Happy but tired

Hello,

Yesterday Leroy and I canned 13 quarts of applesauce. What satisfaction! I will have to say that I did the hardest part all by myself because I was wondering if there would be green beans to can as well. Leroy was busy at church and had a nursing home service in the afternoon. He helped after that. The hardest part was washing the apples. They had blackness on them that I could not decide if it were a fungus or acid rain. At any rate it came off with a good vegetable brush and much scrubbing pressure. I stand when I do this and my back, arms and hands would have liked to quit long before I had attacked the last apple.

When Leroy got home I had washed all, cut up enough for the first canner and had them on the stove cooking down. After that we went to the garden to pick beans. Luckily it was only enough to give us a couple meals. Either someone had picked or the beans have not done so well in the drier conditions. Leroy and I both were pleased that we did not have to do more work at the moment. I am hoping to can more beans a bit later, but if not that is ok too. We have been blessed by gaining much from this garden: zucchini, eggplant, kale, chard, lettuce, herbs, turnips, beets, and celery.

I still pray for our former neighbors. They are on my mind a lot. Their things are still in our garage so that means they have not been able to find a place to live. I am hoping the end of the month will provide an opportunity. I would like to visit with them, but do not know a phone number or where they are.

Even though I felt relieved when they left, I now do feel guilty about them leaving. The real thing is that I did not know how to help and seeing them there all of the time reminded me of my helplessness. Life is not full of clear cut answers for me. How can some people be so decisive? Why am I the way I am? Where is God in all of this and what is there for me to do?

Paula