Thursday, February 12, 2009

Progress.

Behold. This is the cupboard where I've been returning canning jars after we've eaten their contents. It gives me almost as much pleasure to see them all emptied out as this picture did, months ago, when they were all full. All the work would've been in vain if we weren't eating the stuff, right? Well, thankfully, we are.

It's a weird state to be in: we have so much food in our house, canned and frozen, that I almost view it as an accomplishment when a bag or a jar gets emptied out. Like, progress. I guess it's just the utilitarianist in me, delighted to have fulfilled the canned tomatoes' higher purpose by eating them in February. This has given me a different, almost religious relationship with my food. I go down to the cellar to find The Chosen One, the can that's going to become tonight's dinner. Fitting the empty jars into our dishwasher, and, later, putting them away, gives me great satisfaction.

Satisfaction, and yearning to fill them all up again. Just as soon as happy green things start to grow out of this half-frozen, puckery ground.

3 comments:

ChristyACB said...

Exactly!

I think we may, in fact, have genes in common!

Though I moaned about having to buy all my canning jars new, it did give me the benefit of keeping the boxes they came in, which is very handy for storing them and ensuring dim light through the glass.

Just last night, I transferred a couple of jars from the dishwasher to a carton and filled it up, transferred it to the "ready for filling" shelf and gave a big contented sigh.

I do like it almost as much. It is like opening a Christmas present from my past self with every bright jar of tomatoes.

Kristina Strain said...

What a great analogy. Christmas presents from my past self. My hectic, scurrying, autumn self. We'll have to keep tabs on each other's canning exploits as the season progresses!

katherine mary said...

The Chosen One. i love it and you. :) <3

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