Preserving Memories

One of my fondest childhood memories is spending time with my Grandma Carrie. Many times I would drive her home from Church on Sundays, this started about the time I was 9 or 10 years old. I would spend the afternoon looking through her shoebox of old family photos. I loved those pictures and seeing all the people in them, some I knew and had met and others I didn't. My Grandma was the youngest of 10 children. She had nieces and nephews who were around the same age as her. As the Preacher said during her funeral service, with 9 brothers and sisters, her parents, my PaPa and her in-laws having passed away, he was sure they had to shut down the Gates to Heaven when she arrived. We all laughed at this because it was probably true.

My family always grew very large gardens every year. I remember as a child running through rows and rows of corn stalks. One of the gardens was beside the house I grew up in, it was about 4 acres big. There was also a garden behind my Great-Grandparents house which was on the other side of my house, and another garden beside and behind my Grandparents house. We all worked the gardens, and harvested them. I remember my Aunts carport covered about knee deep in corn and the women sitting out there shucking corn. In the hot summer with long sleeves and long pants on, and we would still itch. I spent many summer nights at Grandmas helping her snap peas. Our fingers would be so sore the next day. Grandma would always can the vegetables, and her mud room shelves would be full of Ball jars. There is nothing better than canned vegetables. My Grandma passed away on May 22 of this year. I have lost both of my Grandmothers this year just 2 months and 5 days apart.

We have a Pear tree in our yard that is loaded down this time of year with the sweetest pears. Every summer I say I am going to make pear preserves and have never done it. I called Grandma a couple of years ago to find out how she made her Pear Preserves. It is a really simple process. Just pears and sugar.

Sticky sweet goodness.

So this year I decided to go for it. I called my Aunt Nett to make sure I remembered the recipe as Grandma told it to me. This was on the stove for about 7 hours today.

This is the finished product, my first attempt at canning anything.  I made seven half-pint jars today. Next weekend I plan on making more, I have to get up the ladder first to pick more pears. I was given a wonderful compliment on the taste. When my Dad took a bite he said "They taste just like PaPa's used to." I couldn't help but smile. Today hasn't just been about preserving the pears, I have also been preserving memories.

TTYS