Luka and a Tomato Update

The tomato plants have slowed down their production, but there are new flowers and tiny fruit that are growing. It's just slower than it was. I suppose that has to do with the fall weather. I'm enjoying what I can before they die on me.

Below: My latest tomato harvest

I also harvested some oregano from the garden. I didn't use the tomatoes for spaghetti, but I did use fresh oregano instead of dried. I may need to dry some herbs for summer.

Anyone have any good ideas on how to dry herbs? (Natural (or old-fashioned) ways without buying any extra machines).

Now onto Luka...


I believe that I have the strangest cat ever. I love my little Luka, and she is a tad feisty. I believe she’s between 5-6 months old and growing strong… into a beautiful black cat. I wanted to dress her up in a pet outfit for Halloween, but Cam said, “she’s already in her costume.” SADNESS! LoL.

As she’s gotten older, she’s sleeping a bit more… but not as much as an adult cat. She still wrecks havoc in the house. Let me list her “bad” deeds this week (so far):

(1) Knocked over two potted plants—dirt splattered everywhere
(2) Killed one of those plants
(3) Knocked over my favorite rose vase and broke it. The vase smashed into millions of pieces on the ground
(4) Sunk her teeth into me… A LOT! Biting seems to be an every day thing.

Here’s how I’ve tried to punish her… unsuccessfully, I might add.

(1) Time out in the bathroom for 30 minutes
(2) A loud “NO” with a clap of my hand
(3) Moved her to the hallway and closed the door for 1 hour (withholding attention)

Yup, she doesn’t care what I do. Oh well. I still love her. She does have many lovable qualities:

(1) She has never scratched the furniture or couch with her claws. She is loyal to her scratching post
(2) She cuddles with me at night
(3) She wakes me up at the right time every morning, purring. She gets lots of rubs and kisses, and she likes to lick my face and give me a "bath" in the morning.
(4) She loves every single toy that I've ever given her.. Has never disliked one single toy.
(5) Loves every type of cat food that we've tried.

And tada... Her strangest habit... When she's on the bed, she likes to sleep on her back with her paws in the air... Isn't that funny? I've never seen any other cat do this...

Below: This picture was taken right when she woke up. She was already moving her upper body a bit...

She does have a cute little white belly. But anyway, I thought I'd share. I love my little kitten, despite how bad she can be.

My parents say that she's only fiesty and hyper when I am home. When I am away for the day, she is very quiet and is very docile.

Hmm, I guess she just misses her mommy.

Watermelon Everywhere

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I'm going to try to post 2-3 times a week instead of Monday through Friday. Because my garden isn't producing as much, there's not much to report.

The weather in Nashville is getting bit colder. It was in the 60s yesterday, and I had to wear a sweater when I went out. (I am very sensitive to cold, so anything below 70 is chilly to me). I wonder if the chilly weather is here to stay or just the reminisces of Ike. I hope it is Ike because I really loved the summer weather, and my veggies love it too.

I am prepared for the fall though. (I'm not a fan of these high gas prices though. All of the gas stations near where I live are all out of gas! And the next closest gas station charges $4.25, ridiculous!)

Anyway, the good news is my plants are still producing, even though the chilly weather is here. The watermelons are out of control. They are everywhere!

Below: The watermelon







Each and every of those pictures show a different watermelon! It's like a watermelon party out there. We've tasted two watermelon, and even though they aren't that red inside, they still are very taste and delicious.

Btw... There's also a watermelon growing on our porch...

I'm thinking next year that I will only plant one watermelon plant instead of three. And maybe I'll have the smaller variety of watermelon instead of these huge ones.

Lettuce

I apologize for the lack of posts this week. I have been busy, busy. I'm attending two writing conferences (one is next weekend, the other is in October in Birmingham). I've been getting ready and doing the research for the conferences. They're being sponsored by the Society of Children Book Writer's and Illustrators. I've written a multi-cultural chapter book for kids (grades 1-3), so I am hoping to pitch it to some agents and publishers. I'm very excited.

Anyway, the lettuce is my father's garden is doing very well. We've eating lots and lots of delicious salad. We grew Romaine and head lettuce. They're pretty delicious, and because we didn't wait until they formed a real head, no slugs!

Below: Numerous views of the lettuce

The seeds for this lettuce were planted in early August. I have a feeling the lettuce will begin to bolt before October comes. But it's been a nice crop for us, and I will try again next year.

September Beans

Hi Everyone, I hope you had a great weekend.

I wanted to update you on my green bean plant. It has done remarkable well, and it is still producing. Some of the leaves are getting a little brown, but there are tons of new blooms and baby beans on all the plants. I've gotten an amazing harvest from my two rows of beans this summer. I don't know how much longer they have, but I am just enjoying my time left.

Next summer, beans will definitely be on my list to plant. I will buy the beans that grow up. The bean variety I bought this year was the bushy kind. So cucumbers and beans have been extremely successful in my garden.

Below: New blooms
I love the graceful look of the blooms. It's so dainty and precious. Their white color screams more baby beans to come.

Below: Bloom and babies
I didn't do much research on beans before I planted them. I put one row in a sunny area, and the other row was in shade. By far, the beans in the shade have been the best producer. The ones in the sun have also produced beautiful beans, but the shaded beans produce much more. Next year, I will do several rows of beans in the shade.

Below: Lots and lots of green beans



Below: My most recent bean harvest
Mostly, I've been eating lots of green bean stir-fry with white rice. Green beans are always on my family's grocery list, and this summer, that's one thing we've been able to save money on. The seed packet, which cost only a few dollars, has saved us lots of money. =)

What are some of the best producers in your garden?