#edamame in the garden

[flowerscentedartist]

[wildrungarden]

8/13/23 ~ Not the best photo — but up front is a Silver Slicer Cucumber plant & behind is Black Panther Edamame 🌱 Planted these on 7/20/23. So almost a month old 🥲😆

[rabbitcruiser]

National Eat Beans Day

National Eat Beans Day (or National Eat Your Beans Day) occurs on July 3 each year, and we guarantee it will be a holiday that will give you a whole new appreciation for legumes as a food group. And if not, perhaps our fun facts and riddles will have you full of beans.  Try this one on for size — ‘I am a bean, very lean. I am not fat, I’m sure of that. Like all beans, I’m small and round — but unlike others, I don’t grow in the ground’. Giving away the answer would be too easy, but we’ll give you a hint — this may be a kid’s favorite kind of bean. It may also surprise you to know that beans are not strictly classified as ‘veggies’ either since legumes by definition are any seeds or fruits that grow within pods or the edible pods themselves, which grow on leguminous plants (i.e. those belonging to the pea family). This opens up a whole world of beans to us, which should be exciting, especially for those who grew up being forced to eat beans as a vegetable.

History of National Eat Beans Day

Though the exact date and reason for National Eat Beans Day being made a holiday are not known, we do know that the history of the bean itself predates even the invention of the pots used to cook beans.  Bean cultivation dates back as early as 7,000 years ago, making it a staple that has stood the test of time, and we’re not surprised. With amazing health benefits, legumes are plant-based, protein-packed powerhouses of nutrition. So this also means that they’re for everyone, no matter the diet or lifestyle choice. It’s very rare to find a person allergic to beans too, though some legumes can trigger allergic reactions, such as peanuts.

Beans are originally from wild vines which grow in Central and South America. This is known as the common bean, and since then, thousands of bean varieties exist today and are cultivated all over the world. They are one of the most versatile crops and can be grown almost anywhere. 5,000 years ago the lima bean and other varieties were a popular favorite among the Incas and Aztecs, and the popularity of beans is so much so that they are worth a mention in Homer’s “Iliad,” where he uses beans as a metaphor. Ancient Egyptians seem to have also been partial to beans and lentils, as paintings and physical evidence shows that bodies were buried with beans, to nourish them on their journey to the afterlife. By the 1500s, with the advent of trade via ships, beans began to reach all the corners of the globe and more varieties began to be cultivated. Though often viewed as a poor man’s food, beans have been an important source of nourishment for people in dire circumstances; such as the soldiers who fought in the First and Second World Wars, or the Europeans who were dying out due to the spread of the plague in Europe, during the Middle Ages. Who would have thought beans could be such lifesavers.

National Eat Beans Day timeline

700 B.C. The French Revamp Vegetable Soup

The French begin to add chickpeas to their vegetable soup, making it a heartier meal in every way.

800 A.D. Chickpea Cultivation Helps Save Lives

Emperor Charlemagne orders the cultivation of chickpeas to save people from the ravage of war, and it works.

1700s Beans Spread Across the World

With the increase in trade, beans begin to be traded all over the world.

1920s Beans Help Ward Off the Great Depression

Beans become the poor man’s meat during the Great Depression in America, enabling many families to survive.

National Eat Beans Day FAQs

What are the healthiest beans to eat?

The top nine healthiest beans/legumes to eat are — chickpeas, lentils, peas, kidney beans, black beans, soybeans, pinto beans, navy beans, and peanuts.

Is it bad to eat beans at night?

Yes, eating beans at night is not recommended. This is because beans can cause indigestion or gas problems, so it’s better to stick to eating that bowl of chili during the daytime.

Is it okay to eat beans every day?

Yes! Not only are beans low in fat, but they are also great sources of protein and fiber, and they come packed with nutrients like iron, folate, calcium, and potassium. This can help protect against high cholesterol which may lead to heart disease. The recommended portion size of beans/lentils is 25-38 grams a day.

National Eat Beans Day Activities

Eat beans

Grow your own beanstalk

Fix up a care package

Yes, you guessed it. Sometimes simplicity is everything. In this case, we’re keeping it real simple, by telling you to go eat some beans — green, black, red, or yellow — the choice is yours. Boil them, bake them, saute them, mush them, or eat them raw; beans are bound to have your body thanking you for years to come.

