The Key to Coping

"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of his countenance" Psalm 42:5

It’s been a very long time since I updated here. It’s been a difficult year as infusions were not working and I have had yet another change in medications trying to get the pain and encroaching damage under control. The good news is, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of widespread permanent damage accompanying the pain so far.

Never, in my wildest or worst nightmares did I ever dream life would be like this, that for days and weeks, sometimes months at a time, I would be so weak and in so much pain that I can not make a bed, do dishes, fix a meal, vacuum a floor or even water plants, never mind going out to be with the animals or in the garden where I PREFER to be. More time than I would like to admit, is spent sitting with the laptop, looking for distraction and heading off depression.  Riding looks like a nearly impossible dream. It’s been months since I have ridden and both my horses are out of reach and I haven’t the strength to go get them. Wimpy was a turd last time I climbed aboard and Mister has spent the past few months with his feet busted up. He had front shoes on for a day, but threw one and tore his right front up pretty bad so that there is not much to nail to, so now he’s in worse shape than before. Hopefully something can be done soon. Everyone who is able to help him is so busy these days and of course, he is a low priority for everyone except me, which is as it should be. Working on a ranch is not a 9-5 job and if these guys ever GET any free time, they DO need to invest in their own lives…however, that doesn't help me much.

Our first year here, I had big dreams. I could finally do the things I had longed to do for a lifetime, but I quickly broke my shoulder, sustaining serious damage. The ball joint was fractured, the cartilage had broken and was caught behind the ball joint so my arm could not go back in the socket after I dislocated it and I had 3 painful rotator cuff tears. It took a year to recover. Three weeks after I was allowed to start riding again my mare bucked me off on the frozen rocky ground and broke all my ribs on the left front side and punctured my lung. Because of poor medical care, I wound up in emergency surgery 3 weeks later, having my ribs broken AGAIN, in the back this time, so they could gain access to the 2 liters of blood that had filled my lung. Another year went by. I bought a new, safer horse as clearly my condition had rendered me helpless and unable to ride or train colts anymore, which had been my passion and profession for 30 years and my left leg began to swell painfully. It was found I needed an immediate complete joint replacement. Add yet another painful year of trying to recover so I could ride again…then the disease got worse and I was overcome with both weakness and balance challenges.

This week I went to the hospital for an MRI on my right leg, which has been painfully swollen for almost a month now. We spent the night because I have to see rheumatologist again and it turns out I need another joint replacement. I will lose yet another year recovering, trying to gain back the little ground I have made.

Depression is part and parcel of this disease and it is very difficult to fend off, considering the limitations set upon the lives of those who have it. It’s a lifelong process of grieving what feels much like a death, the death of who I was, and trying to come to terms with who I am now, which, at least in my case, is not someone I ever chose to be. It feels like I am constantly being knocked down. Sometimes the blows are paralyzing and I am not sure I even want to try. TheMan does what he is able to help me but it takes its toll on him as well.

I don’t know how others cope. As for me, the only thing I can do, the only strength I have, is to hold onto He who loves me most and will walk me through this, as the decision to allow this disease to devastate my life had to pass through His hands first. I know Him well enough to know without a doubt, He will allow nothing to happen to me that isn’t for my own good. If not in this life, than in the next, when I finally see Him face to face and there are no more distractions and no more obstacles to prevent me from feeling His awesome, overwhelming and complete love.

I look forward to that day and as I see the world around me systematically being destroyed, our Constitution shredded, our economy collapsing, pornography and immorality touted as a god in every conceivable medium and radical Muslim factions setting the world aflame with a President who cares only about himself, his own desires and has no compassion or empathy for either the American people or those who have been brutally slain on his watch, too often as a result of his own incompetency. It’s hard to be hopeful without a leader in the nation’s capital.

I can only lift my hands and pray “Come quickly!”  and yet, I know my own time, my own anxiety and my own minute suffering is not yet over, but because of Him, I am not inconsolable.

