Memories

This morning I cracked open a jar of my Granny's homemade pickles that my cousin made.  I have had this jar of pickles sitting on my counter since May and have been holding onto them, not wanting to open them just yet.  You see my Granny past away 10 years ago, I miss her so much!  There is always something that reminds me of her and warms my heart.  So my cousin used my Granny's canning recipe for her pickles and brought them to our family reunion for everyone to enjoy.  I was lucky enough to walk away with my one lone jar.  I knew once I opened them that I would have to eat them within a fair amount of time or else they would go bad.  Eating them was not the problem, it was the problem of once they were gone!  With the very first bite of one, I was instantly flooded with memories of my sister, cousin and I standing over my Granny's pickling crock and sneaking pickles before they were ready!  We LOVED them!  She would always catch us and shoo us away with her dish towel.  I was taken back to that moment including the smells, sounds, and laughter as I bit into that delicious pickle.  Granny's pickles were always a side dish with almost every meal during the summer, along with home grown tomatoes.  She was a fantastic cook and all of her meals were made from scratch and with the most love in the world.  What I would do now for one of Granny's home cooked, made from scratch meals!!  Something I will never get to enjoy again.  So I am cherishing this little jar of amazing pickles.  Every. Last. One!