quilt made by my great-grandmother, and the richness of the colors and the fabrics are still remarkable! And it looks like she had fun making it!
This kind of flexibility, of creating something useful and occasionally beautiful or delicious out of the surprises of life is something I want to pass on to my children. It is so easy to be critical of myself, of others, when things don't turn out "perfectly". Rather than getting hung up on ideals and ideas, I hope to teach them to find a new way to do an old job. To be creative, pro-active problem-solvers. To be optimistic and believe that God DOES work all things together for good (Romans 8:28). To take a step back and see the beauty in the plans of God, the Master Designer, for truly there are no "happy accidents" with Him!
From our home to yours-
Deb
May be used or reprinted with
written permission. 