1.
It started with this beefsteak tomato I spied this morning. I did not intend to write a post today, but when I saw this bright red jewel, well, maybe not quite red yet, right by my side door entrance, plucked it carefully (should've staked this poor plant, had no clue it would get this big and heavy with fruit), and marvelled at it, a rush of gratitude came over me, and I thought, 'I need to write this.' So I love tomatoes. Love. In all varieties, colours, forms and dishes. Growing my very own takes this to a very personal level of love and appreciation. I didn't eat it for lunch, because I want it to ripen a little more, but I sure will, one slice covering a slice of bread for a most-anticipated toasted tomato sandwich. I get gorgeous delicious homegrown tomatoes of all varieties at the little stand down the road, within walking distance, so that is why I just planted one plant. I am pretty tickled at my first fruit.
2.
I like writing. Well, duh. I always have. I also like designing (sneak peek at an upcoming pattern to be tested yet and written and released), and I like pretty and interesting notepaper. I'm writing to Brady on a regular basis, and also sending him little packages from time to time. He LOVES walking around the corner to get their mail, but he expressed with a sigh and roll of the eyes, that he rarely gets mail; it's usually his mum. I've decided to change that. And I'm enjoying writing to him, by hand. The first letter went on those dinosaur notelets. He was pretty pumped, "Nana, we can be penpals!" Those words warmed my heart. I sent him another yesterday on the teddy bear notepaper.
3.
I love reading. Always have. I come from a long line of bookworms, both daughters are readers, and so is Brady. Whenever we are together, we read a book before bedtime. Last September we read Little House in the Big Woods. In November it was Owls in the Family, which we finished last month (he didn't want me to finish it on FaceTime). Then we read The Mouse and the Motorcycle. He loves the Wimpy Kid books and has zipped through the first eight. Now he is reading Matilda ("it's taking longer to read, Nana; the pages have more words on") and I couldn't remember it, so I got it out of the library to re-read and then we can discuss it. Which I did, first couple of chapters, in yesterday's letter! And wouldn't you know it: Matilda loves to read!
4. I love libraries. When I went in to pick up Matilda, put on hold, I wandered over to the quilt section, and snagged those five books. I'll let you know my thoughts on them. All recent. Fresh colours!
5.
Speaking of fresh...I am loving our evolving new kitchen! How blessed am I to have such a talented husband who can not only design, (with my approval and wee tweaks), assemble, and install the IKEA cabinets, drywall, run waterlines, but also can even MacGyver one cabinet a little to make things all fit! See the handle-less one on the left side of the dishwasher, which is not installed yet; needs to run plumbing yet methinks. Soon! Well, that end cabinet was 3/16" too wide to fit, so he had to 'rip' that amount off one of the side panels. How he did it and still has the beautiful melamine finish on both outside and inside of both sides, I have no idea. Magic. We moved the sink to where you see it now, although that is the old sink; the new one goes in when the granite, which you see on the left of the photo, gets installed...next week! I wasn't sure about not having the sink under the window, but I had an idea, which is doable: a stained glass window over the sink, letting in light from the porch on the other side of that wall!
6. I am loving the sultry humid and hot days of July and August, and on into September, apparent in the above photo by the moisture you see on that window, and the visible greenery beyond. I am not loving the fact that our AC has quit. At least we are able to sleep because we have a little window unit, so I like window AC units!
7. I really like Seth Godin's blog. Julie of Pink Doxies put me onto him. I get his posts by email so I never miss one. Some I skim, some I read more than once, and some I read aloud to MacGyver, like today's post about 'dumbing it down'. His last few sentences resonate so deeply:
"Everyone owns a media company now. Even media companies. And with that ownership comes a choice, a choice about the people we serve, the words we use and the change we seek to make.
It's only a race to the bottom if we let it be one."
My blog is my media company. I choose to be positive, helpful and hopefully inspirational. đ
I'm off to the hot upstairs loft now to work on the Cows quilt. Yay for fans!
Linking up with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Colour
Can I ask??? Where are you doing dishes and cooking while this new amazing kitchen is being installed? And real letters, Brady will be so happy to get mail in the letter box? Is that what they have there? Maybe a row of boxes at the end of the street? Down here, in very isolated country areas, their mail boxes are massive wooden constructions, about a metre each way, guess they get huge deliveries once a week, including maybe bread, milk and other necessities. Let me know if Brady would like a letter from NZ with a NZ stamp on it.
