busy canning from the garden

The last few weeks have found us busy, as usual, this time of the year.  The youngest grandson visited the week of the 4th for the whole week.  He discovered the vaccum cleaner and cleaned the floors for me every day.  Great toy.  I, in turn, took him to eat Mexican and Chinese.  We also went to the Runge Nature Center, to the Cars 2 Movie and to see the Clydesdale Horses.   We also baked cookies and I managed to can some green beans.  He felt he had a wonderful time and is trying to figure out how to spend more time here.  I had to burst the bubble and tell him that every day would  not be play days if he lived here.  That I would also have chores to do.  We would not spend every afternoon playing  games and going to fun adventures.  Those are VACATION activities.   He decided that did not sound so fun and maybe his Mommy would miss him if he did not go home. He is turning 9 next month.
   Meanwhile, work has been busy.  After a few, months of not working full shifts, it is tiring to be back to working full speed, no time for lunch, 10 hour days.    I pretty much come home at 8 pm and go to bed.  I have canned 35 pints of green beans and 28 pints of horticulture beans this month.    The tomatoes are cooking on the vines due to the extreme heat and humidity.  Hope we have enough for a few jars of juice and some salsa.  I have plenty of spegetti sauce left from last year.  
    Hoping to find a few hours to go watch the Harry Potter movie tomorrow.  No time last week.  Last weekend we traveled north and finished the sorting of boxes and cloths at the Father-in-Laws home.  It is a sad job to pick through their belongings and try to decide what to sell, what to donate, what to throw away.  Two lifetimes of living to sort through.   My advise to you all, sort through your things now.  Throw out what you don't use.  Label things you want people to have or give it to them now if you no longer use it.  Label your pictures.  Your grandkids will not have any idea who that you pretty woman and handsome man from 60 years ago are.   Might be an important relative.   Might be the next door neighbor.  Who can tell.   Don't leave those things for whomever is left.  The task is too hard and sad.  Feelings get hurt and people are too emotional to be left to decide what to keep or not.   Anyway, be kind to your heirs, make a will and down size.  Really do you need 4 pressure canners and 4 bundt pans?    Blessings to all who read and comment.  I cherish my friends and their loving support.  Stay cool and take time to tell your family that you love them.    Beverly