I continue to fight the chipmunk.  He's knocked off most of my roma tomatoes the second they start to ripen, and I just found a very green one.  I read somewhere that they're thirsty in this heat.  Ok ya little crap.  If I give you water will you knock it off?

To my surprise my mint is growing again.  If you've ever had mint you are assuredly saying "to your surprise?  Really?  You can't kill that stuff."  Well, the bucket I had sat outside all winter and made it to the end of July before it started to grow again, so I am surprised that it's growing, I truly thought it died off.

I've pulled some beets and onions.  I see another beautiful cuke on there that I'll probably pull tomorrow (back off chippy).  The brussels are behaving like my attempts at regular cabbage always did - it looks like they want to start to form, but that's where they're stalled out.  My peppers are finally making good progress and look like they're ready to blossom.  Hopefully there is time to get some fruit.

I found an amazing recipe for zucchini - although my first attempt was a bit garlicky (and for me to say that means a lot).  I ate the leftovers today and I want more!

This week Avery is at our church's VBS.  Hopefully she has a blast.  It doesn't sound like they have a ton of kids going/signed up.

I enjoyed some of Ozzy's music.  I enjoyed some Black Sabbath.  I was not a mega-fan by any stretch.  It is still a moment when you hear that Ozzy passed away.  When other big names passed away (e.g., Michael Jackson or Prince) I had a moment being bummed that I never saw them perform.  I can at least say I saw Ozzy (and Black Sabbath) at Ozzfest back in 1997 and I think 1999.  I know for sure 1997 because Type O was there and I attended with my fresh/still healing bright green O tattoo.  Even back then it was odd to see Ozzy on stage, he seemed to wander a bit lost -- but it was still a pretty cool thing to see.

It's been interesting the past few weeks, I suppose because of his last concert I was seeing some related things pop in my youtube feed.  I enjoyed watching Ozzy, Sharon, Jack, and Kelly watch the first episode of the Osbournes.  It's remarkable how Jack and Kelly have "turned out".  Can you imagine 1).  being Ozzy's kid?  2).  being a teen and put on that show for the world to see?

One thing I've grown to realize across the years is that there is something I really like/appreciate about Sharon.  While I have no doubt that she loved Ozzy (and I still don't understand what the deal was with their divorce -- or not -- maybe another mandela effect), I have to give her credit for remaking his career and bringing us Ozzfest.  I appreciate her sense of humor and admire her for not being a victim to all of the bull with her parents -- she just seems genuine.  Not to ignore the accusations over the years of her being an ass -- and I'm very glad she got the hell away from the crazy-ass View.  I put her on my list with the likes of Betty White of people that I can't help but find interesting.

The other day I confirmed it is a chipmunk stealing my tomatoes.  I saw him.  We locked eyes.  He was hiding in the small wood pile under the table down on the concrete pad.  That explains why Zero has wanted to lay under the table lately.  I'm not going to lie, I am cheering for Zero.  Steal my veggies.  hrmph.

I had also noticed that the little drainage spot was dug out a bit on the end of the retaining wall too.  I assumed guilt of the aforementioned critter on this too, so I tossed a brick right at the opening.  Imagine my surprise when I went down to scoop poop and decided to move the brick and I see it's pushed out a bit... by the body of a snake.  I'm cool w/ snakes as long as I know they aren't going to hurt me or my kid and I'm pretty sure we're ok regardless of what type of black snake it is (I didn't see pattern to indicate it was a rattlesnake).  Now I am cheering for the snake, but I'd still be very happy if he decided to move out after he tends to our chipmunk.

Then I went to open the gate on the fence.  As you can imagine, I'm a little gunshy -- and with good cause.  Those buggers have decided to climb down inside the fence post.  So I got the pleasure of hosing the door to their house down with wasp spray.

I also saw my first full-grown lanternfly, but I was too slow to squish it.  Game on friends, time to see how many I can kill each day.

