This time of year is harvest; the corn is ready, the field tomatoes are ripe, there are baskets of Roma tomatoes available if you are someone who jars or freezer bags them for sauces. There are fresh beans, squashes and peaches, oh those lovely, juicy things. When my son was little, every September I would go to Dufferin and St. Clair (lived there with Gramma for years) and grab harvest to jar. The kitchen would be full of pots, my hands raw from dunking tomatoes to blanch and core. I would pickle fresh beets and freeze fresh beans. All this work and most of it would be gone within 3 weeks but it reminded me of my grandmother, whom I mentored then and still do. She valued being frugal having been a product of 2 world wars. She made her own butter, jarred vegetables and fruit, taught me to knit and sew. The quilts she made still cover me every night. Quilts were not made for beauty but for practicality. No piece of clothing was tossed away; it was cut up into small squares or triangles and pieced together to form a blanket. I found the first quilt I made with my Gramma tucked neatly in a drawer in my home the other day. I had used it for my son's crib; it still smells like Ivory Snow. Although I had only learned 2 stitches in knitting, one year, the entire front desk staff at RE/MAX (about 6 at the time) received colourful scarves, hand knit with love. My friend Linda inherited one of my scarves one day when she was cold. She didn't give it back and periodically hints she'd like another one.
The other day, I spent the entire morning cleaning out stuff. I thought of Gramma when nothing was disposable. Carefully, I compartmentalized everything so nothing was wasted. Bags of school type items to the Goodwill; clothing to Dressed for Success (a non-profit company dedicated to providing clothing for women re-entering the work place); items set aside to either hand-me-down to friends or family or have a yard sale. There was nothing in the garbage.
Gramma would have been proud.
Cheryl Bower
RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd.