Though we cannot guarantee a hen laying golden eggs at the end of it, we can guarantee that there’s nothing better than the feeling of eating your own home-grown produce. And what’s more, the golden glow of health which your beans will bring you is worth far more than any golden egg-laying hen!

One of the things we love about beans is how affordable (we daresay cheap even) they are. So why not take the time to gather some different types of legumes, a hand-written little booklet of recipes, and give them to a family who may need extra beans.

5 Recipes We Bet You Never Thought Used Beans

Beanie brownies

Honey-roasted chickpeas

Navy bean pesto

Bean burger

Alfredo sauce

These ooey-gooey delicious brownies come with a surprising twist — black beans are the star ingredient!

Step aside, caramel popcorn, as this delicious, crunchy snack takes over the coffee table at your next movie night.

Pureed navy beans with any greens can make an amazing and hearty pesto sauce.

All the flavor, all the protein, but not meat. Perfect for everyone, even those hardcore meat lovers.

White beans can make the perfect, silky alfredo sauce, which will cause all to go “mama mia”!

Why We Love National Eat Beans Day

Beans are healthy

Beans have a variety

Beans are cheap

If we have not said this enough times already, we will say it again — beans are so good for you. Not only are they amazing sources of protein and fiber, but they also contain folic acid, iron, potassium, and calcium, all of which are beneficial to prevent all sorts of medical conditions.

Some say that there are as many as 4,000 varieties of beans out there. If that doesn’t inspire you to start exploring and experimenting in the kitchen, we don’t know what will. Trying out different beans can also bring you one step closer to exploring a whole new cuisine or culture, and variety is the spice of life, after all.

We’re glad that beans were overlooked by the rich snobs throughout history so that we all can enjoy the delicious benefits of beans without feeling the pinch in our pockets. For something to be cheap and nutritious almost stretches belief.

[tmtatc]

Healthy Garden Salad Recipe A vibrant salad featuring edamame, corn, cherry tomatoes, and black beans is dressed with a light lime vinaigrette.

[shutinmovie]

Healthy Garden Salad Recipe Edamame, corn, cherry tomatoes, and black beans combine to make a colorful salad with a light lime vinaigrette dressing. 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 can black beans rinsed and drained, 4 green onions thinly sliced, 3 cups frozen corn kernels, 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 teaspoon white sugar, 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered, 1 package frozen shelled edamame, 2 limes juiced

[gullshriek]

Healthy Garden Salad Edamame, corn, cherry tomatoes, and black beans combine to make a colorful salad with a light lime vinaigrette dressing.

[stewartcarsen]

Tomato Salad - Healthy Garden Salad Edamame, corn, cherry tomatoes, and black beans combine to make a colorful salad with a light lime vinaigrette dressing.

[undeadhousewife]

This post is picking up steam again (hello spring!) so just a reminder especially for those with limited space or energy.

Gardening tip of the day -

When you have limited space, time and/or energy to invest in your garden it's important to think about growing high reward produce.

Think about not just the food you enjoy, but the most costly food you buy. As fun as it is to have a garden with things like zucchini, black beans or onions, they're typically fairly affordable and available year round.

But organic raspberries? Asian pears? French green beans? Heirloom tomatoes? You're going to pay a lot more for food like that.

So when planning what to plant take the time to assess what is worthy of the time and space to grow it yourself instead of just picking it from the store or market.

Not to say you can't grow the cheaper more affordable produce, and there is reward in growing any vegetable but when time and space is limited its important to think about high reward produce.

