this crazy life...

I don't really have time to write this morning.  But I am going to make the time.  I'm a bit weary and need a few moments of being still, with my hot coffee, okay semi warm coffee.  It's been a hugely productive week, and our camping trip is next week, somehow I have completely lost track of time. I mean, we are less than a week out and I've been so busy that I might have forgotten to start getting ready.  The next few days are going to be rough. 

We have company for lunch today, so needless to say, I have a crazy busy morning.  My kitchen is currently canning central. My friend came over yesterday and over the course of the day we completed so much!  I had a great time helping her learn, let me tell you she has it down cold! Over the course of one day we completed 31 jars of jelly (wild violet, dandelion and red bud), 7 pints of pickles - we'll see if those turn out, I might have gotten distracted and forgotten an ingredient, a single can of bread and butter pickles and also 5 jars of apple butter for her to take home.  Additionally, I'd finished up the 5 pints of salsa, finished cooking up 10 pounds of chicken for canning and have a huge pot of chicken stock simmering away. And we ground 2 jars of onion powder.  Life is good and bountiful. 

I would say it was a crazy productive day.  And so much fun.  I love the sound of pings and the kitchen was filled with them!

After the company heads out today, I will get right back at it.  I have a case of tomatoes to use up, I want to can the chicken stock (yikes first time with the pressure canner) and I need to start planning out the camping trip.  So much to do, so little time. 

Yesterday while we were canning, my friend asked me how I found time to do that while working.  It was actually slightly painful to admit that I hadn't found time.  That all the wonderful toys my husband had bought me over the years to make my life easier, had been sitting in boxes gathering dust.  I'd simply been too busy to use them.  And there we were using the things that I had left sitting around while I went about my former life.  

It's strange.  My body is tired and sore, it's been a busy hard week so far.  But my soul is filled to capacity.  I might be weary, but it's a good weary.  It's the kind that comes from doing honest labor and completing the tasks that make me feel accomplished. 

The coffee is 100% cold now, and time is fluttering away from me... time to get busy...