I smell the onions, I look around for you

I forgot to mention in that last post that instead of working my schoolwork today I did some canning. Something that is not a family tradition by any stretch-we always just ate the food. I have a lifetime supply of chow chow relish now. And I made it myself. ALL BY MYSELF. Since I don't own a food processor I had to cut all 10 onions and 20-some tomatoes and 5 peppers by hand with my Dollar General purchased knife. This doesn't seem like much until you've done it. My hands are sore and bandaged due to this process. I only own two big pots-and this was a task that cried out for at least 3 pots although 4 would be preferable- so it took about an hour of boiling the jars before they were completely "done." Not that I know what that is, but I know they were supposed to not give when I press on the top of the lid-and they don't do that.
I've never grown anything in my life. ntil this summer when I realized I was so desperate for fresh tomatoes (you may remember summer before last a tomato cost as much as $3-so I didn't get to eat many) I couldn't bear the thought of another summer without fresh vegetables. I don't have a green thumb, I was lucky. I had a whole lot of left over green tomatoes and I didn't know what else to do with them but I'm too poor to be okay with wasting that much food so I decided there's no time like the present to learn how to can.
It was miserable and time consuming and messy. I'd do it again...because there is a great deal of pride in opening the closet and seeing a row of jars full of food that I grew myself (most of it anyway-tomato is the main ingredient-I had to buy the rest) and not only did I grow them I saved them to enjoy for months to come. In winter I will be able to taste summer. The worst part of winter is the cold and the darkness but a close third is the lack of fresh vegetables. Do you know the smell of a tomato plant, the sharp tangy green smell of a tomato plant? It is the most wonderful smell in the world. It is summer and life and it is love. If you don't love fresh corn and tomatoes you are not human as I understand humanity.
So-as much as I hated myself last entry I am proud of myself this entry. I am patient enough to go through the process of cleaning, sterilzing, packing and sealing jars. I cut by hand pounds of vegetables. I may have never plucked a chicken-but today I feel honest.