[aerodaltonimperial]

4 years of gardening in our backyard, and here is what i've learned:

i hate tomatoes and they get everywhere and you have to clean them up even when you have 1 plant because it produces like mad

we could plant the whole garden with okra and it would produce 4 grocery stores worth over the course of the summer, number one backyard crop, good thing my kid loves okra because good lord

our soil seems to not love peppers but by the end they will produce decently they just won't get very tall

both carrots and daikon do very well out there, our daikon were bigger than my daughter when she was a baby

cucumbers didn't love it at first and also i need a trellis for them i might try them again next year

cauliflower was a disaster

both the green beans and edamame last year were meh

first year doing peas this year and i had the hardest fucking time getting them to sprout from the seeds so i've put down the fall crop this weekend in hopes of them finally taking

every year i say i'm going to grow native stuff for pollinators and every year i'm exhausted by the time planting season rolls around and i don't

i might try broccoli next year

i'm planting the daikon and carrots in the next few weeks for a late fall crop

the thing that grows the best out there is the weeds!!! they are thriving!!! smh

i need to figure out a better system for wintering the soil. two years ago we did a leaf cover which made for great soil but we were fucking pulling the damn things out for the whole year, last year we used a bed cover cloth that worked better but made less abundant soil

[the-golden-witch-of-wanderers]

List of All the Plants I'm Growing in my Apartment this Year:

A guide to help you maximize small spaces for a bountiful harvest with easy, low-maintenance crops & flowers.

Notes:

* = Plant and do not touch.

** = Plant, harvest, and replant seeds.

*** = Plant and harvest over the summer & fall.

+ = Natural mosquito/aphid repellant.

! = Need to watch for aphids and ants (ants can put aphids on your plants to harvest the nectar they produce by eating their sap).

Small Set-up to Grow Plants with Little Space:

Balcony: Hanging baskets, fence planters, pots, 3-tier raised bed, big shelf for your small plants/sprouts/succulents.

Stairs: Pots for big plants.

Inside the apartment: DIY greenhouse made from a shelf from IKEA, DIY hanging shelf in front of the west-facing window.

Please note that I have a long list since I have two balconies and three 3-tier raised beds, plus all of the above.

Front Balcony: 3-Tier Raised Beds (2):

Thai peppers (Full sun) *** / +

Jalapenos (Full sun) **/ +

Habaneros (Full sun) **/ +

Lettuce X3 (Rotation - Semi-shade) ***

Kale X3 (Shade) **/ !

Coriander Full sun) **/ +

Rosemary (Full sun) **/ +

Dill (Full sun) *** / +

Basil (Semi-shade) *** / +

Parsley (Semi-shade) ***

Peppermint ( Semi-shade) **/ +

Arugula X3 (Shade) ** / !

Front Balcony: Fence Planters

Green onions **

Chives *** / +

Lemon balm *** / +

Lemongrass *** / +

Eucalyptus *** / +

Kitchen Lavender *** / +

Chamomile ***

Thyme ***

Marigold * / +

Purple (#6) ***

Morning Glories *

Tradescantia *

Front Balcony: Small Planter Under 3-Tier Raised Bed

Snack bar of herbal cuttings for my cat (licorice roots, dill, mint, basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley). */+

Front Balcony: Hanging Baskets

Wild strawberries or Alexandria strawberries (require less sun) **/ !

White strawberries (pineberries) **/ !

Rainbow chard ***/!

Spider plants *

Tradescantia *

Front Balcony: Potted Plants

Dwarf lemon tree *

Celery **/!

Forget-me-nots *

Back Balcony: 3-Tier Raised Bed

Hardneck garlic **/+

Shallot **/+

Radish **/+

Back Balcony: Fence Planters

Sprouts & new succulents *

English Ivy *

Morning Glories *

Back Balcony: Potted Plants

Cherry tomatoes ***/ !

Rhubarb *** / !

Perilla ***

Edamame ***

Yellow strawberries ***/ !

Dwarf raspberry bush ***

Inside the Apartment

Green onions: regrow

Spinach

Bamboo

Succulents, Aloes, Cactus (will go on the shelf outside)

I hope this helps start your own garden!

[apatosaurus]

Garden report 5/13/24:

The dill (pictured) and wildflowers outside the fence are starting to sprout. The dill is in that same bed with the (probable) catnip, on the opposite end.

In the center 4x8!raised bed, the bean plants are delicious to something (insects or slugs or both) and several sprouts have been nibbled to death before really getting going. There is a row of beets that I thinned. Today I put in some marigolds to try to deter pests and planted some edamame in case a different bean would be more resistant. I also bought some tomatillo plants for this bed and put them in today, and planted a few more “Mexican sour gherkin” (cucamelon) seeds. The third picture is a close up of the cucamelon plants I started indoors that survived. Three pea plants survived my attempt at a cover crop.

