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.
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