"I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten" Joel 2:25

Looking Up

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song I will praise HIm" Ps 28:7

Three weeks after my last ‘loading dose’ of the infusion, things started looking up. I was praying for remission and although very weak with little stamina, the extreme pain was absent. I was sure I could regain my strength if I could ride again, but I cannot ride alone anymore as I cannot get off to open gates and the likelihood of my having an accident is exponentially higher now, even riding the old gentle horses that have replaced the colts I used to ride.

Still, relief from pain is a big deal and I celebrated hope for the future. I was surprised with a LOT of company, but helpful company. I was grateful for the grace and understanding everyone gave me because of my condition. While it was exhausting to do all the things I wanted to do, it was rewarding as well.

I was totally blessed by an answer to much prayer, as I need someone here to help me now and then. Being alone 90% of my day is hard as I have to motivate myself even when I hurt or am terribly fatigued. Another person is a good distraction from the pain and as I am not one of those who can sit while someone else is working it is a good incentive to keep trying. A friend from long ago came and we found it to be to our mutual benefit for her to move in with us. I’m looking forward to it both as a relief to some of my fears and limitations as well as good companionship. We share many things, a love of animals, a love of riding, and above all, our faith, so it will be a fun adventure.

The benefits of the infusion are slowly wearing off, too soon. Almost two weeks before the next infusion the pain began to return and all the previous symptoms are present, so  remission isn’t here yet, but they are going to bump up the dose so I hope and pray this next round goes the distance in between them.

Meantime, I lean on Him and gratefully so. He is bringing my sons up in October and for the first time in 8 years the entire family will be together. There is nothing I could wish for that could trump that.

How He has given me the desire of my heart.

If you don’t know Him, I encourage you to reach out and meet Him. Life will never be the same again.

"Call to me and I will show you great and unsearchable things that you do not know" Jer 33:3

About Suffering...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths" prov 3:5-6

It has been a summer, indeed a year, of ups and downs as far as my autoimmune condition has gone. I now go to town hours away and spend 4 hours in the hospital having a drug infused slowly into my bloodstream to try and stem the tide of this disease.

It’s hard to say if it is helping or not. I have had some of the worst flares ever, when the barometric pressure drops. I sleep more than I am awake and have no stamina. Walking through the house winds me now. I am weaker than I have ever been in my life and flares are incredibly, unbearably painful, swift and oppressive. I bounce back in between, however, although the weakness and fatigue stays with me. 

Luckily, Randyman walks this valley with me. He understands when I am unable to function and instead of berating or becoming discouraged with me, he supports me and picks up the slack, caring for the animals, yard and our personal needs. I can be practically comatose for 24 hours, then suddenly wake up feeling refreshed and ready to do something. On those days I do laundry, can foods, bake bread, fix a nice dinner or whatever I am able to do. Yesterday was the highlight of my summer so far. Sushimoo, my yearling heifer, jumped the fence and wound up in the pasture with the bull and his harem. Being much too young to be bred still, she had to be captured and separated again. The first time in months, I was strong enough to walk out to the milk pasture where the horses are, not just once, but THREE times. I captured my old Quarterhorse, got him saddled up, rode down and in the space of about half an hour or so managed to bring all the cattle up and separate Sushi and EmmaLouMoo and put them in the corral. The rest of the day I spent recovering, as it triggered a great deal of pain in my shoulders, wrists and hands and I was worn out, but emotionally I was riding a wave of joy that I cannot even describe. For a brief moment in time, I was able to once again do what I most love, with the desired result and uninjured. Life is made up of these kinds of moments.

Pain is relative. Everyone experiences it, be it in the form of disease or injury, failure, betrayal, death of a loved one, loss of a job, insecurity, death of a child... it comes in many forms. Many people who have not met the Savior ask, “How can a loving God allow such suffering in the world?”

