Lobster!

Since we had the wedding in Rhode Island, I totally had to east-coast-it-up and do a lobster boil as the dinner. Most favorite picture from the RI reception:

I haz a nu name!

Wow, so I'm like, officially Jennifer Michelle Rygiewicz now. You know, the strangest part of this is getting used to signing a new name. Seriously! And my name is very strongly linked to my identity as a person. So changing it is giving me the willies.

But, just to prove that I'm still the same, I have purchased a 10 lb box of red peppers that I will be roasting and canning for this winter. Hehe!

Also, gratuitous promotion of the wedding - go here to see photos (when they actually get put up):
www.bellapictures.com/photos

And, if you have some, you can upload them like I did (my brother took some AWESOME ones that he gave me)! You do need to log in, but that just consists of making a user name and password. Or you can let me know where your pictures are and I can upload them. I know that Loud lost her camera (very sad!!!) but I'm pretty sure there are others out there besides my brother who took pictures. Especially of the madness that went on afterwards in downtown Newport!! :)

Canning - year two, act two

Got 50 lbs of tomatoes this year, plus some from the CSA and garden. Most of the ones from the CSA share and our garden got thrown together with some veggies (garlic, peppers (sweet and hot), onions, etc) to create a spicy base for a pasta sauce, which was then bagged and frozen.

However, the two 25 lb boxes were all fodder for canning!

The first box, which contained a lot of large tomatoes:

The second box, with a larger number of smaller tomatoes:

I definitely used the dishwasher to santize over two dozen pint jars!

Starting on the first batch:

The "bloodbath":

The first batch are getting ready to be canned:

I recruited the fiancé to help again this year, here he's starting on the second batch:

Every single jar is filled!

I had to do a third, smaller batch later in the week to use up the rest of the tomatoes:

The prettiest jar of them all with a few beautiful, colorful heirloom tomatoes:

I'm sure that I'll use them all this winter again. Now it's off to make pesto with all the basil from the garden before we leave for the wedding!!!!!!!!

Glory Days

"I'm feelin groovy
Kicking down the cobble stones
And there's music in every sight and every sound no need for headphones
I'll tip my cap to the world even though I don't wear one
Grinning at the women in the salon getting their hair done
On the outside looking in Like an aquarium
Spinning with the stars in the planetarium
Deliriously
Mysteriously
I'm feeling curiously marvelously super duper
Like Joss Stone my heart melts like ice cream cones
Grinning like a dog digging up dinosaur bones
I used to be fossilized but now I'm out of my shell
And I'm happier than whores with chivalrous clientele
This can't be real I must be dreaming can somebody slap me
I'm feeling so mischievous original cheeky chappy
It must be ages since I felt satisfied
Just to be Just Jack
And just that's still intact
I'm so warm new dawn reborn new forms
And I'm thinking about my boys Joe le chic and Freshly Sean
And I know you're underrated but one day we'll all make it
And walk around naked with our bollocks platinum plated
Anyway I'm off track gotta stop that
And get back to the high street I need something to eat
Stop at the caf
Coffee and a Sobe bagel
Yea I know I'm Cain'd
But now I'm feeling Abel
I used to get so paranoid in places like this
Stayed in my house for days with my weed psychosis
My neurosis was thinking everybody is staring at my red eyes and shifty expression
But now I'm past caring
And I can feel that destiny is on my side
And by the looks of things Fate came along for the ride
Behind green skies I can see my girl's eyes
Dammit I'm in love with this planet you gotta realize
Its time to look to the future
Just when I was getting used to the humdrum
I realized in the depths of my depression that I really wanted to be someone
So lets smash the past like a tacky figurine on the back page of a supplementary magazine
But for the time being bump your head to the beat
Sit back, put your feet up and relax
Its just another one of those glory days
Jump out your bed shake your head clear the haze
Step out your house and prepared to be amazed
It's just another one of those glory days"
~Just Jack