New Hobbies

One of the ways I’ve been trying to get over Husband #2 is by trying new hobbies.

Some haven’t worked out so well.  Some stuck with me.  The big one was canning.  I feel like a Mad Scientist in the kitchen when I can.  Cooking up this mixture and that mixture, measuring things out just so, and then boiling the crap out of my creations just to make sure I don’t accidentally poison my family and friends.

Trips to the farmer’s market and Costco provided me with plenty of fruit and sugar.  Who goes through 40lbs of sugar in a month?  ME!  The mad jelly maker.

I got into the habit of firing up the boiling water whenever I missed Husband #2.  And I missed him a lot.  I missed him so much that I had to clean out a cabinet for all the jelly and jam I made.

I missed him so much I’ve turned into a jelly making machine.  Cleaning, chopping, boiling, stirring, ladling, sealing, wiping, cleaning, scrubbing are the canning tasks I’ve made second nature.  I’ve whipped up jellies, jams, preserves, pie fillings, pickles, salsa, peaches, pears, green beans, and hot relishes.  I’ve canned things I don’t even like, simply to immerse myself in a task.

And now I have over 50 jars of jelly, even after giving away another 50 jars.  I carry spare jars with me just in case I run across a spontaneous peanut butter and bread explosion.  I went to my women’s retreat with 4 jars in hand.  Everyone loved it and they all lived, so I guess I’m doing something right.

But I’m afraid.

What will I do once canning season comes to a close?