Bitches and Hoes (and front yard pumpkins)

Hi again.

Lately, I've taken to scouring Amazon Kindle for free books. Especially gardening books, cookbooks, and home improvement books. I can't help it. They're free. And they're rather small, so I can download a whole bunch of them. I can even pick up children's books and send them to the kids' tablets - even though they never willingly open the Kindle app on their own - with just one click.

I'm also listening to a lot of Takénobu. He is just.. mmm. delicious. Especially Shady Grove, from his first album, Introduction. And, Carolyn, he's uploaded the sheet music for this song! You can grab it from here.


I think my gardening style could best be described as 'Experimental'. Last year, I planted one red okra - mostly because my Jason said he didn't like okra, and it brought me great amusement to try and grow one - and it grew quite well. This year, I planted 4, one perished, and the other three are producing almost daily. The other day we roasted some okra with olive oil and salt in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. They were delicious.

I worry that my melons, cucumbers, and squash are trying to take over the planet - or, at least, my back yard.

I planted a few varieties of cucumber, though my favorite is the Armenian Cucumber. So delicious.

The melons aren't ripe yet, but there are several cantaloupes on the vines. How many are too many? Will they all ripen? I don't know. But I'll let you know when I find out.

I also planted some pumpkins in my front yard. I finally dug up the space behind the big pine tree. This fall, I'm going to plant two apple trees, move the blueberries between them, and then plant as many tulips as I can fit between. But until then, I thought I would try to grow some pumpkins.

They are doing pretty well, so far. Only tiny squashes growing, but many flowers. I'm loving the bamboo teepees (basically 3 bamboo sticks + green jute twine in a teepee style). I do wonder what my neighbors think...

The pumpkin bamboo teepees. This looks more neat and confined than the back garden.

We totally need to write a gardening book. I propose that we call it Bitches and Hoes: A Gardening Guide for Chicks Everywhere. Or.. something like that.

Summertime Adventures

Our summer, in pictures.


Mr Chy and the Legos:

He who smelt it...

Too cool for his sister:

Makin' silly faces in the woods:

Playing in the water:

My kids start school next week, uniforms and all. I'll get pictures for that this weekend.

I have web links, book reviews, bad haiku, and rants about the ex. More coming soon.

Seriously trying here!

School time! Morgan started yesterday, and Hank starts next week. I'm sure I was this nervous to put Morgan on the bus for Kindergarten as I am feeling to put Hank on next week. Here child, you seem old enough, I'm going to send you with some dude and a bunch of other 5 year olds on a bus. I'm pretty sure you will come back. Just breathe deeply and carry on.

In a couple of weeks, my work schedule will be changing from Friday, Saturday, Sunday overnights to Saturday, Sunday, Monday overnights. I'm looking forward to the possibility of having an evening to spend with Sean when it's not a school night, and a day off together with him (Saturday) where we can leave the house and do stuff! Woot!

I have a rant forming about food and diet and stuff. I'm one week into steroids and hoping to successfully step down in dosing. As far as improvement goes, I can't comment on it yet. I tried to introduce solid foods via an apple and some PB two nights ago, and boy was that a mistake. 

Oh, and not that this means anything to you guys, but I did a double salto in silks yesterday. Lets just say it's a drop where you flip around twice and awesomely catch yourself at the end so you look like a boss. I will try to get a video of it in the future, but my cool little photographer is now in school during the day. 

Morgan's first day of 3rd grade!

Hank needed his own baby back wrap stat!

Kids wearing church clothes for once.

Aww, cute cousin cuddling!