Chapter 315 – Bill Talks To Jack and Elizabeth
Monday started out like normal, with people up and moving early. Jack, Nathan, Doug and Frank were up early to go deal with the horses. Shortly after they left, Maddie, Missy, Becky and Peter joined them down at the stable to get the chores done. While Jack knew that a groom had been assigned to the six new horses, he insisted on checking on them himself. So while the others were dealing with the other horses in the stable, Jack and Frank checked over the new horses. As they were doing that, Katie came down as well. The three talked about some things to add to the horse's diet for a few days and then Katie said she would reevaluate after the vet tech had been there. When the group was done with the horses, they headed to the house.
As the group was coming back, Trish and Gran left to go shopping and run errands in town. Abigail had opted to stay back since Cody was there. She also said she would make sure everyone got breakfast and started the baking. As they had breakfast, they talked about the plan for the day and Jack wanted to maybe get on the new jumpers, but he also needed to run over to the onsite track and check things. Both Frank and Nathan offered to help. Doug and Lee said they would supervise the girls' practice. Becky asked if she could ride and Jack agreed that she could do the cavaletti pole game with the twins on Honey. Doug also said he wanted to get on Wex again, since he had really been ridden much the last few weeks, other than by exercise riders. Peter said he had work on his laptop as the Eagle Scout proposal was due soon. When Cody heard that most of them were going out to the horses, he wanted to go. Jack looked at the others, who agreed. They knew that with Becky there, Opal might come down. They explained to Cody that he had to be good and watch before he could go for a ride and he seemed fine with it.
So with the plan for the day made, they finished up their breakfast and got ready to head down to the horses. Father Mark said he was staying up at the house, but he could come get Cody if needed. Knowing that he was struggling with something, no one said anything about Father Mark staying at the house. He had wanted to talk to Abigail and offering to bake with her would give him the opportunity. Everyone except Peter and Father Mark left Abigail so they could get on with their plans before it got too hot.
As Jack got down to the stable, he saw Manny there looking over his new horses. So Jack headed to him, not worried about actually getting riding time with Bandit.
"Some pretty nice looking horses." Manny said.
"I agree." Jack said. "I wasn't sure about the weanlings, but now seeing them, I like them."
"Which do you like best?" Manny asked.
"Just looking at them." Jack said. "I like Blackbeard's Booty. Nice lines on him, but all three are highly rated."
"What about this broodmare?" Manny asked. "Your grandfather didn't send me much information."
"That is Sparrow's Doll." Jack said. "Grandpa John technically bought the embryo that she is carrying, but has the option to buy her as well. She raced a bit in Maryland and up in Ontario. Did okay, but comes from wonderful lines on both sides."
"And the sire?" Manny asked.
"FortKnoxsGold." Jack said. "Beautiful Palomino stud who tore up the tracks overseas. Currently standing as a stud in Germany."
Jack pulled up a picture and showed Manny, who let out a low whistle.
"Part of me hopes that foal is a colt, just so we can breed him." Manny said. "No matter what they look like, they are going to have amazing coloring."
"I am excited about that as well." Jack said. "She is due in February, so I might have to try and come up here over spring break and see the new foals."
"I will let you know." Manny said. "Connie talked about setting up some cameras in the foaling stalls, so we can stream it on the server. I know that we have cameras there now, but you can only check in, not stream it."
"Let me know if she needs some help." Jack said. "How is she doing?"
"Good days, bad days." Manny said. "She has an appointment with that orthopedic that you saw. She feels that the one here in town is not listening to her and that there is something more than just a dislocation going on."
"Hopefully she likes Dr Shepherd." Jack said. "Have her tell him, I sent her."
"I will." Manny said. "You coming over to the track? They are going to run Midnight and a few other older horses this evening, then take them to the racetrack in the morning."
"I will have to see." Jack said. "Send me a text when you are setting up and I will see what is going on."
"Will do." Manny said. "I will let you get back to it. Just wanted to come check out my new horses."
"Good talking to you." Jack said. "I am sure that Grandpa will talk to Uncle Conrad, but if not maybe mention that I have two new jumpers who come from a racing history so maybe once they clear quarantine, someone might want to give them a gallop around the track."
"Will make sure that happens." Manny said.