It’s a valid question and one I used to ask, myself. The answer can be complex, but simply put, we live in a fallen world. This is not paradise. It is neither Eden nor Heaven. When sin and rebellion entered the world, it separated us from God and His perfect creation was damaged. Disease, death and wickedness took root and grows, still, today. But He is yet in control. He holds back evil, allowing in only what can work toward His purposes. Death is a loathesome enemy, be it the death of a child or adult, wild animal or beloved pet. But He defeated death. Death does not have the final word.

As far as human suffering goes, there are a couple of things someone told me early in my walk that helped me understand suffering’s purpose. The Roman Centurion was not convinced Jesus of Nazareth was who He claimed he was. After observing His crucifixion, in excruciating pain and agony, offering grace and redemption to the very world who tortured and murdered him, the Centurion said “Truly, He must have been the son of God”. It was watching how He handled suffering that opened the Centurion's eyes.

 As my friend said “It is not always how we live, but sometimes how we die, that convinces an unbelieving world”. When others see He sustains us in our suffering, they see the awesome power of God. Joni Eareckson Tada, who became a quadriplegic in a diving accident at the age of 18, says 

“I would rather be in this wheelchair with Jesus, than on my feet without Him.” 

Pretty powerful words coming from a woman who has spent 40 years in that wheelchair, unable to do the things most of us take for granted. 

Unlike the televangelists who promise all manner of wealth and comfort if we only follow their formula, the Bible says, in fact guarantees, we will have tribulations in this life. 

***

Finally, the best explanation of the true purpose of suffering was given to me by a friend when she explained to me the refiner’s fire. This is a term used over and over in the Bible, referring to the crucible of suffering.

A woman stopped to watch a silversmith at work. He was smelting down silver in a crucible, burning off the dross to purify the precious metal. As she was asking questions of him, he explained it was necessary to pay constant attention, so as not to overheat or damage the silver. It had to be done with great care. She asked him how he knew when the process was finished. His reply was

“When I can see my reflection in it”.

As the silver reflects the image of the silversmith, so we begin to reflect the character of Jesus as we come through the crucible of suffering. Notice, that He never once takes His eyes off as we are being perfected, but stays close, ever watchful, until all the impurities are gone and He can see His own image in us.

Take heart, your suffering has purpose.

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." phil 1:6

Changed

"The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zeph 3:17

Pain ebbs and flows. Emotions vacillate between hope and discouragement. Time marches on, with no respect for the days that are lost.

Small accomplishments, doing the morning dishes, shaping a loaf of bread, bending down to turn on a hose, become mighty.

Plans made, lists made up then set aside, there won’t be any chores done today, not when you can’t get up or use your hands. That baby blanket you’ve been meaning to crochet has been on hold for months, it’s almost too late now.

Others pass by the window, talking, laughing, spur rowels making metallic noise along the odd stones on the driveway. The sound of hooves stepping in a trailer, a motor roars to life and you are left behind again. There won’t be anymore trips to the desert or out on the range. A tear escapes and tastes salty on my tongue. Were there really ever better days? Did I really used to ride, run, laugh, play? I am not the person I had dreamed I would be now. This was not even on my radar.

Tiny setbacks take my breath away, there is only so much I can handle. One more sick animal, one more challenge, one more difficulty, one more demand...it’s enough to send me into flight mode, but I can no longer flee.

Painfully easing myself down I hear His voice beckoning. I pick up His word and His promises remain. Peace flows over me like water and I am reminded He cares and is in complete control. He has His reasons and I don’t need to understand, just to be, in His presence. Recently someone brought up the point to me that He sings. The Bible says He rejoices over me, with singing. We won’t just be singing to Him, but we sing WITH Him. All things are with Him, if we just stop to look and listen. 

The pain begins to flare and in my minds eye I can see Him, hands nailed to rough wood, arms dislocated, body beaten to a shredded pulp. On a cross His broken form stares down at me in love and says “Join me. I will carry the load, you only need know a little of the price I paid for you, to understand my love”. Pain is diminished and purpose is born.

