Rain, Rain, Rain (Here to stay, I think)

The rains have returned to Portland, and I'm afraid they're here to stay this time. We lived in Phoenix many years ago and we used to bet, starting around mid-April, when the first 100 degree day would be. Now we bet on when the rain comes to stay. It can be a long rainy winter sometimes, but we always have such beautiful springs and summers, that it's worth it--for me at least. I think it's harder on my husband. This year will be nice now that we have the greenhouse. I'll still be able to get out and do some gardening. The greenhouse is so nice and bright that it's a good way to get some light too. Did you know that there is a very high incidence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the Pacific Northwest? Some of the best research into the disease is being done in Seattle. But enough of that.

George is pretty bummed.

He sits just outside the window on the woodbox and under the eaves so that he stays dry. He's always looking for the door into summer. He's sure that if I would just come out with him, the sun would come out. After all, the sun always shines when I go out with him.

I spent the day making pasta sauce. Do you remember when I was whining about my tomatoes being green? I did some reading and then went out and cut all the flowers and new baby tomatoes off the vines in an effort to force them to put their energy into ripening. I don't know if it worked or not, but I did manage to get enough red ones to make six jars of pasta sauce (we ate one already--yum!).

I try to do something new each year, and this year it was pasta sauce. I only do small batch canning. It's a hobby, not a way of life for me. This was such a simple recipe. I got it from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving, by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. I use this book quite often. It's a good resource for people who only want to make one or two batches of an item. The recipe couldn't be simpler, but it's full of flavor.

Now I'm looking forward to getting that garden-fresh tomato taste in the middle of winter, especially when there's ice or snow on the ground.