The Most Intimidating and Exciting Gift Ever! I Have A Pressure Canner!

Last week was my Birthday and hubby surprised me with a pressure canner! I have wanted one for years, but would never spend the money. In my eyes, there was always something we, as a family needed more. Yes, I know, in the long run a pressure canner will save us a bunch, but it was always that initial investment that held me back.  Our income is about half what it was 5 years ago and we do feel the pinch!

I tried a small batch of pears I got free, as hubby's friend has a pear tree. I figured if something went wrong, no big loss.  I will tell you, my heart raced throughout the entire process.  It was not the smashing success, as 2 jars did not set. But, that was my error. I did not leave enough head space and the liquid got on the jar rims. But, nothing blew up either!

I am already planning a huge batch of chili this weekend. I cannot wait.  This is going to be fun! And what  better, more hearty meal in the winter? Plus all we will need to do is grab a jar and heat it. Perfect for when it is my son's night to cook.

Anyone have any hints or fantastic tips for me?

I have read the instruction manual at least 3 times and am scouring Pinterest right now.

I Need To Do Better With Meal Planning!

Do you plan your meals for the week? Or are you the super human that can actually pan for the month? I want to be you! I am tired of coming home from work and looking at my son and both of us wondering what the heck is for dinner!

Here is our scenario:

I cook Monday and Wednesday
Jayce cooks Tuesday and Thursday

No one ever thinks ahead as to what we will have that evening. No one thinks to take anything out of the freezer. So we just waste time trying to figure out what sounds good at 5PM every day. Not a good way to eat well rounded meals!

So, how do we start? Well, we are going to need to get together really soon and hash things out. Jayce starts a new semester tomorrow, so having a meal plan will certainly make both of our lives easier!

If anyone has ideas, I am grateful! Keep in mind, I work full time and he goes to school full time. He, nor I are fantastic cooks, but we do not like to eat a bunch of processed foods either.

Our First Family Picture in 8 Years! Graduation Day

This is the first picture with all three of us in it since 2006! Talk about a treasure :) .

Hubby hates to have his picture taken, so we usually have to be in stealth mode to capture him. This generally means, the picture does not do him justice and one of us is the photographer in stealth mode!

I am so glad to have this picture!

How Do You Say Goodbye To A Childhood? Graduation Day!

Today my son graduates from High School and this Mom is having a much harder time with it than she thought she would. I mean, how do I say goodbye to the childhood and hello to adulthood for this boy?  He is my only, my baby. The baby that towers over me, sure. But, nonetheless MY baby.

Am I a helicopter Mom? Not so much anymore, but yes, I was for years. This is the child they told me I would never be able to conceive.  This is the child who has Asperger's Syndrome and went through hell to get a correct diagnosis at 8 years old.  This is the child that was bullied for years. The child that is introverted to a point that we genuinely worried. The child that spoke his first word at 5 months old, spoke complete sentences before he could walk!

How do you say goodbye to Dinosaurs, Pokemon, and bird fascinations? Goodbye to the word Mommy? Goodbye to being the one to fix things? Skinned knees? Bump on the head? Bad nightmare? It's OK, a hug a kiss and a Mom will protect you and make it go away always worked. Not so anymore!

This is my child, and I am so proud of every accomplishment he has ever made - especially when the odds were stacked against him. I am amazed every day with the young man he is!

He has learned so much in the past few years - self worth, pride, and courage. Oh the courage! Here is my child, bullied through High School, taking his Senior year at the Community College, showing up for his Graduation practice in a place where the very bullies exist- with his head held high and doing it of his own choosing!  He did not have to take part of the ceremony to get his diploma. They would have mailed it.

But he chose to attend, because he EARNED it, he DESERVES it, and those bullies have no impact on the happiness he has found.

Yes, I guess the child is mostly gone and the adult is doing a wonderful job in forming itself.

As I shed my tears tonight, they will have a dual meaning - mourning and celebration!

But, damn, I will always miss that child- even while I embrace the adult.

GMO Foods and Some Of My Basic Thoughts

It is a hot and heated topic these days. GMO safety, labelling, etc. Unless you have been living under the proverbial rock, I am sure you have at least heard something of the debate.

Here are my basic thoughts on the subject:



My issue is not that the foods are modified. Scientists and others have been modifying plants for so long. My issue is the Roundup and other pesticides they spray on them in mass quantities. Sure the PLANTS can grow with them, as they are altered to do so. However this does not change the fact that the pesticides HAVE been sprayed on them. 

I also have a huge issue with the fact that our pollinators, bees, are dying en mass due to this. Do people understand the ramifications of this? Sure I loathe bees as much as the next person, but they are a necessity in agriculture. What happens when they are gone? How long until we are no longer eating actual food?

Should we label them? Yes! We should label GMOs and much more. What are "Natural" flavors and "Natural" colors? Secretions from the anal sac of a Beaver? Oh sure it IS natural, they are not lying. But do I want to eat that? Same with the crushed beetles that are used. Ewwwww.....

Of course these are my personal feelings. Again, I am aware foods have been modified for years. It is not necessarily the modification per se I am concerned about here. It is the pesticides that are KNOWN carcinogens. I have lost too much to cancer.

Autism Is..... World Autism Day and My Family

Both my son and I have Asperger's Syndrome. I thought I would share a poem he wrote in 6th grade that shows both how deep he was at a young age, and his knowledge that his Asperger's make him different.

I AM

I am an odd child whom takes interest in many things

I wonder where time originated

I hear the wind billowing through the overgrown plains of the Savannah

I see the light shining through a dark, dank forest

I want to understand the concept of life

I am an odd child whom takes interest in many things

I pretend that things always turn out right

I feel the light of inspiration overcome the abyss that is thoughtlessness

I touch ideas that have remained untouched for a long time

I worry that when death washes over us, we simply fade into oblivion

I cry, when someone dear to me passes away

I am an odd child whom takes interest in many things

I understand that true peace may never be achieved

I say that time cannot exist without space and that the same holds true for space

I dream of variation of things I've experienced

I try my hardest to never fail

I hope that I can do something with my life

I am an odd child whom takes interest in many things

                 ~Jaycen B

We do not need Awareness, we NEED Acceptance!

My son feels like a ghost in the High School he has attended for 3 years.  He is not spoken to by most unless he tries to start a conversation (Which is very difficult for many on the spectrum).  He has been bullied and the school denies it.  He has suffered major anxiety attacks within the walls of the school only.  His IEP is ignored even when I rail and fight so hard for him. 

My child who thought he was the center of the universe for so many years, is depressed, riddled with anxiety, and never told us!  His self worth is constantly challenged. This is not the happy go lucky child I had for 13 years prior.

NO MORE! He will no longer attend this school after the end of his Junior year. There is a wonderful program for non traditional learners at the local Community College, and he would also earn college credit!

And if that does not pan out, I will Home School. What I will not do is send him back into an environment which cannot accept him.

So, yeah- this is Autism in my house.