Fall is fun

So the last few weeks have been very educational for me. I have recently learned to can things and make homemade applebutter with a kettle and fire. Doing the applebutter almost made me feel like a witch at times, stirring the pot while the steam rolled out of the top and the smoke from the fire beneath, children running around screaming as if they might get tossed in. Applebutter has been a family tradition of ours since I can remember. My papaw use to make it when I was a wee child. My cousins and I would run around playing and screaming while the adults stirred and gabbed and shared wonderful stories. Yesterday was no different for us. We begun at 9 in the morning and finshed up around 9 that night. We peeled apples until our fingers were stained and our hands felt as if we had carpeltunnel. Then we proceeded downstairs to the kettle where we would spend the next five to six hours constantly stirring, making sure that the wonderful sweetness we were creating never stuck to the kettle. As we were outside enjoying ourselves thoroughly, I sprung the question, "Isn't is suppose to be kind of chilly outside when we make applebutter?". The answer was what I thought it was suppose to be, an obvious yes. As I looked at my dad with my big blue eyes, I said, " dad, the high today is 82 and we have a FIRE going." Yes, I love to state the obvious. Now, granted it was very hot while we were doing this but it was still a wonderful experience. I was learning something important. My father told me that this was his and mom's last year canning and doing applebutter because they are getting too old. It was time for us kids to learn how to do this stuff. I must say I am very glad that I did. The end result is delicious and not only did I learn how to make applebutter I also learned a little patience yesterday, which is sometimes hard to come by as a mother. Now I have something to pass to my children when they are older and they can pass as well.