By August, and Carrie has started at UGA. She called on Monday, her voice carrying the particular excitement of a woman who is, after two years of teaching in Japan, returning to the student side of the desk with the wisdom that the teacher side provides. She said, "Being a student is different now." I said, "Everything is different when you've done the thing you're studying how to do." The doing-before-studying is Carrie's particular advantage: she has already been the teacher. The master's degree will give her the theory. The combination of practice and theory will make her not just a teacher but an excellent one.
James and Elise's baby is due in three months. Elise is showing. James sent a photograph of Elise in the kitchen, her belly visible, her hands on the counter, the photograph a mirror of the photograph of me and Mama cooking that hangs on my kitchen wall. The mirroring was not deliberate but it was accurate: a woman in a kitchen, pregnant, her hands where the cooking happens, the cooking and the growing happening simultaneously. The photograph made me weep.
Robert finished the cradle. Cherry wood, hand-joined, sanded smooth, polished to a warmth that the touch confirms before the eye can. The cradle sits in the guest bedroom — Mama's old room, which will become the baby's room when the baby visits, and the becoming is the transformation of loss into gain, the room that held the dying now holding the being-born, the room doing the work that rooms do: they hold what life brings them.
I made peach preserves — the August project, the canning that carries summer into winter. Twelve jars. The label reads "Peaches, August 2025, Naomi." The name. My name. The sovereignty continues.
The peach preserves were already sealed and cooling on the counter — twelve jars, labeled in my own hand — when I started thinking about what else the season deserved before it slipped away. This applesauce raspberry gelatin mold has the same spirit as a jar of preserves: fruit held in suspension, summer made storable, sweetness you can return to when the cold comes. It felt right for a week when so much was being carried forward — Carrie into her degree, James and Elise into parenthood, Mama’s room into something new — to make one more thing that keeps.
Applesauce Raspberry Gelatin Mold
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min (chill time: 4 hrs) | Total Time: 4 hrs 15 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 packages (3 oz each) raspberry-flavored gelatin
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 package (10 oz) frozen raspberries, partially thawed
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Whipped cream or sour cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Dissolve the gelatin. In a large bowl, combine raspberry gelatin with 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Stir for 2 minutes until the gelatin is fully dissolved.
- Add the raspberries. Stir in the partially thawed frozen raspberries. The cold berries will begin to set the gelatin slightly and separate the berries — continue stirring gently until the berries are evenly distributed.
- Fold in the applesauce. Add the applesauce, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Transfer to the mold. Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled 6-cup ring mold or a 9x13-inch baking dish. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Chill until firm. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until the gelatin is completely set and holds its shape when cut.
- Unmold and serve. To unmold, briefly dip the bottom of the mold in warm water and invert onto a serving plate. Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or sour cream if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 130 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 75mg