--John's Daughter--

Let me preface this post by saying I love my mother.
I am devoted to her more now than I ever have been

and couldn't imagine my life without her.

She and my father worked hard to teach us (my bro and I ) the value of money

and never to waste.

Anything.

That being said,

I've always thought of my mom as a bit of a pack rat.

She's always had trouble parting with things,

letting go,

or throwing out.

In a lot of ways she's right.

You may have a use for it in the future.

or

you just like it.

What proof?

Why do I stereotype my own mother?

Well...

it could be because up until they moved 6 years ago

she had every Christmas issue of

Chatelaine and Canadian Living

printed since 1979!

Canadian Living Holiday Edition circa 1978

Which I actually now wish I could get my hands on them!

I digress....

I have a similar problem.

And this is my confession.

My weakness is none other than strawberries.

Yes I am perfectly aware that they sell them in the grocery store year round

however I can't bring myself to pay a high price for fruit picked before it ripens

and has more air miles than I do!

This problem is inherited

Because, as I mentioned the move 6 years ago--

while clearing out their freezer to move across international waters,

I inherited my mother's strawberries...

dated 1998!

But Hey mom--no one can call you cheap!

Those freezer bags must have cost a pretty penny when I finally got around to eating them in 2004,

they tasted just like the day you froze them!

Proof of my own obsession?

Here in my freezer lay my very last bag of frozen sliced strawberries

packaged 1 year and 4 months ago.

Sitting on a bed of stewing beef

and nestled cozily in between english muffins and shredded zuchini.

It sits in limbo.Waiting to be used.

I have a lovely recipe I'd like to use them in.

mmmm....

yummy.

but alas,

if I use them,

they will be gone.

This is inevitable and I struggle.

They'll be gone.

and it's winter soon.

I won't be able to restash my freezer for another 9 months!!

I have trouble parting with the last bag every year.

To the point that we've eaten all the one's from this year

and I was saving this bag from last year as my back up.

I've been frivolous with my strawberries and

now I'm down to the back up bag.

What's a girl to do?

Am I the only one that hoards and agonizes over things?

Strawberries oh so sweet,

How much longer...

shall I wait to eat?!