Green Pears.

I figured my Grandmother could use a little pick-me-up right about now. So, rather than write a beautiful sympathy card - (believe me Gma - it would have been oh so beautiful)... I prefer to send a little praise down memory lane. I know that my family will see this picture and have waves of jealousy and envy torment their minds and souls - perhaps even cause physical torture. You see GREEN PEARS are a highly coveted item within the Hansen family. It is said that they have "magical healing" powers. I know this because they are the chicken soup for the wounded soul in our family. She had an arsenal of jars in her (now refurbished) basement. As we grew older we would go down and load our bags with the green jars filled with sweet gold.

WHAT? You've never had GREEN pears? You didn't have a grandfather with a magical GREEN thumb - who grew such a bountiful harvest that they could live off of it during the winter? (I realize I may just have stumbled on some connection there - I'll have to revisit that one later ;) You didn't have a wonderful grandmother who would spend hours upon hours (I know - I've helped before) snapping beans, canning salsa, peaches, pears, apricots etc...etc...etc...?? Who, when coerced by little grandchildren, would even make apricot and peach leather...and APRICOT SYRUP!! (the true liquid gold - candy of the Gods).

If you didn't have this - I feel sorry for you. Truly. You were jipped.

Grandma's Green Pears were magical - just ask all the Hansen family that are currently hopping in the cars trying to be the first one to arrive at my house to steal my 2 jars.

Don't bother - they'll be gone before you get here :)

*Confession time - they aren't from Grandma - my friend was canning pears and I told her about the magical pears, so she said she'd try it out - lucky for me I was watching her child so she felt compelled to unload 2 of them on me*