Pickles

We finally had a weekend at home with no commitments and no work to get in the way. So what did that mean for Nurse Nancy....pickles! We have harvested seven picling cucumbers so far. Made the brine (thanks to Ellen for the recipe), bought the dill and garlic and here they sit in the jar waiting to be consummed. I will let you know what my critics think!

Sorry for the sideways photo and "crick in your neck." I cannot figure out how to fix it.....

4 Weeks Down and 2 to Go.....

I hope....this has been a long summer for me. It is in my nature to go until I collapse from exhaustion. Having knee surgery has slowed me down and limited me far more than I thought it would. Recovery is going well and I am now crutch free....I am starting mile walks this week and taking the dog (poor Hope won't know what hit her). Hopefully, by the time we go on vacation, I will be ready for longer distances and even some running. I never thought I would miss running but I do....

I think (I know) that when I run I feel entitled to eat more ice cream....haven't had any since my visit with Ellen. Boy do I miss ice cream and Ellen, of course.

On a side note, it is comforting to know that even my sadistic physical therapist is human. He torn his medial meniscus last week getting off a treadmill and will be rehabing along side me within the next week. Guess I can show him a thing or two.....

Happy Monday.

Vegetable Choices

As promised, we have cooked and consummed our first harvest. Normally, I would assist in making the choices of seeds but this year, JBM decided he would buy them himself with FlyBoy. The results....about half way through consumming the sugar snap peas, JBM asked me if he needed to finish them. Of course, I said yes......and waited for the second half of the conversation...... "Mom, you know I love peas...but I don't love these." Oh well, we learn as we go. Moral of the story, next year, I will be present for the purchase of the seeds....and we will stick with frozen peas for now.

First Harvest

JBM and I came home after a week to find that some of our crops were ready for harvest. The extreme heat of the week had taken a toll on the pea plants but the harvest was OK. The burgundy beans look as if they will be plentiful this year. Here is a photo of our lovely treats! By the time you read this, we will have cooked and eaten all of them and will be looking to pick more.

By the way....I was right that the first harvest was before 7/15......I will try not to gloat too much :)

The tomatoes are huge and look like they are going to be plentiful. I think the plants have topped five feet in height! Any bigger and I will be picking them off a ladder! But I heard a story on NPR that the blight from last year is back....I hope not!

Surgery

Just had knee surgery last week. Arthroscopic and thankfully somewhat minor. What have I learned? It is really hard for me to slow down and ask ANYONE for help (including my own family). And with modern day medicine, there is no babying yourself anymore. PT started two days post op...it hurt but I worked hard and felt som much better! Six weeks before I can start running again....I cannot wait.

They Grow Up Fast

I can hardly believe that JBM has just completed the third grade. While our lives have changed so much in the past nine years, we would not trade the parenting experience for anything in the world. Each day, something happens or is said that makes us laugh..maybe cry...and always swell with pride. I could do without being corrected every five minutes....and I know it will only get worse.

The first photo was taken the first day of school and the second on the last day of school. Subtle though it may seem...I think he grew up a lot over the course of the school year. Always fun to compare....now these photos will go into the scrapbook I started in Pre-K. First day, last day and class picture each year. I hope it will be a cherished memory for all of us some day.