Garden Tragedy

I've gotten over the fact that my melon patch is bearing spaghetti squash. But imagine my dismay when I went out last night, with much joy and anticipation, to harvest my last (of only two) squash and found THIS:

This means WAR, and by that I mean it's time for (cue ominous music)...

The Squirrelapult

Warning: You may not be able to decide if you're horrified or amused. I was horrified the first time I saw it, now it just makes me cackle with evil glee. (Thanks to Scott for sharing this.)

How to keep squirrels off your deck!‏

I think I'm going to see how big this beet will grow. Right now it looks to be about the size of a baseball.

Farewell Potholder

Claudia and Gail have left the pie shop. :(

They're Door County bound, but Claudia will still be whipping up pastries and other goodies at the Sister Bay Bakery (I think that's the name), so if you're in the area, stop by and compliment her on her potholder. Pictured here is Claudia on her last day (with a farewell potholder...and some delicious muffins).

Arlene got in on the shot too. :)



In other news we attended a block over party (it wasn't our block, it was a block over, but we were still invited). This is the only decent photo, which includes a participant in the kids' parade and a stylish place to eat roasted corn on the cob. Lenore and I contributed pasta salad and a scavenger hunt for the older kids, but we never did hear if they did it.



At some point I noticed odd splashes on Lenore's bike. I was all, "What is that on your bike?!" and she was all, "Duh, it's coffee of course." Most people carry water or maybe Gatorade in their water bottles. Not Lenore. She bikes with coffee, and she's got the stains to prove it. (Click the photo to enlarge it.)



Here is the monthly hair update. It's a little blurry, but you get the idea. I think we're almost ready to switch from Miracle Grow to hair gel. Soon...

Grape Expectations

I posted on my facebook page that I was expecting...new Crocs...in purple! I thought maybe I could stop with orange, but how could I not have purple? If you felt the universe shift into a little more comfy position, with a little "SNICK!" sound, that was me slipping on my new purple Crocs. Ahhhh.

What makes this particularly exciting is that now I can do this:



I do, on occasion, wear two different colors, but purple and orange is IT. Also, it's amusing when people sidle up to me (as I think I mentioned before) and quietly point out, so as not to embarrass me I suppose, that I'm wearing two different colored shoes. To which I reply, "WHAT?!" hahaha. Seriously, don't these people know a trendsetter when they see one? Sheesh. The best reaction so far, though, was a little kid, maybe 3 or 4, that I saw in the mall. She did a double take and then exclaimed, very loudly, "WHOA!!!"

Anyway...I think this might do me for awhile. Except I don't have bright yellow...

Windy City Fun

Ben and Dennis (a.k.a. Bennis) were in town for a Chi-Town getaway, so we hopped the train and met up with them, and Ben's delightful mom, for a fun Thai lunch and kibitzing.



We had a fabulous visit, and though I did photograph all the dishes, this group shot shows enough without going overboard.

Though I will share our appetizer (I have no idea what it is), and Lenore's ... I think it was tofu and brains? Anyway, anything's good with peanut sauce.

I feel compelled to photograph this any time I walk by it. I'm not sure why.

This was the same weekend as the air and water show, so, note to self: avoid all public transportation during such events. Gawd. Every stereotypical nightmare passenger was on our train car, including screaming babies, toddlers running up and down the aisle, loud talkers, cell phone and iPod abusers... And what's with people bringing multiple strollers, coolers, 9 kids and a scooter? Please. Just effing drive if you're going to schlep all that crap.

But I digress. Actually, no, I'm done. These photos are making me hungry for Thai food again.

Season's End

We attended our last Bandit's game Saturday -- snaps to the gals for a great season. They were playing the Rockford Thunder, home of Lenore's favorite player, Cat Osterman. My favorite player, Stacy May, who was also the lead-off hitter, belted one out of the park in the first inning (third pitch), scoring the only run of the game. Then after the game, there was a home run tournament, and she hit three more homers out of 5 pitches. S'what I'm talkin' about! There were three people in front of us wearing Stacy May jerseys, so we all bonded. It was a beautiful moment.


Lenore also took this picture of Cat Osterman pitching to fellow Olympian and kick-ass pitcher, Jenny Finch. Although, I have to say, the Bandits have great pitchers, so really, she didn't stand out all that much (except for her height and spindly little legs, which, from an engineering standpoint, do not look sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of a strong wind, let alone softball).

NOW what are we going to do on Friday nights?