ReplyDeleteI am fairly certain Brady would like a letter from NZ with a NZ stamp on it!
Delete~ Tracy, Momma of 8, most of whom would have loved receiving just such a thing in the mail :-)
home grown giant tomatoes love love love! My heart broke a bit so touched at the penpal excitement. It's a real connection, one that will always be important to him. One of life's real moments. Your library sure has up to date books! Lucky... LeeAnna
ReplyDeleteI love this post!!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that you are having such a fabulous first crop of tomatoes ~ yay!!! There is nothing like a home grown tomato. mmmmmm What a good Nana you are! Hugs
I don't think any of my libraries have quilt books from this decade. Quite possibly not even this century.... It's rather pathetic, really. But (taking a cue from you :-) I am grateful for the books they *do* have. I just finished borrowing All the Light We Cannot See. It was pretty good.
Your kitchen is coming along nicely :-) Wow - shaving off 3/8" with no scuffs to melamine IS a feat ~ well done
Thank-you for choosing to be positive, helpful and inspirational ~ Tracy <3
If I wasn't your friend before and this was the first blog post I'd ever read, I know immediately that I could be your friend! I love, Love, LOVE tomatoes... all things tomatoes! And growing my own is pure satisfaction. I love writing and believe there is still power in the written... as in with a pen on paper... power in the written word. I love reading children's books and Little House.... Mouse... and Matilda... ahhh... such favorites! And libraries!! And... I love watching that cow quilt come together! What will I look for in your posts once it's finally done!!
ReplyDelete:) H
My library doesn't have up to date books, hopefully once the rebuild is done they will. Dairies of Wimpy kid is one of my grandsons favs too.
ReplyDeleteLooooove tomatoes too, always have
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tomato! Hope it is delicious! There is nothing better than a homegrown tomato. I've been using the library a lot since I retired. I put books on hold and it seems that no sooner have I finished one, another is ready to pick up! How wonderful that you read with Brady, even on Facetime. He will always remember that, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! Tomato sandwich with lots of mayo. Love!! Unfortunately on my "no no" list right now but maybe not forever. How wonderful to be Brady's penpal. Not only is it really good for him right now, you are establishing a habit in him that should last a lifetime - writing letters!!
ReplyDeleteWhen DH and I encounter really nasty people, we often say to each other, "That person's punishment is having to live inside their own head."
ReplyDeleteI think if I'm really, really good, I might get to live inside your head for a while. This post is so full of love and light that I may actually have gotten a little sunburned :) Just kidding! I'm happy to read all the good stuff that comes out of your brain, from quilt designs to tomato anticipation to grandmotherly snail mail.
There is nothing better than a sun ripened tomato in the summer! I don't even buy tomatoes once the season is over because they have no flavor. I've recently acquired some new pen pals & I can say you never outgrow finding "happy" mail in the box! Seth Godin's blog is a recent discovery of mine as well. Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl mentioned it in one of her posts. I really enjoy seeing what he has to say!
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra
ReplyDeleteTalking about likes, I like that you stated "My blog is my media company. I choose to be positive, helpful and hopefully inspirational. đ". And you are, very much so. And I lOVE that you are penpals with little Brady.
And just like you, I love reading, and writing, visiting the local libraary and picking freshly grown tomatoes too!
Mmmm, fresh from the garden tomatoes. This is akin to keeping a gratitude journal. Good for the soul!
ReplyDeleteYour "like" photo of tomatoes made me remember about my huge grape tomatoes! I must post them next week! I like to read as well! How I miss reading to children! Off to check out Seth's blog! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty amazing tomato! Hope you've been able to get the AC fixed. It's never fun to have a unit go out.
ReplyDeleteI knew we would be friends from the 'get go'. We love the same things, tomatoes, writing letters, libraries, loving and being kind to each other, making memories, spreading joy and happiness...Brady will always remember the joy of receiving a letter from you and knowing the love that went into it. I miss reading to my boys as they are grown up.. but one of my fondest memories is of reading the first Harry Potter book to my youngest son, who was a reluctant reader... On the beach in France.. we used to go when it had cooled off and everyone else was leaving the beach. I began to read the book to Adam each evening and became aware that hubby and eldest son were listening too... pure joy for me...thank you for sharing and being such a lovely person đ
ReplyDeleteLove and hugs from your friend across the water..xxx
I love some same things! reading (librairy!!), writing, too enjoy your new kitchen!
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