Valerie's Workshop

I got home from work at a reasonable hour this afternoon, with a reasonable amount of energy left (some, for that matter), and decided to take a walk through the garden. It is completely thriving right now. My cherry tomatoes are ripening faster then we can eat them (cherry tomatoes anyone?) and the onions are of harvesting size. The basil and sage are also continuing to produce many leaves, which are begging to be harvested. I'll most likely be making a giant batch of pesto towards the end of the week. Pesto anyone? My favorite corner of the garden is the pumpkin patch. Big fuzzy, green leaves are blanketing the back section of the garden, with 3"-6" pumpkins hiding in the shade. Just as I was hoping earlier this summer, the morning glories have reached the top of the trellis and have begun growing towards the center. My lilies have also bloomed, their pale pink blossoms brigtening of the side of the yard, as well as the kitchen table. Last, but certainly no

Before I get to telling you about our latest escape to the cabin, I wanted to prove that the creative juices are still flowing. Scott salvaged an old cabinet door for me a while back and it's been waiting in the workshop since, hoping I'd be inspired to make something with it. Well, the inspiration came from our toothphick jar, of all things. It boasted the  same graphic on it's front. After masking and xactoing, I spraypainted the whole thing with metallic silver paint.  This will eventually be hung outside, on the south face of the house, where it will be able to reflect the afternoon rays.   As the title alludes, we went up north again. It was the most enjoyable trip so far this year! Flowers we're blooming everywhere, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries were ripening all through the forest and we had the most bountiful mushroom hunt yet. Scott and Bodie spent hours on the pier, reeling in bluegills and throwing tennis balls for Harper. We roasted marshmal

Me: Scott, what's the difference between an annual and a perennial?  ( I'm making it a point of memorizing the answer and am using this as my reference. Anybody have a mnemonic device to help me remember this one? You'd think as a gardener I'd have this one figured out, but I'm not a Gardener, yet ! With each summer I have to reteach myself the difference. ) Bodie: Mommy, what's this? Scott: That wedding's on the 14th, right? Me (rhetorically): Is it Tuesday Night yet? ('Cause that's when I get to stop thinking for a  few minutes ... dear god ... I hope!) I'm mid-way through covering my bosses vacation to North-central California to go back-backing around Lake Tahoe and sight-seeing in San Fran. I'm not jealous (I've traveled that area many times, and love it, but am planning to visit other places), but I'm overwhelmed. We are at the apex of our peak season and a lot is happening at the store. I know everything is being