The front 4x8 bed inside the fence is mainly for full size cucumbers this year. One surviving seedling from indoors is hiding among the lettuce at the far side of the photo. I planted some additional seeds of the same variety around the trellis on that side. On the near end, I bought some cucumber plants at the nursery and planted a few more seeds. In the middle of that bed are a few chard plants (they didn’t all come up) and a row of beets that I thinned today.

There are radishes here and there in both 4x8 beds, but I harvested most of them to make room.

Not pictured are the strawberry patch, which is quite lush with leaves, and the little containers in the paths that I haven’t cleaned up yet. Oh, and I didn’t get pictures of the tomato plants or the sweet bell pepper plants in EarthBox containers toward the back of the garden.

If my future self is looking back to see what to expect in mid-May, it’s a slow start in some ways, but definitely getting there.

[rabbitcruiser]

National Bean Day 

Because National Bean Day on January 6 falls in the middle of winter, it’s the perfect excuse to cook a favorite comfort food. Wondering why National Bean Day is held on January 6? That’s the same day as the famous geneticist, Gregor Mendel, died in 1884. Mendel used bean plants and pea plants to develop theories on genetics in plants. So the formation of National Bean Day has more to do with scientific development than how good bean recipes taste. But don’t let that deter you from enjoying eating beans on this holiday!

National Bean Day timeline

7000 B.C. Ancient Beans

The native tribes of Peru and Mexico cultivate bean crops.

1551 New Varieties

The term ‘kidney bean’ is coined to differentiate the bean type from other common beans.

1734 Jack and the Beanstalk

The English fairy tale about a boy who discovers magic beans appears as 'The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean.'

1854 Two Peas in a Pod

Father of genetics Gregor Mendel conducts research experiments on heredity using different varieties of peas.

National Bean Day Activities

Attend a Chili Cook-off Competition

Perfect your own baked beans recipe

Come up with a bean-related craft idea

Beans certainly aren’t the only ingredient in chili. But as any serious chili cook knows, finding the right beans is the key to make or break your recipe. The first chili cook-off took place in 1967 in Texas, so cooks have had plenty of time to perfect their techniques … and find the best kinds of beans to use. And if you like vegetarian chili, beans will be the primary ingredient.

If chili is one of the most popular bean-based foods for people to create their own recipes, creating a personalized baked beans recipe is a close second. So don’t be afraid to experiment with some baked beans recipes on National Bean Day. Try a few different types of beans or add some different ingredients to give your baked beans recipe a unique flavor. And, if it helps, you can even sing the “magical fruit” song while cooking your recipe.

Dried beans are great in recipes, but they also work really well for creating craft and art projects for kids. For example, you could create a mosaic that includes a variety of seeds and different sizes and colors of beans. This can be a lot of fun for kids. And bean art puts macaroni art to shame, especially on National Bean Day.

Why We Love National Bean Day

There are so many different kinds of beans to try

Beans are an economical source of protein

Beans aren’t just for dinner

If you choose to celebrate National Bean Day by trying a few different kinds of beans, you’ll have a whole bunch of them to sample. Green string beans, pinto beans, navy beans, black beans, and red kidney beans are among the most popular types of beans grown in the United States.

If you’re looking to save a bit of money on your food bill, beans are among the most cost effective foods you can eat. And if you’re looking for a source of protein that’s quite a bit cheaper than beef or chicken, beans are the answer. A cooked bean’s weight is between 6% and 11% protein.

Some kinds of beans are best served for dessert. Jelly beans are one of the most popular candies around. Heck, there’s even a chili flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans. And Boston Baked Beans are great candies too. Even though jelly beans and the candy-coated peanuts that make up Boston Baked Beans aren’t the same as traditional beans, they still taste great. So go ahead and eat some candy beans on National Bean Day.

Source

[macabrecabra]

Nothing better than opening up the composter to find grade A dirt has been been created = w = my garden shall feast this year!

Speaking of garden, I have my tomatoes and kale in, so half the garden is planted! If the rain lets up in the evening, I'll get the eggplants (two types!) in tomorrow as well as the edamame, zucchini, yellow squash, watermelon and cucumbers!

