first beans

and they were delicious! we ate them straight off the napkin, raw and crunchy.

summer lover

it feels like summer, it looks like summer, it must be summer. our summers now officially start at the end of the school year which is 3 weeks away but, man, i'm so ready.

                                                   
                                                    
                                                           

this boy

absolutely melts my heart. he can be a little obsessive about money because he always has a list of things he wants to buy like the newest star wars figure or bakugan. so he reminds me when i owe him allowance or he tries to claim "finders/keepers" to the dollar he spies next to his sister's wallet (knowing full well it's hers). well, today at the farmer's market he asked me for a dollar...make that two, is what he actually said. when i asked him for what, he pointed over to the man playing an instrument and said, "it's for him. i'd like to give him some money." and when he came back he said, "i'd like to give him two dollars every time we come back to the market, mom." whenever i think i have created a spoiled brat, he surprises me with kindness and generosity, not to mention an appreciation for the arts. (earlier this week he gave me heartache by destroying a large iron man figure. for some reason, he likes to rough 'em up a bit. it just seems wasteful. i mean, there are so many kids without toys and i have a son who likes to damage his toys.)

growing

this is turning into a blog about my garden. i wish i could apologize but i just can't. this is way too exciting and it creates so much happiness. clearly, i am obsessed.and maybe a little cuckoo since i photograph the plants almost daily. okay, sometimes twice a day. i even talk to them, which must stop because i wonder if it's going to be hard to eat something i have created a relationship with. please tell me i'm not the only one who does this?

the latest news is that we have little zucchinis. lots of 'em. this is one of our favorite vegetables and we can't wait to eat them.

we also have green beans. so darn cute! this plant was on it's last breath just two weeks ago. i gave it some tlc and it worked. amazing!

and this is our beautiful lettuce. it was so big and fluffy that i finally convinced myself to harvest it (i was a little scared to do it). i have been eating salad all week with this mix. there really is nothing like having a salad straight from your own garden. i don't have to worry about bacteria or chemicals because i know exactly who/what has touched this lettuce. i think i harvested on monday or tuesday and it's already time to do it again.

did i ever show you the addition to that back corner? it had corn in the back row but it all died. i either transplanted too soon or it didn't get enough sun. we have two rows of pumpkins and one small row of cucumbers. there is also a red onion and another cucumber plant that could be me more squash. it's a bit of a mystery.

i'm headed to the nursery this weekend so expect more...

so can't wait to see this movie

Babies - Trailer No. 1 - Moviefone

bee happy

little miracles

operation: green thumb
so, our garden is just lovely. we actually added on so we have two lovely plots. i am obsessed and i go out to check my little plants three times a day...morning, noon and evening. they say a watched pot never boils but it's totally opposite with plants. they are growing like crazy. and they're so slick. i can go out one evening and just see a plant, then i go back out in the morning and see a flowering plant, then in the afternoon the flower has closed. it's truly amazing and so much fun to watch. i especially love the kids' reaction to the new growth. they ooh and aah right along with me. i don't recall being invited to garden with the folks when i was a kid...not sure i would have cared enough to participate. i'm so glad we have taken this project on as a family because it's definitely bringing us closer together in ways i never even considered.

ps: if you are scared to start a garden because you don't think you have a green thumb, i recommend starting with a squash. this little sucker has quadrupled in size. we have about six flowers which will become the squash very soon. this plant has also withstood several moves in the garden. it's quite hearty.

glass half enpty

i can tell you that i did not pursue my dreams today. quite the contrary, in fact. i let my bruised ego take over and i wallowed in self-pity and despair. which turns out to be mostly fear. isn't that what always holds us back? needless to say, i did not meet this person i was destined to meet.

unless (oh wow, this is just occurring to me), that person was me. maybe i was supposed to meet the fearful me, the one who keeps me from reaching the stars and achieving my goals. maybe i'm supposed to take this fearful me down so that the confident me can come out. and maybe then, just then, i can pursue and fulfill my destiny. hmm...interesting turn of events. what do you think?

of course, sometimes, you do have to pick up the glass again in order to see that it's really half full. in which case, it was a marvelous day. a sweet friend of a friend reached out to me and offered assistance in my job search and several friends recommended companies to work for. my dear husband once again consoled me even though he probably should have run the other way. there is hope for a financial aid package...i just need to pick up the pace in getting the school what they need. i helped my son and his friend make cards for their teacher and i ended up with the happiest heart ever. they listed the reasons why they love their teacher and it included things like "she's beautiful" and "she's my hero." then they decided to make cards for each other which was just so cute. the kids and i went for a stroll around the block and my son finally figured out how to ride a scooter (the scooter has been around for two or three years now). and, to end the night, i noticed a little cucumber sprout. it has been weeks since i planted those and i had honestly given up on them. so, the glass is definitely half full...although, i really think my cup runneth over.