We Reap What We Sow

Summer is finally winding down here - although the temperatures are still hot. As I drive to work in the mornings it is getting darker and darker - a telling sign that fall and then winter are on their way. It's been a fast summer. I think that working every other week and then trying to cram the rest of my life into the weeks that I'm off - has a way of speeding everything by. Although I look forward to the change of season I will miss my garden. We planted it in late April and early May and have really enjoyed the fruits of our labor. I would have to say that most of that labor has been Aaron's - but I've still enjoyed the fruits. I decided to chronicle some of it in pictures. I'm just a little proud of what we've been able to grow. It's been wonderful to be able to share our harvest with many of our family and friends. I think that we're looking forward to next year. Aaron would like to expand to include a few other plants. We'd also like to do some fruit and I would like to do some flowers and herbs. I think that our planting may also branch out into some of the beds that we have both in the back yard and also in the front.

This is our lovely Swiss Chard. I discovered how wonderful it was just after Eli was born. When you spend $2 a bunch at the grocery store - growing your own is definitely worth it. This and the lettuce (which you can see going to seed in the background were the first harvest of our garden. We started eating it back in May.

Our Lettuces. We had two varieties - one green and one red. I'm not sure about the species. Very good. Once lettuce goes to seed you can still eat it but it becomes bitter. We just don't eat nearly enough salad (try as we may)!

Our green beans have a tendency to get too big and to be more than a little fibrous. The beans have been delicious though and have added visually to the appeal of the garden.

We'd planted two different varieties of cucumber. The smaller domestic variety was destroyed either by a smallish black dog or by a smallish blond boy. Either way we were left with our Japanese cucumber which we were all a little hesitant to try but turned out to have a wonderful flavor and to be quite delicious!

Our tomatoes have been on the vine for over a month but it's only been the last few weeks that we've been getting red ones. I'm not sure why this is. I've heard speculation that it's the hot summer. That may account for why the ones that are ripening are nearer to the ground. I love fresh chopped tomatoes w/ fresh basil (or mint). Delicious!

Anyone who grows zucchini or any other kind of squash knows there's more than enough of this to go around. We have both green and yellow varieties. We've been sauteing it, grilling it, frying it, grating it and mixing it in to just about anything that we can. It's been a great one to share with friends and family. This is one of my favorite pictures. I love the shapes of the stalks and leaves.

I have never been very fond of eggplant but as you can see we've got not one but two varieties growing in our garden. We had thought this one was a pepper (it isn't). A little over a year ago I was visiting my mother and she fixed it in such a way that the acrid taste (which is my big turn off towards eggplant) was eliminated. Once I realized that it was possible to prepare it in an appealing manner I began to experiment. So far I have that initial recipe from my mom, an eggplant casserole (one of our all-time favorite recipes), lasagna, and tomorrow I will be experimenting w/ eggplant Parmesan. I also want to try baba ganoush. If you love veggies and have a little earth - I'd recommend growing a garden to anyone. It's been good for us on so many levels. We eat better. We have something great to do together as a family. We're saving money and doing something good w/ our property.

Breaking Dawn

Aaron and I have fallen hard for Stefenie Meyer's Twilight series. The latest book Breaking Dawn came out midnight on Friday. Naturally, I was standing in line to get the book the minute that it went on sale. My friend Rosee and I stood in line reading our precious copies and after I'd dropped her off at her house I didn't put my copy down until 5am. When I got up at 9 Aaron questioned me as to how much I'd gotten down. "I only made it to chapter 14". Aaron spent the rest of the day catching up to me after which we started reading out loud together. There have been a few other times that we've done this. I think except for this occasion they've all been Harry Potter books.

The Twilight series is like literary crack. At least that's how I describe it to people. Meyers is a good writer with an amazing story. The writing is good enough and easily digestible that the books appeal to just about anyone that picks them up. Although I've enjoyed the occasional vampire novel in the past I'm not a huge fan of the genre - but I've definitely been swept up. When I started reading the books ( I think that it was back in May) I had such a hard time putting them down, that after Aaron had convinced me to (finally) turn of the light, I'd lay there until I finally heard him asleep. Then I'd grab the book, a blanket, and I'd sneak out to the couch to read more. Aaron accused me of reading porn and I finally had to give him a download of the plot to get him to realize that I wasn't. He still didn't believe me and it was only when he picked up the books himself (and was instantly addicted himself) the he understood what was happening.

Twilight definitely feels like a guilty pleasure. Once I finished the series (at least the first 3 books - all there was at the time) I instantly started them again. I've managed to control myself with the Fourth and final book in the series. Aaron and I finished reading it together last night. It was unexpected and totally worth the wait. I'll be starting school in a few weeks and am actually part of a book club so I won't be reading any of the Twilight books again anytime soon. I'll be looking forward to my break at the end of December. I'm sure there will be a list of other books waiting to be read then too. The books all in order are Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. I've been surprised by the diversity of readers who've enjoyed the series. I would recommend the books for anyone - a delightful and fun read.

I'm getting ready to start my week back at work. I actually worked two days of my week off so I feel like I was robbed. I guess I won't so much when I see my paycheck. I got registered for school today. I will be starting classes on August 20th. I'm taking a personal finance class, music appreciation, and American economics. I'm excited I think that it will be a good quarter. I'm planning on applying to the Physical Therapy Assistant program for fall of 2009. With the classes that I'm taking this quarter and a few more in the spring I should graduate in December 2009 with an associates degree (an AA) and a certificate for the PTA program. I plan to spend approximately 16 hours a month this next year also volunteering for a Physical therapist that I worked with previously. I hope that this will give me experience in the field and keep me motivated and on track with my goals. Yeah me!