Persimmon Jam

I'm on call and very, very nervous about this upcoming birth. This will be the first time I've been a primary midwife at a birth since Olivia was born. I'm not sure I still have the stuff. I'm definitely doubting myself.

My bags are packed and I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Louis and Grammy are on call for taking care of Olivia. 

T has a client going in for an induction this weekend, and may not be able to help me, which stresses me out.  I have a student on standby just in case.

Adding to my anxiety is the plan for my client's parents, toddler, and mother-in-law to be present at the birth. It's a big enough house to fit everyone, but I wasn't really planning to have an audience. But of course, it's not about me.

I really do think the birth will be fine, but I'm freaking out a bit anyway.

To calm down, I canned my first batch of persimmon jam last night. A nice lady at the farmers market last weekend talked me into trying to make the persimmon jam, because it's easy to make and doesn't need pectin. I bought four pounds of organic persimmons, which was just the right amount. I couldn't find a recipe, so I made it up myself. The only thing I did wrong was forget to mash up the persimmon at the beginning. I washed, peeled, and chopped them and threw them into the pot with sugar and lemon juice. About 45 minutes later, I was surprised to see the chunks were still there. I scooped them out and puréed them with a hand blender, then threw them back in the pot. The jam came to the right consistency and it tastes fine, but there are still a few chunks of fruit. Oops. Now I know for next time.

I baked some banana walnut bread for Louis tonight, paid bills, and worked on Olivia's Christmas gift. The call can come any minute, so I'm doing my best to stay calm by staying busy.