You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto

This spring, when I visited the nursery to pick up seedlings for the garden, I knew I wanted to try my hand at slicing tomatoes. I had never been very successful with larger varieties of tomatoes, usually losing them to blossom rot or struggling with underproduction, so I tended to stick to smaller varieties, such as grape and yellow pear.

To my delight, the nursery had a large selection of heirloom tomatoes, as well as the usual Romas and Big Boys, so I chose several heirloom slicers, as well as grabbing two dark cherry tomato plants and a yellow pear, for old times' sake.

I planted the seedlings in a section of my raised beds that I normally reserve for butternut squash, so I could utilize the cattle panel trellis that arches over it. I also watched numerous TikTok videos on how to properly stake, prune, and trellis the plants, which I believe contributed to the success I am seeing this year.

I could not be more pleased. In addition to tons of the smaller cherry tomatoes, I am harvesting slicers on the regular. And, while it took a while for them to begin to ripen, thanks to the heat we have experienced this summer, they are all on track, now.

I learned a tip about harvesting the fruits just as they start to blush and are slightly soft to the touch when gently squeezed. Once they are cut from the vine, they ripen quite nicely on the countertop.

When I say I have had a successful harvest, I am not kidding. I have had plenty of tomatoes for my personal consumption, plus extra to give to friends and family, which I'm always happy to do.

In addition to looking pretty (in an ugly heirloom way), the tomatoes are delicious. I've eaten them on sandwiches, and in Caprese and pasta salads, and I have yet to tire of the flavor.

I will definitely revisit heirlooms again next summer.

One Year Later

One year ago, today, I was walking the Man-Cub down the aisle to marry his sweetheart. It's hard to believe that an entire year has come and gone, but it is true what they say: the days are long but the years are short. I always thought that sentiment was reserved for mothers with babies, but I'm learning that it also holds true for mothers of young adults.

I wrote several posts about the wedding last year, but I don't believe I ever got around to sharing some of my favorite photos taken by the photographer, so I hope you will indulge me as I do so now. And, if other people's weddings aren't your thing, I completely respect your right to scroll on. No judgement.

While the Cub and I were waiting to start our journey down the aisle, he started to tear up. Luckily, I had tissues and was able to help him out. Surprisingly, I didn't cry, myself. In fact, I was smiling the entire time, so much so that Bethany told me later that, if she doesn't look that happy on her sons' wedding days, she's not having it.

I wasn't the only one smiling that day; I hadn't seen Emily this happy in a very long time. She'd been struggling with some health issues, and her trials had really gotten her down. This smile was a welcome sight.

Summer weddings in Colorado are always a gamble, weather-wise, but we certainly did get lucky. And, having so many family members join us under the summer sun was a tremendous blessing. 

In addition to family, we had so many friends on hand to celebrate with us, including the wedding party; I loved that the Cub had Mikey at his side, and getting to know Shanti's best friend Frankie has been one of life's precious joys.

 

A moment for that floral arch that did double duty at the ceremony and reception. I busted my ass on that bad boy.

The kids spent their anniversary weekend at a boutique hotel in Ouray, where I'm hoping they had a good time. I'm also hoping the freezer burn didn't affect the wedding cake they saved, and that it still tasted good, but I somehow doubt they were too worried about that.

They say the first year of marriage is the hardest, and I sincerely pray that's true; if so, these kids will have a truly blessedly happy life together, because they sailed through the past twelve months more in love than ever.

And that's my favorite thing of all.

So Far In August...

I have gotten even worse at keeping up with this blog, if that's actually possible, considering how hit or miss I have been at posting the last few years. As always, I blame it on the dullness of my life since the blog content grew up and moved out of the house.

Speaking of the empty nest, this past week, Hugh's sister visited from Chicago. She was on a mission to pare down some of Oscar and Emily's belongings for an eventual sale of their house. While going through old pictures, she found this gem...

...that would be Hugh's senior photo collage. Since I've never known Hugh when he didn't have a mustache, these pictures both cracked me up and finally convinced me that the Man-Cub shares DNA with his father (aside from the obvious fact that Hugh is, indeed, the child's father) because I was able to confirm that they share the same lips.

As an aside, the original owner of the lip structure (see below) is currently en route to another wildland fire in a town about three hours away. 

Did I know he was going on another two- to three-week deployment? No, no, I did not. When did I learn this fact? Last night, when I got home from Bunco at Mom's house. Am I happy with this blindsiding announcement and hasty departure? Again, no. Am I willing to overlook my irritation for the safety of the communities currently in the path of the wildfire? Sigh. Of Course.

I'm just grateful that the deployment didn't happen last week, which would have meant Hugh missing out on time with his sister, who spent one night of her visit overnighting with us. We enjoyed grilled pizzas on the porch and got caught up on her life and the lives of her two sons.

The night before she stayed with us, we hosted the entire family, plus Mom, on the porch for a three-meat feast (beef, chicken, and shrimp). We were missing Queen B, but she was with us in spirit.

The older I get, the more precious I find time spent with extended family. We were fortunate to have the whole crew at the wedding last summer, and I hope we have many more opportunities to gather together while we are all still on this Earth.

When I haven't been entertaining friends and family (Erin was in Hooterville this week to pick up the last of her belongings from her and Kristi's storage shed, and we had a chance to get together for a charcuterie board on the porch; I didn't take any pictures, which was a missed opportunity), I have been tending the garden, where I am finally starting to see some of my tomatoes ripening. I am ridiculously proud of these fruits! I haven't had much luck with large tomatoes historically, so seeing these beauties thrive in the garden has been a favorite part of my summer.