Gratitude takes up residence in my heart once again and I am changed by His words.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

Cycles

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not grow faint" Is 40:31

Like weather and everything else in life, pain seems to come in cycles. Last winter was the roughest so far, but a visit to the rheumy to discuss new treatment and the blessing of a last shot of steroids and I have had many good, nearly pain free days. It’s amazing what that can do for your outlook. Being able to function again, even for just a little while, brings hope and a light heart. I got some work done on the yard and garden, repotted many of the little seedlings I had started into bigger pots, waiting until they can go in the ground come June. I’ve not been strong enough to ride, but I did put some new trail boots on my Paint horse to get them broke in so when I’m able, I am ready to go.

The downside is, there have been a lot of barometric changes this spring, with storms coming and going and that brings pain and weakness every time, but the good news is, I am rallying in between.

The good days are so very much appreciated. I did appreciate my health and strength before I became ill so I cannot say that gratitude for the good days is a benefit of my condition. Nevertheless, they are precious and won’t be taken for granted.

I felt good enough that I was too busy to even finish this blog for awhile. The storms have abated for a week or so and the disease was all but silent. I was able to enjoy working outside in the garden, rode my horse a few laps and almost kept up with the housework for a change. I’ve been thrilled to be able to work in the garden, doing some hoeing, planting the seedlings and hauling old hay to throw down as mulch. My back is beginning to complain about the wear and tear and yes, I overdid it. My hands have flared up and blistered again, but I can’t sit still as there is so much to do, so I keep going. Back on the pain killers for now, but there is great satisfaction in a job well done. I can sit on the porch and just smile as I watch the hummingbirds and butterflies and see the grass and flowers grow from my perch.

Sure as shootin’ I went too far and now I’m paying the price and spring weather has caused more flaring. Ugh.

 Round and round we go. As it has been said, 

"I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I do know the One who holds tomorrow."

Hanging onto Him is the only way I can get through my deepest valleys. We will all walk through our own valley, in pain, poverty, grief or disappointment. It is one of the things we are assured of in this life.

Thankfully, this life is not all there is.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart" Gal 6:9

Shadows

"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? ps 42:5 a

I am so glad I have been canning when I am able. Several days this month, we have had to rely on jars from the pantry as I experience painful flares that just won’t let go. I have been fortunate that some afternoons, the pain eases up for a few hours and I am somewhat functional until bedtime. Then the cycle of pain begins again. This has been a really difficult year to date. Most of it has been spent agonizing and feeling crushed under the heel of this disease. Depression has been a frequent visitor and it gets more and more difficult to evict him from my heart and home.

I have always lived an isolated life. I was raised pretty much apart from my siblings as they were so much older, they were out of the house by the time I really needed them. At the same time, my folks divorced and my grandfather, to whom I was very close, moved to a “retirement village”. I never really knew any other life than being somewhat solitary. That has always been all right with me. I love my family and the few friends I have made. My days have nearly always been spent alone, working horses or down cleaning the barn  until we moved here to the ranch. I finally had someone to ride with and loved what we were doing, moving cows, covering miles of scenic country everyday, learning the things I had always wanted to learn, but it didn’t last long before I lost the ability to do what I most loved and was once again, alone for most of my waking hours. 

I contented myself with a milk cow, goats and sheep and learning new skills, looking forward to the days I'd be strong enough to ride. I committed myself to baking all of our breads and making all of our dairy products,  growing most of our vegetables and canning produce and meals. The best and most important part of my day is  spent with the animals, as I have never been an inside, ‘domestic’ person and even being a loner, I still need affection and companionship.  All my life I have had a need to be outside, doing something. That isn’t possible anymore. I'm relegated to the house more and more. My greatest fear is the day I have to let go of all my animals because I can no longer care for, or interact with them.

