The Garden

Since I don't have a separate garden blog, you all have to suffer through posts about the garden.

It's starting to wear the typical August look -- overgrown, browning and tired. The weather has alternated between really hot & droughty and cool and too much rain -- not a great combination for keeping plants from getting fungus, black spot and shocked. In spite of that, we've had great yields this year, though, no matter how bad the plants look (about a bushel of green beans, lots of broccoli heads, lots of strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and cukes)!

Here are some pictures. And, as a reward (?) for looking at the pictures, when you get to the bottom you'll find a video of Turner, the crazy dog. I apologize for the poor quality of the video, but it was shot on a regular digital cameral and he's so incredibly fast that it's hard to keep him in the frame.

Thanks for visiting!

Lumina pumpkins that are taking over

The "attack luminas" from another angle


All the beds are running together


Leeks -- new to the garden this year


Some of the tomatoes & green beans


Not in the veg garden -- native prickley pear flower


Also not in the veg garden --
"Joseph's Coat" climbing rose

Turner, the Crazy Dog

Jim's Next Chapter Begins

Well. young Jim has successfully moved cross-country from LA to Washington DC, to begin working on his Ph.D at the University of Maryland. I must admit that, as a mother, I'm breathing a great sigh of relief. Now he'll no longer fall into the ocean when the great earthquake hits (or when Lex Luthor destroys it to make Arizona oceanfront property). However, in disaster movie logic, he's really not better off! He should have moved to Des Moines or someplace like that (Butte, MO, perhaps?)


Just think how often you've seen the White House blown up, either by terrorists or aliens! IS the DC area truly safer than LA? Compare "Volcano" (where lava runs uphill) to "Independence Day"! The only place that's less safe is New York City, particularly the Statue of Liberty -- think "The Day After Tomorrow" or "Deep Impact". I suppose, in the end, we're not really cinematically safe anywhere -- even Jericho, KS isn't safe!!!!

At any rate, I'm happy that Jim and his dad (and Simon, of course) made it across the country with no mishaps -- highway-wise or politically! Happy new beginnings, Jim -- I'm really excited for you, taking this step, and proud of you, too.

I can be a simpson, too!

If Jimmy and Christy can be simpsonized, so can I!! Here are Unc & I. . .

Yawns

Coming home from work tonight, I drove past someone (driving in the approaching traffic) who was yawning a big, open-mouthed yawn and it made me yawn immediately! That got me thinking about whether or not yawns truly are contagious or if it's just our imagination. As I started looking up articles on this: this one & this, I began to yawn & continue to as I write this post.

Yawns definitely are contagious, especially to me! I must be very empathetic, or closer to the chimpanzees than I like to think!

Happy Birthday, Charlie!

Today is Charlie's birthday and we got to have him at home with us to celebrate it. That may not sound like such a big thing, but with our guys scattered across the country (literally) having an at-home celebration is major.

I know that Charlie always refers to himself as "the good son" (as do his brothers, and NOT in a Macauley Culkin way) -- but what I think of most about him is his good nature. He almost NEVER gets angry or upset about things. I believe he is the most even-tempered person I know.

I looked at lots of pictures of him for this birthday blog, all cute and most with an interesting story attached. I chose this one, though, because it is exactly as Charlie looked growing up -- always smiley and always happy.

Happy Birthday, Charlie -- the big 25!! We love you!!!

Happy Birthday, Christy!

One of the greatest pleasures of blogging, to my mind, is sending birthday greetings to people I love and getting to choose just the right photo to honor them that day.

Crit, this one's for you!!