Each year, when Seville oranges make a brief appearance in the produce ailse of local grocery stores, I make marmalade. Partly it's to fulfill the canning portion of my Mount Pleasant residency requirements, but also to continue my British grandmother鈥檚 marmalade making tradition. She lives on Salt Spring Island and is fond of declaring that each year鈥檚 batch will likely be her last. She shares marmalade making tips with me and we trade jars. Her brother鈥檚 name is also Michael, so when I call her she often needs to clarify whether she鈥檚 speaking to her brother Michael or 鈥淢armalade Michael.鈥� If I ever decide to become a male stripper late in life, at least I will have a sweet name to fall back on.
