Some people are happy puttering around their home, some people have an artistic or crafty flair and others thrive on exploring and new adventures! At Shookhill, we are a little bit of all of these. However, if we are able, we will rework our schedule and find a way to include an unexpected outing. Planned or spontaneous, our adventures encapsulate some of our favorite memories. When our children were younger, we used to tease them by saying, “Do you have durance for our ventures?” Our children have grown up and are now young adults. Each one of them truly has durance. They are all unique, but they are truly kind and curious individuals. And our willingness to explore absolutely lives on in the adventurous spirit within each of them. If we have learned anything over the course of our lifes, it’s that we have durance. No, we’re not an extreme adventurists. We will not be planning a trek for Everest or diving any shark-infested wrecks. We do draw the line on extreme danger. However, we live to plan adventures. We enjoy seeing how people live throughout the world and plan our excursions to learn more about the area and people where we are traveling. We can find little adventures by getting in my car and driving somewhere we have never been before or planning a month-long trip to Europe. We enjoy preparing for and being prepared for the next adventure. It’s an important life skill that this year has put to the test. Our year started in the Florida Keys where our kids earned their scuba certification at Rainbow Reef Dive Center. It was our hope that we would be able to dive together as a family on escapades throughout the year and for years to come. Unfortunately, life got in the way. The kids did get their scuba rating but my husband also experienced a life flight ride from the Keys to Miami and subsequently spent 48 days in a Charlotte hospital battling Leukemia. The remainder of this year has been an adventure but it has been more about survival than exploring. As a family we have been surviving an APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia) diagnosis, surviving Covid-19 and keeping our dreams alive. Unfortunately, 2020 has put a bit of a damper on my actual travels as it has for most people. I have had to pivot and use this year to reflect on past experiences and research future ventures. We are happy for the opportunity to learn to dive and look forward to when we can plan trips again. Still, through these tough times, we remember the adventures that we have had together and know we have durance for our future.
Making Blueberry Jam…
Preserving the flavors of summer… We look forward to visiting Maine every summer! The weather is beautiful, the food is fantastic and there are always fun activities to enjoy (including making blueberry jam). Time just seems to slow down there and everyone relaxes. We are able to leave our hectic schedules at home and just slow down. It’s as if time is suspended in mid-air when we are there. We are able to enjoy some of the simple pleasures of the summer. If you have never visited, the summer is the perfect time. Some of these simple pleasures are activities such as swimming on a warm summer afternoon, digging for clams to make chowder, and picking blueberries for pancakes, muffins, and our favorite, blueberry jam. Our Maine summer activities are only dependent on the tides, the weather, and our whim. One way to capture the flavor of Maine is to make, can and serve delicious blueberry jam. We process our jam in 8 oz jars so we can share a little bit of Maine with others. Here is the recipe for our lower sugar blueberry jam. https://shookhillsecret.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/466C8A5B-3A70-4A08-B2B3-2E5F2652BBE1-1.mov Early August is typically the best time of the year for blueberries in Maine. One of our traditions is picking blueberries and turning the fruit into delicious blueberry jam. The blueberries grow on bushes like clusters of grapes in this part of the country. Everyone gets involved in the process from planting and picking, to jam production and canning then, of course – sampling. This tradition is a favorite and the spoils are shared with family and friends throughout the year.