“Thank you. My husband has told me all about you and your wife here. I was wondering if you two want a pickup load of produce to can for the winter. That way maybe you can have a head start on the winter months, when it will be a witch to get into town, to do any shopping.”
My mom came into the living room as I opened the front door, “I would love to have some if we have enough money to pay for it.”
“Who’s talking money here? I can stuff every year and we still end up having to throw a bunch away unless we find a family in need, which I may add, doesn’t happen often around here. I grow the produce in my garden every year and my husband, bless his soul, plows up such a big garden spot for me that I end up filling it up, with all kinds of vegetables and fruits. With the fruit trees and the garden, produce ends up growing out of our ears. Now if you want any come on out to the pickup and let’s unload as much of it as you want.”
“Yes, gladly, thank you. I was wondering how bad the roads get out here in the winter.”
“Last winter we were snowed in for almost a month and it was very hard on my husband to get the cattle fed. That was in the middle of winter and then again for two weeks or more toward the end of winter.”
When Mrs. Thurston said a pickup load, she wasn’t exaggerating any. It was a full size pickup with a six by eight bed, front to back and filled to the top of the bed. “You should have asked me over to help you load all this Mrs. Thurston.”
“Oh I had plenty of help believe me. I get something out of my garden all summer long and I’ll be bringing more to you if you want it. I don’t know if maybe you have other family members that could use some of this as well.”
“Yes I will take it and I do know just who needs some food to help them get through the winter as well.”
“Good.” Mrs. Thurston and my mom talked on as the three of us unloaded the pickup and it really didn’t take long at all to off load it all. “I’ll bring you another load every week until you tell me you have plenty of everything.”
“Why thank you very much Mrs. Thurston, let us know if you need any help.” mom said.
As Mrs. Thurston backed out of the driveway, I asked, “I didn’t know you told her husband that you and I are husband and wife.”
“I didn’t tell him that.”
“Now we need to go back to town and get a presser cooker or two, and canning supplies.” I said, looking around the kitchen and dining room.
“I guess there goes our afternoon today.”
“Not really. We’ll be together getting what is needed to start canning all of this food.”
This time I drove mom’s car to town with mom riding along sitting next to me with her hand on my leg. Upon arriving home mom decided to wait till the next day to start canning everything. After washing the two presser cookers and jars, it wouldn’t belong she would need to start cooking supper.
“By the way mom, are you going to be modeling any of your new clothes that you bought today?”
“I planned on it and even maybe wearing one of them the rest of the afternoon. I can show you what I bought today. I do hope they look as good on me as you said they will.” mom left the room to go to her bedroom. In the short time it took mom to change into one of her new dresses, I retrieved a beer for both of us, “How do you like this dress babe?”