A Hospitable Day

Faithful readers will know that I love having guests for breakfast.  Ever since Rebecca was little, it has been a favorite time for company – along, of course, with lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner.  And even the occasional late night snack. I recently was preparing breakfast for Ana and Ken, when I found a rogue jar of jelly in my refrigerator.  The jelly was brilliant ruby red, clear and translucent, very tempting looking, and unlabeled.  What could it be?  It was so pretty and so mysterious.  I opened the jar and cautiously tasted a bit.  Supersplendelicious!!  I had no idea what sort of jelly it was, but was certain that it was made by Rebecca, jelly and jam maker extraordinaire.  

I deliberated as to whether I should to serve it or not.  There were two considerations. One - it was unlabeled.  This gives some folks pause, but Ana is an adventurous eater, so I knew that I need have no concerns there.  But there was an even more important consideration – it was so delicious, and I am a selfish creature.  My guests were, I knew, moderate eaters – unlike my Aunt Dakki, who has been known to put half a jar of sacred jam on a small token crumb of scone, and then have a similar second helping.  The grocery store jam comes out when she is a guest. 

 Everyone agreed that the jelly was wonderful, and there was a lively debate as to what sort of jelly it might be.  I speculated that it was quince, but only because I knew that Becca made quince something or other every year.  I later recalled that after much nagging, she had reluctantly given me a jar of last summer’s bounty.  That one was so hard to wrest out of her that I am going to have to selfishly conserve and savor the jewel-like remains still left in the jar.  Yummissima!

Ken's little assistant.  They are fixing my computer.