HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES!


First of all, I need to eat crow and make apologies for a minute...happy belated birthday to both Mom (a.k.a. "Grammy") and Edna (a.k.a. "Grandma"). We're both morons for forgetting to tell you so yesterday, the 29th, on your actual birthday. Although I hope we're not really in the doghouse, because you both already got your gifts and your celebratory meals with the family last week.


In other news, the first fruit of our garden labors was harvested today. I was pretty damn excited to actually get to pick something---The Lone Cucumber---although I felt kind of weird picking it, as if leaving it there to provide moral support to the other budding veggies makes any sense. Our garden-checking time was before dinner tonight instead of after, and immediately after pulling the little guy off the vine, the clouds let loose. Andrew was NOT happy to be rained on (didn't I say he was a wuss?) and James had to run him and the cucumber to the house. The rain stopped as quickly as it started, and I think my shirt was dry by the time I got back to the house. I hadn't even started fixing dinner yet, but I sliced that cuke up for an appetizer. I don't know if it tasted so wonderful because it really was just yummy, or because we grew it, Andrew picked it, and it was the first thing out of our first garden. Regardless, it was sweet and tender, and Andrew was thrilled to be eating something he grew, so it made it worth all the work and worry.



Dad ("Grandpop") called later on and offered to come build Andrew a sandbox if we'd provide dinner, so they're coming over tomorrow afternoon and he and James will work on that. Once finished, I'll put Andrew's little pool right beside it, and we really CAN have a Redneck Riviera. Add some beach grass and margaritas, and what else do you need?