It goes something like this… It all started with a simple text from a friend, a simple question, “Could you send me a couple of pictures of how you use mason jars in your home?”  I was flattered at first and showed my daughter the text, Sophie, and she jumped right on the task of taking inventory of just how many jars I had sitting around my house.  At first, I thought this will be fun.  I’m so clever, I’ve found all these ways to use my mason jars or maybe just to support my habit.  Lol.  Thanks for not judging me…  As it goes,

Sophie quickly returned with the grand total of 23!!  She walks up to me and she’s like, “Mom, you have 23 mason jars!”  Now, to clarify this only represents the jars I have sitting out, which are really just the vintage jars.  I may or may not have researched exactly the era of jars I’m obsessed with (using the term obsessed loosely here), and they fall in the 1930’s edition.  Love them!!  I love the color of the jars, the blue glass is just lovely!! I love the tin or metal style lids with the marble inserts, my absolute favs!!

After the revelation of my obsession, I was driven to discover the root of such a thing.  Why did I collect them really?  What’s my deal?  As I began to reflect on the reasons why I discovered it’s my Mamaw, my mom’s mom.  Boy do I love her!!  She lives in Heaven now, but I have the fondest memories of time spent with her.  She lived to be 94 and she loved me more than she loved anyone else, or so I thought.  She had the

Isn’t she a beauty!?

ability to make me feel just that way and I’m sure if you asked the rest of my family they would say the same.  She loved to cook for us and that process would begin much sooner than meal time!!  She looked forward to every summer when the tomatoes were ripe to begin canning for year.  I loved standing in her hot and humid kitchen in the middle of summer in the south cooking and canning tomatoes.  I loved hearing the ‘pop’ of the lids as they would seal tightly to the jars once they were placed on the floor to cool.   I loved she would walk out to her back porch and pick a jar to open and pour into her delicious beef stew recipe.  I loved every moment!!  She also made apple butter and jellies, and I loved admiring all the jars filled with love in an assortment of colors, placed neatly on her shelf ready for to be shared with those she loved.  Generous is the word I would use to describe my Mamaw.

She, without her knowledge, showed me how to love through the preparing and sharing of food.  I continue to go back to the recipes she used, not a one was written down, but each one I learned by being around her.  When I married and began cooking for my family I never doubted my ability to prepare a meal filled with generosity and

My Mamaw, Flora & my mom, Rebecca Ann

love.  I had watched her cook, then I watched my mom cook for us, and now it was my turn.  To this day, I prepare many of the same meals and recipes passed down to me through these two .   The mason jars are just another reflection of all they, Mamaw and mom, are to me and the impact both of these beautiful women had on my life.  I have, in turn, passed along these recipes to my children and will continue to share their legacy with as many as I can.

So I will continue to collect these lovely blue jars, as it has now given me the opportunity to share mamaw with you all!!

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.                                                                                                                                                                                                       ~1John 3:18