Whew!!

I am finally sitting down after a very full day.  Actually, I did sit down a few other times, but it was to shuck corn, or fold clothes, or peel apples, and maybe once to eat.   But, we had such a great time today.  Yes!  It was a lot of work, but we really enjoyed it. 
We went to an orchard and a farm stand Sat. and bought apples and corn in bulk.  We spent today shucking corn and getting it in the freezer, canning applesauce and apple pie filling, making juice for apple jelly, and finally, putting the beginings of apple butter in the crock pot to cook all night.  We kept each other in stiches.  Split apple bags that send apples all over the floor, an apple that shoots across the table when you try to cut it, or an ear of corn that flips out of someone's hands; things that may be irritating when you're doing a job alone, are extremely funny when shared with a group.  We all laughed the hardest when Ri somehow threw an apple at Grandma when she was trying to put some on the table to peel.   (BTW - Grandma caught it!)  Of course, misspoken words are a constant source of amusement.  Grandma shared stories of corn shuckings where everyone would gather around a huge truck load of corn that they had dumped out on the ground.  She said the main attraction was getting to sit there for hours next to someone you liked while you all shucked corn and threw it over in another big pile.  She also told of putting up apples with her Grandmother and how her Grandmother used the apple peelings to make juice for apple jelly.  "She didn't let anything go to waste."  We could all use lessons like that.  But, I would rather do the whole 'use the peeling' thing with organic apples and not ones I knew had been sprayed.  I'm content to let the majority of the pesticides go to waste right along with those apple peels.
We concluded our day at 7:30 with a mad dash to tidy up the house (especially the kitchen) and get the mountain of laundry that had steadily accumulated on the sofa during the course of the day, folded and put away.  Truth be told, I'm glad we didn't have unexpected company.  For a few hours minutes there, it resembled a tornado aftermath shot.  Well, maybe not the whole house, but certainly the area around the kitchen table (and the sofa).  On second thought, company may have been welcomed - we could have used a couple of extra hands, and laughs.  I'll have Ri upload the dozens of pictures she took today so we can choose a few to post.
We still have over a bushel of apples to turn into applesauce and apple pie filling (I think I have enough Granny Smiths and Winesaps to do another 7qts. of pie filling), and we still have all that juice to turn into jelly, but it will have to wait until Wed. since tomorrow is milk day.  There is the apple butter that will be ready tomorrow, but I can jar it up and put it in the canner when I get home.  It already smells wonderful.
I frequently repeat to my girls that age old mantra, "Many hands make light work.", and we've experienced it before.  Like when the girls and I picked over 30lbs of strawberries in just over 30 min.   But today held special meaning with my Grandmother sitting there with us.  You can see how it's not just that the work load is split between other people.  It's the time spent together sharing stories, and laughter, and working together to accomplish a goal.  One of the girls made the comment that when we make an apple pie this year for Thanksgiving we can gladly tell everybody that we ALL made the pie.  

Becky