Potpourri for 100 Alex and a Reunion Too

In case you haven't noticed, i haven't journaled in quite a while, even for me. I've been pretty busy lately, what with the end of the school year, my container garden, and my beloved sewing machine. Then again, i guess the largest detractor from journaling are my wonderful boys on summer vacation.

Well, i found a few minutes and thought i would catch everyone up on the goings on here in the middle of nowhere.

The school year ended and the boys are moving on to their Sophomore and Junior years. The older one turned sixteen the other day and it made me a bit sad. I am going to make a terrible empty nester!!!

As for my container garden, this has been a tough year. I ended up with an infestation of Spider Mites, Leaf Miners, and Flea Beetles (I always want to spell it Beatles). I tried all of the Organic ways to rid them, but finally aquiesced and bought some Neem Oil and i'm just waiting on the Tomatos to rebound. The peppers and other veggies are blooming and growing again like i would expect them to. So far i have gotten a dozen tomatos, a couple dozen peppers, and one bhut jalokia. I haven't tried that pepper yet, but i'll let you know what happens when i do. I guess it wouldn't be fair if i didn't show you a picture of my little container garden. So, here it is.

As for the sewing part, it's that time of year when i traditionally make Donner something summery. I sure hope that's a real word, if it isn't it is now. This year is no different. I've made a few blouses and a couple pair of pants. Next up is a dress or two.

Finally, there is a class reunion over the 4th of July weekend. I come from small town America. So small in fact the reunion covers everyone that graduated during the 1980's. Now, a little tidbit, i didn't graduate from there or anywhere. I earned my GED in the Army, but we were all such a part of each other's formative years that nobody really cares. It's more about getting the people together to celebrate that part of our collective lives than who did what. I have to admit i'm a little apprehensive about going as there are only a dozen or so people i want to see, but i'll put on my brave face and go. Those few people i want to see are worth enduring the presence of those i'd rather not. The sad thing is, i'm related to a number of those i don't. Then again i learned there is a silver lining to this. I have a set of relatives, that i really enjoy, that will be there as well. I haven't seen them in something like fifteen years or so and that is just too long.

I will go to bed tonight with a guarded sense of excitement for the 4th of July weekend.

On a personal note Painted Groove Girl and Lavender Chick, I certainly hope we all find time to sit down, split a beer, and talk a little treason.

Until I write again, as always, Peace be with You, Dave

Smells like Summer

For as long as i can remember, I have been one of those people that, according to Kant, experiences transcendental episodes created in response to olfactory stimuli. In short, there are certain smells that take me to a place and/or time. Many times it's as though i am living it for the first time.

I would guess the first smell i really remember having these trance-like episodes over was, of all things, a hairspray. It was either Aqua Net or Final Net. I remember it came in a blue can with this kind of net pattern on it. I had a girlfriend that used it and to this day, i still have fond feelings associated with it. Then there is the weird. I absolutely love the smell of skunk. Now, not a heavy smell of skunk, just a light whiff of skunk in the distance. To me it is a peaceful and calming thing.

There are those smells that are straight forward and just stand for something, like; baking bread, babies, a clean bathroom, and leather. Which brings me to my favorite smell of all. I completely love the smell of a woman first thing in the morning. I'm not talking about that whole kitten breath thing. I mean it's not like i've been eating tic tacs all night myself. I'm talking about the smell on her. That warm, maternal, lovely homey smell she has right before she wakes to start her day. The scent of a woman could be a whole post all by itself and yet i doubt i'd deliver justice on the subject. It seems as though i have wandered pretty far from the path, but what can i say, it's just one of those things.

The other day i was at the store, in the produce section, and evidently my smell thing caught up with me. I was standing there with a lug of Village Farms tomatoes smelling them. I was frantically searching for a hint of that earthy smell home grown tomatoes have. While i was smelling them, the woman next to me said, "it's not there." I looked at her and smiled and said, "What's not there?" She said, "That tomato smell you're looking for."

I didn't know anyone was aware of what i was doing, but i had been smelling all of the produce before putting it in my buggy. The funny thing is, she was right. I was looking for that tomato smell.

That dirty, earthy, almost evergreen smell that homegrown tomatoes have just screams summer to me. It takes me back to when i was a kid and my grandmother would have this immense garden filled with all kinds of vegetables and i hadn't yet learned that produce without blemishes or natural odor even existed.

For about the last ten years, or so, i have been container gardening on our patio. This year is no different save the location change which got me started later than i normally would. I have two varieties of tomato, jalapenos, cayenne peppers, some orphaned strawberry plants my mother-in-law gave me, a few garlic, a bed of salad greens and one of carrots and radishes. I may add some green onions to that, but essentially that's it. It's a typical offering from me, but it's the first time in a few years i have planted all of it.

I was admiring my plants yesterday when i came across that familiar tomato smell that i've been longing for. I'm happy to report it smells like summer at my grandmother's.

There is one more plant i am growing this year. It's the Ghost Chili or Bhut Jalokia. It's supposed to be one hot mother. If a Jalapeno is 4-6 thousand Scoville units in heat, i can't imagine what 1.1 million Scovilles is going to be like from this monster. I am planning on drying them out and using them to augment the lack of heat winter jalapenos have i use in our salsa here at the house in the latter months. I'll let you know if i can still taste anything after i try one. In the meantime, it's an attractive plant and doesn't really look like a pepper plant. The leaves aren't shaped right. That is the plant i am holding in the picture above. (The first picture is of one of my tomato plants) Oh, and that piece of glass you see behind me is the top of my solar water distiller. I'm getting a couple cups a day, not quite a quart yet. I'm still tweaking it.

So, there you have it. A somewhat intimate look into one of the things that drives the person i am.

Until i find you again, Peace be with you.

Dave