Gaze ye thine eyes upon that which I have accomplished today.
I have no idea where that came from. Maybe I'm channeling the King James version of the Bible. You know, the chapter about pickles? Book of Cucumber, probably.
I am so tired tonight and I wish I could say it was a good tired but not really. It just feels tired, tired. The pain in my side has been a pain in my ass. I even took ibuprofen for it this morning which did not help much. And the whole situation made me anxious because if it is a kidney stone jockeying for position to escape via the ureter and it does find the secret passageway, I'm in for a boatload of agony. And if it's not a kidney stone it might be something else like cancer of the side or something and yes, I'm being ridiculous but I have to joke about these things. So that has not been fun. The pain is more worrisome than, well, painful, so there is that. I'm extremely paranoid about the prospect of another kidney stone in the wrong place and we all know that.
But. Whatever. It felt too hot to go out and dig potatoes today and I had all those beans in the refrigerator so I decided to bite the bullet and get that project done. I chose to pickle them instead of pressure can them and it took me all afternoon to sterilize jars and lids, trim the beans, pack the beans into the hot jars along with garlic and spices, make the brine, pour that over the beans, screw on the lids, put the jars back in the canner, process them for fifteen minutes, take them out, and wait for the sweet, sweet sound of success which is when the lid pops, meaning it has a seal.
It takes far longer to pack beans into a jar than you would think. Since the beans vary in size, it's a challenge to fill in all the spaces. I can't tell you how many chopsticks I've broken, using them to try and shove beans over to make space to put more in. And beans are pretty bendy.
Oh well. I did it. Four pounds of untrimmed green beans made me seven pints of pickles. I think this will be all of the dilly beans I'll be making this summer.
And of course there was laundry to do, including the sheets. I have washed four loads of laundry, folded two of those, made up the bed with the clean sheets, and have towels in the dryer and a load of things still in the washer.
I don't know why I'm complaining. It's not like I'm hauling my things to the river and beating them on rocks to get them clean. Or boiling them in a giant pot of water that I filled from the well and put on a fire I made in the yard, all the while wearing everything that women had to wear no matter how hot it got. I am so spoiled.
Today was my Zepbound injection day and that makes the fourth dose I've taken which means I've been on it for three weeks now. Gratifyingly, my clothes are already feeling looser and that is a joy.
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I buried the lede here today, folks. I apologize.
I present to you- THE DOOR!
Ten hours is a long time in a car for kiddos.
And adults.
I can't believe how kick ass you can be in just ONE day. Wow. My hat is off to you......if I manage a shower, a load of laundry and watering my plants.....I feel like I've done something.....the ADL's of my current life.....but you kick my butt! LOL! That door to Owens room is perfect, not surprised... I read the *trilogy* of *the Unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Frye*......loved all 3 books and well worth listening to or reading! Bottoms up Friday!
ReplyDeleteSusan M
Yay.... the door is done and looks great! I hope it's not the kidney stone and hope you feel better soon. I'm going to look up the book and see if I can stream the movie.
ReplyDeleteThe door is great. It is a big deal for a teenager to have a door. The beans are great. August and Levon are all legs. For a woman in pain, you got a ton done today.
ReplyDeleteOhhh, the long car trips. Back in the early 70's I would take kids pre-middle school age on a 10 hour car trip to visit Illinois grandparents. Big old station wagon, no AC, no electronics, with blankets and pillows in the back for naps. highlight of the trip was "Stuckey's" with their doodads, candies, and stuff. Coloring books, card games, and endless "Are we almost there yet???"
ReplyDeleteI like that folding door a lot. Such smooth action. No wonder he's pleased
ReplyDeleteI hate doing laundry, I hate making beds even more than I hate doing laundry, but I hate cleaning bathrooms the most:) Housework is a lot of work which most people (men) just ignore. Added to that, meals and meal planning, no wonder you're tired. I'm tired too.
ReplyDeleteI talked to my girlfriend today. We're driving out to Vancouver and back next month. She quietly asked me who would be driving. I told her me because she's always tired. And then she said, oh, thank you. She has cancer and needs her rest.
I think I have read that book, but of course I can remember. Bloody hell. I used to remember everything.
Have a lovely evening.
Big Yum on the dilly beans! I am so bad at getting laundry done myself. I need to set a timer after I put in a load or I will forget it for hours to transfer it to the dryer. I honestly would rather clean the bathroom than do a load of laundry! lol.
ReplyDelete10 hours in a car would kill most people. five hours in a car would just half kill most people. Jessie is a trooper! The door is a work of art- very clever and perfect! Owen is a whole nuther boy- my goodness he is so tall all of a sudden. Dang- somebody in your family better have another baby soon!
ReplyDeleteNow that’s a fine door, and special because his Bop built it with him. I’m a bit worried about the pain in your side, mostly because you seem worried. I wish they could break up or dissolve that stone somehow. You’re staying well hydrated right? Do you ever drink liquid IV? It’s a powder you put in water or a drink. I heard that’s good for the fatigue. The other thing to watch for with the GLP-1 meds is low blood sugar cause you’re eating a lot less. That can cause dizziness or fatigue too.
ReplyDelete"Gaze ye thine eyes" thank you for that spontaneous out loud laugh, and the next one, "Book of Cucumber"
ReplyDeleteThat is a magnificent door!!
Get a pair of metal chopsticks for poking those beans into place. Don't let anyone tell you such a thing is not available, because I have a pair, in stainless steel. Got them at an Asian Grocery store.
Koreans use metal chopsticks!! At least sometimes…
DeleteI agree, thank heavens for electronics while travelling with kids. I wonder how many times my parents turned round in the car and yelled "if you don't stop that I'll ....."! And the Harold Fry book was lovely wasn't it. Very sad actually but lovely all the same!
ReplyDeleteI envy you the martini, not the kidney stone. Did I ever tell you about SG’s skin cancer? No pain, but something odd on his forearm. He was a wreck. Until he brushed it off. Potato chip crumb! That’s a beautiful job on the door (of course it is).
ReplyDeleteI read that book some years ago........it was excellent. Have you read the others in the trilogy......I read The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennesey.....enjoyed that too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant door for Gibson's room....I never imagined it was going to be like that.