The Apples in My Orchard

Today, I went to our local grocery store to pick up a few things. My husband offered but I have not been out of the house since last Saturday!  I told him that I felt I really needed to go as I was getting a little “loopy” from being housebound. I have been on several walks around our neighborhood but I felt like it was my turn to get in the car for an errand.

Since my husband has been gathering our staples, this was really my first chance to see store shelves empty in certain departments.  I was careful to wipe down my cart upon arrival, attempt to stay six feet away from other shoppers (this is much more difficult than it sounds), and get what I needed.  Well, almost. I wanted to pick up some 1/2 pt. jelly jars, but the canning supplies are no longer out. So, I used the self-checkout to ring up my bill and pay. It was at this time I noticed my two reusable bags at the bottom of my cart! In the wake of remembering to keep my acceptable social distance, I forgot I had the bags.

In some deep way, this disturbed me.  Why does it seem that caring for our environment always gets superseded by another concern? I know the pandemic needs our attention but when it is over, and it will be over, we will still be fighting climate change.  I truly hope we can rally similar concerns and actions over our earth home soon.

In any case, on the way home, I chose to drive by the local hardware store, uncertain if it was open. I thought that perhaps I could get my canning jars there. I have cherry juice in the refrigerator that was left from when I thawed our homegrown cherries for a pie the other day. I do not want it to go to waste. But, I drove past their neon OPEN sign, figuring finding canning jars was not “essential” to our existence during this pandemic and headed directly home.  I am a rule follower after all. A trip to the grocery store was one thing, the item I wanted at the hardware store was not essential or absolutely needed in the same way the foodstuffs were.

But, when I was putting groceries away at home, I took one more (last look) for my jelly jars – knowing I would not have gotten rid of them. And, sure enough, high on the top shelf of our corner cabinet, I found the jars – at least ten of them!

Now, that’s what I call luck! I can make my cherry jelly after all!