Then with the room left, I'll squeeze in my chamomile bush c: Then garden will be completed..... Then have to move on to planting the flowers and herb garden in the pots and in the flower beds up front, THEN I'll be planted for the summer <3

[lifeonstar]

Them Bones

Pairing: Leopika.

(7/7)

The end is here. Thank you very much for reading and I am sorry for having calculated the number of chapters wrong, I will correct that

7. The happy ending.

Kurapika carefully inspected the tomato before pulling it off the vine and placing it in the basket with the rest of the harvested tomatoes.

In the year and a half that he had lived there, he had managed to harvest many vegetables and fruits in the small garden. He had enlarged its dimensions and had put all the effort and love in the world into it.

Leorio had even brought him a nice blue overall for gardening as a gift on one of his trips to the city of Lukso. Kurapika had seen the garment in one of the many magazines they had in the house and had fallen madly in love with it.

Leorio walked past him carrying a bucket full of food for the boars.

"Lunch is almost ready, do you think your parents will take much longer?"

"I don't think it will take too long," Kurapika replied. "Today they come with Pairo, so their delay may be due to that."

Leorio tossed the remains of food into the pen and patted the female boar on the back before heading back into the house. Kurapika finished ripping off the remaining tomatoes and went into the kitchen, placing the basket on the counter.

"That smells so good," he commented, resting his face against Leorio's arm. A large, bubbling pot brimming with pranka stew filled the air with a pleasant, homemade aroma."My mother will be delighted with your progress."

"Slow progress," Leorio grumbled, putting out the fire. Kurapika was going to protest at that, but a sound in the small room next to theirs caught his attention.

He took Leorio from his clothes and led him to stand in front of the open door. He wrapped his arms around the man's neck and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

A small laugh, beautiful and happy, came from that dark room, filling the house even more with that homey feeling.

They both laughed and Kurapika went to turn on the light in the little room, meeting the small round and happy face of his nine-month-old daughter.

"Good morning, Kippie," he greeted her, taking her into his arms. "Is it so funny that your parents do the kissy kissy?"

Leorio and Kurapika had been the last to get married, but the first to have a baby. Their baby girl, Kippie, had been baptized in the river a couple of months ago. At each baptism the eyes of the babies turn red without fail, it was part of the process carried out by the elders of the tribe. Even so, their little girl's never changed, they continued with the same beautiful brown color with which she had been born.

Kippie had the same hair and eye color as Leorio. Hair in waves that grew fast and ruffled easily, and eyes that were warm and expressive.The shape of the eyes, nose and mouth were the same as Kurapika's, it was a perfect mix.

"I am so hungry" was Pairo's warning to indicate that they had already arrived.

Pairo's seven-month-old big belly was the first to enter the home. Leorio went next to him and helped him up the small step that the guy could no longer see due to his stomach.

"I made a separate stew just for you," Leorio commented as he guided him to the chair to sit down."It has pranka liver, nuts, seeds and edamame."

"That sounds so delicious," Pairo said sarcastically, tapping on his heels to kick off his shoes. "How much longer will I have to eat those delicacies?"

"Until you recover the iron in your blood," Kurapika commented to which Pairo stuck out his tongue.

"No one spoke to you," he replied in an exaggerated tone of offense. "I don't beat you up just because you have my son's or daughter's future wife in your arms."

Pairo's lack of iron had been quite alarming, but Leorio's diet rich in meats and vegetables and a special homemade medicine had managed to regulate it.

Kurapika's parents entered the house loaded with a lot of food and other gifts for Kippie, as usual, and went directly to her, paying absolutely no attention to anything else.

When it was discovered that Kippie did not have scarlet eyes, Kurapika had feared, deep inside, that his parents and Pairo would reject her, even internally. But that had never happened; there was no change in the way she was treated or loved.

They had lunch on the patio, as they had done for a couple of Sundays; the spring was warm and the weather was optimal to spend the rest of the day there.His parents took advantage of the afternoon to try on all kinds of tunics on Kippie, and Pairo basked in the sun with his belly exposed while he complained about the dust in his house from the remodeling of what would be the baby's room.

Kurapika adored those moments. His life was simple and beautiful, he could spend the whole day with his family, with his animals or his crops, and then he could sleep hugging his husband every night.

A good life, a profitable life.

