Past the Elbows and Up to the Neck

I wasn't planning to do much more canning this season.  But, the best laid plans, etc.  Number One Son went back to the Farmers Market yesterday.  Last year I had bought a 15 lb. box of cranberries and made them into juice.  Between Son and me, it didn't last long.  With that in mind, he brought me two 25 lb. boxes of cranberries.  I was glad that he found the same vendor, for the berries are beautiful.  Not a bad one in the entire box.  Makes the cranberries in the store look like they belong in a dumpster.  As I take a break here, I am about finished with the first box.  There are jars of cranberry juice covering the table, my wee bit of counter space, the top of my freezer...

And he brought me half a dozen butternut squash.  I had tried canning some last year and liked it, so those will go in the pressure canner after I finish the cranberries.

After Son hauled the cranberries and five more cases of quart jars up the stairs, we sat and talked for a bit.  I mentioned to him that my local grocery has pork loin on sale again, along with boneless beef roast.  He said that he needed to do a bit of grocery shopping and would take a look at them.  He did more than look.  He brought me 30 lbs. of pork, at least 50 lbs. of beef and 10 lbs. of bacon ends and pieces, just for fun, he said!  I dice the bacon, brown it and can it in half pint jars for adding to scrambled eggs or egg and potato casseroles or beans or any number of dishes.  The meat is in the freezer until I finish with the great cranberry marathon.

Even though I hadn't planned to do any more canning other than the juice, I was really glad to get the squash and meat.  Son said that it was easier for him to bring it to me rather than my trying to haul it all home via the bus.  As he only has two days off from work every two weeks, and as he lives at least 45 minutes away from me, I really appreciate his time and effort.  And a good share of the time, he won't
let me pay for what he brings me.  He says it is worth it because he doesn't have the time to do the canning and he gets to go shopping from my pantry shelves!

I love it when family works together, sort of like my parents and grandparents did things.  That's the way it should be.