GRANNY AND JOSHIE MAKE JAM

                                  GRANNY AND JOSIE MAKE JAM                   

                 Josie decided to visit her granny at Dell Cottage. When she arrived there, she found granny in the kitchen making jam in a large saucepan. Granny mixed the blackberries and raspberries adding sugar to the water. When the fruit bubbled

on the stove granny said, “It’s done.” She gave Josie the large wooden spoon to lick.

            After enjoying the jam Josie helped granny to put the jam into small glass jars complete with the name and date on the front of each jar. Granny and Josie then made their way to the market. Carrying the jam in two large wicker baskets. On their way to the market square in Little Morton, they met up with Tyler Jones a tall lad aged sixteen. Who asked, if he could taste the jam. Granny said, “You can by a jar of jam for two new pennies.”

        Tyler had no money, so he pushed granny, running off with a jar of jam. Josie helped granny up from the grass verge. Granny then did a quick recount, there were still thirty-six jars of jam left to sell as luck happened the jars had not broken. The pair then proceeded to the market.

      At the market place, they laughed and joked with the other market stall holders.   There was Billie Blog selling clay pipes, Jessie Evans with fine needle point embroidery to sell and ribbons in every colour. The pie man had offered granny a free steak pie for a kiss. “Get on with you, replied granny taken back by his remark. She was still an attractive woman of fifty-three years with bright auburn curls and blue eyes. She still had many happy memories of her late husband Ted.

          Granny was happy with her cottage with an acre of land and what money she made from the sale of her jam. She was glad of the company of her grand-daughter. She could not understand the change in young Tyler his family were always nice civil people who always spoke to everyone at church. Some Sundays Tyler’s father Sam had read the lesson to the congregation.

      Rumour had it that Tyler had become smitten with a young gypsy girl known as Mollie Murphy, a little thing with dark curls and a petite figure. She was still a Murphy? Well, she hoped for Tyler’s sake that he sorted himself out.  There was no need for bad manners.  

           Too many things had happened unexpectedly no one had proof it was the Murphy’s.  Life was a whole lot simpler without them around bare-knuckle fights in the old market square, old Jim’s eggs going missing from the hen house. Someone reporting their mare missing in foal, after the Murphy’s had moved on too Little Aston some fifty miles away.

       Still the day’s takings had been good at the stall. She had a book of extra orders to deliver to customers later in the week. And young Josie was a joy to be with some angel child aged ten years of age. She would turn a few heads, when she got older with those blue eyes and tumbling blonde curls. Granny was deep in thought on the way back from little Morton as they approached Dell cottage with its pleasant green lawns and an arch of honeysuckle around the door.

Josie had gone upstairs to fetch granny a hot water bottle for her back

 when there was a knock on the door of the cottage. It was farmer Jones from

Tingle Ridge Farm.    

    “Do not take what does not belong to you unless you have the money to pay for it.                   

Well, I hope this is the end of it, I hate to quarrel with anyone.                                                                                                                              "Mum always said, that these things have to come out in the open to be put right.”

  “A wise head on young shoulders you have my dear,” replied jam. Afrmer Jones had left granny and Josie laughed.

granny.

Sam Jones walked back to Tingle Ridge farm; he could not understand what had got into Tyler of late. The lad still loved the farm and the animals, he cared for the feelings of others. So why would he behave the way he had to day? It was the coward’s way to run off from a situation without giving an explanation. Leaving an older person in distress what must her grand- daughter think? Tyler would soon be a man. He did not want to upset Tyler’s mother Bessie, she worshipped that lad.

    They had given up hope of starting a family when Bessie had conceived in her forties it was a miracle. Maybe he had been too lenient letting the lad bring the Murphy girl to the farm. Rumour was that she was betrothed to one of her own kind. When the marriage takes place, then hopefully Tyler will see sense. Maybe he will meet someone else.                                    GRANNY AND JOSIE MAKE JAM          

                 Josie decided to visit her granny at Dell Cottage. When she arrived there, she found granny in the kitchen making jam in a large saucepan. Granny mixed the blackberries and raspberries adding sugar to the water. When the fruit bubbled

on the stove granny said, “It’s done.” She gave Josie the large wooden spoon to lick.