I had a serious back injury in 1989 and after surgery, the recovery was long and grueling, but I knew I WOULD recover. I did recover. I fought through the pain and weakness, with sweat and tears and I broke and trained horses for another 15 years and produced some of my best work.

As these autoimmune issues began to manifest themselves, I lost more and more function. I vowed to make another comeback, I fought to get stronger, but mind over matter doesn’t always work out like we hope. Denial has passed and I accept I have a degenerative, incurable disease that is quickly progressing, doing permanent damage and ravaging my body. It’s painful as well as debilitating. I don’t have the incentive of knowing I can beat it, this time. I don’t have the hope that I will ever recover, because I won’t. Not on this side of heaven.

As the barometric pressure has jumped and bounced all this winter I have had the sensation of being beaten, again and again. It becomes very hard to ‘keep my chin up’, as they say.

As the pain and reality become overwhelming, I feel the absence of someone to talk to, someone who could listen, someone to touch. Someone to share the cries of my heart.

I appreciate all of you online who pray for me.  It really does help, knowing there are people who stand in the gap.

I apologize as this is not what I consider an ‘edifying’ entry. Sometimes a person just has to pour out how they feel, even if it isn’t pretty.

 For those who also suffer, know you are not alone. 

For those who know someone suffering, I hope you can understand how much they need your support. Not your suggestions, or the latest ‘miracle cure’. They don't need to be told how they should change their diet, or exercise. We’re doing all we can just to survive. Don’t for one minute assume there isn’t something we haven't tried, or would be doing if we were able. I’ve heard of people being told by friends and family they should stop taking the radical medications prescribed for us, because they are dangerous and don’t seem to do much good. Please understand that the only hope we have in taking these medications is to try and slow down the destruction and hopefully prolong our lives. None of them will cure us. Not taking them will almost surely shorten our life as so many of these diseases, such as this one, attack soft tissue, and organs as well as joints. Sometimes a shortened life seems like a better option, if it wasn’t so much more painful without the medications. Chronic pain is chronic. It's invisible and some days it doesn't wield the power that it can, but it is always ready to rear up and strike us down again. In my experience, every episode is more intensely painful than the last.

Encourage your person. Be there to let them cry. Listen. Love them. Help them. That is all you can do.

Help them hang on until the shadow passes.

"Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of his countenance." ps 42:5 b

Pressure to Simplify

“The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in summer” prov 30:25

The reality of living with incurable autoimmune conditions, is something that is definitely a catalyst for change. Some are good changes, others, not so much. One thing I have learned is that there will be good days and days that are so debilitating, I can do nothing. Lately, there have been more of the latter than the former. So it is against those days for which I must prepare. It isn’t a HUGE departure from things I do anyway, but there is incentive and more of a plan to what I will do. 

Sharing with some of you who experience the same kind of limitations and challenges is what this blog entry is about. But not just for those of us who have limitations, but also those who have limited free time, like working moms even.

Primarily, I am the one who cooks the meals and living as far from town as we do, pretty much everything is made from scratch. That means baking all the breads, making dairy products and canning food. Therefore, that’s what I spend a lot of my time doing on a ‘good’ day. I bake bread ahead of time and slice and freeze it so we can just grab a few slices when we need. I wrap it in plastic wrap then foil and it thaws out like fresh. I always double the recipe when making waffles and freeze the extras for a quick breakfast with a tasty whole wheat waffle as opposed to spending hard earned cash on L’eggo’s which aren’t nearly as good.

I’m a big believer in gadgets and things that simplify my life and save me time. I have large water troughs for the animals that only need filling once a week instead of daily. I have automatic feeder for my chickens and dogs (not all dogs do well on this, but ours do).

Having a garden is something I do, but the garden goes on a drip system which is run by automatic timers (operated by battery and not all that costly). Because I like fresh food and because I don’t like wasting money or buying substandard ingredients, I took up canning.  But now my canning has a purpose beyond just preserving food. I can to ensure that on days I simply cannot feed us, there are meals available. This is pretty easily done, really and I actually enjoy it more than just canning up the regular stuff...tomatoes, jams and fruits. (Let’s not forget making that pie filling so pouring a jar into a crust and baking it gives a quick and tasty dessert!)

