Mike in his garden.
Do you ever feel like you’ve committed too much and you’re feeling overwhelmed with all you must do? The last year that Mike was alive he and John planted a garden. When he died in late June, I had no idea what to do with it.
He liked to make salsa so there was an abundance of peppers and tomatoes. So, what was I to do with all this produce?
As it happened Roderick was here for a few weeks and John was about to begin his senior year of high school. We picked tomatoes and peppers, got out the equipment and recipe, and tried our hand at making salsa. This also meant learning how to can the salsa.
The last few years of his life Mike had really gotten into canning things. I always stayed out of the way. It wasn’t something I had any interest in. Sometimes things would get a little tense when I wanted to make dinner and my kitchen was overrun by all the canning stuff. I may have used it as an excuse to eat out.
The year before Mike had more in his garden and our parent’s pear tree had an abundant harvest as well. Along with salsa he had made pickles, relish, and tried pear butter that turned into pear bread. So, this year we were overstocked on everything except salsa.
I had chemo from February to June and radiation from mid-July to mid-August. I didn’t have time to learn a new skill. The boys did most of the harvesting and I found Mike’s salsa recipe and researched how to use the pressure cooker. We processed, made, and canned over nine gallons of salsa.
Honestly, I think I would have let my friend who tended the garden that summer have all the produce had the boys not pushed me to make their dad’s salsa. I did put a stop to it when John asked me the next spring if we were going to plant anything in the garden. I said because he would be at college when everything needed to be harvested, processed, and canned that I didn’t think I was up to the task.
It’s surprising how much you can do when you’re open to learning something new. I am reminded of this often as I learn more about myself.
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When life is too much it can feel like a Run Through the Jungle.
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Onward!