            After enjoying the jam Josie helped granny to put the jam into small glass jars complete with the name and date on the front of each jar. Granny and Josie then made their way to the market. Carrying the jam in two large wicker baskets. On their way to the market square in Little Morton, they met up with Tyler Jones a tall lad aged sixteen. Who asked, if he could taste the jam. Granny said, “You can by a jar of jam for two new pennies.”

        Tyler had no money, so he pushed granny, running off with a jar of jam. Josie helped granny up from the grass verge. Granny then did a quick recount, there were still thirty-six jars of jam left to sell as luck happened the jars had not broken. The pair then proceeded to the market.

      At the market place, they laughed and joked with the other market stall holders.   There was Billie Blog selling clay pipes, Jessie Evans with fine needle point embroidery to sell and ribbons in every colour. The pie man had offered granny a free steak pie for a kiss. “Get on with you, replied granny taken back by his remark. She was still an attractive woman of fifty-three years with bright auburn curls and blue eyes. She still had many happy memories of her late husband Ted.

          Granny was happy with her cottage with an acre of land and what money she made from the sale of her jam. She was glad of the company of her grand-daughter. She could not understand the change in young Tyler his family were always nice civil people who always spoke to everyone at church. Some Sundays Tyler’s father Sam had read the lesson to the congregation.

      Rumour had it that Tyler had become smitten with a young gypsy girl known as Mollie Murphy, a little thing with dark curls and a petite figure. She was still a Murphy? Well, she hoped for Tyler’s sake that he sorted himself out.  There was no need for bad manners.  

           Too many things had happened unexpectedly no one had proof it was the Murphy’s.  Life was a whole lot simpler without them around bare-knuckle fights in the old market square, old Jim’s eggs going missing from the hen house. Someone reporting their mare missing in foal, after the Murphy’s had moved on too Little Aston some fifty miles away.

       Still the day’s takings had been good at the stall. She had a book of extra orders to deliver to customers later in the week. And young Josie was a joy to be with some angel child aged ten years of age. She would turn a few heads, when she got older with those blue eyes and tumbling blonde curls. Granny was deep in thought on the way back from little Morton as they approached Dell cottage with its pleasant green lawns and an arch of honeysuckle around the door.

Josie had gone upstairs to fetch granny a hot water bottle for her back

 when there was a knock on the door of the cottage. It was farmer Jones from

Tingle Ridge Farm.    

       “What can I do for you,” said granny”.

      “Where is the jam,” said farmer Jones.

“I sold it at market” said granny, it is a special recipe given to me by my late departed mother. It has been handed down through my family over the years. I am never short of customers.”

        Farmer Jones said “Tyler has been sick. I think the jam was too sweet.               

      “He’s eaten too much jam said granny; he took it from my basket.”

       After Farmer Jones had left granny and Josie laughed.

    “Do not take what does not belong to you unless you have the money to pay for it."                   

   “Mum always said, that these things have to come out in the open to be put right.”

  “A wise head on young shoulders you have my dear,” replied granny."

    Granny was sure that there would be more problems with Tyler and felt sorry for Sam and Bessie. Bringing up an adolescent teenager could not be easy particularly if he was mixing with the Murphy’s. Who come to Morton in the winter months. Friends looked out for one and other and when the time was right, she hoped that they would make amends and forget about Tyler’s wrong doing.

Sam Jones walked back to Tingle Ridge farm; he could not understand what had got into Tyler of late. The lad still loved the farm and the animals, he cared for the feelings of others. So why would he behave the way he had to day? It was the coward’s way to run off from a situation without giving an explanation. Leaving an older person in distress what must her grand- daughter think? Tyler would soon be a man. He did not want to upset Tyler’s mother Bessie, she worshipped that lad.

    They had given up hope of starting a family when Bessie had conceived in her forties it was a miracle. Maybe he had been too lenient letting the lad bring the Murphy girl to the farm. Rumour was that she was betrothed to one of her own kind. When the marriage takes place, then hopefully Tyler will see sense. Maybe he will meet someone else.