Navy SEALS and Chores



J. likes to play 'Military' with his buddies. Water balloons become grenades; the neighborhood a big war zone in which to spread out and use walkie-talkies; try to walk and talk like the military guys. Their 'landing' and 'take off' verbage is exceptionally cute. The amount of artillary saved up over the years is pretty impressive.

So today when my wanna-be Navy SEAL was complaining about weeding and how it hurt a recent hand wound, along with the fact he wanted to get back to playing with his buddies- I mentioned something to the affect:

"If a Navy SEAL had a little hand wound, would that  keep him from completing his mission?" Eluding to him that he needed to finish and reminding him he had gloves that were perfect for the situation and would make it easier to weed.

His comeback:

"Mom, Navy SEALS don't have to worry about 'chores' ". 

I dunno if they are subject to weeding on their days off- if anyone knows, let me know. I don't want him to have the impression they have it "easy".

Soccer Anyone?



I am at a loss to explain this one.

First off, I had two of these Trellis packages that Padre bought.

He did NOT want me to cut these specific ones.

The conduit poles are 6ft tall.

Width and length trellis did not mix well with the combination of prednisone and Padre's

ramifications.

As you can imagine it was a tough call and doing it by myself was akin to

folding the flag by myself and not having it

touch the ground.



The tomatoes on the south side is an "Ode to Charlotte's Web".

I tried to "double back around these ones because they are getting huge

and wanted to see if they'd climb on both sides.  

No soccer on this side, unless I tie that hole in the middle.

How about some cute grandkid leftover in the garden? -That'll get our minds off

the, uh, Trellis ordeal.



Isn't that so cute.

Random love notes from the kiddies to help us remember them

Or should we play a game of Name That Onion?



I started to weed and I became befuddled.  NO Tokyo long stemmed

watch-a-mathings.

Unless I weeded them out.

Poor things were subject to so many weeds that I couldn't get to, I bet they felt like

foreigners without a tour guide in Tokyo.

Then lost their will to live.

Sorry Tokyos. Sorry Walla Wallas.

Padre's response was first to ask if I CUT the strings.

Victory!

No I did not! I proudly said.

"What did ya do?"

Sorry, confidential. Insider information. Don't want you duplicating it.

Plenty

This is after I went through and cut some lettuce off from the "what I thought to be a scant

two rows of lettuce."

It actually has been plenty. I have had 3 full ziplock bags in my fridge and can't pawn

enough of the greens off at meal times or visiting family.

A friend told me to stagger when I plant them next time.

GOOD TIP.

I have two harvests, this size, once all was said and done.

Padre sat at the table overlooking the vast weeds growing in our garden and asked me what some of the "taller" plants were in the garden. (Fully knowing that they are rogue Sunflowers).

Sunflowers. I responded.

"When ya grow a vegetable garden it seems you'd wanna grow that- vegetables."

I don't just want to grow a vegetable garden.

He nodded as if all our hard work had been for naught because of the enterprising

Sunflowers.

An explanation ensued about the gardening type that I like to do. Mind you,

I don't just want the army of Sunflowers, but I do

love the randomness

and wimzy.

(See, this cute one amongst the raspberries just bloomed and now refuses to

turn upright in my blog. Despite numerous times turning her in uploading.)

Gardens and pictures do whatever they want.

If you want to come over and rock in one of Padre's nice chairs and have a Coca-Cola, you are welcome to.

However,  you'll find that he has more than one use for keeping tags on purchased items- to help identify what is his; and what is his that he doesn't mind that you use.

Padre, I had NO idea this one was yours until the breeze flapped the tag over and I noticed

your name! First time I'd seen your name on one of your tags. Sorry!

 But how Clever!

And my signature demanded to stay up there by the lettuce for some reason.

Til next time.

The very last Chip

No, this is not a bowl of Corn Flakes.

It's the crumbs and small shards at the bottom of the potato chip bag;

poured into a bowl.

I have seen this before, however, never with a spoon in it.

Truly somebody was a champ and had this for breakfast or snacked on it

through out the day.

One word:

Padre

My Babies

The Babies can be overlooked for only so long on the blog! It is time to upload!

The little whittler, below, is the first. But I am starting with my journal. Because when I finally get to it, and record my thoughts:

Susan Branch stickers sprinkled amongst them, then I feel lighter.

When I finally get out and sit in this place or water my garden:

(I swear I put in three rows!)

or maybe sit among the weeds (and peas) over here:

 I feel quieter.

A bird's eye view of some raspberries will mean a trip to Reed's Dairy for

Half and Half

some Sugar- a generous heaping- 

And who can resist rocking in Padre's chair while a little scout whittles away a piece of

dove soap??

 

 

And makes a feather?

 

Not me.

Book Drop

This is usually the drive-thru drop off slot at your library- placed in a convient location so as to make the last ditch effort to save on library fines, easier.

Well, today it was more like what happens when you binge on checking out books and start dropping them on your way out of the library, that is under construction, on your two mile walk around the building to your car.

Okay, so I am exaggerating a bit. They do have golf carts that shuttle you from the front of the library that faces the main street through the down town area. Which is coincidentally under construction.

Actually, all of the city seems to be under construction. And it's hot.

So just stepping outside to your car seems an inconvenience- but a sacrifice worth making in order to get something to help the "bored" children have something constructive to do with their lethargy.

Which effects their whole body except their mouth.

No amount of weeding, reading, scouting, video gaming or physcial exercise can keep said children from complaining of boredom when friends are out of town.

And why wasn't I looking at the forecast and planning on some camping trip in a bear infested region for this sweltering week? The good news is that the weeds are really getting some footing in the garden, oh, and the flowers are blooming if you can pull yourself from dehydration to water them.

I can't wait to post a pic of my garden. It looks like those birds were watching me because I have some seriously wasted space in my garden. AFter one of those bored children helped me clear a few weeds, the amount of produce is almost comical.

And this is why I have to remind myself that weeding is a form relaxation and the real reason for my planting a garden.

In the last two days red raspberries have appeared on the vine, I was able to distinguish between weeds and some arugula, and 10 or so three leafed lettuce starts. The peas are on their way up, but the netting is not in place and tacked to the conduit pole. So that project of making the poles could end up being a garden decoration.

Things have been busy and there are always fun topics and stories to post- but for now, I will say that the book Steve the librarian suggested by James Patterson has been a page turner. That the books I grabbed to answer all of J's tick, worm, hobo spider and insect needs has back fired. But we are learning from Lois Lowry's Number the Stars book more about WWII, the Germans occupying Denmark and a young girl's sacrifice to help her friend. That book is helping him understand other religions and history and the book on Daniel Boone is helping him to understand folklore.

Which he ascribed to his Uncle's tauntings/teasing and sarcasm as being akin to the same thing: folklore. I guess we are making progress!