I was tutoring one of my former third graders this morning. We were working on reading comprehension and application skills. He had just read a story about three different kinds of bears, and I was asking him to think about the story “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and how it would change if we changed the type of bear in the story. We were discussing what would be different about the fairy tale if Goldilocks had stumbled upon the home of polar bears. My student named several differences, the weather, what Goldilocks might be wearing, what sort of “home” it might be that she stumbled upon…and then he said, “But the house would have electricity!”

“It would?” I inquired. “In the Arctic Circle?”

“That’s the North Pole, right?” He confirmed. “Yep. Santa has electricity.”

Well then, of course polar bears would have electricity in a fairy tale set at the North Pole. What on earth was I thinking?!

You know you have a really sweet boyfirend when he says he made plans for our Saturday night and he’ll pick me up at 4. We went to the lake and ate dinner (amazing dinner, I might add – we split the best crab cakes I’ve ever had along with a burger that might fit into the same category). We wandered in and out of the shops, stopping for an ice cream cone before walking down to the lake to watch the sunset. Ahhhh…so sweet.

The evening was perfect.

But that’s not what makes my boyfriend so sweet.

Leaving the lake, I suggest we put the top on the Jeep part way down. It’s a gorgeous night, not a cloud in the sky, and I can think of nothing better than spending the half hour ride home, stargazing and enjoying the summer evening. WG indulged me and we had the top back and were on our way.

Sweet man, indeed.

But that’s still not what was truly sweet.

It was about ten miles down the road, when I have put my sweater on, and tucked my bare legs underneath me, and crossed my arms in an effort to keep warm, that my beyond-sweet boyfriend, without saying a word, simply reaches over and turns on the heat.

Now that, my dear friends, is a sweet, sweet man indeed.

I took WG out to dinner and a movie tonight. Not being a TV watcher, I’m completely out of touch with what is playing on the big screen, so I took a recommendation from some girlfriends and headed off to the cinema for the lastest comedy without knowing much of anything about the movie we were about to see. Let’s just say, I sat through the entire film with my hand over my mouth and my eyes bugging out of my head in complete shock. I could not believe what was being said, done or implied on the big screen. I spent the rest of the evening apologizing profusely for having chosen such a film. WG was perhaps equally embarrassed and entertained by the situation, but knew me well enough to know this wasn’t at all like me, or my sort of a film.

Scared after that experience to choose a new restaurant for fear it might be a strip club in disquise, we went with a familiar place and sat in the lobby waiting for a table. As a couple entered the door, I commented quietly to WG that they didn’t seem to go together at all. The man had tattoos all up and down his arm, and the woman was dressed in a cutesy outfit, including a sunflower barrett in her hair. They ended up sitting next to us to wait and it didn’t take us long to realize they were on a first date. It was all WG and I could do to contain ourselves. The woman talked incessantly while they waited. Telling the man about her recent move to the area, having quit her job, left her home and everything she owned back in Ohio, she moved up here, moved in with her mom and is starting over. She talked about her son, and how she doesn’t have custody exactly, but had guardianship and she’s trying to hold that over her ex’s head as though she might request custody at any point (heaven help the child). She talked and talked and talked and the man just sat and nodded without getting a word in. WG and I were trying to devise a plan to help the poor lad escape an entire dinner of this train wreck when they called us to our table.

As we ate, we laughed about the movie experience and the eavesdropping in the lobby and both of us were so thankful that we were not out on a first date together. I cannot imagine what impression he might have had of me had this movie been our first date instead of “True Grit”. And I am glad that neither of us are living with our parents, without a job, without custody of the children we have and without a clue that we are a mess and should not be seeking a relationship at this point.

While Date Night didn’t go quite as smoothly as I had hoped (who knew that Winnie the Pooh might have been the best choice afterall?) we had a great time tonight.

I just hope he’ll still call me tomorrow.

We wrapped up teaching summer school today. While I was delighted this year that summer school was extra and not my only source of income, I didn’t enjoy teaching as much as usual and was glad when it all came to an end today. While I still have work to do to get my new classroom ready for fall, I’m more than ready for some R&R.

Apparently, however, according to my television and local stores, it’s already BACK TO SCHOOL time.

Ahem.

Flash asked for some pics of the garden. Having put in his time getting it ready in the spring, he misses out on the joy of it, returning in time for the craziness of constant-harvest days (not that he minds constant-food). In any case, it has taken me far longer than seems necessary to upload the pics, but for Flash’s sake, I present, the 2011 Garden:

Perhaps hard to tell, but the fuzzy green on the left is asparagus in its first year. The vine up the fence is pumpkins, and at the rate it is growing and flowering, we will have, um…plenty! I planted miniature daliahs along the garden border this year and I have really enjoyed them. Still would love to have plants that are full of color to offset all the green of the garden, but these are quite nice.

Same pumpkin vine on the left of this pic, but you can see the two rhubarb plants in the center. I transplanted these two earlier, when they seemed to think it necessary to flower this year. We weren’t getting any good rhubarb off them anyway, so I decided to move them and open up the space by the garage. Hopefully we’ll get rhubarb next season.

This is a view down the line of tomato plants. Somehow we ended up with 14. Sigh. We have Early Girl’s and Best Boy’s and Roma’s and a couple cherry tomato plants to boot. I have similar signs as last year that might be pointing to “tomato blight” but I am NOT pulling these plants out. I read/hear too many conflicting reports on what it is, or how to handle it. I’m not missing out on my tomato harvest again this year. I am, however, soliciting the help of a friend who is an expert canner of tomatoes. My canning didn’t fare so well last year.