I pulled a nicely sized cuke today!  I swear I saw little tiny starting cukes just a few days ago and this thing appeared out of nowhere.  Glad I spotted it before it started to go yellow.

I have been busy with the produce from the CSA too.  I gave away the swiss chard because let's be honest... no thanks.  I did blanch the first batch of kale and put it into two bags before putting it into the freezer.  The two eggplants were cooked in a skillet and put into a casserole.  The corn was consumed as is and it was very sweet.  Most of their cukes were put into vinegar/mayo/sugar.

Why does Starbucks do me dirty every birthday drink and frequently when I cash in points for a free drink?  It's stupid but it really bums me out.  My free drink is _the_ birthday gift I don't have to _buy_ for myself.

I used a sting relief pad on my arm where I was stung.  The next day it was red, warm, dried out, and firm to the touch.  Seems to be acute dermatitis, but from what I read lidocaine rarely causes issues and the only other ingredient in the wipe was alcohol.  Regardless, I'm rocking some cream and hoping it settles down lest I need to get it looked at.

This week Avery had her final, multiple-team swim meet and today she is wrapping up the second/last week at Camp Splash.  She's definitely tired and will enjoy the days completely off next week.

This week's CSA bag came with pickling cukes, eggplants, giant red potatoes, fresh (and tasty - I already had one for lunch) corn, kale, and green tomatoes.  I never thought I'd be happy to see kale, but it's a good chance to make some of the tuscan chicken recipe we all fell in love with.  I'm also excited to make a small eggplant parm.  I will never understand the appeal of green tomatoes though.  Help me out here people, otherwise they'll just sit on the counter with the hopes they ripen.

As to my garden, I've pulled a few onions as the tops completely died off; they were rather small.  We gave pulled a couple more tomatoes, but not even enough to keep Avery satiated.  The basil is really kicking up, I'll need to start pinching it off and will use some of it with my eggplant.  The cukes and peppers seem to be hitting their growth strides as well.

Finally, the pumpkin plant out front has two pumpkins growing quickly.  I'm so excited!  I had a pumpkin from last year's CSA that sat on my counter most of the winter and never started to get soft.  I decided to break it in half an plant those halves out front in the mulch beds to see what came of it.  If you recall, I've tried pumpkin seeds out back; I've even stuck my finger in those blossoms to try and get them to fertilize without luck.

As to my weekend?  I've prepared an image of Sally O'Malley to embrace the insanity.  I'm also picking up the chocolate raspberry cheesecake I won from the school auction later today.  If one has to buy a birthday cake for themselves, do they have any obligation to share it?  Asking for a friend.

Something stung me and didn't have the little wasp-gonads to stick around and face my wrath.  I was opening the fence to take some clippings to the front and bang, right on my forearm.  You best believe I'll be looking for more little hives starting homie, I'm going to take out your little black and yellow gang members.

Aside:  Thank goodness I only needed to scoop poop and clipped some of the growth that hangs down over my fence because I am already dripping with sweat.  Thanking God for people who are willing to mow.

Aside:  I pulled the first tomatoes tonight while watering the garden.  5 sweet 100s and a larger orb was plucked from the ground - not sure what type of tomato that one was, but I know a squirrel or some other enemy of the state had ahold of it.

While my giant pork roast cooked in the instant pot I got busy today.

I cooked the beets (and some eggs) to pickle.  Then I went at the cabbage, which resulted in a side of cole slaw for our pork sammies, a batch of haluski, some baked garlic parm slices, and some cut up to use in a soup in the next day or two.  This left me with nearly half of the cabbage still intact.

When I get after so many things at the same time I long for a big beautiful kitchen with 2 or 3x the counter space I currently have.  I guess we always want more, don't we?

The way too hot to be outside heat continues -- as do the storms.  Avery is to go back to Camp Splash this coming week, but it looks like there will be lightning storms all week.  Fingers crossed they get a few hours at the pool a few of the days.