Manny patted Jack on the back, went back to his side by side and took off. Jack stood there for a few more moments looking at Sparrow's Doll. He was lost in his thoughts of what the foal would look like when Frank interrupted his thoughts.
"That the broodmare you were talking about?" Frank asked.
Jack nodded and showed him the picture of the sire.
"No matter the color, if they have that white mane and tail." Frank said. "They will be gorgeous."
"That is what I thought." Jack said.
"Who are the other three?" Frank asked.
"Blackbeard's Booty." Jack said. "Chessy, who's registered name is Chessmaster2000. Then there is Alter Boy who is a half brother to the big stallion Catholic Boy."
"Good looking horses." Frank said. "And they are weanlings?"
"Yes." Jack said. "They were all born in Feb or early March."
"Can't wait to see them on the track in a few years." Frank said.
"You and I both." Jack said. "I could stand here all day and watch them."
"But you should probably get back to work." Frank teased, bumping Jack's hip. "There is a lot to do. Lee and Nathan took Cody for a ride."
"Okay." Jack said.
They walked back over to where the girls were in the sand ring. Lee and Doug were watching and giving directions. Jack was fine with them overseeing the girls. He went into the stable and changed to work with the horses.
Everyone got done working with the horses by noon and had them stalled for the hot part of the day. They would be turned out to graze for a few hours in the cool of the evening. Once the group got washed up from working with the horses and working out, they helped get lunch on the table. Abigail let them know that Gran had called and they wouldn't be home until sometime after lunch. It was busy in town and they had lots to do.
Everyone had a nice relaxing lunch and Bill arrived about halfway through. He thanked James for taking care of everything and let Abigail know that he had gotten a call and the new compressor would be put in that afternoon. Once they were done with lunch, the kids cleaned up. Jack and Doug got some piano practice in. Frank, Father Mark and Abigail worked on baking while they waited for Gran and Trish to get back.
At one point, Jack, Elizabeth, Doug, Lee, Nathan and Peter were all working on their laptops at the table. Maddie and Missy were working on homework with their tablets as well as pen and paper. Becky was playing a game on Jack's tablet. Cody had crashed on the floor where his blocks and horses had been set up. It was a nice productive afternoon. About three o'clock, Becky, Maddie and Missy decided to jump in the pool. Elizabeth changed and watched the girls. Eventually all the boys joined them in the pool for a little fun before supper.
Frank and Father Mark ended up making hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill for everyone. It had been a long day for Gran and Trish and they felt it was the least they could do to help. Bill had come back and the Averys were staying for supper, then heading home as their ac had been fixed. By the time that they sat down for supper on the patio, it had started to cool off. Jack, Doug and Frank decided to do a fire and music after everything was cleaned up from eating. They knew that they didn't have many nights left where they would all be together, they were going to do it while they could.
It was a nice evening of music and being able to relax before things got crazy again. Everyone knew that the next few weeks were going to be busy, but they didn't want to think about that as they relaxed. While Frank wasn't as good as Jack or Doug on the guitar, he could play a little and did that evening. He had been playing around with the one that Jack had gotten Nathan, with permission of course. Jack let Frank know that he was free to use any of his guitars in the music room other than his vintage Gibson that was too fragile to play and he also was not to touch his vintage Duesenberg. Frank promised and thanked Jack, but said he would have to see if he found the time. As they were talking about the guitars, Jack made a quick note on his phone to get Frank an acoustic guitar. He also made a note to pack his and Nathan's guitars to take to Minnesota, since they both had flight cases.
After James, Gran, Trish and the twins had headed inside, the remaining group took the time to pray and lift each other up. They all agreed the prayer time was going to be something that they were all going to miss when the summer was over. Doug and Lee both said they would have to try and get together and pray as a group as much as they could when they were back in the city. They knew that Frank and Father Mark would not be there, but that didn't mean that they couldn't lift them up in prayer. Father Mark also promised to get Frank hooked up with the men's prayer group before he left for Rome.
… … … …
Tuesday and Wednesday were much the same as most of the summer had been. They worked with the horses in the early morning and got a workout before lunch. Again lunch, it was sandwiches, fruit and veggies as well as both macaroni and potato salad. Gran and Trish had picked up more fruit and also gotten a shipment of peaches, they were busy making those up. They had also picked up enough blueberries to make a small batch of blueberry jam as Gran knew that Father Mark loved it and she thought she might be able to send some with him when he went overseas. They ordered more blueberries since the batch really only made a small batch.
