Olives anyone?

Monday morning cup of thoughts

We’ve been busy this past weekend canning olives and cleaning the house. It all started a month ago with a trip to visit our Fresno buddies. The journey was filled with laughter and good times, and we returned home with enough olives to fill seven 5-gallon buckets from a single tree, such abundance in nature. We felt like bandits, happily riding home with the bed of our truck brimming with olives. It was an adventure we won't soon forget, and little did we know, it was just the beginning of our olive-canning journey. 

First of all, we didn’t have nearly enough buckets at home to cure this many olives, so Rick went to the hardware store. We are now the proud owners of 24 5-gallon Ace Hardware buckets. (We use two buckets per batch and can only fill the bucket half way with olives when the water is added.)

Two-plus weeks were spent preparing the olives. Finally, ready to begin canning this weekend, we realized that just one bucket would produce 30 jars. This unexpected challenge led Rick to make a quick trip to Ace for more jars, and luckily, a few friends offered jars they had in storage. It was a reminder that even the best-laid plans can hit a snag, but with a little resourcefulness and help from friends, we can overcome them. 

While we still have two buckets of olives left to can this coming week, we Rick prepared 110 jars over the Thanksgiving weekend. I did help, but Rick did most of the work, which is a testament to his fortitude.

After a month of traveling, our house needed cleaning desperately. It was a daunting task, but as I moved from room to room, avoiding the kitchen until yesterday when he was done, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

I had envisioned a leisurely weekend at the fire pit finally able to burn, but last night as we relaxed, I must admit I enjoyed the satisfaction of a job well done. As I moved through the clean house and laundry room full of olives this morning, I breathed deeper, feeling a mix of relief and pride in what we had achieved over the holiday weekend. 

Next Thanksgiving though, I’m planning to be at the fire pit, likely still eating olives.