The Skins Do Pop Off

Cool band name, eh? I'll be in charge of the tambourine and the outfits. Now, can you folks out there write the songs, sing, and play the other instruments? Then we can quit our jobs and hit the road.

The band name comes from a process currently taking place in my apartment. I'm canning 25 lbs of tomatoes. That's right -- my urban homesteading fantasies are becoming reality, at least for tonight.

Pics below. Special thanks to Zoe for the inspiration, motivation, and instruction. Thanks also to roommate David who is about to come home to an apartment sprinkled with tomato parts and juice, without whose pots and utensils my evening of canning would not have been possible. Also thanks to neighbor Karen who lent me canning pot, jar lifter tool, and mason jar book with nicely illustrated instructions.

I wish I could go back in time and have some words with the tortured law student version of myself. The words would be both gentle and firm. I used to spend hours lamenting that I didn't have time to cultivate my modern homestead. Sometimes we have to be patient. We can't have everything all at once. But things do slowly fall into place. I have 8 quarts of canned tomatoes to prove it.

Before the party started

The skins do pop off

Jars in water

Finito! Good night!