They started the peach salsa, peach jam as well as canned peaches. Gran knew that they were expecting another shipment of peaches probably Friday, but they were going to do what they had. Gran was grateful that Trish had ordered a whole bunch more canning jars and lids, in quart, pint and half pint. Elizabeth was more than happy to help with the canning as she was learning so much and knew that Gran would send some of the stuff back to the city with all of them.
Wednesday evening, Bill came over and wanted to sit down with Jack and Elizabeth. The pair looked at Bill, but he assured them it wasn't anything bad. The three sat down in the library. Jack and Elizabeth sat side by side on the couch and Bill pulled up a chair to sit right in front of them.
"I know that we are just over a week away from the wedding." Bill said. "So I wanted to sit down with both of you."
"You are starting to worry me." Jack said.
"I know that I have spoken to Jack." Bill said. "But I wanted to take the time to talk to you both, together. I am talking about the importance of praying together as a couple. It is vital for a healthy marriage. I am not just talking about sitting together and praying, but actively praying for the other person in their presence. You should be praying with and for each other as often as possible. Even if it is just a quick thank you to God for bringing you together. Try to find time in your schedule to sit and pray together several times a week if you can. It will not only help you to grow in your own faith, but to have your marriage grow in faith. Does that make sense?"
Both Jack and Elizabeth nodded. Bill took a deep breath and looked right at Elizabeth.
"Has Jack talked to you about how Abigail and I still do monthly date nights and quarterly getaways?" Bill asked.
"Yes." Elizabeth said. "We talked about it a little when we were in Toronto."
"Good." Bill said. "And you understand the importance of the dedicated date night in your schedule? I mean it can be as simple as going for coffee."
Elizabeth kind of shrugged.
"The point is to intentionally spend time together." Bill said. "Talking, connecting about what you are each doing, getting to know each other better. Phones can be there in case of an emergency, but it is better to unplug during your date nights whenever possible. The same with the getaways."
Elizabeth nodded.
"Being as young as you both are." Bill said. "It is even more important. The quarterly getaways can be at a local hotel or they can be out of town. The point is to have time alone. I get there are security concerns and there will be homework, but you can spend time together and still work on homework. It is going to be finding a balance. It is not easy learning to live with another person, no matter how well you know them. Add in the pressures of school and I want to make sure that you take the time to still connect as a couple and grow your marriage. Do you both understand?"
Both Jack and Elizabeth nodded.
"Thank you." Elizabeth said. "The point of the date nights and getaways are to connect with each other and make sure we are on the same page."
"Yes." Bill said. "While Abigail and I were older then you when we got married we knew the importance of intentionally spending time together, especially with having Peter and even more so after Becky and Cody came."
"Thank you." Jack said.
"Yes, thank you again." Elizabeth said. "We know that it might not be easy and we have a lot that we need to learn, but we are committed to making it work. Your support is appreciated."
"You are welcome." Bill said. "I know you, Elizabeth, haven't made a decision if you are going to become Catholic or not. And there is no pressure, but I will suggest that you find a sort of spiritual director. Someone that you can go to with your concerns. The person needs to be strong in their own faith and you need to ask them to mentor you, but you are going to need to find a woman that you feel comfortable talking to about personal things. I know that your parents aren't there for you, and I know that as your relationship becomes more intimate, it will bring up lots of feelings and questions. You can talk to each other, but you also both need a neutral third party to go to with questions."
Jack and Elizabeth both blushed and ducked their heads.
"No need to be embarrassed." Bill said. "What you will experience is completely natural. What I was saying is that as you become more intimate, it may bring up feelings that you didn't know were there. The point is that you have someone that you can trust to go to with those feelings. Elizabeth, Trish should be able to help you find someone. You are always free to call Abigail as well. Jack, you know that you can always call me if you need to talk."
"Thank you." Elizabeth said.
"Yes, thank you." Jack said. "It is just one more thing that I didn't think about."
"It is okay." Bill said. "There have been a lot of changes for both of you over the last few months and while you are both smart and grown up, it is no thanks to your parents. From where I sit, they didn't do a good job preparing you to be adults. It was part of the reason that I wanted to check in."
