Where everybody knows your name

I've learned that I do have a place that when I walk in, everyone does know my name. It's not a bar. It's not even a barn. It's...

The eye doctor.

We go to a small, one doctor office in our small town. Evidently when you and your many children cycle through on a yearly basis (meaning I'm in there every few months, it seems), you become known. 

The best story happened this week. P. needed an eye appointment, and had one scheduled for yesterday afternoon. The previous night she had meant to grab an insurance card, but forgot. So, because I was driving right by there (it's on the way to the library, so I'm always driving right by there), I said I'd pop in and make sure they had the insurance information on file. So I did, and they did. 

As I was walking out, the doctor saw me and asked if I had a moment. I said I did, so he asked if I liked to preserve things, like making jelly and what not. I said, yes, in a questioning sort of way because I couldn't figure out what that had to do with eye related things. Then he asked me if I would be interested in some choke berries. He had cleaned off his bushes and had more than he could use. Not one to turn down free fruit, I said sure. 

He brought them into the office today, do I went to pick them up. 

This is about five pounds of berries. I've done some Googling in the interim, and choke berries are also call aronia berries and are incredibly high in antioxidants. Some people use them for a cough syrup.

They are high in acid, so safe to can. My plan is to make syrup with them and then try it out as a cold and flu tonic during the winter, adding a little minced ginger and lemon to it, making a hot tea. We'll see if I can get people to drink it. 

So now I need to figure out a time to make a juice from these berries, turn it into a syrup, and then can it. I guess I'm not quite done after all.