His parents and Pairo left at dusk, the lights of the village indicating a way back from the little house hidden in the bushes.

"Oh, Pairo forgot the medicine," Leorio commented when they had finished bringing everything into the house.The white bottle was forgotten on the table.

"With all the liver you put in his stew, I think his body will last just fine until tomorrow morning," Kurapika assured him, stroking his arm.

Leorio had Kippie lying on his chest, fast asleep."You're right," he smiled, turning a little so he could place a kiss on Kurapika's forehead.

"Don't worry, I'll bring it to him first thing in the morning while you attend to Mr. Frand" Kurapika said, taking advantage of the proximity to plant a deep kiss on his lips.

Kippie gave a little laugh, almost inaudible, and when they both turned to look at her, she was sound asleep.

"Even when she's asleep we make her laugh," Leorio commented, caressing one of those rosy, round cheeks. "I feel that we are going to embarrass her in the future."

"Remind me to give us the best kisses in front of her when she's a teenager," Kurapika joked, accompanying his husband to the little girl's room.They laid her down in the beautiful wooden cradle, covering her with a light sheet and turning off the light, leaving the door ajar.

Life was good and peaceful, no kind of pain or eccentricity crushing their souls and wearing down their lives. Life was good, even down to their bones

[my-shields-are-down]

Octopus 🐙

REMEMBER: ONE WORD PROMPT = CHENFORD ONE SHOT

========== Tim was driving his girls to school and work one morning.

Normally they’d hop on Franklin and zip across town missing the most of traffic, but with the first Republican Presidential candidate debates happening tonight downtown, half the main thoroughfares were blocked forcing all the locals onto the same cross town streets: Beverly, Melrose, Wilshire and Olympic. Somehow they had ended up on Melrose inching along through the design district, miscellaneous fashion houses and restaurants peppered between tourist traps and hookah lounges.

Diana, who at age 11 -soon to be 12 - was poised to rule the world, notices the sign first.

What once had been a flagship Vans store, was now transformed into a two story sushi restaurant. The second floor had been converted into an outdoor garden deck with a massive steel pergola and covered in every color cherry blossom; guests could sit in booths or at the main sashimi counter plucking raw delicacies from the ever moving track around the bar. The street facing, first floor wall once covered by floor-to-ceiling windows, now looms over pedestrians strolling by - a solid black wall of dark mahogany, broken only by a 7’ x 7’ red door and a massive digital video screen.

“Mom!” Diana gasped. “They turned on the sign - LOOK AT THAT!!”

Lucy, who has been reading boring but important work emails, turned to glance past Tim and saw a giant red octopus on the screen (see image above), it’s tentacles appearing to press up against the screen and freeze - while a black message appeared, overlaying the giant mythical beast:

寿司 ー 刺し身 ー Tako

“Yep - Tako is the name of the restaurant and Japanese for Octopus! Mom - we HAVE to go there! We never do anything cool, and going there? Sitting up on the roof, with celebrities and influencers? Oh man, that’d be so cool!” I bet Uncle Aaron could get us a reservation there.”

Lucy and Tim share a quick smile and rolling of the eyes at their daughter who was barreling along into her teenage years desperate to be “cool” especially since her parents, apparently, had been officially deemed “not cool.”

“Di - do you even like sushi? Your nose gets all scrunched up any time your mom offers you any of her take-out?” Tim asks his daughter, internally chuckling at the image in his mind.

Whereas their eldest son had Lucy’s coloring and his height and eyes, their daughter had his mom’s gorgeous dark blond hair with copper highlights, Lucy’s eyes, smile and curves and some of Tim’s height. Their youngest, TJ, was a mix of Lucy’s Black Irish Bio-dad and Tim’s blond-Ken-doll dad. TJ’s eye shape was the only physical resemblance to Lucy. Deep, crystal clear, mossy green eyes and thick black wavy hair. Both Kai and TJ loved anything from the sea. Diana, like her Dad, was more likely to sneer out of the corners of their eyes at the sushi.

“Who says I’m going to eat anything raw? Bleah. No, I’ll eat edamame and tempura shrimp and seaweed salad and go to be near all that fame and fortune. That’s the goal - to hob and knob with people.”

