Garden Glories

We are finishing up harvesting the results of our second year of gardening and putting the beds to rest for the winter. As always, we learned a few things along the way and enjoyed the fruits (and vegetables) of our labors and God's provision.
First year garden (and handsome husband):

Harvesting Royal Chantenay and Thumbelina carrots:

Showing off the harvest:

This year, with the help of the Michael Delving crew, we removed most of the large brush pile that was taking up badly needed sunny space and were able to expand the growing area to be able to accomodate more peas, squash, carrots pumpkins, strawberries, sunflowers and potatoes. After considerable dissatisfaction with the variety that we grew last year, we also opted to try out a less prolific but ostensibly tastier zucchini. The blue and purple potatoes, purple carrots and sunflowers were Jonathan's contribution.

Second year garden:

Proud potato (and squash and sunflower) planter:

Side yard herb garden:

Burgeoning summer growth with peas on the fence, winter and summer squash and potatotes in the forground. The carrots, radishes, onions and strawberries are being hidden by the zucchini. Note the marigolds interspersed with the summer squash for pest control.

It was an exceptionally good year for blackberries.

Our cheerful sunflowers:

One day's harvest:


I will post more pictures of our produce when we download the fall pictures off of the camera.
In the meantime, this recipe is a very tasty way to use up all of those extra summer squash. It works on bigger zucchini too.

After the Library Book Sale

Did I say that we were going to be picky? Well, I was more selective than I have been in the past but $87.00 later we may need to consider that extra bookshelf. At least we were able to find a few of the gift items that we were looking for.
I also found several books of embroidery stitches and ideas for projects. While they are clearly dated (1970's orange and green hemp vest and owl telephone book covers?), they also have some techniques that are new to me and some design tips that should be really helpful. A couple of them also have photographs of antique work that is amazing, inspiring and discouraging all at the same time. One day I will be able to do work like that!

You're Watership Down!

by Richard Adams

Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

I love this book and, interestingly, my supervisor commented that one of the ways that I contribute to lab morale is by challenging negative attitudes and assumptions. I am much more likely to talk about stitchery design and cellular morphology, however.

Bibliophilia

We have five full size bookshelves in the Treehouse. Many decorating guides suggest that you try to balance books with their artistic objects for maximum beauty and utility. Most of our are double stacked with books of all shapes and sizes. (Some people's solution to this problem is to stop buying books. I prefer to buy more bookshelves.) I had them mostly organized in my last apartment but now they are in the hodge-podge that they came out of the boxes from the last move. I can now find most things (after some rummaging) but organizing them is still on my list of Things to Do When I Have Time.
To compound this issue, we are heading out to the Seattle Public Library book sale today. This consists of a warehouse full of tables and boxes of books from around the country from libraries and individuals who are pruning their own stash. It is rather like a gargantuan thrift sale for books--lots of trash but, if you take the time, you can find some real treasures. I used to go rather frequently before my husband and I were married and it was one of the earlier activities that we did while dating. For a variety of reasons, one of which being that we have no room on the bookshelves, we have not been back since. However, this year we have some gift items to look for and I have promised to be very picky with everything else. We really don't have room for another bookshelf.

Remembering Stinky

Stinky was a captain of the cat nap and a connoisseur of couch positions. We miss his snuggling (if not the hairy results).

Goodreads

Goodreads is a great way to keep track of books that I am interested in reading. I'm not interested so much in listing everything that I have ever read (that would take a very long time) but keeping track of where I want to go next is quite helpful. I also enjoy getting new ideas from friends who often have better taste than I do. For example, I would never have known about this jewel without a friend mentioning it.

Matchless Mondays

Some time ago, I added a chromosome pin to my brown jacket. One of our vendors hands these little multicolored advertisements out in great quantities at conferences and the annual meeting. For a quite a long time, no one seemed to notice it. Over the weekend, however, my family and some friends noticed it and added confirmation to their belief in my quirkiness. Their response did not match up to The Starbucks Guy. This man greets customers with enthusiastically alliterative cheerfulness (Tameless Tuesday, Fearless Friday, etc.) and has a quite extensive collection of pins on his green apron. This week, after wishing me a Matchless Monday, he inquired what my pin was supposed to represent. This has been a more common question that I expected. Doesn't everyone know what a chromosome looks like? What, only me? He then decided that a chromosome pin would be the perfect addition to his collection. Fortunately, I can oblige as we have a number of them sitting around the lab. Anyone else?