"Thank you again." Jack said.
"Now, I want to pray with both of you." Bill said. "Then I want to speak to Jack alone."
"Okay." Elizabeth said.
The three joined hands and bowed their heads.
"Heavenly Father." Bill prayed. "We come before You and ask for the protection of these two young people as they join their lives in Holy Matrimony soon. Be with them as they start their lives together. Surround them with Your angels as they travel. Keep them safe and the press away. Give them a relaxing time. Help them to find their footing as they experience so many new things as a couple and also individually as they start college. Give them people that they can rely on. Amen."
"Amen." Elizabeth said.
"Amen." Jack said.
"Thank you again." Elizabeth said. "I will leave you to talk to Jack."
Elizabeth gave Jack a quick kiss. She shook Bill's hand, then left the library.
Author's note: here are the jam and peach salsa recipes
Blueberry Jam – refrigerator
Ingredients
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
juice and zest of one lemon
2 cups fresh blueberries
Instructions
Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest to a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook and stir the sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the blueberries to the pan and continue to cook over low heat for 35-40 minutes until the mixture is at a low boil. (The mixture should be thickened a bit and almost the consistency of loose jam.) Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to 2 pint jars and seal with the lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Blueberry Jam – canned
Ingredients
4 pints (about 9 cups) blueberries rinsed and sorted
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
Prepare the Jam
Add the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a large saucepan over medium heat. Using the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, mash the blueberries into the sugar so they begin to release their juices. Allow the sugar to completely dissolve. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow the jam to boil, stirring continuously, until the temperature reaches 220F on a thermometer or it begins to easily coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. At this point, you can store your jam in the refrigerator to be eaten within 3 months. However, if you want to learn how to preserve your jam for a longer shelf-life, read the water bath canning method section below.
Water Bath Canning Instructions
Place your mason jars in the bottom of a deep stockpot or water bath canner fitted with a canning rack. If you don't have a canning rack, you can use a clean kitchen towel on the bottom of the pot to prevent the jars from sitting directly on the heat. Fill the pot with water, making sure the jars are covered by at least an inch of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil and boil the jars for 10 minutes to sterilize.
Once the jars are sterilized, turn off the heat. Using a jar lifter, remove the jars from the water and place them on a towel on the counter. You will use the same pot of water to can the jam. Fill your jars with the finished blueberry jam, ensuring you leave a - inch of space at the top of the jar. A canning funnel is extremely helpful here, but if you don't have one, just make sure to wipe away any residue on the mouth of the jar before putting the lids on. Carefully tighten the lids onto the jars and place the jars back into the hot water bath. Again, make sure the jars are submerged completely in the water and covered by about 1-2 inches. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the jars to boil for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Let the jars rest in the hot water for 5 minutes prior to removing them to a clean kitchen towel on the counter. Allow the jars to cool, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours. You should hear a popping sound from each jar after a few minutes, which means you successfully created a seal. Storage: If you water bath canned your blueberry jam, an unopened jar should remain shelf-stable for 12-18 months. Jars should be kept in a cool, dry, dark place. If you didn't can your jam or the jar is opened, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or frozen for up to 6 months. Don't forget to label your jars with the date the jam was canned!
Peach Jam
Ingredients
4 lbs. fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
2 lemons, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
Mash peach mixture:
Combine peaches and lemon juice in a sauce pot. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring often with a spatula, whisk, or potato masher to help break up the peaches. Bring to gel point: Add sugar, and stir well. Return to a boil, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until mixture reaches 220F, stirring often. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and salt, and stir to combine. Add jam to jars: Pour peach jam into 6 clean and sterilized half-pint jars, leaving proper headspace. Seal with lid, and process using the water bath canning method. You can also refrigerate or freeze for short-term use.
Canned Peaches
17 lbs fresh and ripe peaches
granulated sugar
Instructions
Peel Peaches: Fill a separate large pot of water and bring to a high simmer. Add the peaches to the hot water (in batches, if needed), for about 30 seconds. This will help loosen the skins, making them really easy to peel. Remove peaches to an ice water bath, then peel them. The skin should come off really easily. Remove the pit, and cut them into large slices. Fill jars with peaches as you slice them. You can fill them pretty full, and gently tap the bottle on the counter top to help them settle inside.
