We have beans!

I have been talking with other gardeners, and we seem to be very lucky. Where other gardens are being swamped by this rain, ours is doing great. Yesterday I noted the beets are developing their roots and we now have baby beans to go along with our peas. Now, if we don't get raided by ground hogs, we should be all set.

I love going out there early in the morning. The grass still wet, the birds singing. It's a great way to start each day.

This weather is also great for finding worms for fishing. In no time yesterday the girls and I had some real beauties.

Happy Independence Day to us all. Don't forget to thank a soldier for all that we have in this wonderful US of A.

Forever Yours is now here!

Well...

It is now available to the public via the LULU button on the side of this page or by clicking this link. Come on click it, you know you want to.

Calgon! Take Me Away!

I'm dying here!

Truly, it's not the weather. I can take the rain, soft and otherwise. But right now I have two children each baking their own thing in the kitchen and none of it even resembles dinner.

All three are pulling on those apron strings.

The oldest -- I took out driving today. I firmly believe that driving with a teen is the reason God created prozac. It's just too bad, I don't have any. As a recent motorcycle operator, I know the fear she is going through. I know why she hugs the gutter, and drives at a walkers pace, still she has to learn not to. And I know she doesn't want me to tell her when to brake, but watching the other drivers diving under their dashboards for cover... It unnerves me. The entire time we are out I am begging God for strength and patience.

She got testy today. I got testy back, stating, "One accident and it's over, for you, for me, for your hostage sisters in the back seat..." Yes, we are in a behemoth vehicle, but still...

We have made peanut butter chocolate bars, and banana chocolate popsicles with one budding chef. The kitchen is a mess.

The other has taken over the table for her Elephant Ears, but it might as well be a lesson in reading a following directions. Still she didn't want me help, so I let her go on her own. I guess with all her failed starts and restarts, she is learning, while I wish for quieter times, and for someone to think about cooking a dish for dinner instead of snack or dessert.

And then we have our first FB fiasco. Someone chatted something to someone else who is now in tears. I, of course, lost my nut, (Can I say that?) and said something else that can't be typed here. It all comes down to knowing one's own self worth. On FB or otherwise, know your self worth and then let the world go by. Why do people let others define them?

Never mind getting through the summer, will I live to see another day?

The Enemy Within?

Last year our garden was a 24 hour buffet for a family of ground hogs. This year, it was slugs. And I say was, because, I seem to be gaining the upper hand. For the peas are coming in. The beans are covered with flowers. I have enough sage for the entire east coast, and the beets are developing their tasty roots.

But is there an enemy within the fenced in garden confines? That plant; that ginormous plant that could be a pumpkin is taking over and climbing over the fence. It has stalks bigger than my thumb, and leaves as big as umbrellas.

Testing 1 2 3

Just seeing if I can blog for a friend that can't. Imagine having something to say, and no place to type it.

New England Catholic Family Conference

The New England Catholic Family Conference was yesterday at St. Mary's in Waltham. We had never been to a conference, but the program looked interesting, having separate activities for the youth, Mass with Cardinal Sean, and a family bbq afterwards. I asked the girls if they wanted to go, they said yes -- so we went.

As we drove over, there was a lot of trepidation on the part of the young in the back seat.

Would they have fun? I assured them yes, but if after giving it a try, it they wanted to leave, we would. The venue ran from 1 PM to 8 PM. Long even for adults...

Would they make friends? I assured them, if they were a friend then they would make friends.

It looks like it is going to rain, is this outside? This is a big conference, I assured them of a rain plan; no worries.

What if it were hot, was there AC? I almost pulled the car over to glare at them. The weather we've been having... need AC... not today... maybe a sweater.

Still they were nervous as they filed off to their groups. I was nervous too, and made sure my cell phone was accessible.

A little over two hours later, after listening to two talks on family and vocations, and no cell phone ringing, I had to almost pry them away from their groups. The little one was dancing, as she delivered a letter she wrote for one of our local priests. The middle one made a new friend and future penpal, from 3 towns over. They both had a blast -- acting out parts of the bible, watching a video, and experiencing Adoration. Both said Adoration was the best. I was delighted and relieved that they had enjoyed themselves.

After a brief snack, we went into the church for Mass with the Cardinal and about eight of his brother priests. Again the girls crowded the end of the pew. I was delighted to see two priests that traveled to WYD with us, as well as a fellow pilgrim from Newton.

The Mass was multicultural, just like WYD; full of lively music and singing. The little one received Communion from the Cardinal. When she realized this was about to happen I thought I was going to have to tie her down she was so with excited.

Afterwards at the family bbq, the girls spent the time playing with a foxtail on the lawn with a half a dozen new friends. As dusk drew in, it was time for us to leave. Bedtime, and summer school starts today.

As we drove off, and the soft rains came, I asked the girls if they wanted to comeback next year, and they said, "Yes." So I consider this a successful event. But the girls did mention that the Cardinal looked tired, and maybe he should take three weeks off and rest.

The Peas Are Coming... The Peas are Coming...

Garden Enemy Number One

A lot of strange coincidences have been happening. Well not a lot, but two... that's enough for me to say a lot.

1. My friend showing up with a rose bush as a memorial to my grandmother. I planted next to the old rose bush that inspired me to make Charles Boss be a lover of roses.

2. The Slugfest. When I visited friends on Bainbridge Island over 16 years ago, I saw my first banana slug. And as ugly and vegetatively destructive as they are, I find their visual textures beautiful. Bainbridge Island and banana slugs play promenant parts in my book. Deep down I love them both -- well, slugs only to photograph.

and maybe 3. The first printed copy of my book arrived yesterday. I will finish reading it today -- make the necessary corrections, (I have already found 5 typos...), and then put it out there for all the world to see. Roses, slugs and all...

The above slug and his six brothers, caught feasting outside of the veggie garden were pardoned.
No slugs were hurt, killed or touched during the photo shoot.

Ghost Girl

While walking through one of those warehouse stores that sells other store's leftovers, I saw the book Ghost Girl - A Blue Ridge Mountain Story by Delia Ray. Hard cover in perfect condition, the price was a third of the cover. Caught up in the colors and presentation of the title and dust jacket illustration, (isn't that what a jacket is suppose to do), I picked up the book and read the inside flap. The book is about an eleven year old girl, April, who lives in Blue Ridge Mountains. Ms. Ray took letters and notes saved by the one room school house teacher, Miss Vest, and created this work of historical fiction.

Yesterday I sat down to read this book, and I stayed up until early this morning to finish it. Ghost Girl is a wonderful read. It is a story deep in hardship with a lining of promise. It gives a glimpse of what life was like in poor rural parts of our country during the depression. In some areas, I am sure, it is still the same.

Ghost Girl is not on any of my girls' summer reading lists. It should be.

So Far So Good...

(knock on wood...)

Yes, I know it's only 2 days into summer break, but... if I don't write it here, it will be lost.

Yesterday the girls did their summer homework, including two flute practicing sessions, without as much as a . We went to the dollar show. They played games with a friend, then cooked dinner. Have I died and gone to heaven?

I let them off of dish duty -- after all they cooked, and I wasn't even in the kitchen directing operations.

Today we are out for breakfast with a friend, then playing with a puppy, after the summer homework is done.