Jam and Jerusalem
- Small Offerings
- Oct 23, 2020
- 3 min read
Friday, 23rd October, 2020
Quite a busy morning. After toast and soda bread and lavender apple jelly for breakfast I drove to Dundee. Cloudy and dull skies hardly enlivened me. There were very few people or cars about. I popped in to a bank and was as disappointed as ever!! I will not comment further except Capitalism needs a moral heart. Then I went off to another shop but that was overflowing with people so went to M and S to buy sugar. Then on to AGA lady to complete stage two of jelly making.
Three and a half pints of dripped apple and lavender juice from my efforts yesterday. I added three and a half pounds of sugar. Dissolved the sugar, put the jam jars in the AGA oven to sterilise and boiled the juice. At first I did it gently then fully. I watched it become less fluid and more together, more viscous. One gets used to sensing the turning point when it is ready for becoming a jelly not just a juice.
My friend talked to me about a fascinating book she is reading called 'Wilding'. It is about a derelict infertile Country Estate being returned, as it were, to nature. Utterly amazing how nature look over again and the whole structure and mutual symbiotic system restored the land and flora and fauna. The return of birds, butterflies, bees and all creatures great and small made it a heart warming story. It really did inspire. She herself has allowed part of her garden to go wild. She has noted a greater variety of birds and insects. Her real fascination has been the huge variety of beetles! And the mosses.
As she spoke so I stirred and gauged the state of the liquid bubbling away. She went off and I brewed and drank coffee and exercised my judgement. Then I took the liquid off the AGA and let it cool for ten minutes. I removed the now sterilised jars and filled them. It is the most beautiful clear colour. My one worry is that I put in insufficient lavender. The jar lids I boiled to sterilise.
Once the seven jars were filled, had wax paper put on them and then lidded I put them in a cool place. I left them behind and hope they have set well.
Back to my home. The sun had come out by now. I foolishly checked my iPad and the headline news of Ms Sturgeon's 5 tier plans re Covid popped up. Also some commentary on the Trump Biden debate. Thoughts pushed through my head but I decided to forget them all. As the sun looked inviting I decided to walk.
I took the usual way noting the swans were back on the lake. Then I took a detour via the Tay bank and wandered home. The Tay reflected the azure sky.
I wrote a few emails, started two letters and pondered supper. Burgers, salad and baked apples with raisins and cream.
It has been a day in which the background has been thoughtful prayer. I have a few friends in need and they featured in and out of consciousness. So a meditative day and a realisation again of how special friends are to life. Also, I hope, some delicious jars of jelly.
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