Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Par-tay 2011

This took place weeks ago, but I've been an absentee blogger lately, so here you go:





In the post-party letdown, I like to console myself with leftovers:


Love, J

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Chard broke my heart

I grew a ton of chard this year, because it seemed exotic and I do love my leafy greens.

The good news is that it turned out absolutely gorgeous. Like, very, very beautiful.


The bad news is that I apparently am allergic to it. It makes my throat hurt and feel funny for the rest of the day after eating even just a tiny bit. And to add insult to injury, the hubs doesn't like it so he won't eat it either.


So now it sits in the garden, taunting and beckoning me with its verdant, vibrant leaves and rainbow stalks.

I give it away as fast as I can.

(Which is not as easy as it would be with, say, tomatoes, or strawberries, or anything people actually enjoy eating.)

But I also cave in and re-try it myself once a week or so, because I am a slow learner and because it just looks. so. good.

As do these suckers, which I'm enjoying as a lovely orange consolation prize:



Love, J

Monday, August 29, 2011

Leather bracelets

Thrifted dancing shoes for the hubs that turned out to be too small = $1.50


Afternoon with G = way fun


New strappy leather bracelets from the shoelaces = pretty!

Love, J

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Beans x 3


This photo's over a week old, and the yellow & purple beans are pretty spent by now, but look how pretty!

I'll definitely be growing these again next year. (Though yesterday I canned a bunch together, thinking they'd be gorgeous, and the yellow & purple do NOT look good in the jar. They got all faded and wimpy looking.)

Love, J

Monday, August 15, 2011

Your rabbit's in the mail


Dear Aunt Sue,

I dropped this little fella off at the post office this afternoon. He should be in your arms in three to four days. Thank you for supporting River's Wish!

Love,
J

Monday, August 8, 2011

We're on a bridge, Charlie!


At our sleepover last week, little cousin had to try her hand at doll-making too.

This is Charlie the Unicorn. He's named after Charlie the Unicorn.


If you haven't seen this yet, you're welcome:



Ssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnh ... !

Love, J

Sunday, August 7, 2011

The cute-off


Sorry Vinny, but it's really no contest.

Love, J

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Ice Blocking


Neither G nor little cousin had ever been ice blocking before this week.


I find this shocking.


It's not that we go very often - maybe I've been 5 times ever? - it just seems like such a basic, wholesome summer activity that it should be on everyone's list of stuff-they-could-do.
Like sledding; you may not go much, but it's nice to have in your back pocket.


And because no night of fun is complete without a friendly wager, I bet the hubs he couldn't run to and from that telephone pole way at the bottom of the hill by the white fence in under a minute.

He won us all a trip to 7-11 for Slurpees by finishing the loop in just over half that time.


Then little cousin wanted to try, and then G had to give it a go, which left me with no choice but to try it too. (Or risk losing all cool sister/cousin street cred.)

I almost died. And THEN, to add insult to injury, both girls had faster times than me.

(By sort of a lot.)

I guess I should stop telling people what a great cardio workout I get from yoga.


Show off.

Love, J

PS ~

Friday, August 5, 2011

Around the garden right now


For some reason we haven't got any pears from our tree since we moved in.
It looks like that trend ends this year!


The first couple of eggplants are almost ready.


This tomato sprouted up on its own from a fruit I'd missed and let rot in last year's garden.
This tomato lives life on its own terms.
It has about 10 buddies who also popped up unbidden.
They chose sort of inconvenient places to grow,
right in the middle of other patches,
but they take care of themselves and I respect that.


My they-don't-look-like-they'll-live-so-I'll-just-throw-them-in-the-dirt-and-see cucumbers have actually sort of taken off.

Watermelon SOS: WHAT THE CRAP IS THIS?!?
The vines all look vital and healthy. The blossoms turn to sweet, tiny green melons. Then over the next few days, the little fruit turn yellow, then black, and wither away.
I am not amused.


Yellow onions have dumped over and are ready to be pulled and dried.
The reds aren't far behind.



The parsley is beautiful, but unable to live up to its potential in the kitchen until the tomatoes are ripe.
Also suffering from this dilemma are the cilantro and basil.


Pyramid O' Beans.
The sticks reach about 5' up, which apparently isn't enough because a few vines have leapt above this and are waving at least 6" higher in the air, and they're still growing.


I'm not sure what I did differently, but this year's bean patch looks about a million times better than last year's wimpy vines.
Maybe they decided to take me seriously when they heard I'm going professional with my bean-ing?

Love, J

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Bunnies hate to swim


But it's 90 degrees outside, and they needed to cool off.

Also, I'm sort of a jerk, and I'll put them in the little pool just because it's cute even though I know they hate it.



And look how funny and frumpled they are all wet.



They're still acting a little pissy with me. But you know what? Worth it.

Love, J

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Old Bear Mountain

I am so very smitten with this band. They are The Weepies meet The Avett Brothers, they're about my age, and they're from Greenbluff to boot.



They're playing the MarQuee tonight at 9 pm, no cover charge. I won't be there, as I have a play date with two awesome pre-teens, but I do get to see them play a friend's wedding this Saturday. (And excuse me, but how cool is it to have a real band play your wedding? So jealous.)

Love, J

Monday, August 1, 2011

More Garbage


G's on a roll. I got this email from Step-Dad yesterday:

Jay,

I had to send you this pic. G really loves “Garbage”, the little bunny she made with you. She decided to make one like it for her friend who likes elephants.

So she worked late into the night and came up with this. Pretty cute. It’s supposed to have a tutu, but I guess she will add that later.

I took the picture as she slept after all her hard work.

I've since seen the little gal in person, and her details are so sweet. She's even all blinged out with a necklace and button earrings. G's calling them her "Garbage Dolls," and I think she plans on building a whole army of them.

Love, J