Lucy turns to Tim and suppresses a giggle - “Hob. And knob” she mouths to Tim. Their girl was gearing up to give them a wild ride through their teenage years. Diana films the octopus gliding across the big screen for herself and sends a copy to her little brother because he’d love it.

=====

When Lucy got home that night after a relatively uneventful shift, she found the main interior lights dimmed. Her “mom hearing” lets her know her kids are all home, safe and sound. But her husband is not where she expects to find him - in the kitchen, reading the paper, with entertainment news playing quietly in the background.

She puts the take out bags on the counter, along with her purse and keys. She then moves to the secret safe in the pantry and locks her badge and gun behind the peanut butter cups. She knows Tim is home, because she parked behind his truck on the driveway, but he hasn’t yet greeted her with a hug and kiss. Weird.

The dogs, however, sensing a new person who might give them treats came rushing at her from the far corners of the house where her kids were doing whatever after dinner, they all promptly sat down when Lucy told them to, and each received a cow’s ear to chew on, heading back out to hang with their person for the rest of the night.

Each Bradford (including Tim & Lucy) adopted a pup from the pound in memory of Kojo - king of canines. A picture of Lucy, Tim and Kojo sits prominently on the fireplace mantel with the rest of the family photos.

Lucy and Tim’s dogs were a hilarious brother and sister duo - Alaskan Klee Kais who had ridiculous personalities. Think mini huskies, Tim’s dog - Vivian- and Lucy’s dog - Elvis - were polar opposites. Vivian would usually be found on the back of the sofa in the game room with the boys, front legs crossed and thrilled to be part of the action. where Elvis followed Tim around all day long whining, moaning and complaining that he was being treated unfairly. Although lately, he’d discovered a certain part of the upstairs hallway with phenomenal acoustics and like his husky cousins, would yell and howl, sounding like a siren. Now that the kids were older, Tim spent most of his days arguing with Elvis. The kids had all opted for lab mixes of various sizes, colors and hair types.

But neither Elvis nor Tim came as treats were handed out. Huh. Lucy grabbed two treats for Elvis, obviously, and started her tour of the house ending up in their TV room - originally an artists studio off of the master bedroom, which Lucy and Tim converted into their own private space away from slobbering dogs and kids to watch movies not made by Disney and make out on the super comfy sofa. Lucy found both of them sprawled out on the floor - Elvis had his head on Tim’s thigh and barely lifted his head in greeting Lucy. She noticed Tim had their infrared blanket underneath his torso and he was conked out and snoring, dead asleep at 7pm.

“God, he is so handsome.” Lucy thought to herself. Even after 15 years of marriage, three kids, 5 dogs, two chinchillas, and a tarantula, Tim was in phenomenal shape, and Lucy thought he got more handsome as he aged. At 57, he continued to look relaxed, tan and extremely happy. He smiled all the time and loved being a stay-at home dad. He now sported a dark beard with gray edges, wire rimmed glasses for reading, which Lucy found insanely sexy, and deep laugh lines around his devastating smile.

She quickly ducked into their bedroom and changed into one of his LAPD shirts and Indian sari pj bottoms before she crept into the other room and snuggled up next to her husband and spread a blanket over them and the dog.

Tim woke up 30 minutes later to the smell of jasmine (Lucy!) and mad dog chomping in his ear (Elvis….). First thing he did was reach down and reset the infrared blanket for another 60 minutes and upped the temp to 110. His back was sore from the extra effort of the day. He then next turned to Elvis, grabbed the dog’s cow ear and threw it into the hallway knowing the dog would soon follow.

Finally he turned to his bride and pulled her into his side. “Hi” he murmured. 18 years after that first roll call when they first met, he still could not believe how beautiful she was. That this gorgeous and smart and thoughtful woman gave him three astounding kids, their own menagerie of creatures great and small, and that she chose him to love and adore. He thanked his lucky stars every chance he could because this life with Lucy was so much more amazing than anything he ever dreamed possible.

“Hi”, Lucy murmurs back leaning in for her welcome home kiss. She smiles at him and he smiles at her, and she asks him - “Why are you here on the floor? Rough day?”

