“It’s definitely food for thought,” declared Ava-Margaret. She had been entertaining a guest at her apartment in the retirement village and they had discussed how late December-early January seemed to be the time the Grim Reaper made an appearance. “It’s funny,” said Ava-Margaret, “we older people don’t seem to have the resilience against illnesses that we used to have in younger years.”
Because Ava-Margaret and her visitor were enjoying a lovely cup of tea didn’t mean that Ava-Margaret was doing nothing. She was busy chopping up rhubarb to make rhubarb jam. “I know I’m early,” said Ava-Margaret, “but I avoid the Christmas rush by preparing a few little gifts well in advance. Little jars of rhubarb jam are just what the doctor ordered.”
“You realize,” said the visitor, “that you are chopping up the rhubarb leaves as well as the stems. The leaves are poisonous.”
“Dear me, so they are!” laughed Ava-Margaret. “I’ll have to be careful as to who I give these little gifts to.”
Jim chortled. “It’s fun to be in on it,” he said.
Weave a Web 
Lord preserve us.
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Just don’t get in a pickle over preserves.
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These are some terrifying people Bruce. Best avoided.
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Would you like a cracker with some of my rhubarb jam?
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Just the cracker please. And only if you open the packet in front of me.
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It’s amazing what you can do to a cracker’s packet with a syringe.
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I don’t want to know lol. This is N**** btw (that sounds bad!) commenting using my other blog because I’m shamelessly trying to promote it.
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Rhubarb is delicious.
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It is currently growing berserk in my garden!
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It is currently under a foot of snow in mine!
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Sounds like it would melt in my mouth.
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Frozen rhubarb works too.
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You get bored in a retirement village… gotta have some fun.
Bruce I can safely say I’ve never had rhubarb…what does it taste like?
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It’s bitter but you cook it with sugar – sort of like Whitloof (which being the bastard I am I am presuming you’ve never tried that either! Whitloof is also sometimes known as chicory or Belgian endives.!) I have rhubarb coming out my ears at present.
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Nope! Never even heard of Whitloof… Now I’m going to try it. Before today I was thinking it was a fruit since Jam was being made.
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Oops! I’ve misled you. Eat rhubarb as a dessert or dessert pie filling or for with breakfast with cereal!
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I sure will…I’ll look for it this week.
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The inevitable theme manifests itself in your stories in ingenious ways.
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Thank you Uma. When it comes to murder I try constantl;y to be creative.
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My family is always bugging me to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie. Sometimes I can’t find the rhubarb! In any event, perhaps these two should sit down and make a list of people the jam should go to!
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Does rhubarb grow in your region? I could send some over! I usually do a rhubarb and apple pie! Or plain rhubarb with ice cream. Or better still, just the ice cream!!!
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Yup, we do get lots of rhubarb, but not always in the stores. Some friends of mine give me what they grow. My mother used to give us stewed rhubarb with breakfast, with NO added sugar. Just thinking about it makes my mouth pucker. I may have to try a rhubarb and apple pie. Try one with strawberries!
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It’s nice to find a friend that really gets you.
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We used to dip raw rhubarb from the garden in sugar and eat it when I was little, the thought makes me shudder now!
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I like rhubarb but not raw!!
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