Add Simple Syrup: For light syrup, mix 2 cups of sugar with 6 cups of very hot water. For a more medium syrup use 3 cups of sugar to 6 cups of water. For a honey syrup use 1 cup of honey to 6 cups of water. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Pour some of the simple syrup into each jar, leaving 1/2'' headspace at the top. Gently tap the jars to release any air bubbles. Wipe the sides and rims of the jars with a clean rag. Place a clean lid securely on top of each of the jars. Secure with the rings.
Process in Waterbath: Use jar lifters or tongs to gently place the jars in your hot water bath (or use the rack to lower them down, if it comes with one). Add more water to the canner, if needed, to cover the tops of the jars. Cover with the lid and bring water back to a boil. Once boiling, process the jars for 25 minutes. Remove and Rest: Place a large towel or dishrag on your countertop. After the 25 minutes is up, turn the burner off (if you have an electric flat top stove, gently move the pot off the burner) remove the lid and allow the jars to rest in the pot for 5 minutes. Then use tongs or jar lifters to move the jars onto the towel to rest. Check Seals: After a few hours you can check the seals to make sure they all sealed properly before you store them. When you press on the center of the lid it should be sealed down. If you hear or feel it pop back at all, then it didn't seal properly. Also make sure there is still liquid covering the peaches and that the peaches look like a nice bright color. If they didn't seal properly you can refrigerate them and enjoy within a few days, or reprocess in the water bath. Store: Allow the jars to cool completely before storing them in a cool, dry place for 12-18 months
Canned Peach Salsa
INGREDIENTS
10 large ripe peaches ~4 lbs/1.8kg (8 cups peeled, pitted, and finely diced)
cup (180ml) lime juice, fresh (6-7 limes) or bottled, divided
5 large fresh tomatoes ~2 lbs/1.15kg (4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped)
2 large orange or yellow sweet bell peppers, or one of each, ~2 cups finely diced
2 medium onions, finely diced ~2 cups
2 large jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced ~ cup
6 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes/chili flakes/crushed red pepper
1 tablespoons (4 teaspoons) smoked paprika (mild)
1 teaspoons fine sea salt
cup (180ml) white vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl filled with ice cold water. Once the water is boiling, drop in half the peaches and let them boil for 60 seconds, then remove them with a slotted spoon right into the cold water. Blanch the rest of the peaches the same way. Don't discard the water.
After a short cool-down in the cold water, you can easily slip the skins off the peaches with your hands. Cut the peaches in half around the pit, twist the two halves in opposite directions to separate them, then remove the pit. Slice the peaches thinly, then dice them into small bits about as big as corn kernels. Toss them with cup (120ml) of the lime juice as you cut them, and set them aside. (The lime juice prevents browning and adds flavour.) Blanch the tomatoes in the same water: reheat the water, cut an X into the bottom of each tomato (to allow the skins to expand and loosen), then drop them into the boiling water and let them boil for 60 seconds. Remove them, drop them into the cold water, and then peel off the outer skins and cut out the cores. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally (around their equators), then use your finger to scoop out and discard the juices and seeds from each section. Set the tomato halves, cut side down, onto a plate to drain, then chop them coarsely. Prepare the rest of the vegetables: Core and seed the bell peppers and finely dice them. Finely dice the onions. Core and seed the jalapeños and finely dice them. Mince the garlic. Place all the chopped vegetables except the peaches into a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the cumin, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, salt, vinegar, and remaining cup (60ml) of the lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat slightly and continue to cook it at a low boil, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching, until some of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is slightly thickened. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir the cornstarch into the chopped peaches, then add the peaches to the cooked vegetable ingredients, stirring well to combine everything. (Don't cook it again, so the peaches stay fresh and chunky - they will cook as the jars are processed.) Ladle the peach salsa into sterilized pint (500ml) canning jars, filling them to within inch (1cm) of the top. Run a butter knife down the sides to release any trapped air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth, top with the hot, sterilized snap lids, screw on the lid rings so they are finger tight (only as tight as you can get them using just your thumb and index finger). Then process the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (10 minutes if you use smaller half pint/250ml jars).