A Day at Home

We spent our afternoon watching Goonies and shelling peas. Isn't that how everyone spends Thursday afternoon? Today I harvested peas again. This is my third picking. This time I got 2 6-cup bowls of pods! Each time before, I got 1 6-cup bowl. You really can't beat these peas for producing, in my experience. Of course, this is the first time I have ever got any peas to grow...with proper sun exposure.

My son took this picture of me...not bad for a little guy. He almost always gets his subject in the center of the shot. Except for when he took a picture of my butt while trying to photograph me chopping up kohlrabi. I look tired and hot in this picture. I am fighting off this lovely kidney infection that I got, and the antibiotic they gave me makes me feel very sluggish. I would recommend to anyone that thinks they 'might' have a UTI, to actually go to the doctor and not wait to see if it goes away by itself.

I'm showing off his photography skills a little...ha ha. This one does NOT focus on my butt in an unflattering way. I am chopping up kohlrabi again. Today we ate it sliced in sticks like carrots. A very versatile vegetable. I wished I had planted more. If I can find it for sale anywhere, I might plant some more and put in a second crop. It didn't really take that long to get going. I am sure I could get some more ready before frost.

Surprise! My first tomato. I didn't know he was even close. I was putting in a new trellis in my garden today, and leaned down to pick something up. I noticed a flash of red underneath, and saw it, the first tomato of summer! I don't remember what kind he is, he is one of the hybrid plants I bought as insurance in case all my heirlooms bit the dust.

So yummy. He got sliced up and became part of my dinner. My son turns his nose up at tomatoes. I hope I can convert him soon...such a shame to miss out on so many years of tomato eating. I have loved tomatoes since I was a little girl. My parents always managed to grow at least one or two tomato plants if nothing else. To this day, that will always be my favorite way to eat a fresh tomato, sliced up with plenty of salt.

This is my first attempt at building my own trellis. I took bamboo poles and attached them together at the cross points with really strong twisty-ties. I save the ones that seem to come in truckloads on every toy my son receives. I don't understand that...why do they have to nail down every wheel on a truck that is already inside an impenetrable plastic barrier? It takes 15 minutes and power tools to remove every toy from the box. But at least I don't have to spend money on garden clips or ties. So I twisted around every intersection, which made for a very loose, flexible, collapsable structure. It was so loose that I was a little worried if it would fall down when I tried to put it in the ground.

Here it is on its way up. Once the kohlrabi is out, there should be room to walk down both sides of the trellis and get to the tomatoes. Unless I build a tepee or another trellis though, I will still have to buy 6 more tomato cages. It ended up being very stable once I pounded it in with a rubber mallet. Now I just have to stake up the tomatoes before it turns into a jungle. I believe I have 18 tomato plants at last count. Plus one cherry tomato plant in a pot on the patio. Think it will be enough? I'm not sure.

I took more pictures of my lilies at dusk...I had four blooms today. They are very precious, because they only last one day each...and there is a limited supply. Once they are done for the year, that is usually it. Speaking of precious...my little guy is going to KC with his dad tomorrow (those of you who know my son are laughing hysterically now)...and I will miss him. I don't get to see him again until next Wednesday. I guess it will be mom time to get the house and yard cleaned up before the family birthday party next week.