"Summer in a Jar", mixed media by Kerry McFall

A Christmas/New Year’s gift from my friend Tracy couldn’t have hit the mark any closer of what I need to cheer me up – summer in a jar!  There is nothing to compare with the taste of home-preserved peaches.  When you hear the lid pop, the rich smell of August and the warmth of sunshine drifts up and pushes away the cold of January (ice is on the beaver ponds near my office… brrr).  You can almost imagine the peach fuzz on your cheek if you lean close enough.  When someone gives you a gift of a golden jar, you can revel in the knowledge that they care about you enough to struggle for hours over a hot stove with slippery skins and gooey pits and sticky kitchen floors… Thank you, Tracy!