Grapes

One of the many blessings of living in this old house is our grape vines. On both sides of our yard we have fruitful old vines that are full of grapes in the fall. Another blessing is our sweet neighbor, Miss Gladys, who has been a widow for over 25 years, had 6 children, and has lived in her little white house since the early 1940's.

A few years ago, Miss Gladys, had a garage sale. I, of course, was more than excited to see what treasures she would be letting go of. I came back across the street that day with a baby doll cradle, play tea set, old recipe book, canning pot, and the juicer (pictured above). She told me that it was perfect for juicing grapes with, which I had a lot of! The first year I attempted to make grape juice, Aaron helped me, and we both ended up burning our hands and covering the kitchen floor with the sticky, boiling juice. Trial and error has helped me to become much more efficient and this year the juice was made without any catastrophe. I love the way each bottle of juice is a different shade of pink to purple. There isn't a room in the house can escape the sweet earthy smell of the steaming grapes.

The jars are now resting peacefully up on the high shelf above the stove. Sometimes, I find myself looking up and admiring them with pride. This year I hope to make some grape jelly out of the juice. I'll add that to my "good ideas for christmas gifts" list. For now, though, I think I 'll just let them adorn my kitchen with their beauty :)