I look back when I was working on my Masters confused as to how I did it, where I found the time to get it all done, to breathe, to sleep.

These years running for a kiddo are hectic.  I am tired.  I am wishing for more hours in the day but not complaining.  I know at some point, which probably will be in a blink of an eye, I will again wonder how -- in addition to wishing for this time to have lasted longer.

Up at 6, except wed when I had to get Venus to the vet for her spay surgery, which was a 530 wake.

Visit and feed kittens.  Put dog out.  Make coffee.  Work until girl got up at 730 and get her a quick breakfast, then back to work until running her to VBS at 9.  Back to work.  Pick her up at 1215.

Quickly pull together lunch for her (I have been making larger batch items on the weekend and nursing leftovers all week), walk out back with Zero for 5 min to breathe and tend to plants (water etc), visit with kittens for a few. Back to work.  Cheer her through some worksheets in the afternoon and to get dressed for swimming so we could leave at 430 for swimming practice (or meet on Wed - when I also had to run and pick Venus back up and get back in time).  Back from practice and figure out food. Visit with kittens again while girl showers.  Get her tucked in and get my own shower.  Crash.

At some point this week I also managed to schedule two routine appts for myself, vacuumed downstairs, did a load of laundry (oh yeah, that is sitting on her bed to be folded), and signed myself up to bake a few things for an event for the rescue.

Tonight she went back a 7pm for the finale VBS event.  Fortunately I threw one set of brownies in over lunch and another in before evening VBS program.  I got those cut up and bagged after and made no bakes.  I am typing this as they cool and I should be reviewing the recipe for the hot cocoa puppy chow recipe.

I could prb make that in the morning if I get up promptly.  We have jiu jitsu at 10am and need to have the goods at the event around 2.

Picked up my first bag from the CSA this year on the way back from VBS drop off.  The cabbage is larger than the watermelon I already had on the counter.  I shoved the swiss chard and garlic scapes in the fridge and cut the greens off of the beets.  Put the potatoes away and stashed the zucchini in the fridge.  Still need to deal with the leeks.  I am excited for the fresh goods.  I need a hot minute to plan for/with it.

I pulled all of the turnips and one bucket of potatoes today, despite the heat.  I didn't get a lot of potatoes, but at the greens had completely died off, so I needed to harvest what I had.  I also had a couple of potatoes starting to sprout, so I decided to replant - we'll see what else I can get by the end of September.  The one bucket of beans have also gone brown and the last handful I harvested don't look very tasty, so they may just become next year's seeds.  There is also one tomato starting to turn red.  Finally the basil is well underway -- but still no lettuce happening despite at least 4 attempts to seed.  The cukes are starting to climb and blossoming.  I'm hoping to get larger cukes than the variety I had last year. I want to pull some of the larger beets soon and perhaps put a few more seeds in the pot in their place, maybe later this week.

Today I cooked a turkey breast in the instant pot for the first time - it turned out quite well, as did the gravy that I had a sample mix of to try. These leftovers, coupled with leftover ham and bean soup I made yesterday, will be used to get us through the week.  I have officially become my leftover generating mother, but I get it now.  The thought of the week ahead makes me tired. 

Aside:  The new toilet seat wiggles around.  I might lose my mind.

Happy 4th of July!  While I second guess my desire to go sweat it out for a few hours at the parade every year, I am always glad we went.  I have to admit, it didn't seem as crowded this year.  Maybe I'm getting used to it?  We got to enjoy the parade w/ Avery's bestie again and saw several of her other friends.

The rest of the day I was wiped and was half asleep on the couch, but we pulled ourselves together to go watch the fireworks from our church parking lot too.

I truly love our town.  And I truly love our country.  It hit me today that next year we celebrate 250 years.  I was little when we celebrated 200, it's very likely that will be the only milestone birthday of our country I will see/remember.  God, bless the USA.  USA, please... praise the Lord for all we have, that His hand may remain over us and that He might heal our land..