Salsa Time and Memories of my SISTER

It is Salsa time again! Canning homemade salsa has been a tradition in our family for years.
I have missed canning the past two years and hope that next year I will be healed from a broken back and surgery enough to fill our shelves with this wonderful spicy goodness.

Six years ago this week, my beautiful sister Marcia passed away. She left an indelible impression of compassion and goodness with us all. She was an example to so many, through her inspirational talks to literally thousands and through her book. She was an extraordinary artist. She actually changed lives and some even responded by naming their children after her. Most importantly she was an example simply by the way she lived her life. I will forever be grateful I was lucky enough to call her my big SIS. This is a picture of Marcia's wedding portrait and the other is of my brother, myself and Marcia. Three more girls were born after this picture was taken.

I was reflecting this week about that day. She passed away after a very long battle of fighting brain cancer, at the age of 54, of a sudden heart attack! WHAT A SHOCK! I was canning salsa when I got the news, Marcia had died.  It felt like my heart stopped and like I could never get the pain to stop.
After our son Steve heard the news, he came over to give his mom so big ole hugs and just spend the day with me... Even in his dress clothes from work, he stayed and helped me finish the huge batch of salsa I was making. We called this batch ‘Marcia’s salsa.’ It is by far the hottest salsa our family has ever made. That means it was really 'HOT!' Because our family likes a hot spicy salsa, yet some couldn't take the heat from 'Marcia's' batch! :) One batch usually makes about 30 pints. I still have some of 'Marcia's' salsa! LOL
As I peeled the tomatoes and chopped the other veggies, Stephen kept my processor going blending peppers. He must have done this for several hours straight adding to the double pressure cooker on the stove. He probably 15 times or more the amount we usually add:)

We shared so many wonderful memories of Marcia, cried and laughed, then cried some more. (She would have wanted us to laugh and smile through our tears.:)

My hubby came home later and the fumes from the salsa actually BURNT his eyes. When he went to work the next morning, his eyes were bright blood shot red.

My eyes had been bathed in tears all day, well actually for many days to come and were protected from the hot spicy salsa fumes. It still is the most MEMORABLE  batch I have ever canned and the only batch that had its very own name!:)

Which is so much like my oldest sis, Marcia who I miss and love. Her wonderful example of compassion, goodness and humor was so remarkable and unforgettable.