Admire My Beans

Many thanks to the Collingswood Civic Collective for sponsoring the House and Garden Tour yesterday! My friend K and I visited all six gardens and one house. It was so inspiring to see the amazing spaces people have created — some large, some small. My personal favorite was probably Dan’s (of Front Yard Food NJ). Simply because he had the most food growing and that is what I am more interested in. And the gorgeous pool and outdoor bar area didn’t hurt. The owners were all happy to answer questions and I learned quite a bit.

Certainly the highlight of the weekend. I did make it to the farmers’ market before the tour for the first Jersey blueberries and corn of the season. We also went out to eat last night with 2/3 kids for Tom’s birthday (N had to work).

This afternoon I took F to redeem two free bowling games at the nearby alley (through the Kids Bowl Free program). She has her own ball and shoes from being on the bowling team. Then we drove on to pick up a FB marketplace find: a bownet and a giant bucket of softballs, for $50. She wants to practice her pitching.

Currently enjoying a warm, slightly humid, cloudy afternoon in the yard, before the heat wave starts.

It was a nice week, a bit quiet because N was down the shore with a friend’s family Tuesday until Saturday. I was able to walk Rocco a few times. Monday night we had super heavy rain. Thursday night I made it to the pool and ran into a friend there. Such a relaxing evening.

I just love the casualness of summer. It’s too hot to have big meals or make a big fuss over anything. Everything is low key. After the pool I just got a sandwich from Wawa for dinner.

Along the same lines, I have gone on strike for the summer (at least) as far as picking up after the other people in this house. It’s a little maddening to see the grape jelly sit on the counter for hours, or a crumpled-up envelope move around the dining room table for days. But it’s also kind of freeing. Not my mess, not my problem. I used to spend a lot of time “straightening up.” I don’t think the kids have noticed the difference, but I know Tom has.

In the garden, I picked my first clutch of green beans — the Contender bush beans! (I presented them to Tom and said “Admire my beans” in a weird voice and we cracked up.) And, my neighbor H shared some of hers!

I’m also seeing my first baby tomatoes, and I picked more carrots. I think all the carrots and lettuce need to come out ahead of this heat wave. This last batch of lettuce is starting to bolt, and it never really grew much, so I won’t try to eat it. I might leave one or two of the May Queen heads for seed. I harvested three very small heads of garlic, from stalks that just totally died. They seem usable, just small. They are curing on the playset.

A new wave of strawberries is starting, so I need to put the green mesh bags on.

The oregano continues to go nuts. Check out all the bees!

This week I dried a bunch of basil and finally transplanted my lilac seedling. I also spent a good amount of time weeding all over and cleaning up — washing out empty pots and seedling cups and moving them back inside.

I didn’t read this whole article but it sounds about right. “There’s a Grocery Price Emergency in America.” No shit. And my electric bill was $578!! One small glimmer of hope: my water bill was down $50, probably because we stopped the hose from leaking.

Meals this week:

Monday: Sprouts pulled pork, Costco baked mac n cheese, baby carrots, steamed broccoli

Tuesday: eggs, sausage, home fries, toast

Wednesday: a Costco pupusa (corn exterior, cheese and chipotle chicken inside) and sauteed green beans

Thursday: Wawa sandwich

Friday: A pizza from Stella Pizza, plus sauteed green beans

Saturday: Holy City Publick House

Sunday: hot roast beef sandwiches, corn on the cob, potato salad

Monday lunch: mozzarella and basil sandwich

Tuesday: brought tuna

Wednesday: brought leftover mac n cheese

Thursday: cereal

Friday: bought

I’m so done with Costco after that last trip. The big bag of rolls I bought went moldy immediately. Definitely not renewing my membership. It is not one of my happy places and we just don’t need to buy in bulk. Even for those few things that make sense, I can get them elsewhere.

Expenses this week:

• $350 for the balance of the leadership camp for F
• $50 for bownet and balls
• $12 for lunch at work
• $35 for a mosquito dunk bucket system being sold on the garden tour — probably should have just rigged one up myself
• $25 for the garden tour ticket
• $16 at CVS for prescriptions and birthday treats for Tom (used coupon)
• $36 for pizza

This week, I’m off Thursday and Friday! I’ll be at the pool for sure. I am also now contemplating buying an old clawfoot tub for the backyard so I can have a cold soak anytime…

A few “state of the garden” pics. It’s so wild in there and I am always stretching to reach the far corners. I’m just waiting for the day that I trip on a piece of netting, a wayward oregano branch or a strawberry runner, or I just lose my balance trying to reach something. And one of my neighbors will have to rescue me. That will be embarrassing.