Tough week and moving forward

 This last week has been really rough.  A fairly close friend of the family died of complications of COVID.  It's the closest person that I know that has died of the disease.  I know many who have had it and recovered.  I've been praying for quite some time now for recovery, but that is not what God chose and it's been a bit hard coming to terms with it.  I was someone my age and I think that is what is hardest.  I know I will see them again and that does make it easier, but wow....  The service was on my birthday so I'm feeling my age even more so these days.  

Sprout's first football game was last week and it went fairly well, but the teenage drama started right after that.  She was so upset she wanted to quit.  I talked a bit with the coach and she discussed things with the girls and things are better.  We also talked about this particular girl and the drama she creates.  My biggest suggestion was to just not leave herself open to being bullied.  Be polite, but don't have conversations with her.  There are others on the squad to spend more time with that are better influences that will help make her a better cheerleader and therefore make the squad better.  After all that is the goal.  It is just another situation to work through in public school.  There was a girl at her old school that acted very similarly and Sprout had several run ins with her.  We talked at how she had successfully handled that situation.  The drama of middle school is tiring frankly.  

My tomatoes are finely starting to ripen and I canned a bunch yesterday.  The new stove that I got to can on outside was fantastic.  It was so easy and I could have easily used two canners at once which is the goal for the future when I don't work full time.  I need a few more bowls and a larger stock pot for sure.  I think I probably could use some more dishpans as well.  One of my goals is to go through more of my canning stuff and take a better stock.  I can now, but not like I will when I don't work.  I still buy spaghetti sauce and canned carrots and a few other things, but I don't want to buy any of that in the future.  Freezer space is a premium here with the meat we get from her 4H livestock so I try not to freeze a bunch of vegetables.  I've been buying lids when I find them so I'm good with them for now and at least another year.  I'm so looking forward to being able to do this.