Applesauce

Saturday, October 1, 2005, by Joseph

Applesauce. What a day! We got up and going and started apples a little before 9AM. Bottles were washed, cavernous mouths yawning with anticipation on the counter-top. Mark took Adam to the soccer game where he succeeded in scoring two goals in the wind pushing his team to victory. Meanwhile, at home, hands stained, lungs filled with steamy apple fragrance and Hyrum splashing the forbidden strainer-crank catch bowl on the floor, the work crew clicked along with precision while absorbing the spirit and counsel of General Conference. Mary, Mary Jeanne, Shauna and I worked the morning process, with Mark and Adam at the soccer game, Quinn and friends at a football game, Aaron with Niesha helping fix up the Bodell cabin, and Jonathan traveling from Florida, accounting for most of the family. Nathan and Justin with his nephew Zander joined the fray shortly following lunch, as did Aaron and Niesha. The fruit frenzy continued through lunch time and through the afternoon session of conference. Finally at around 5 PM, the end of the raw apples approaching, the end was in sight. David arrived and the priesthood men of the family prepared and went to the broadcast of the priesthood session. Shauna and Mary Jeanne slaved over sticky floor and apple stain-encrusted stove top, now heaving a shudder of relief as the heat dissipates from nearly 9 hours of the maximum setting.

Exhaustion was evident in Shauna as the men returned home from the conference session, finding a sparkling clean kitchen. The large table in the front room smothered with 156 quart jars of fresh, appetizing applesauce, still eminating the heat and dedication of the day.