Journey in canning.

Whisky-kissed Peach Preserves: first effort on the left, second effort on the right.

In my recent canning adventures, I was left scratching my head wondering why all the peaches in my Whisky-kissed Peach Preserves were swimming to the top of all of the jars, desperately trying to crawl out and screaming for their mothers.  It tasted fine, actually it was amazingly tasty but it was all float-y.  So I went screaming for my mother, seeking the answers to life's deepest questions only to discover that she was scratching her head and seeking the same.  In search of further meaning, I sought my husband's advice and the sage wisdom of the new Joy of Cooking.

No, I did not turn to wikipedia or google.  Where's the fun in that?!?

Indeed, the Great Haggis had the answer but it wasn't the one I was prepared for... let the jam cool before canning it.  Hmm, isn't that unsanitary? Don't I want to burn all my fingertips in order to claim my blue ribbon status in canning, the medal that states I have killed no one?  But it turns out that cooling it slightly, still sets the jam, seals the jars AND it's not as scary.  So, chock one up for the Haggis.  He wins a jar of preserves.  Should I give him the jar on the left or the right?

Queueing in Cambridge

We're fortunate where we live to be surrounded by farm fields on all sides save one which is a nice little city airport.  So, our views on any day can be like the one Haggis shared below.  We also have the option of cycling into the city centre of Cambridge, which is a pleasant 30 minute-ish ride that takes us via cycle paths and pedestrian bridges into the market and university areas of the city, where all sorts of cosmopolitan opportunities abound, i.e., shopping, cinema, museums, gardens and restaurants.  We can even go farther afield into London on a nice 45-minute journey by train.  Life sounds pretty good, eh?  But, then there are those other days when life in Cambridge is reduced to huge sighs, a few expletives and mobile texts explaining why you're late to your appointment.  (I know that's irresponsible but hey, look, I'm not going anywhere... and I took a photo to prove it.) 

Amber waves of Edye

With clouds like this, what else could we do but go out and stand in a field?

It begins...

Yesterday saw the kick off of dementiaCOMPASS, a project I've been working on for about 18 months.  For a while, I thought I was never going to get there, but then I realized that its time would come and 'not now' didn't mean 'not ever'.  This has been a lesson I've been exploring for about 15 years and has been gratefully shoved down my throat since I moved to Britain.  You see, things happen slowly here.  There is little of the instant gratification I would have expected from my life back home.  In fact, I don't even expect gratification, i.e., happiness, all of the time, it surely is nice but isn't necessary from every aspect of my life.  This seems to make life a little more enjoyable, strangely even gratifying.

So, when people say to me that I should have done something else to get a better, faster, more improved result, I hear their words differently.  I don't hear 'you did that wrong' as much anymore, instead I hear that given what they know about the situation, they would have played things differently.  Fair enough.  Meanwhile, I'll consider yesterday a success knowing all that I know about the day and all that came from it.

Let's hope I can keep that perspective as dementiaCOMPASS develops and grows.  The next few months will be interesting and I'll keep you posted.  There will actually be a website link soon, but not now and that certainly doesn't mean not ever.

Waving, jumping up and down, trying to get your attention...

- Hello?  

- Hello!

- Is there anyone there? 

- Knocking.

- Banging.

- Uhm, I brought cake.

- Oh, there you are.  It was cake, right?  Well, it would have got my attention, too.

- How are you?  It's been too long.  I know, things have been busy, and well, I didn't think you were there, so I stopped coming.  You always seem so busy.

- Yes, I'm back...  I know I spruced things up a bit.  Oh, good,  you like it.  Well, that's good feedback. 

- Nope, I'm not going anywhere, at least not for the moment.  I have things to share, things to say.  Will you stay, will you come back?  It's always no nerve-wracking, wondering if you're around.