I pressure can appropriate foods instead of freezing them, when I am able. That way there is enough room for our beef, lamb, chicken and venison and in the case of freezer failure, less food is going to be lost. There is also something very comforting about seeing jars and jars of food on my pantry shelves.

Lots of people are afraid of pressure canners. There is no need to be. To begin with, there are foods that can be “water bath” canned and others that require a pressure canner. High acid foods like tomatoes and jams/jellies are usually done in a water bath environment. When water bath canning, altitude adjustments are made by lengthening the TIME an item is in the canner.  With pressure canning  the altitude adjustments are usually made in the pounds of pressure. There are charts in most canning books as well as online for how long something needs to remain in the canner and the psi for your altitude. It’s very important to follow the directions about stopping the canning process. When to remove the pot lid, how soon to lift out the jars, allow the internal and external pressure to equalize and make sure your jars seal properly.

The procedure is really pretty easy. Decide what you are going to can and get it prepared. Most things are canned hot. A few can be canned cold or 'raw pack' such as chicken, but you will get that information and the details out of your canning book, which I recommend everyone have. It's been invaluable to me and there is no point in preserving your food unless you are going to make sure it is safe for consumption.

Grab your materials. This would be your:

Pressure canner (and weight, if yours is like mine)

rack

jar grabber

magnet

canning funnel

plastic knife thingy for getting air out

white vinegar and a paper towel

jars

lids & rings ( I love the Tattler reusable lids)

and I use a placemat to put everything on once it is sterilized and to set the hot jars on when done so the glass doesn't crack.

• Sterilize  jars, either in the dishwasher, or boil/steam them in the canner
• Fill to the recommended level, wipe the rims with papertowel dipped in white vinegar to prevent any food or oil on rim causing a seal failure.
• Put on your lids and if using 2 piece metal lids, tighten finger tight.
• *If using the plastic tattler reusable lids, only tighten enough for the ring to catch the threads. These have to be much looser in the canner to seal properly.
• Set the jars in/on the rack. Never place them directly on the pot bottom or they will shatter from heat induction.
• Make sure the water is at the proper level per your canner's instructions
• I put a touch of white vinegar or cream of tartar in the water to prevent the aluminum from discoloring. It also helps remove the blackness if you didn't do it last time.
• Set the lid on and tighten it so it is sealed.
• Let it 'vent' for 10 minutes. (It is much, much easier than listening to someone else vent, although nearly as monotonous)
• Set your weight on it's little jiggly post.
• Once the weight begins to jiggle, adjust your heat so it is jiggling at a rhythmical cadence...now there is a strange word to spell. Rhythmical. Honestly, who makes these decisions anyway???
• Pull yourself together.
• Set the timer.
• Once the timer goes off, turn off the heat.
• When  the pressure plug drops, remove the weight, usually for 2 minutes.*your recipe will tell you*
• Remove the lid and usually wait another 5 minutes for jars to pressurize properly
• Remove jars to placemat.
• Re-tighten lids and be SURE to tighten the tattler lids now.
• Let sit 24 hours.
• Remove rings, check for seal
• Mark jars what they are and put on date. I no longer use the paper labels as they are too much work to remove. Instead I write on the jar with a permanent marker which washes off easily before using again.

Done! Nothing terribly difficult there. I just double or triple a recipe I was going to make anyway, and can what is left over. This way I really only have to make that dish once a year. It frees me up to do other things.

The resource that I use the most is Ball’s Complete Book of Home Preserving. It has all the information you need on both water bath and pressure canning and 400 recipes to boot. Most of them I have tried are great.

