Melody likes doing her canning. We have really got into it in the last couple years. This year Melody has so far made a stack of pickles (the sweet Canadian kind, which even I like), salsa, and raspberries (15 jars worth!). This will save us a bunch of money in the Winter and also make Winter more enjoyable. The purpose of canning (or preserving in Australian) has always been to save money and provide something enjoyable. Fruit and vegetables will get a lot more expensive in the Winter time.
Melody has observed Baba Anya's passion for canning though. Most days Baba has been out in the forest collecting mushrooms or berries. She has been critical of her grandson for not collecting any at all. (We have done a little.) Today she was critical of some neighbours who have been playing music all day. "They have been playing music all day, they haven't been out in the forest collecting, what are they going to eat all Winter?!" Hmm, they probably have a job and intend to buy their food. What's more they probably have been out collecting berries and mushrooms on some days.
Baba, of course was born in the forest. She lived a traditional Evenki lifestyle for much of her youth. The Evenki have been collecting berries and mushrooms for millennia as a course of survival. They have traditionally dried them to last through the Winter. This is the context Baba Anya is coming from, this is what she did through out her childhood for survival. This is what she does in her old age, because although she believes it to be entirely necessary, it is actually something she really enjoys. :)
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