Today I’ve been on my feet all day.

6:30  Feed and water the chickens and geese

8:00  Made Salsa

Ingredients:

5 lbs fresh picked tomatoes

1 lb fresh picked jalapeno peppers

3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (or same volume white vinegar)

1 lb fresh picked cilantro

2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

Preparation:

Washed tomatoes and chop.  Seed and deveined one pound of Jalapeño peppers, chop.  Peeled and chopped one pound of onion.  Peeled and chopped 6 large garlic cloves.  Added all of the above to my large dutch oven with the lemon juice and  two teaspoons of Kosher Salt,    Simmered on the stove for 10 minutes.  Washed, patted dry and chopped  1/4 cup cilantro.

Meanwhile, I sterilized 6 pint jars and put them into the oven 175 degrees to keep warm.

When the salsa was done cooking for the recommended time, I quickly stirred in the chopped cilantro, and then packed the salsa into the jars.

Following good canning (or jarring) practice of course!  I then placed the jars into a hot water bath with two inches of water above the lids and boiled for 15 minutes to process.

When the timer went off I then carefully removed the jars to a wire rack to cool.  Listening with delight as each jar made that certain ‘pop’ which told me I was successfully sealed.

12:45 PM  WHERE DID THE TIME GO!!!  Realizing I need to be in downtown Huntsville for a Dr’s appointment at 2:10  I run for the shower, finish, jump out, get dressed, brush teeth, gargle, spritz hair and run my fingers through it briskly.

Looking in the mirror I realize I no longer look like the sophisticated and lovely Judi Dench

(My recent hair cut given to me with scissors, behind closed doors  by moi.)

And far too late to do aNyThInG about it I have suddenly realized I am the spitting image of…

(Christopher Walken Photo Credit linked to picture ~ click)

1:30  Shove dogs out door to pee.

1:40  Call dogs back in so I can go!

1:45  Jump in car drive like hell, get to Dr’s parking lot, ACTUALLY FIND A PARKING SPACE!  (Will miracles never cease!)  Fly into the building take elevator to second floor…

2:10  ON TIME,  OH YEAH!  Dr. ex-rays hand, finds that damage from large box of books that fell onto my hand (when moving three yrs ago) has caused the cartilage, in the joint that holds my thumb in place on my wrist, is gone.   Yeah, it hurts like  heck all the time.   Dr. gives me a shot that hurts way more than ‘Like HECK,’ then puts a band-aid on the injection site and sends me home.  (I am allowed three of these injection treatments by the way, and then it’s surgery)  Eh…

3:45  I leave Dr’s office and go to the Fresh Foods Market because, hey as long as I am here, I might as well get some of those awesome gluten free wraps I found there the last time I was in…  OH no! GONE!

I asked the supplier, who just happened to be there, “Where were they moved to?”

He replies in a very blasé voice, “Sorry, they’re discontinued.”

Sigh.

4:10  Hop in car, get on highway, drive home.

4:30  Waiting fourth in line to make the left hand turn that leads to the home stretch in HeAvY traffic.  The dude in front of me is just sitting there looking over his shoulder, and seriously, he’s trying to get back into the traffic lane!

What the…  Are we serious?  Now the light has turned red again and he jackrabbits into the car wash parking lot, blows through onto my road home, and follows the light through to continue north on the highway!  Seriously.

4:50  I am home.  I walk in, my kitchen is a hot mess because I didn’t have time to deal with it before I left and I realize I have a smile on my face.

Why you ask?

Because in spite of the hot mess, and the tired feet, and the shot of cortisone that hurt ‘way more than HECK,’ I am home.  I have 6 pints of summer put up for this winter, with more to come, Bob just walked through the door, and now it is the weekend!

No, your eyes do not deceive you, there really are only five jars… Bob couldn’t wait and opened one up!   😉

So what makes you smile on days like this?

UPDATE

Peggy, a good friend of mine, shared this little video and song on the topic of canning and a “little bit of summer.”  I liked it so much that I wanted to share it with all my dear readers.

It is simply and appropriately titled:

Canned Goods