If I were to start over, I would purchase an “All American” pressure canner. In fact, it’s on my wish list. It is definitely an investment. There aren’t going to be problems with getting your canner loaded and finding out your seal is bad and having to wait a week or more for a new one...which is something I have some experience with. Just try eating 7 quarts of the same something in less than a week! Freezing for me, is not usually a favorable option, as we have 3 freezers full. Space is at a premium here. The All American is a higher quality canner. I currently have a different canner which was a thoughtful gift from my step mom. It’s done an excellent job so far with the exception of needing replacement parts now and then. 

You could use your pressure cooker for water bath canning as well, if you have a regular lid that fits it. I just chose to buy one of the inexpensive graniteware canning pots so I don’t confuse myself and pressure process something by accident, which again, I have done, as my brain rarely remains on what I am doing at the moment and tends to wander off to greener pastures a lot, leaving me to do the work all by myself. You are able to cook in your pressure canner, but you can’t can in your pressure cooker. I don’t pressure cook much stuff, and personally, since the canner I have is made of aluminum, I wouldn’t cook in it anyway. Just my thoughts on it.

Some of our favorite soups: (I have put in clickable links to the recipes)

Ham&Potato Soup

Lamb and Barley Soup

SplitPea&Ham Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Cheesy Chicken Chowder

We have made great use of canned French Beef Dip this year. It’s very easy to do. I just put two big cheap roasts in a crock pot after cutting off the fat, add all the seasonings and let it cook down until the meat is tender. Then I fill the sterilized canning jars with meat and the au jus and process it. For a quick meal we have just pulled a jar off the pantry shelf, heated it in the micro wave and stuffed it in french rolls.The au jus from it is amazing. Have a side salad and you are good to go! Another meat I have happily canned this year is pulled pork or kalua pig. It’s delicious heated up on a french roll, or cooked up in a breakfast burrito, or mixed with BBQ sauce for a BBQ sandwich...you get the picture.

We’ve had several chickens that needed to be culled. Typically, older hens or rooster tend to be very tough and stringy, albeit tasty and full of flavor. You can often find chicken quarters on sale. Canning them would save you a lot of money. The easiest way to make use of them is to separate the drumstick and thighs, put them in a jar bone in, fill it with hot broth and can it. Same thing with the breasts. It becomes a tender, deeply flavored shredded chicken that is ready to be used in your casseroles, or taco salads, or whatever you like to do with shredded chicken. There are hundreds of things I can think of. It's just another great thing to have on hand.

This week I canned up a double batch of meatballs. I canned them in spaghetti sauce so we can have meatball sandwiches in a snap. I'll can some more in broth to use in albondigas soup or swedish meatballs. The neat thing is, we don’t have to use any of these for a year or more, but it's there whenever I want something quick and easy. This makes living with RA quite a lot more tolerable for me. I think this would make life a lot easier for many of you, as well. 

I try to can SOMETHING every week or two if I feel good. I always have left over chicken carcases and beef soup bones in the freezer waiting to become stock, if nothing else. Stews, chili, fruit for pies, there is always something that you can jar up and make good use of. I even can potatoes. I buy a big bag whenever we go to the store but with just 2 of us, I rarely can use them all, so into the can they go. It's quick to make fried potatoes then, or roast them with butter and herbs, or heat and mash them. If someone shows up for dinner unexpectedly (which doesn't happen very often here anymore) all you need to do is grab another jar.

I hope all  of us, who suffer or not, are able to look ahead and see how life can be both amplified and simplified with just a few easy steps. I try to do what I can and that which I cannot, I try to leave in the Lord's hands.  "Try", being the key word, as, like most women, I tend to be a bit of a control freak. Yes, I said it. Maybe in my case, that's what this disability is all about. Learning how to trust.

I've been flat on my back most of this week and I can sure appreciate the time I spent earlier doing this.

Do you have things you can share, that make life simpler? 

My kitchen in Christmas past, which is probably the last time it was this clean...just sayin'....


"Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.   Eccl. 2:24