Not All Athletes Wear Shoes

This sentiment was on someone’s shirt at Saturday’s swim meet. Yes, here’s to water sports! Here’s to any sport where you can have a five-minute open swim for spectators in the middle of the match! I didn’t know this was a thing, and was disappointed I didn’t have my bathing suit on. I would have jumped right in. (This was my first away meet. I guess that’s how they roll at Crystal Lake Pool.)

It was a gorgeous morning. I served as a timer again, but my lane wasn’t that busy. Bonus, N swam in my lane twice.

And that’s a wrap on summer swim, unless N is selected for the champs meet next weekend. Haven’t heard yet.

After the meet I stopped at nearby Ace Hardware for more potting soil. Back at home, I worked on cutting back the oregano, giving an armful to my neighbor, and cleaning up inside. Later, F and I went to the pool for our own swimming, and stopped and got pizza to bring there. It’s been much cooler the past few days and it feels great. Monday morning was cool enough to enjoy my coffee outside. Friday evening was probably the first day this month that we turned the A/C off. Good thing, because the electric bill came and it’s $670.

Yesterday (Sunday), F and I and a friend of hers had a quick beach day while my mom had lunch with friends in Ocean City. It was a perfect beach day and the water felt great.

I have started harvesting onions from the garden! Six so far. They look good and are a healthy size; not gigantic but respectable. I barely had to tug to get them out — they were ready. Others have not flopped at all yet though. Some more beans last week, culminating in 30 beans today! And I picked some more marjoram, thyme and basil and dried it.

And I picked my first tomato today, an Amish paste:

There’s so much garden stuff I want to do, like start Brussels sprouts and broccoli and lettuce, and put a cage around the strawberries. Never enough time. But I did plant more Contender beans and they have sprouted (where the carrots were).

I also have some garlic bulbils that I took from the one garlic scape I had. These were neat to read about — they are actually little clones. I probably won’t do anything with them but who knows.

Last Wednesday, I used another Fetch gift card at Target ($25). Steadily building towards another one.

We finally booked a vacation! We will be away most of next week. Details to come…

Meals:

Sunday: steamed green beans from the garden, carnitas on hard shells with cheese and guacamole salsa (me and T)

Monday: mozzarella and basil on focaccia

Tuesday: pancakes and bacon

Wednesday: Circles Thai

Thursday: grilled chicken, scalloped potatoes and corn on the cob (Tom cooked)

Friday: cacio e pepe gnocchi from Trader Joe’s, baby carrots

Saturday: Stella Pizza at the pool

Sunday: mozzarella and basil on Italian bread

Monday: sauteed green beans from the garden and chicken tenders

Lunches:

Monday: leftover carnitas

Tuesday: mozzarella and basil on focaccia

Wednesday: bought

Thursday and Friday: leftover Thai

Today: cheesy garlic breadsticks

Spending:

$12 at Red, White and Blue Thrift (skirt for me and pants for F); $8 on special shaving oil for F (eyeroll); $25 doctor co-pay for N; $20 donation to a meal train for a friend; $10 contribution to swim coaches’ gift: $34 on Coast of Maine potting soil; $13 on lunch at the beach; $30 for beach tags; amount TBD for tolls (it’s done by mail now).

This week: birthday dinner for my nephew who will be a teenager! Plus prepping for vacation. Little foster pup Aspen just left us this evening, so I need to do a lot of cleaning and restoring order as well.