Garden update - end of June 2012

Lots of hot weather and some rain has really helped the garden!

Peas and carrots

Spinach, cilantro and celery

A pot of chocolate mint

Curly kale, beans and Brussels sprouts

Squash and pie pumpkins

Cukes and zukes

Basil and Russian kale

Since I took these photos, the plants have shot up even a little more!  We've been enjoying spinach salads, kale in our smoothies and mint in our water.   I had to add a fence to the box that contains the green beans - the bunnies ate the tops off nearly half of them!  Luckily we had the chicken wire fencing in the garage already.  I had already put the puny decorative fencing around the smaller boxes and that seems to work just fine.  Nothing has been eaten from those boxes, even though there are carrots, peas and spinach in there!  I'm hoping there will be no more crop loss for the rest of the season.  Today we found a cool looking caterpillar on my celery, which seems to have slowed in growth.  It is yellow, black and white - Dave seems to think it will be a monarch!  We stuck it in a container with some milkweed leaves and we will see.  At least he is no longer making his home in my garden!

13

The 13th amendment outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.  At 13 weeks pregnant (which I am not) fingerprints have formed on the baby.  There were 13 original colonies that were the beginnings of our country.  There are a handful of (yucky!!) movie titles w/the number 13 in it.  In Judaism, the age of 13 is when a boy matures and has a bar mitzvah celebration.  At the last supper of Jesus Christ, there were 13 people around the table, including the 12 disciples and Christ himself.  Both Dan Marino and Wilt Chamberlin wore jersey #13 and had it retired.  There are 13 playing cards in each suit.  Apollo 13 was the only unsuccessful mission by the US intended to land on the moon. Aluminum is element #13 and is the most widely used non-ferrous metal.  In some countries and cultures, 13 is considered a lucky number.  In others, it is considered unlucky.  There is even an actual name for the fear of 13 - tridecaphobia.  When I was in my freshman year of high school, I had an Earth Science teacher who 'celebrated' any 13th day of the month by giving us all a blue dot on the backs of our hands, saying, "A blue dot for a sure shot!"  On Friday the 13ths, he would give us a dot on each hand.  We always thought he was a tad bit looney but since he
wasted
took so much class time on it, we were more than happy to listen and let the time pass.


Soon my hot husband and I will be married 13 years.  Which may not sound like many to some of you, but there are few things in my life that I can say have lasted that long.  There were jokes around the 7th year of marriage about the 7 year itch or something...and now it's the 13th year, but lucky or not, we're happy to be starting another year together!  You know I like lists...

13 of the best things about our marriage so far (in no particular order)

1) Together we are parenting some amazing kids

2) Together we have seen so much of the world

3) Together we have made this house a home

4) Together we learned, studied, taught

5) Together we have tried a lot of new stuff

6) Together we follow Jesus

7) Together we have weathered some pretty stuff 'storms'

8) Together we do puzzles, crossword puzzles and sudokus

9) Together we jumped into foster care and adoption

10) Together we enjoy photos and videos of those that we love

11) Together we sing at the top of our lungs when there is no A/C and we're driving in the Arizona desert w/the windows down

12) Together we do our best to make it to all extended family gatherings

13) Together we cheer for the Badgers and Packers (and sometimes the Brewers too)

I love being married!  I love you Dave!  Happy anniversary!