Monday Garden Update

This is my absolute favorite gardening time. Everything has been done, now it's time to just water and watch as things develop. Everyday I eagerly tell Bryan about another new tomato or blossom I discovered. He rolls his eyes and pretends to be interested.

We have baby tomatoes starting on nearly all the tomato plants. The peppers are starting to blossom as well as the delicata squash.

I'm keeping an eye on the garlic as I think it should be harvested soon? I've never done garlic and it's kind of hidden back there behind the edamame, carrots, and 
I've been regularly harvesting herbs and currently have an herb bouquet in the kitchen.

I keep a close eye on my figs. Pretty soon they'll be ready for the taking.

What's happening in your garden?

25 pounds of Peaches

Last Monday The Peach Truck was in town. Charlie and I met my mom out in Germantown and each got 25 lbs of fresh Georgia peaches.

When half of your family is from southern Georgia you learn a few things about peaches. Such as how amazing they are and how you need them in your life when its hotter than blazes outside. Peaches mean summer to me as much as air conditioning and sun screen do. It's a necessity.



Fortunately Bryan was not home when I brought this box home. When he did get home he said it was more peaches than one person could possibly handle. And I said, challenge accepted!



What does one do with 25 lbs of peaches you might ask?

Peach jam, peach butter, frozen peaches, pickled peaches, along with just eating peaches. Yum



I ended up putting up a fair amount of jam and peach butter. Enough to last us for a year and have some leftover to give as gifts.

The Peach Truck comes again next month. Will I do it again?  I've been wrestling with this question and I'm sort of siding towards yes. But probably splitting it with my mom this time. Since Charlie is starting solid foods I'd really love to process some for him to eat. And make peach ice cream. And maybe some more peach jam.

It's a sickness.

Charlie Eats

For the last month or so Charlie's grandmothers have been asking when I'd be giving Charlie solid food. I've been putting it off as long as possible. I didn't see the need to further complicate our lives. But over the last week or two all signs were pointing towards solid foods. A call to the pediatrician confirmed my fears. It was time.







We started off with rice cereal, which was okay. After three days with no allergies, we introduced oatmeal. He seems to prefer that... or he's just really getting the hang of this whole eating thing. It didn't take long for him to realize what was happening. He loves to hold onto my right pinky finger and help guide the spoon to his mouth.

Tomorrow we can introduce a new food and I'm trying to decide between avocado or banana. I can't believe our little chunk is old enough for foods!

Charlie's Baptism and Father's Day

This past Sunday Charlie was baptized.



This is the only photo I have of the actual event. (If you took some, please email them to me! Mom!)

Afterwards we had all our family over for a little lunch.







Three generation of Baddorf men!

We had a good day celebrating Charlie and the father's among us.

Recent Book Love

It's no secret that I love books and include reading as one of my top favorite things in life. There have been a couple of book/reading things that have jumped out at me in the last few weeks so I thought I'd share in case there are any like minded from folks out there.

This is fantastic. I both want to be and also see a bibliotherapist. I had my local bookstore order The Novel Cure for myself. Don't tell Bryan. 

I was reading an article in a recent Mental Floss that mentioned the Council on Books in Wartime. I made a note to research further. Well over a thousand books were printed and given to World War II soldiers. Here's a list of all of them. I plan on skimming through the list and reading a few.

Lately I've been reading some lighter fiction. When I find time to read I don't have the brain power to get into anything too deep. But I'm pleased that I'm at least making time for some reading here and there.

What have you been reading lately? 

Monday Garden Update

Good morning/afternoon. We've reached that point in the summer that it is so hot I try to do the minimal amount of work possible. This includes the garden... and blogging.

A few weeks ago I was able to get in a little time in the garden to plant a few things.

I finally was able to get my peppers in the ground. The first set of seeds I planted never started so I had to retry with a second set that finally succeeded! How many varieties of peppers are too many? I might have planted 8. Ooops.

My mom started some delicata squash from seeds and gave me two extras. I put them where half my potatoes never came up.

In the back bed the tomatoes and beans are growing well.

The thing I'm most excited about right now? FIGS! I have a total of six and I check on them daily.

We are entertaining this coming weekend so I intend to get the garden and patio whipped into the best possible shape. 

Mom's Birthday

A few days ago we celebrated my Mom's birthday. Trey grabbed my phone and took some pictures.



First though, we tried Charlie in the high chair.



He did not like it.





Gram made a delicious cake.



Later someone was all tuckered out.