Green Beans

Monday morning my Grandma Mary called to see if I wanted to learn how to can green beans. I had taken Drue out to help plant onions earlier in the summer and told her I wanted to learn all the tricks of gardening and canning/freezing. Drue, Lane and I went to her house that afternoon and DD washed, snapped and put the beans in the canning jars. As I was watching my 81 yr. old Grandma work I asked her questions about her growing up years and memories of canning with her mother. Then it hit me. I should have been asking these questions years ago. I got sad thinking that maybe Grandma was thinking I was trying to "hurry up and learn this stuff before she died." She would describe something to me then say, "I'll leave the pressure cooker to you when I'm gone." Ughh. I started to tear up watching Drue and her Great-Grandma put the pickling salt in the jars. Then Grandpa Harold came in to the kitchen and we all ate watermelon. After having Grandma yell 2 or 3 times, trying to get him to hear and understand what we were doing, he sat for a minute...I could see him thinking..."Did you stress the fact you should never leave the pressure cooker unattended?" He always finds something to worry about. :) I learned that Grandma purchased the cooker in Eldora, the summer they were married (1948) for $18. She said that was something she HAD to have. She grew up with no electricity, cooked every thing on a stove fueled by cobs/wood. Canning was an especially long and HOT process. Without the cooker, she and her mom boiled the jars for 3 hours, and you had to stay and watch them...instead of the 20 min. it takes with Grandma's iron cooker. As the kids gave Grandpa goodbye hugs, he, too teared up, he's done that the last couple of times the kids and I have left his house. So, on my way home I pondered the reality that my Grandma and Grandpa won't always be here, and they know it, too. Having grandkids and great-grandkids kind of makes you face your own mortality. I guess, as I get older, everyone else does, too! I am so thankful God has placed me where I can be close to them and learn from them and that at 29 years old, I still have all of my grandparents to visit with. There is so much that us "younger people" take for granted and so much that won't be passed down to us if we don't show an interest, like canning, quilting, the history of it all...etc...I always say, I wish I lived in "Laura Ingalls' time" or was Amish...ok, who am I kidding? My clothes dryer pooped out on me a month or so ago and the repair guy couldn't get here for 4 days...somehow I got 14 days behind on laundry, even though I hung things outside.

Tonight was going to be the night I put both kids in their OWN rooms to sleep. Yup...Drue has slept with us since THE DAY SHE WAS BORN! No kidding. Well, there were a few months that she slept in her crib (IN OUR ROOM) before Lane was born and a month before we had Lane that she slept in her own room...but her Daddy (ok, me too) likes having the whole family together. (Dig sleeps in a pack & play next to our bed) Anyway...all three of my babies are in our room as I write this. I just don't think I'm ready to put Dig in his own room. (My sister-in-law is laughing...hi Karla!) I like being able to look over and see him and since I'm still nursing him...it's way too convenient, I barely have to wake up to feed him...sometimes I don't think I do! :) Excuses, Excuses...someday those cute rooms and beds will be used!

Yesterday, Sierra Higgason came over to "babysit" while I painted clouds on Lane's ceiling. She did a wonderful job entertaining DD. They played outside, made a craft, played toys, gave eachother the Mary Kay Satin Hands manicure, painted nails, and made cookies...all by themselves...and who knew...one Tbs. of salt doesn't taste that much different than one tsp!!!! She was a lot of help, she helped me cross some things off of my never ending "To Do" list...Thanks, Sis! :)

We're off to the pool tomorrow since it is supposed to feel like it's around 100 degrees out. Even going to the pool doesn't sound that fun...Still planning on getting pics. posted this weekend.

After visiting with Grandma I hope all of you tell people how much you care about them and love them...even if you aren't a "tell 'em I love 'em" kind of person...life's too short, I guess I'm just realizing that even 100 years on this earth, isn't very long to share with someone you love. I won't forget anything Grandma or Grandpa told me that day.

~Blessings~ kabl