My Man Can(s)

Since I have been away quite a bit lately helping my mother recover from her fall, I try to spend some quality time with Mr. Brown Socks when I am back home.  He loves to garden and we eat, give away and Yes, even can or freeze some of our produce.

 

 

 

Just beyond the edge of our property before you step into the woods

 

Mr. Brown Socks has planted several Nanking Cherry Bushes. These are a small, sour cherry.

Have you ever heard of them?

 

I used to think they were pretty much worthless because they have a pit almost as big as the cherry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the third year of their growth and we have a bumper crop.

 

When Dear Husband suggested we make jelly I wasn’t enthused.  Being the good wife I am and realizing I have been away so much I went out and helped pick and pick and pick these little beauties. 

 

Aren’t they the prettiest shade of red you ever did see?

 

We cooked them up and turned them into jam. 

 

Does anyone else but us do things like this anymore??

 

Ummm, the last little bit was placed in the fridge to enjoy immediately on toast or pancakes.

 

We made two batches, so we will have some to give away.  This is the first batch.  The second batch we experimented and didn’t use quite as much sugar.  That is always a risk because often times it won’t set up.  It took a little longer, but after a couple of days it is also a pretty good consistency.

 

Sour Cherry Jam

 

3 lbs. sour cherries (about 4 cups)

7 cups sugar

6 oz. liquid fruit pectin

1 teaspoon almond extract (My suggestion ~~ double this for a very flavorful cherry jam!)

 

1.  Wash, stem, and pit cherries

2.  Chop them into small pieces

3.  Put fruit and sugar in a large saucepan.

4.  Boil hard for 1 minute

5.  Remove from heat and stir in liquid pectin

6.  Skim foam and add almond extract

7.  Put in jars and seal with hot lids.

8.  Some place in a hot water bath, but we live on the edge and do not!

 

I came home yesterday to his dishes NEATLY piled in the sink

And a creative way to dry the dishcloth from the dishes he DID wash!

Today I am joining Michael for Foodie Friday and Glenda at Tootsie Time.

     

 

 

I hope you’ll join these ladies.  There are always excellent recipes and inspiring gardens to view!

 

Nice for you to stop by!

They Called Her Hollywood

Let me first say thanks to all of you who commented and have asked how my mother is doing.  So nice of you.  She has been home a couple of weeks now and we are seeing signs of improvement.  It’s been almost six weeks since the fall and the hip surgery.  Just yesterday they started having her practice walking with a cane.  She was mad at first and told my sister, Barb in an angry way ~~ “They are having me use a walkin’ stick!!”  She is scared, but everyone knows she can do it!

 

I just have to tell you a little bit about her stay in the hospital.  Barb and I were there A*L*O*T.  To keep ourselves entertained we made friends with all the staff and many of the patients who were also in the rehab unit.  There was Freeman and Dale and Ralph and a few ladies, but we mostly made friends with the gentlemen.  wink, wink ;;))  It was fun to get to know them and to see how they were progressing as well.

Donna and Barb

File Photo

 

Mom made cookies one day as part of her therapy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She laughed about wearing a “Bib” or as the staff called it  “ a cover-up”.  She wanted me to take this picture to show her friend Gloria.  They travel together a lot and  snack in the car.  They always joke about needing bibs so they look fresh when getting to their destination.  Those two have more fun together. I wish I had a picture to put in here with the two of them being silly.  You can see by the picture Mom was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

 

 

Mom had company and then more company and visitors and more visitors and people and more people.  One of the therapist popped her head in the room one day and told us that Dorothy has more company than any other patient they had ever had!  Another nurse said they were calling her “Hollywood” at the nurses station because she was so popular.

 

Audrey the Speech Therapist (who we grew to love) said she could always tell Mom’s friends as they were walking down the hallway because they were the classy ones.  Here are a couple of her classy friends:

 

 

You know what my mother told Audrey?  I believe this is a quote from Maxine.  “I’m still classy, sassy and can kick assey!"  We are still laughing over our prim and proper Southern Mama saying that. :)  (Mom needed speech therapy as a result of her last hospital incident a couple of years ago)

 

Speaking of Southern, Audrey loved the way our North Carolina Mama talks.  Part of her therapy for her speech was to turn her head to the right and swallow twice.  Audrey had her practice this and Mom would say, “ Chew, Swalla, Swalla, Drink, Swalla”  Often times Mother does not pronounce the long “O” with words ending in a W.  Audrey said she would have her practice saying these words over and over just so she could hear her say “Swalla”.  She said she wanted to have tee shirts made that said “How’s Your Swalla?” but she wasn’t real sure how to spell it!

I’m actually writing these memories here so we will remember these times years from now.  Once again along with the tears and frustrations of the accident we can see the good that comes from such an ordeal.  Family and friends really are everything.

 

 

We are indeed fortunate to have each other to care for.

 

I hope to be around Blogland a little more often as the days go by and Mother continues to improve.  I’ve missed checking in with everyone!  Stop by again, okay?

Donna