Last weekend was so HOT, we didn't do much else during the day. We went to the market, of course, where Lenore entered one of her tomatoes in the annual tomato contest. There were 22 entries, and we estimate she came in about 11th place, give or take. You can read the full report here (scroll way down). I have been on a beet kick, so I bought two more huge bunches of beets at the market and have been pooping pink ever since. TMI? Well, I just can't stop eating them. And I feel a need to make up for lost time in that I was lacking the presence of fresh, delicious beets in my diet for so long. How did this happen? I'm not sure what I like more, the root part (boiled and salted or sliced thin and sauteed with Greek seasoning) or the tops sauteed in olive oil and garlic. Mmm.

We did venture out w/my dad to see the latest Harry Potter movie, which, as expected, was somewhat anticlimactic. I think it might be better to get all the DVDs and watch the movies all at once rather than wait so long between "chapters," because the movies sort of leave you hanging from film to film, and not in a good anticipatory way, because by the time the next one comes out, you've kind of lost interest, no? Wow, that was a long sentence.

Poised to Take Over

This is the rock garden, just prior to getting completely out of control (click photos to enlarge).
Quite a difference from May to June to now.



Note the slow disappearance of Pooh and Piglet -- sure signs of ominous music to come.



The vegetable side of things...not so prolific.

Yes, that's a (spindly) tomato growing under the windmill, not a weed. I'm enjoying the kale in morning "green smoothies," but that's about the only harvesting, save one beet (of two) that got roasted, greens and all.

The eggplant plants are growing, but have yet to produce more than a blossom or two. My new rhubarb, however, is looking good! I may forgo the year waiting period and pick some. The other development is the melon patch I was looking forward to, which turned out to be spaghetti squash.

Lenore and I ate a squash last night for dinner with salsa on top (delish), and it looks like I'll get at least two more if the critters don't overly accost them first. Here is one now bearing the wounds of an overzealous squirrel or raccoon, it's hard to say.

Also, I'm not sure why they are white. Every spaghetti squash I've ever met has been yellow. Perhaps this is the albino version.

As for tomatoes, little to no action. I continue to buy them at the market, because mine are all tiny and green, except for some cherry tomatoes in pots, which the squirrels also seem to enjoy batting about. Any one got a good recipe for squirrel stew?

Perky Potholder Productivy: A Momentary Flurry of Activity

(And then we all went back to summer vacation.)





Shown here are a couple of commissions from mom as well as the last gift-with-a-cookbook-purchase (the July Internet special...which will probably be extended into August) for high school friend Sue. I'm really liking these cotton loops from Harrisville Designs.



The back story on this lovely specimen is fascinating, so you might want to get a drink. Notice it is in the colors of the Miami Dolphins. I was reminded of the Miami Dolphins when I pulled this "vintage" sweatshirt out of my closet (cold July nights donchaknow...and I'm not complaining).



It's the last hand-me-down I've still got from Odie (who probably outgrew it when he was in 5th grade), and despite its age (and mine), it is relatively intact and still fits just great.

Sidenote: I just learned that this was a replica of sorts of Joe Namath’s Superbowl III jersey in which he did something newsworthy – grand slam, hat trick, something like that.

Anyway...it reminded me of another fabulous hand-me-down that is no longer with me: a very stylish (circa 1974 maybe?) zip-up Miami Dolphins sweater, complete with a white zipper and white-ring zipper pull. I know!! Sweet! Actually, we both got one for Christmas. I was at that time a Miami Dolphins fan because A. I liked dolphins B. I liked the colors orange and turquoise together. C. Odie approved (that I liked that team, I never told him my logic). He was in his Pittsburg Steelers phase, which I never understood, because their helmets had what looked like Chicklets gum on them (lame!) and the colors? Bleach. But I digress. Sadly, I grew out of my sweater relatively quickly (those were the days when I was still growing), but by the time I stopped growing (in around 5th grade, if memory serves), Odie's sweater fit me just fine. It was like a two for one deal!

Which brings me back to my #12 sweatshirt, because I think I inherited it (I use the term loosely – sometimes hand-me-downs ended up in my dresser before there was any actual handing) about the same time I inherited the sweater, and it reminded me of that warm feeling of wardrobe richness welling up inside me when I gazed at all my pilfered tomboy couture, so I had to make a potholder to commemorate the moment. I wonder what ever happened to that sweater. I miss it.

Epilogue
OMG! It was a lot like this one – I would totally buy this on ebay, but it's a size one. This one isn't a zip-up, but it's got the same white stripes on the sleeves and the cool sewed-on patch.