We won’t starve this winter

We did a little bit of canning this weekend. That’s salsa with stuff from the garden, blackberry jam (from last weekend) peaches, peach jam and more peaches. I bought a lot of peaches. Last year Recovering Straight Girl and I went peach picking and she taught me how to can. I love her for that.

This weekend, Fancyhats and I did the canning. We didn’t pick any peaches, but went to an orchard and bought a pre-picked flat. Because, really, how much work can I put into this? Those jars took us the better part of a day, but I swear, come February, I will start opening those peaches and for a few small moments, it’ll feel like summer.

Fancyhats is a very good cook. He had to cook for himself for years. I am a good cook too because I like to eat and I’m super cheap and also I’m a bit on the paranoid side about what goes into my food. So we were in his kitchen together. On a warm day. Canning. Together. We both have strong personalities and are both used to being the boss in the kitchen. Let me just say, there were a few moments of, “that’s really great, how about you do it?”

And then coming back together again. A hug. A kiss. As much as we stepped on each other’s toes, we laughed a lot while we canned. I almost peed myself watching Fancyhats try not to instruct me on knife-usage and then finally giving in and pretending he was hosting his own cooking show. I told him cooking with him is like being tickled. It’s like torture, but it makes me laugh uncontrollably too.

Again, a learning experience. Learning, for both of us, how to let go of the reigns. For a long time, I was the boss of the whole house. I took care of most everything. If I didn’t nag about something, remember something, schedule something, or do it myself, it just didn’t happen.

I tend to let go a little faster than Fancyhats does, though I’m sure he’d disagree with that. But I try and let go. I relax a bit. I put my hands up and enjoy someone else driving. That he’s willing to be in control for a little while is a pleasure in itself.