I have watched countless videos and read numerous articles on how to ensure the proper ripening of tomatoes, and I am now sold on the suggestion to remove the tomatoes from the vine once the fruit starts to blush and is slightly soft when gently squeezed. Allowing them to complete the ripening process on the countertop has resulted in tomatoes with no splits or cracks and zero damage from pests.

I cut into one of the tomatoes and used it on sandwiches; it was possibly the best tomato that I have ever eaten.

This pretty much wraps up my August so far. I'm working, I'm gardening, I'm feeding approximately one million hummingbirds, and I'm learning how to be a fire widow. So far, it's similar to being a wrestling official widow, but with higher stakes.

I'll let you know how it goes.

What's Up Wednesday, July 2025 Edition

 

It's the end of July, which means one thing: Halloween decor has hit the store shelves. Now, we all know that I am a huge fan of Halloween, but, come on, folks! It's too soon! Let's enjoy the dog days of summer before we whip out the jack-o-lanterns and witch's cauldrons.

Jeeze.

Anyhoodle, welcome to this month's edition of What's Up Wednesday! Let's get to it.

What I've Been Eating

I've enjoyed several meals both at home and at restaurants, and here are some that stood out:

Homemade tomato and burrata salad with balsamic glaze...

...fettuccini with homemade bolognaise sauce... 

...grilled beef fajitas...

...a "grown-up" grilled ham and cheese panini from The Association, where Kristi and I met for lunch one Saturday...

...and a huge chicken burrito, also from The Association, when Mom and I attended this quarter's Boozy Book Fair.

What I'm Loving

I purchased a seasonal flower bouquet subscription from the local flower farm and have been loving the selection of flowers used in each bouquet.

What I'm Reminiscing About

Lately, I've been reminded of all the 4th of July weekends that we spent on the lake with friends and family. Memories pop up in my inbox, courtesy of OneDrive, and I am transported right back to sunny days, fireworks, the rocking of the boat against gently lapping waves, and the scents of sunscreen, toasted marshmallows, and Jell-O shots (for the adults, obviously).

What I've Been Up To

Mom and I enjoyed a morning at the farmer's market in Hooterville.

I managed to provide Proof of Life to Shanti and the Man-Cub while they were in California for a wedding and I was on cat duty. Princess Leia deemed me worthy of her presence exactly once in four days; the rest of the time, she hid. Our relationship is a work in progress.

My staff and I pulled off another successful golf tournament. Of note this year: Hugh was absent due to being called out to fight a fire, so, wouldn't you know it, the one year that we encounter an actual snake on the course, he is unavailable to terrorize. Missed opportunity, there.

I introduced Mom to the Boozy Book Fair, and while neither of us indulged in the booze portion of the program, we did each purchase new books.

What I'm Working On

I've been working on a trio of ribbon embroidery projects and I finally finished the last two. Now, I'm on the hunt for frames with convex glass to display them in, which is harder than it sounds. The frames I have found are ridiculously expensive and I'm not interested in going broke over a hobby.

I've also been working on my garden, and it is coming along. I am a little frustrated with the slow rate at which my tomatoes are ripening, but I can't complain about the number of fruits on each plant.

My herbs have been growing like crazy, so I decided to use them in new ways. I started with thyme-infused honey, which I'll use during the cold and flu season to help alleviate sore throats and coughs.

I also made two kinds of mint extract: mojito mint and chocolate mint. They'll take about six months to fully mature, but I am patient.

What I'm Excited About

I'm not really excited about anything at the moment. And that's ok.

What I'm Dreading

I'm not really dreading anything, unless you count the possibility of new wildfires in our state. Hugh spent the better part of two weeks fighting the fire on the south rim of Black Canyon National Park, which is just outside of Hooterville; I can only imagine what it will be like to have him in another state for weeks at a time.

What I'm Watching

I'm still not watching much television, but I made an exception for Hunting Wives on Netflix. I'd heard a lot of buzz about it and decided to check it out; it's... interesting. I'm almost all the way through the episodes and can't say that I know how it will turn out.

Otherwise, I'm watching the real-life nature channel, in the form of the hummingbirds visiting my feeders. It's just as entertaining, I assure you.

What I'm Reading

I have yet to break my reading streak, having added several more books to the Romantacy genre, which is a relatively new genre that blends romance and fantasy, often with a healthy dose of spice, making it both literature and cliterature, if you get my drift.

What I'm Listening To

At the moment, I am listening to the chirping of the hummingbirds flitting around the feeders on my porch; it's a favorite sound of summertime.

What I'm Wearing

I have nothing terribly interesting to report in the wardrobe realm, I'm simply wearing the most breathable fabrics in my closet, thanks to the heat. I am, however, wearing a new perfume that bears mentioning.

What I'm Doing This Weekend

Hugh's sister is visiting from Chicago, so we are hosting a dinner for her, Hugh's parents, Mom, Shanti, and the Man-Cub. Hugh's sister's birthday is on Monday, so we will be sure to celebrate that as well.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month

I'm looking forward to spending the last remaining days of summer rotting on the porch with a cool beverage and a good book. This has been the Summer of Porch Rotting, and I make no apologies for it.

Favorite Purchase This Month

Honestly, it has to be the flower subscription that I mentioned earlier. Picking up a new bouquet every Friday is such a treat. I hope they offer the subscription again next year