Oh Boy! You Get To See Another Jar Of Something I've Canned!

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!

I am not sure who is happier about this- Owen or his grandfather. Look how much our Owen has grown up! We are so proud of that boy. Glen said he's thanked him innumerable times and tells him he loves him. It makes me so happy that our grandchildren can say, "I love you," to both of us.

As to grandchildren, Jessie and the boys took off for the mountains this morning around eight. 

She sent me this picture awhile ago saying, "Thank goodness for electronics." 
Ten hours is a long time in a car for kiddos. 
And adults.

I've been listening all day to a book I had heard before. "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce. I wrote about it nine years ago when I first listened to it and I believe my review was, "It's fucking good."

It still is. 

And I just now realized it has been made into a movie which I think I can stream. 

I do recommend the book. I'll let you know about the movie if I am able to see it. 

Going to go cook some grouper and probably some new potatoes now. Maybe some green beans and a cherry tomato and cucumber salad. All hail summer, the season when the seas and the garden give abundantly from the fruitfulness of their loins. 

Martini is at hand. 

Happy Friday, y'all. 

Love...Ms. Moon