That's what the sky in Lloyd has looked like all day. I took that picture of the post office when I went to check the mail. It's been gloomy and chilly and damp. It's even rained some. I had no desire to leave the house at all after I got back from that short errand.
I sent a friend this picture and asked, "Do I really want to mess with these?"
"God no," she said.
But then I thought about all the time Mr. Moon had taken to pick them and I decided to just make a few pints of pickled green ones and got out the canner and perused recipes and sterilized jars and made a pickling brine and stemmed and washed the tomatoes and before I put each one in the jars I stabbed the top with a sharp knife. The recipes online are a mishmash of different techniques, brines, and spices. So I just put in what I wanted including part of a brick of brown sugar that I've kept for some unknown reason. It fused itself together a long time ago so today I just got out some sort of serrated knife that looks like it was made to cut through bones (it may have been) and hacked off about an inch of the brick and threw that in with the vinegar and salt. I put a garlic clove and different pickling spices into the jars before I put the tomatoes in, then filled the jars with the brine before I put the lids on and put them back in the canning kettle for a nice little simmer.
This is what they looked like before they went into the water bath.
So. They may be good or they may taste like a vile experiment gone very wrong. The only thing I've wasted is some vinegar and spices and a hunk of brown sugar.
They've all sealed and I'll open a jar in a week or so to see what they taste like.
Besides that I wrapped a few presents. I can only do so many of those at a time before I lose my mind. I have such a mental block about giving presents. Some people seem to just be born to know how to give the best presents. My friend Lynn was one of those people. Her mama was good at it too. My mother frankly mostly sucked at it. Every Christmas we used to go to a party at a friend's house and it became a standing joke for the women to tell each other about the things their mothers had gotten them. I think I was the all-time champ of weird shit present-receiving from my maternal unit. Well, she tried. I'm not a whole lot better than she was. My kids still talk about the Christmas everyone got the choice of getting a corduroy shirt from J. Crew or a multi-tool. I am sure I must have given them all more than that. I mean- really. The youngest children are easy to buy for. Levon literally picked out his own present and I bought it. I got August a make-a-robot kit thing and Maggie a giant jewelry-making kit.
So anyway, I wrapped up all the kids' things except Gibson's which isn't here yet, and then remembered that I had presents for Mr. Moon to wrap and I just couldn't deal with it. I did get a fancy $1.99 shopping bag in Bass Pro World decor when I was there yesterday and his presents may all just end up being in there, unwrapped, with a layer of tissue paper over them. I remember how Kathleen used to get started early, early making beautiful pillowcases that she put her Christmas presents in. That woman DID Christmas. She loved it! She baked and bought and sewed and crocheted and planned and made soap, and then she cooked the seven fishes for Christmas Eve. Is it seven? Twelve? Whatever it was, she did it. She had the most amazingly generous soul.
I do not.
I do not.
One year she made me a shawl/wrap in my favorite color, a deep teal, and she put bells on it and ribbons and oh my god! It is such a work of love and knowing. I cherish it. And it must be six feet long. At least! I can wrap and wrap and wrap myself in it.
It's raining now. Mr. Moon is in town, trying to find me a Christmas present, I'm afraid. He asked me to please tell him what I'd like and I swear, I could not think of a thing. I need no more kitchen appliances or doo-dads or even beautiful knives. He gave me jewelry for our anniversary. I need nothing and I really don't WANT anything either. We are at that stage of life where if we want something, we buy it for ourselves and we have everything.
What I really want is for us to get these plants in and that must be done tomorrow. Truly. Neither one of us really wants to do it but unless I want my plants, some of which are twenty years old or older, to die, we have to.
I found a recipe online for fried green cherry tomatoes so it can be done. I think I'll try that for our supper tonight. I've already made the aging eggplant into a casserole and I'm going to roast a chicken which will feed us for days. And hey! We could also have a nice cherry tomato salad!
This many were ripe enough not to be considered green. Maurice is not impressed.
All right. This made me laugh today.
Cherry tomato salad with red onion and some mozzarella cheese. Or just tomatoes and cucumber with a drizzle of oil and vinegar.
ReplyDeleteI used to hate gift bags. I thought they were lazy. I now think they are the best invention ever!
I am about to hit the shops for last minute shopping. I shall think of Mary's waters breaking and it might keep me sane. Or least lower the anxiety. Thank you for looking after my mental health and making me smile.
Oh, I do love a cherry tomato salad! But I think that after pickling some and now air-frying some, that will be enough tomatoes for today.
DeleteGift bags are a sign that we are becoming more civilized.
Yes. Think of Mary's water breaking and remember what is important. I am always here for mental health tips. They work so well for me.
I really like those Japanese folded fabric gift wrappings. You can make something from them afterwards, too. I'm making heath bars for a few local kids, and may bag them in fancy fabric.
ReplyDeleteI need to check that out. I'm not sure I know what those are. The folded fabric gift wrappings, not the Heath Bars. Those I know.
