calamity jane

What Were You Doing Last Night at 9:24?

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by

Calamity Jane

We move across the continent in 21 days, My Man is completely immersed in finals, and I am suffering from some kind of severe back problem. Considering the circumstances, what do you think I was doing last night? Packing boxes? Resting the shooting pains in my back after a 14 hour day of full time parenting? Watching stupid movies with My Man in attempt to escape our workload? Sleeping?

No. I was canning strawberry jam. Is this a symptom of something more serious? Inability to travel without carefully packed jars of preserved local bounty? When we moved here from Alaska I flew with 70 pounds of frozen wild game and fish, packed into two enormous coolers, and I sent 5 boxes of home canned smoked salmon through the mail to meet us.

I will not return empty handed. Or empty jarred.

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Comments

9 responses to “What Were You Doing Last Night at 9:24?”

  1. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    Be sure to have the Man stop by on his way north to get more canned stuff if the wagon’s not completely packed.

    Reply
  2. emily Avatar
    emily

    you are a lunatic. but i completely understand your lunacy (and admire it).

    Reply
  3. 6512 and growing Avatar
    6512 and growing

    During the few times we’ve left home (4 months when son was hospitalized as infant, 1 year for same son’s health) half of our load was frozen elk meat and canned jams and salsas.

    I completely understand.

    Reply
  4. Eileen Avatar
    Eileen

    If I were in your situation, with local berries cheap & abundant and a move back to a severe northern climate on the horizon, I’d totally be seeing what I could preserve to bring with me. It makes complete sense, even with exhaustion &etc in mind.

    Reply
  5. andrea Avatar
    andrea

    totally crazy. i recommend muscle relaxants instead.

    Reply
  6. Kelly Avatar
    Kelly

    May your travels be safe and your packing sound – my tip (from sticky personal experience) don’t pack jam jars in the same bag as your undies.

    Reply
  7. Becky Avatar
    Becky

    We all procrastinate in different ways. I think strawberry jam is a most excellent form.

    Reply
  8. Kirsten Avatar
    Kirsten

    What Emily said, LOL.

    Though not packing jam jars with your undies also sounds like excellent advice! :)

    Hope your back gets better quickly – packing is a bitch anyway, you don’t need a back problem on top of that!

    Reply
  9. Leigh @ Toasted Avatar
    Leigh @ Toasted

    I understand.
    Fortifying your soul for the upheaval ahead is a good idea.
    Just make sure you don’t get so wrecked/behind you’ll come to hate said jam because it reminds you of a bad, bad time (that is, preserve, rest, pack, … repeat…)
    Love to you.

    Reply