Your article set me to thinking. I have said I remember going out to pick muscadines with my mother and grandmother, back when Stone Mountain was in the country. It was steamy hot work and there were millions of bugs, probably chiggers. Why, I wonder now, would they have left their unaircontioned but reasonably comfortable homes to stand out in the August heat and pick those muscadines, then take them home, and get the house even hotter cooking down the muscadines and then squeezing the juice out, and turning it into jelly, then putting the jelly into the jars? Then putting that layer of wax on top? Jelly off the shelf in the grocery story had to have been nearly as good and a lot less trouble. Was it being outdoors? Time with my grandmother? Or was it something she had been brought up to do by my grandmother who had learned to be a wife in the hills of northeast Georgia?
Now that I'm living in Aiken it's even more meaningful to read your "musings" I have yet to eat one of these huge grapes but the Farmers Market is full of them so the opportunity to will be easily remedied. The cool breezes of last week were very welcome and delightful to read about
I’m happy to read your writing …no matter how often you publish. I love this muscadine story. Mr. Tuten had both down in Hampton and there were lots along the woods line, too.
You mean Mossy’s? My great grand father? Have you ever heard him referred to as Mossy? I saw it on a photo or something the other day ….wondered what it referred too…
I’m still gonna do Thursday each week. But I want Sunday to be a little more in-depth writing things that I have time to pull over and do various drafts on.
Jenksie
I could feel the heat, see the dragonflies, and taste the sweet Jellyroll.
Thank you.
Your article set me to thinking. I have said I remember going out to pick muscadines with my mother and grandmother, back when Stone Mountain was in the country. It was steamy hot work and there were millions of bugs, probably chiggers. Why, I wonder now, would they have left their unaircontioned but reasonably comfortable homes to stand out in the August heat and pick those muscadines, then take them home, and get the house even hotter cooking down the muscadines and then squeezing the juice out, and turning it into jelly, then putting the jelly into the jars? Then putting that layer of wax on top? Jelly off the shelf in the grocery story had to have been nearly as good and a lot less trouble. Was it being outdoors? Time with my grandmother? Or was it something she had been brought up to do by my grandmother who had learned to be a wife in the hills of northeast Georgia?
Anyhow, thanks for bringing back that memory!
Love what you write, Jenks, whenever you write it. It’s fun to be surprised,
Now that I'm living in Aiken it's even more meaningful to read your "musings" I have yet to eat one of these huge grapes but the Farmers Market is full of them so the opportunity to will be easily remedied. The cool breezes of last week were very welcome and delightful to read about
I’m happy to read your writing …no matter how often you publish. I love this muscadine story. Mr. Tuten had both down in Hampton and there were lots along the woods line, too.
You mean Mossy’s? My great grand father? Have you ever heard him referred to as Mossy? I saw it on a photo or something the other day ….wondered what it referred too…
I'm excited for your next book and good luck with all your projects!
I support whatever you need to do but will miss the weekly musings. And I especially look forward to news about your mother. She's a treasure!
I’m still gonna do Thursday each week. But I want Sunday to be a little more in-depth writing things that I have time to pull over and do various drafts on.