I just tried to take a picture of the ONE, count it, ONE pumpkin seed that has managed to sprout uninhibited by beast. {Yes, chipmunks and rabbits qualify as beasts around here…}

Alas, my camera lens fogged up faster than a windshield at a drive-in, so there’s no photo. And now, if I can get one before this post goes live I will have to take out that previous, most excellent comment. So maybe I’ll just leave this post pic-less and retain said inappropriate comment…we’ll see what shakes down.

It’s so hot around here…I mean HOT. A few weeks back, my first pumpkin planting attempt commenced at o-dark-thirty just to avoid the heat, and I was still a sweaty mess after. Second attempt was even sweatier, and I would still like to try to squeeze in one more, just in case a second pumpkin seed wants to attempt to win Survivor. Maybe it will be a midnight planting session. Charlie Brown will be pleased.

My need for autumn is unprecedented. After the chipmunks foraged the second planting I consoled myself with a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. And I was extra depressed which totally justified me icing them.

Too hot to fix it, so for now I’ll sit here in an ugly VBS t-shirt, in the cool of my office, looking out the window through my overgrown blackberry bushes, and praying that the little pumpkin that could is still chuggin’ away.

This time last year I had okra coming out my ears.

None such this year.

Since the girls have made friends with Bugs Bunny…twigs. Twigs are all that’s left of the okra row.

Except…

This one miracle okra has managed to grow taller than the rabbit’s chomp reach. And it flowered and set pods. I check on them every day. You may call it a compulsion…I’ll call it a quirk.

Today bitty E and I went downtown to see a kiddie musical version of Legally Blonde. {“Mom,” she asked, “did you bring change to feed the meat-eater?”} Poor teenage version of Elle Woods shows up to the Harvard Law gathering thinking it’s a costume party, and of course, she’s dressed as a rabbit.

“A BUNNY!” says bitty E, altogether too loudly.

“edited for content,” says her mother.

Stay away from my okra, Elle Woods.

 

“Mommy’s going to be on the radio today. Do you want to listen with me or watch a show?”

“Show.”

They keep it real.

Which is why I’m going to blast from the rooftops that THE MILK WORKED! Success! Pinterest did not fail me! This does not make up for the other 1,934 times that it did, but WHO’S COUNTING!

Last week I spotted the dreaded powdery mildew creeping onto my zucchini plants.

{In case you’re new to powdery mildew, it happens when it’s muggy and hotter than three hottts, which it is here right now.} {And did you see what I did there? There with the t’s…get it…I put three of the…whatever…}

When it happened last summer I did not catch it in time. And it took over. That narcissistic mildew rotted out my squash, zucchini, and butternut squash. According to Pinterest, the home remedy is a mixture of 1/3 milk to 2/3 parts water sprayed on all the leaves. {After removing affected leaves and throwing them away, of course.} So I did it myself last week, and the plants looked better the next day.

And then I decided why do it again myself when I can force the day laborers to do it?

Maybe he should give some pointers to a couple of the others…

So, as it turns out, milk is good for zucchini AND kids, therefore zucchini must be good for kids!

Is my enthusiasm working for you!

Because, when it comes to zucchini, it’s not quite working on my own two!