Well folks, here's another one of my monthly entries, except that this time I don't think I'll be blogging on the usual ER insanity (at least directly; I'm beginning to think its become part of who I am and just seeps out of my pores...). So I was at work a week or so ago, and was telling some of my coworkers about the gardening/canning venture that I've planned for myself. I was amazed at how many condescending, scoffing remarks I received about this. Now every once in a while people will come up to me and say "hey there, susie homemaker, how's the garden?" Which brings me to my latest beef with people: why have so many of the good, old-fashioned things fallen by the wayside and been forgotten?
Now I know what the obvious answer to this question is. The advent of modern day convenience has made things really easy, and fairly effortless, to come by. But besides the general economy of growing and canning some of your own food, there are other reasons why I want to do this. (Also, let it be noted that, shocking as it may be, I bake my own bread too. The real way, not with a breadmaker.) Anyhow, am I the only one who misses the smell of fresh bread in the kitchen, or spending a day making jam and putting it away for one of those cold winter days, when nobody else has the strawberry jam that Grandma made just for you to take home in the cool little quilted glass jelly jar? For golly sake, I think I would be doing my daughter a disservice if I failed to show her how things used to be, and teach her how to do them herself.
Yes, the time I spent outside for hours on my last set of days off was hot, and backbreaking, and physically exhausting. And I got one hell of a sunburn. But damnnit, I planted a good sized garden. And baked 4 loaves of bread, too. And the best part about it was that my husband and daughter were out there with me, every step of the way, breaking up the ground, pulling weeds (and these tree root off-shoots, which became the bane of my existence for a while), putting in fertilizer, and planting the seeds. I know, and really am prepared, that I may not get one damn plant out of all this work. Colorado isn't the best for growing, especially in your backyard. But hey, I taught my daughter the value of hard work. And hopefully everything she learns from my "susie homemaker" endeavours will be something she passes along to future generations. It could be worse; I could be teaching her how to be a brainless jackass like half of the parents out there. So call me what you want. See if I share any of my jam with you.
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Oh, dear god. We are truly cut from the same cloth. Which should scare you. I completely agree with your take - and I'm usually the one getting razzed because I make jam like a fiend, every summer. Make my own bread, too, and the only time I've done so with a bread machine is 'cause they wouldn't let me put an oven in my dorm room in college. Once, I made butter, just for fun - it was surprisingly easy, and tasted great - but the comments were along the same lines. I even remember somebody blinking in amazement and telling me I ought to be Amish. (Fitting that I'm heading for Amish country soon, then, eh?)
I completely agree with you on passing along the skills of cooking, baking, canning, gardening, crocheting, and so on - I figure I have these skills because my mom and grandmas loved me enough to impart their wisdom, so by passing it along I'm honoring them as well as equipping my kids for their futures.
And homemade jam *is* the best, dammit, especially on that homemade bread. Keep on homemakin', sister.
(funny sidenote: I hauled out the sewing machine last night and made a pioneer sunbonnet for Hayley for her class's Pioneer Day tomorrow - more even than I thought I could accomplish in one night!!)
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