Listen for the POP!!!

Tonight I did something that I have never done in my life. I canned. Granted, I watched my mom can all sorts of everything when I was growing up, and even helped her I'm sure. But "helping" as a kid and doing it all on your own as a grown up are two COMPLETELY different things I've come to learn! :) I remember thinking my mom was crazy for going to all that work when we could have just bought it, but I think I am beginning to understand. It's not just about the money, although the savings are pretty rewarding. It's no secret that homemade just tastes so much better, but it's more than that. It's the satisfaction of opening the freezer and seeing that homemade applesauce or wanting to make burritos and knowing that you have your own homemade salsa waiting in a jar on a shelf! And that's exactly what I did tonight. However, I did NOT do it all on my own. I may have called my mom more than once (or twice) and my awesome neighbor Sharon came over to help me with some chopping and doing the actual canning. I was SO glad for her knowledge, because me trying to do this on my own would NOT have worked!! :) I was literally nervous as we got started...like butterflies in my stomach nervous. Then once we got going, I was seriously grinning like an idiot as I watched the jars line up, full of salsa! And then I started listening for the pop. I never really understood how exciting they are! For those of you that don't know, the "pop" is a good thing. It means your jars have sealed. I was listening for those pops like you wouldn't believe, and when they finally started coming, I felt like I had won something! LOL! I was SO excited, I just couldn't stop smiling! So Sharon, thank you SO much for all your wonderful help and advice and Mom, I take back every thought I had growing up that would were crazy when you would tell us all how many jars popped. I am going to be that mom too I think! :)  And now, I am going to go to bed. That was the other thing I didn't realize growing up. This stuff is hard work! :)