canning and soapbox sermons...

guess what??? ok, you're never gonna guess... especially those of you that know me very well. so, i'm just gonna tell you what... tonight, i canned tomatoes. yes, you read that right. i canned two quarts of tomatoes. i'd like to say that they were all tomatoes from my garden. but, then you'd know i was fibbin'.


i went to a quaint little gardening class where we sipped "lemon-berry-ade" and munched on dehydrated apples and pears and other wonderful "garden-y" yummies. jenny had a kitchen full of the most wonderful jars. and they were filled with all kinds of goodies. some she bought and many she'd made herself. i loved how she encouraged us to do as much or as little as we wanted (with our gardens and the canning, of course, but i took it as so much more). and, to not feel guilty about it either way. i need more of that. why can't we just be real? flaws and all. why is it that we need to put on a show for other people. there, i said it. why can't it just be that sometimes things are wonderful and other times life sucks... yes, mother, i said sucks... again. my goodness. where the heck did all of that come from? i just went from canning tomatoes to a soapbox sermon... in a few short sentences flat. i feel better. you? yes... no... anybody... bueller?

anyway, back to my tomatoes... not sure what i'm gonna make with them yet, but i'll bet it's gonna be yummy! i want to try making jams, canning fruit, and maybe some other veggies. it's a whole new world to explore. never-ending possibilities. hmmm... what to can next?

so, now i'm really ready to get going on the fall garden. i'm gonna try some more tomatoes, maybe some lettuce, a few carrots, a little broccoli, butternut squash... and whatever else i find to put in there. oh yeah, basil... don't forget the basil.