Today is four months to the day since Gena and I drove off from Camarillo, California. Hard to believe that we've been nomads since then. Blessed with friends & family around the country who have opened their schedules and homes to us for visits. Blessed to see so much of our beautiful country. Blessed to have time to clear our minds and hearts, readying ourselves for whatever comes next in the ongoing Adventure that is Life.
We didn't celebrate with any major activities. The ladies & kids began the process of making freezer jam - a jam that requires no cooking of the actual fruit. It's something that Gena has enjoyed from her maternal grandmother for many years, and has always wanted to try herself. So, armed with several pounds of berries, they began the process of cleaning, cutting, and then mashing the fruit to prepare it for jam-iciousness.
They realized quickly that they had far more berries than they actually needed or wanted to make jam out of. Too many berries. I made multiple runs to the grocery stores to deplete their supply of pectin, a plant-based thickening agent that is the key to many jams and jellies. In the end, they probably only got half of the strawberries made into jam, and none of the rasberries. Even still, they had close to 10 small containers of various sizes and shapes filled with the gooey goodness. Gwen took the bulk of it, Gena will take some of it to her grandparents tomorrow, and I kept one here. There will be plenty more very soon!
Gwen & Amba left mid-afternoon for the drive back to Bend. The plan at this point is to stop in for a few days and visit with them and their husband/father Greg as we begin our final descent into the cauldron that will be the desert southwest in July.
The rest of the evening was spent doing laundry, picking up the place, and catching our breaths. A good day.
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