The First Tomato

Just before watering this morning, we picked our very first tomato of the year. We've all been watching this front runner of the garden... waiting patiently for it to ripen and be ready for plucking.

Today was the day. Em walked out with me, we opened the gate and examined the tomato carefully. Was it fully ripe? Was today the day or would it be tomorrow? The birds in the neighbors tree were chattering away... Em looked up at me and I smiled. I nodded. Today was the day!

The tomato came off easily, ready to leave the plant and plopped into Em's waiting hand. He waited patiently for me to finish watering the garden... waited for me to check the zucchinis (allllmost ready!) and then waited for me to take half a dozen photos of his tomato. Finally, he washed it off and popped it in his mouth.

"How is it?" I questioned. No reply. He was still chewing. Rob had recently taught him about savoring things... chewing slowly and enjoying things to their fullest. Here was this lesson being perfectly executed!

A full 30 seconds later, this was his reply: "That was an excellent tomato! I liked it better than the Trader Joe's tomatoes. It was sweet but not too sweet and it was juicy. It wasn't sour at all. Are there any more that are almost ready??? I want some more!"

And that is the story of our first tomato.

Gardenias and Memories

I have three small bowls with gardenias floating in them around the house this morning.

It is a cool and cloudy morning and I've opened every window and door to air out the house. While outside, I noticed that one of my gardenia bushes was loaded with blooming gardenias.... the bushes were a Mother's Day gift last year and still relatively small so I had to stoop down low to breathe in the sweetly strong scent and it brought a smile to my face.

Why keep them on the bushes outside? The blooms only last a day or two outside, so I chose to bring their loveliness inside for admiration all day long! I picked several and now have these pretty bowls in my kitchen, office and living room.

My hubby first brought me gardenias when we were dating in high school. I'd place them in some water and a small pyrex dish and put them on the nightstand in my bedroom where I could smell them while studying (or, kissing him of course!). I have a wooden puzzle box with a secret compartment that he made me many Christmases ago ... filled with old gardenias from our dating days. Each time I open this box, the smell of wood and flowers drifts up to greet the grin on my face.

A gardenia given before an afternoon bike ride... Several given in a corsage for the prom... One with a crimp in the stem from when I wore it in my hair... the petals are leathery and endure the jostlings of being touched time after time.

I will stop and smell these gardenias many times today and remember good times that have passed. And good times still to come.

Have a wonderful day!

Crocheted rug

With yesterday's post about water and backyard adventures, I've had to deal with cleaning the floors more than usual from drippy, watery and muddy feet ... how lovely to come up with a quick solution right from my own yarn stash!

I bought these awesome gigantic skeins of Lily Sugar'n Cream yarn for a steal last November and have been crocheting washcloths and hyperbolic workcloths and such from them for, pretty much EVERYONE I know. Since the yarn is super absorbent and machine-washable, I figured it would also be perfect for a rug. It's pretty big-- about 45 inches wide, and will be about 36 inches high... perfectly sized for the back slider. Once done, I'll put a piece of non-slip backing underneath and I'll be set!

Pattern:
With two strands Pistachio colorway, chain 115

SC 10 rows
Change 1 green to cream color, SC 3 rows
Change last green to cream color, SC 5 rows
Change both strands back to green color, HDC 10 rows
Change 1 to cream, HDC 5 rows
Change last green to cream, HDC 7 rows
Change both strands back to green, HDC 10 rows
Change 1 green to cream color, HDC 8 rows
Change last green to cream, SC 10 rows
Change both strands back to green color, SC 8 rows

Weave in all ends and wash/dry. I put two pieces of leftover anti-slip-mat underneath so it won’t move.
I single crocheted the top and bottom edges to give it a bit more weight with the taller HDC in the center so that dirt will fall through rather than set in.

Beating the heat and reusing water

In characteristic Southern California fashion, it is already dang hot! The boys and I are outside every morning before the heat and glare of the sun becomes too unbearable... then again in the late afternoon for a bit of water fun. Since Los Angeles is in the middle of one of the worst water shortages in almost 20 years, everyone is doing their part to cut back. You may already remember my keeping a bucket in the shower tip... the swimming pool water gets the same treatment.


Once or twice a week, we fill the kiddie pool about 1/3 of the way up... just enough to keep cool. The boys splish splash while I crochet and photograph the everyday... and when they are absolutely done, they shake off to dry while I break out the watering cans and buckets.

I (sometimes we) make about 20 trips back-and-forth from the pool to water the veggie garden...
from the pool to water my front yard gardenia, sweet pea and azalea bushes...
from the pool to water the orange tree...

Once the heat really hits, the green lawn in the background of these photos will get pretty crunchy but that's just how it goes living here.

Garden Update

Cukes, Zukes, Tomatoes, Strawberries, Green Beans, Herbs!! The raspberry and blackberry bushes are growing nicely, and maybe maybe MAYBE we'll see a raspberry or two by the end of the season, but I'm not sure.

My poor lettuce is being eaten! I'll continue researching organic solutions for that today. Also, we'll be training the green beans now that they're getting taller and the tomato plants are higher than their cages already!

The boys and I love going out each morning to water and discover what is growing. Going to the supermarket to purchase fruit and veggies has taken on a whole new learning opportunity... where did the lettuce grow? Is it organic? Why can't we buy ___ now and why is there so much of ___ at the store?

Tonight we'll be using a bunch of our flat leaf parsley in a marinade for chicken and grilling in the backyard. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Oh, and if you have organic solutions for anything, please feel free to give advice!

Listening to PaPa

Guitar strumming and a deeply calming voice

Songs played on the same guitar, heard in my childhood now played for grandsons

A simple Saturday etched forever in my mind

Birthday Gifts

A wonderful friend of mine recently had a birthday. I've become addicted to this easy-to-crochet Malabrigo yarn and wanted to make her a similar cowl to mine... well, technically it is the same pattern but different colors and button to reflect her own personality. A Divine Hat will follow shortly, but with the 90 to 100 degree days we've been having here lately, it will be awhile before they can be worn!

Happiest Birthday my wonderful friend!

Coming soon: Garden updates and cool recipes for summertime