DUSTY'S THEN AND NOW

            A special request for a column on the �Willow Tree Room� and you know who you are (TOB)!

            It was canning time at our house and the wood stove in the kitchen was �fired� up. First, my great aunt appeared with her husband in tow carrying a large canning pot. Inside were the rings and lids for the jars. Behind him came my three older cousins carrying boxes of jars. Next came the neighbor from across the alley behind us. Her husband and daughters behind her carrying the same things. I was sitting on the sink drain board out of the way and just watching the circus in front of me. Pop came in the back door and of course greeted everyone and soon he and my uncle disappeared down the cellar. I knew pop was going to dig up some dandelion wine from the floor. That is where he hid it so Grammy could not find it but she did and when she did, the coal shovel was used for digging and breaking the wine bottles. Pop would be in mourning for weeks after that!

            The women asked where all the tomatoes were and were quickly ushered out to the Willow Tree Room where the tomato baskets were all lined up neatly on newspaper along with a bucket for the garbage. �Why are the tomatoes here?� my aunt asked. �What better place than here to work instead of that hot kitchen?� replied my Grammy? They all finally agreed that this indeed would be a good place.

            The women soon went back into the house to put water on to boil to wash and sterilize the jars. I was banned from the kitchen because this was too dangerous for young children. The tomatoes were carried into the house dropped into the water, scalded and brought back out to the Willow Tree Room. Finally Grammy hollered for pop and before you could blink an eye, a stove was going in the yard! Pop made something out of nothing again. �Like in the old country mom!� Everyone loved the idea that most of the work could be done outside. Even I had to help with the tomatoes. The morning wore on, the tomatoes piled up, and dishpan after dishpan disappeared into the kitchen. I do not remember seeing her for a while. Then I was having fun picking up the tomato peels and feeding them to the assorted chickens and ducks we had. (They were in pens, not running loose) Then Grammy called me from the kitchen and when I got inside I was given the task of putting the tomatoes into the sterile jars, after my hands were scrubbed properly! I was being taught canning 101! Of course, Grammy was watching my every move! Soon she disappeared from the kitchen and my Aunt came in and took over filling the jars.

            I was dismissed from my job, given a cold glass of milk, and told to go outside. It was time to put the jars in the pot and cook them for a while. Mysterious goings on to me. The neighbor came in to help also and I sat under the tree on the big swing with Grammy. We heard the back gate open and it was another neighbor coming up the garden path. She was here on a mission of barter. � I have so many peppers in my garden and want to trade for some tomatoes if you have extra.� Well Grammy apologized to her and said �No, no extras this year, yet. Wait until we see what we have left after we fill our jars. Then maybe. My sister and neighbor brought their tomatoes also to can today. So now we wait.� Of course, the woman had more to offer, like jars! Well that made the grandmothers ears go UP. I looked over at the tree trunk and whom do I see but Fritz sitting on a knob and laughing to himself. He looked so silly! I was glad no one could see him but me.

            Lunchtime came and my older cousins appeared with bread and cheese and pop came out with what was left of Sunday�s ham. My Aunt thought we were going to eat in the house and we laughed. �We always eat out here, Nina. It� s cool and nice.� Well the aunt did not understand at all. I wonder now if she ever was a child. Pop had brought out a few of the old kitchen chairs from the cellar along with another table and before you knew it, the Willow tree room had a kitchen! That is the day it became a �house.� We all enjoyed lunch and the women went back to canning the remainder of the tomatoes, including my older cousins. Yes, the neighbor got her tomatoes and Grammy got her extra jars and peppers.

            After everything was cleaned up, the women went home, to return later to pick up their jars of tomatoes after they cooled.