Deletehoping your tomatoes, both canned (what a woman!) and air fried will be great! You are using them.....that is the most important thing. Your post speaking of Kathleen and her 7 fishes Christmas Eve dinner made me reminisce big time.....a dear friend of ours (sadly departed 10 years ago WAY before his time).....was Lithuanian.... (did Kathleen have any eastern european heritage?).......and all the years of his life....we celebrated Christmas Eve at his house with a *Kucios* meal. Pronounced *kutchas* https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/lithuania. Husband and I both have such fond memories of those celebrations.....friends, family gathered at an overflowing table....food that had taken them many days to prepare. Traditional Kucios does not involve alcohol.......but Tauras always made his famous onion and olive Martini's......... which were imbibed with great delight. Your post took me on a journey today......some smiles.......and sadness too....longing for what *was*. Tis the season, eh?
ReplyDeleteSusan M
Yes. And thank you for that lovely story. I am so sorry that Tauras is no longer with us. Kathleen, too, was taken way too early. Not sure if she had any Lithuanian. I would not be surprised. I know she spent time in Spain. I think another part of Christmas that can be hard is counting the spaces where the faces of beloveds used to be.
DeletePresents, ugh. Getting and giving, such a loaded subject. Like you we buy what we want. But I would be thrilled with a loaf of bread or a frozen lasagna (even Stouffers). There is nothing I need and how lucky am I to say that.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Carol! We are already over-blessed. At least that's how I feel.
DeleteToo funny. Poor Mary, riding an ass, no room, they had to make do with the stable. The whole thing sucked. I hope she gave Joseph hell for not planning ahead better:)
ReplyDeleteThere, did you smile? I hope so. Take care sweetie.
I did smile! I can hear her now, "Joseph! What the heck? Why didn't you send a camel ahead to reserve a room? You really expect me to birth the savior of the world in a fucking stable?"
DeleteI'm betting those pickled tomatoes will taste fine, maybe even wonderful. I like wrapping gifts if they are square or rectangle or something in a box, weird shapes are too awkward and use too many yards of sticky tape.
ReplyDeleteMy presents always look like a clumsy child wrapped them. I swear.
DeleteWe use gift bags from past years and just add a new "To/From" sticker on top of the old ones and add extra tape so an old bow will stick. Our tissue paper is wrinkled and torn but it works to cover the gift. Reuse, recycle, etc., etc....
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of those around too!
DeleteI love your outlook of it might work or it might not just out a bit a ingredients. That's me too. I try things. Some work. Some don't. I'm good with that. Cheers, Ivy.
ReplyDeleteWell. In this case- it didn't work. Ugh. Oh well. Throw 'em out. It was an interesting experiment.
DeleteI hope all of your tomato efforts turn out well and don't stress, your family will just have another story to tell...your supper sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteYes. We will be telling the story of the year Mom tried to pickle cherry tomatoes for a long time to come.
DeleteOne of my son in laws got the perfect present from his parents, which was after-shave. Well, perfect, except that he has a beard :) I also don't need any gifts really but if I can't think of anything I ask for a donation to a charity. It is quite rewarding to think that some poor kids are getting a Christmas dinner somewhere or some refugee is getting helped
ReplyDeleteOh dear. Perhaps the gift-givers thought it was just something to smell good?
DeleteDonations are to a charity are great IF the person they are bought in the name of are happy about it.
The decision to stop giving presents (and receiving them) was most freeing. Of course all my peeps are adults now, children always got presents and teens always got money. But no anxiety about thinking of what to give to who and then having to go out and find it, though I suppose online shopping makes that easier. As for the giving, I always wrap presents, hate those easy thoughtless gift bags. I saw a video on the Japanese art of wrapping gifts in fabric. Oh those arty crafty Japanese. I talked to Jade last night, told her I actually had small gifts for her and Autumn and Robin this year. I don't have a present for you she said. I told her don't get me one, I already have everything I want except a visit from you which is gift enough. And it is. The twins are coming in late on Friday.
ReplyDeleteYes! When grown grands come to visit, there could be no better gift, I think. How lovely!
DeleteI think giving Mr. Moon his presents in the Bass Pro World bag makes perfect sense. Gift bags are a thing! Why waste extra paper?
ReplyDeleteDave and I aren't even buying each other anything, we're so lazy. (As I probably already told you.)
Lazy and smart. You know you love each other.
DeleteI sure hope you're feeling better.
Can I make a little confession? At first I was bereft when my girl decided to spend Christmas upstate with her inlaws, who DO CHRISTMAS, much as Kathleen did. I am more like you, except I think you do more than I do to bring the magic. Now, I feel quite peaceful at the prospect of waking up in my house with only my love, and having a quiet meandering day. I could not think of anything I wanted for Christmas either. I finally told my son to get me a couple of Paperage notebooks in pretty colors. Now I'm excited to receive them!
ReplyDeleteUh, that was me, 37paddington, above, unrecognized again by Blogger. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteYes. You may be utterly shocked at how much you like a calm and peaceful day with your sweetheart. You can do WHATEVER YOU WANT! And I think those notebooks are a terrific present.
Delete