My Frugal Life: Keep Your Eyes and Heart Open

I love to make the best of what I find along the way in my lovely life in a little central European country. This year for various reasons, we didn't manage to plant much in the garden so my itch to put up preserves for the long winter isn't getting scratched as much I would like.

Yesterday, we visited a supermarket to pick up a few bits and pieces. On a bench outside, there was a guy selling tiny red, sour Ringlo plums for the giveaway price of 50 euro cents a bag. I thought "good for him, he got up this morning and needed a few pennies so he took the initiative, picked some fruit and brought them down here to give it a shot." We had no cash on us so I scrabbled around in the front of the car until I found some change. I dashed back to the guy and pointed. He filled a bag and I gave him the euro I had got together and walked away.

I heard a shout and turned around to see him chasing me across the car park with his basket. "Oh no" I thought, "I made a mistake, I haven't given him enough money!" How wrong could I be! He grabbed the bag and, grinning away, tipped the rest of the basket into it.

When I got home, I weighed my bargain and found I had 5 lbs. of tiny intense fruit. I dried some and made the rest into 6 jars of zingy, fruity jam. This morning, our neighbour came promenading through the village with her new born granddaughter. I ran out with a hug and a jar of the only just cooled jam to be greeted with smiles and rewarded with a sneaky peek at the swaddled baby.

Then about 10 minutes later, the neighbour popped across with a big bucket of freshly dug main crop potatoes. I know they will be delicious, they always are. There is enough to last us for at least 2 weeks. I still have plenty of jam to spread around my other friend and neighbours, if you will pardon the pun!

By ayesha christmas from Slovenia

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