Alice came through the sliding back door, wiping her brow, as Eden finished her light breakfast. "Phew, it's muggy out there this morning after last night's rain." She smiled at Eden. "Did you manage to dry out sufficiently after your soaking?"
Eden laughed. "I think so."
After discussing the weather for a few minutes, Alice asked what her plans were for the day.
"I don't know. I should probably do some more job hunting." Although there wasn't likely to be anything new posted since she looked two days ago.
"Would you like to help me with something a little more entertaining?"
"Sure." Eden was all for avoiding the job search.
Within minutes the table was littered with red checkered fabric, funny-looking zigzag scissors that Alice called pinking shears, and a spool of thin brown twine.
Alice talked as she demonstrated how to cut a square of fabric and tie it over the top of the jar of jam. "Every summer, I take a few dozen jars to Miss Hattie's craft boutique to sell."
Alice sells her jam?
Should she tell her there were people on the Internet that would love to buy it? She mulled it around in her mind as she helped Alice. She still hadn't decided how to broach the subject by the time they finished tying the fabric squares to the tops of the jars.
"Would you like to come down to Miss Hattie's with me to drop these off?"
Eden tapped her lips. "Let me see. Go to a craft boutique or look for a job. Tough choice."
Alice laughed. "Well, help me carry the rest of these jars down to the storage room, then I'll get showered, and I'll take you to meet Miss Hattie after lunch."
When they reached the storage room, Eden stared in shock, her eyes growing wider by the second. She rotated and surveyed the small but full room. Jam wasn't the only thing Alice canned. Just about every fruit or vegetable that could be bottled sat on Alice's shelves.
Eden had heard about people who lived off the land and canned everything themselves, making themselves almost completely self-sufficient, but she'd never met one until now.
So this is how Bill and Alice managed to support a big family on a carpenter's and a school lunch lady's income.
Alice pulled two dozen jars of jam from last year off the shelf. "I always divide out the older jars among my kids every year. They eat a lot more than we do nowadays, especially now that Scott has moved out."
Eden laughed. "I don't know, I think I gave Scott a run for his money yesterday when it came to the homemade bread and jam."
"You did seem to enjoy it." Alice chuckled. "Next time I make bread, I'll teach you how."
"I'm not sure that's a good thing."
After she finished helping Alice, Eden went to get ready. She finally had something to dress up for. A trip to the boutique hardly warranted dressing up, but she was so excited to be going out, that she changed from her yoga pants and t-shirt to a cute, striped, short jumpsuit.
Surveying herself in the bathroom mirror, she decided the outfit justified a little make-up and more than a messy bun. She plugged in both her straightener and curling wand to heat up. Her hair wasn't curly, but it had enough body that she usually had to smooth out her waves before putting in loose curls.
She was almost done when Alice knocked on her door.
Eden opened it to find Alice had changed too. She looked nice in her tan capris and floral button-up blouse.
"We have a change of plans," Alice said. "Debbie needs me to watch the little ones this afternoon while she goes to the dentist. So if we're going to make it to the boutique today, we need to leave right away."
"Okay, I'll hurry and finish getting ready."
Eden hurried back to the bathroom to finish her last two curls while she considered which of her sandals would go best with her outfit. She'd just slipped her shoes on and was about to put her stuff away in the bathroom—minus the still hot wand and straightener—when Alice called her name.
I'll do it when I get back.
The last thing she wanted was for Rudy to find his bathroom a mess.
* * *