Ahh, for want of peppers. WG brought me some pepper plants, but they haven’t fared well. I added a few around the corner in the garden, but they are way behind where they should be. We have banana and jalapenos, but no green bell peppers. Makes me sad as they are some of my favorite things to go out and pick fresh to go with dinner. Tomatoes are on the left (cherry) and another pumpkin variety growing up the fence (and into the neighbors lot).

Oh Brother, can you spare a zucchini? I have four in the fridge and I’ve given away just as many already. Went away for the weekend and returned home to a zucchini big enough to be a weapon. If you look closely, I have two celery plants on the bottom left of the zucchini. I have staked the zucchini branches, trying to give the celery sunlight. I always underestimate the size of the zucchini plant. The celery is for Flash, I don’t much care for it myself.

The cucumber trelllis that Flash built. The cukes are doing great. They love climbing the trellis! I’m not loving this variety of cuke as much, however, as they are long and skinny and I for some reason, asthetically prefer the short fat ones. Ahem. Maybe it’s just me… 🙂

Cukes. They just hang down out the back of the trellis. Flash, you did a great job building this trellis!! It’s working great!

Beans!! We built a sort of May-Pole for the green beans this year. I’ll use a different twine next year, but the beans seem to be doing well. Only trouble is, they have towered much taller than I can reach. Sigh.

A second crop of beans. This one was planted later than the first, in an effort to extend my bean season. We didn’t have nearly enough beans in the freezer this past year, so I’m hoping for LOTS!! (Note: we finally had enough beans for dinner tonight. They would have been perfectly delish if I hadn’t scorched them in the pan. Sigh.)

Potatoes! I actually saw my first field of potatoes this weekend in our travels. I made WG off-road it with the Jeep so I could stop and look closely (and take pictures). While I find potatoes to be labor-intensive, we just so enjoyed having home-grown potatoes last winter (mmmm potato soup!) that I couldn’t help but plant another crop. We.Shall.See.

We tore out mertyl and relocated the herbs to help with the tilling process. I really love having my herbs all in one bed. I absolutely love fresh basil!! Now if only I could remember what the rest of them all are and what to use them for…

New to our garden this year is a strawberry patch! Again, I love that it is a self-contained area, which is perfect for my berries to grow! I planted two varieties, a June and an all-season bearing so we’ll have strawberries for jam and throughout the summer! Can’t wait for next year!

The berry plants are really taking off. I’m getting lots of runners and even a few berries!

The blueberry bush. Sigh. WG bought me the bush one day in spring and the poor thing has suffered so much including Flash accidentally digging it up and then trying to replant the poor thing. It’s surviving, but not by a lot.

The raspberry bush, on the other hand, is doing quite well! This is one of Flash’s addition to our garden this year (along with a blackberry bush, not photographed).

In case we don’t get enough beans from the garden, I planted more along the garage where the rhubarb used to be. With room, trellises and sunshine to spare, I thought this was the perfect place for additional crop!

I’ve been nabbing cheap perennials at various places and for now, have just been sticking them along the sunny North side of the house. They may find themselves new homes next spring, but for now, they fit the space AND the budget!

More perennials. So much nicer than the hideous vines and bushes that used to be here.

So I went a little petunia crazy with the annual band flower sale. There are daylillies and hostas tucked in, gifts from my sister. Hopefully next year, I’ll be able to make this another perennial bed (sorry Flash, I won’t be as much help with the band fundraiser). I do so love my flower boxes (although, again, no more petunias!)

This is the other side of the front door. More cheap perennials just finding a spot for now. I’m not doing much with this bed until the dreaded pine tree is removed (donations, anyone?) and then I can landscape this whole side of the house withe more intention.

Some of the perennial blossoms….

I saw bunches of these all over the plaza in Mackinac City and was delighted with how they looked. So glad I had found some on sale earlier for my flower beds!

That’s it. A grand tour for Flash’s sake. If nothing else, he might appreciate being away from home knowing all the weeding that constantly has to be done…

Hurry home, Flash! 🙂

I sent a text to Jules, full of excitement about our get-away destination. Thinking we might take the ferry over to Mackinaw Island where she and Bear honeymooned and spent their 10th wedding anniversary, she sent this bit of wisdom:

Oh the story that must be behind this one!!

He was a man with a plan.

By 3pm, we were on the road. My only knowledge of our destination was “it’s north.”

We saw three of the five great lakes and marveled at each and every one.

Curiosity got the best of us, and we stopped to see the Black Bear Ranch, where over 80 black bears have been rescued and cared for. WG was kind enough to lean on a tree and help this poor fellow reach just a few more berries. He said he did it so I could get a better picture, but I think he’s a softie for those big brown bear eyes.

We had dinner outside and listened to some great live music.

We took time out to play a round of 18. WG beat me by one point, which scores major points in my book. It’s been a long time since I’ve had serious putt-putt competition!!

Unable to capture the breathtaking serenity of the lakes themselves, this is my favorite photo from our trip, taken while hiking through the woods. Thanks, WG, for such an amazing get-away, and for patiently waiting in mosquito-infested woods for me to get just the perfect shot.

You are an amazing man.

He brought apologies and flowers. I offered forgiveness and cobbler.

We both promised to handle each other a little differently going forward.

WG is back.

🙂

My new, intimate kitchen table, built for two. Handcrafted by my amazing dad.

Isn’t it gorgeous?!

Thanks, Dad. I absolutely love it.