Tim laughs out loud, and says, “The next time TJ needs a chaperone for a field trip with 20 of his fellow first graders, please do not let me be one of the volunteers. While there were moments of hilarity - like when TJ went off on Ms. Dodson for standing too close to me. I’ll let him tell you how he defended your honor.

Today was exhausting.

Each chaperone was responsible for four first graders - four 6 year-olds. At the aquarium in Long Beach.

There was a Shark exhibit which was cool, but the focus and the reason we were there was for the octopus exhibit. There are some freaky octopi out in the ocean. (Tim shudders), if I never have to hear a random factoid about them or see one ever again, it’ll be too soon.

At one point, TJ got scared and came and sat on my foot like he does sometimes, and then without warning, I suddenly was covered in 6 year-olds. I was able to stand up and do my “hulk thing” I do with the nephews, but I couldn’t go very far, they kept falling off and I pulled something in my back and that was within the first 30 minutes . We were there for three hours. Uncle! No more kids, no more octopuses, just no more. I wanna lie here with my sweetie and her weirdly quiet dog and forget the 8-legged-aliens.”

Lucy could not stop laughing at the image in her head of Tim covered with their littlest and his classmates. She is sure Tim loved every second of it - even Ms. Dodson making him blush. Tim still got flustered when other women flirted with him.

She snuggled closer to him and said, “Oof. Then I suppose you don’t want to come downstairs and share my grilled octopus tacos from the “cool” sushi restaurant we drove past this morning? No Tako tacos for you, huh? What about two fully loaded animal-style cheeseburgers with fries from In ‘N Out with a Neapolitan shake? Would that entice you to come have dinner with me downstairs?”

Tim leans in and kisses her and says, “You asking is enough to entice me. But yeah, the burgers sound awesome. You can give Diana the Tako take out bag and maybe up our “cool” quotient. We are gonna need all the help we can get.”

[garden-with-squid]

5/19/24

It’s been a while since I’ve done a proper check in/took notes about the garden. The tomatillos are doing alright, wilting every 2 or 3 days so I’m trying to keep up with the watering. Tomatoes need to go into grow bags. Potatoes have pest damage and look like they’ll be ready to harvest within the next 2 months.

I got into a staring match with the damn squirrel, and while I don’t have the guts to kill it, it does piss me off. It’s eaten leaves off the green beans (which I still got some harvest from), peppers, okra, edamame, etc and I think it’s stunting all their growth.

The okra and watermelon is going so slow, and I had to resow the watermelon actually, and there’s the pest damage - it’s admittedly frustrating, but it is my first time growing these plants. The sunflowers grow quickly though and that gives me a sense of progress.

Bed 1 still looks the best just because it’s filled. On the positive, the two surviving zinnia plants look good, I’ll pinch them off once they grow a few more inches. Struggling with the edamame - the red basket is an attempt to keep the squirrel out, though it blocks too much sun. The Japanese eggplant is doing very well thankfully. Peppers at also getting chomped so haven’t set much fruit yet. I think the borage is choking out the surrounding plants, need to cut it back a lot again. I’m also struggling to direct sow cucumber, they don’t survive past the first leaves, so I’ve sown indoors in a paper pot in the hopes of transplanting when it gets big enough to compete.

In bed 4 I removed the snapdragons (lord of rust) and planted cosmos and dahlia tubers I got on sale. I was feeling very sad and wanted some flowers.

It’s actually been a bit overcast this month but little rain, temps in the 70s on average. As usual, the garden feels a bit behind schedule - I could hypothetically be harvesting a bunch of stuff or much further along if I had started earlier.

Feels on-time: potatoes, tomatillos, green beans, sunflower, watermelon (I trust it’ll grow faster in June)

Plant could’ve be bigger: okra, cucumber, edamame, peppers (Greg Alder’s post says late May is best time for transplanting; they grow faster so less bug damage)

Could have been harvesting: eggplant (an early crop from the overwintered plants, if I transplanted them earlier), cherry tomatoes, flowers, STRAWBERRIES and other berries

I guess it’s not that bad then. If I really wanted to, I could’ve kept more broccoli and greens growing now, and if the onions/garlic were still in, they’d be getting pretty big and juicy for a June harvest. The poppies are going to seed, and I love the colorful assorted wildflowers we had growing in that one corner. I hope they go to seed and come back next year.