Cupcakes And Donuts (A Conversation)

So SM and I are watching the news the other day and it appears that Ashley Madison has been hacked.

 

"What's that?  A bakery?"  In my mind it sounded like one of those frilly girly places that made fancy cupcakes and donuts.

Or maybe sold women's purses.  (This is how my simple brain works.)  I couldn't figure out what the fuss was over a business I'd never even heard of and said as much to SM.

"It's a website for married people who want to cheat.  Kinda like a dating service."  SM informed me.

To say my eyebrows were in my hairline is an understatement.

"Why would married people need to date?"  I asked, cupcakes exploding in my head.

"It's a hook up place."

"Have you heard of it before?"  I asked.

"Sure."  He says nonchalantly.

"Am I ignorant or innocent?"

"Tami, you have no idea how much stuff like that is on the Internet."

"Hm.  Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again...If you wanna cheat, go for it but could you do me a favor?  Find one that doesn't mind housework and has a job so you can bring her home and she can contribute around here.  If you're getting something out of it I might as well too."

SM laughs.  

We've been together long enough that the jealousy we had in our younger days is long gone.  

At my age, I'd be grateful for another set of hands around here so the idea of a second wife is OK by me.

Cupcakes and donuts, indeed!!!

Mid July Wrap Up

There comes a time in each gardening season where the garden just succumbs to Mother Natures demands.

Succumb...Now that's a word you don't use every day.

I think the pattern is set for us this year.  Hot and dry.  Considering that, I think we've done pretty well by our Summer Garden.

I just went out and picked the last (I expect) of the Summer Yellow Squash.  The SVB's have finally arrived and flat lined the zucchini.  The yellows are sure to follow but all in all I'm thrilled to have had what I consider the best year ever for production.  Last year, I think I maybe got a pot full before the SVB' killed them.

I also did a second Winter squash pull.

After rinsing in (very light) bleach water, I dried them and stuck them in the spare bedroom to cure.  

Take this picture and triple it.

I've got Winters curing everywhere.

My green and yellow beans died a quick death along with the cucs.  They just couldn't take the heat.  I tried a (new to me) Asian Long Bean this year.  Once they bloomed they grew at an alarming rate.  


The taste is mild and I liked them best as a quick toss on the grill but I honestly couldn't get past the asphalt gray color that these pretty purple beans turned once exposed to the heat.  I gave the rest to the dogs and shrugged that off as a neat experiment.  

If they're available in GREEN next year, I'll try them again.

After a slight pause due to the hot and dry weather, the Zinnia's are putting out again this week after a surprise pop-up gave them a nice drenching.

All in all though I think this week will tie it all up and we'll close up shop until September.  We're back in the 100's with no rain forecast.  

Oh well...

Crematoria

"There's the sun."  SM says as we're sitting out on the back porch enjoying the early morning bird song.  (I had already watered the garden during the pre-dawn.)

"Once the sun comes up over the tree line..." SM continues, "I swear it feels like that Riddick movie.  We're all scrambling to get out of the sun."

"Crematoria."  I say.  "Which isn't far from the truth.  I was out picking up dog poo and you'd be surprised how most of them have turned into charcoal briquettes."

This heat is wearing on my last nerve.  

And we've got at least another 60 days of it before our typical mid September break.

The Year Of The Squash

Have I mentioned lately that I am having a bumper year with squash? 

Summer, Winter...Doesn't matter.  I've got the stuff coming out of my ears!

Winter Squash is all mine.  No sharing the stuff, I love it that much.  Nobody gets to eat it unless they come to my house for dinner.

Summer Squash is a different story.  Fresh eating is the only way it tastes good to me.  I tried freezing it one year and put it in soups that winter but I didn't like the texture and taste. 

I'm grateful for the abundance of Summer Squash I have right now.

And even more grateful for the like minded people out there who don't mind taking it off my hands.  There's less of them out there than you might think. 

 

My "go to" is Mario who works the front reception area in the building where my offices are.  Mario is as tall as he is wide.  An affable giant of a man who works the room helping patients find their doctors, getting elderly folks seated and babies stop crying when they see his smiling face.

Mario always asks me "How's that garden doing?" and is more than willing to take excess veggies off my hands to feed his troops at home.  

Seems like his kids don't question it if it's fried.

Anyhow, I'm hoping to pull some of the mature winters off this weekend.  The main plants are dying back (due to the Summer Inferno that just will not go away!) 

But the ends are green and blooming and putting out new babies, so who am I to complain? 

 

It's interesting that this year seems to be The Year of The Squash.

I haven't been able to get a squash plant to mature in 4+ years due to the dammed SVB's!  This year nothing, nada...Seems that Mother Nature has found a way and corrected the issue all on her own.

If only I could get her to turn the oven down.  It's been just too freaken HOT this year.