It's a start.

Have I mentioned that we (along with a team of helpers) are growing our own wedding flowers?  Maybe once or twice?  Yeah.  I think I've also talked about how much slower flowers are to grow than vegetables, yes?

Well.  We finally have some things in bloom.  There's some time remaining for the others to catch up -- thank goodness -- but the zinnias, at least, won't let us down entirely.  And in the meantime, the fact that they're annuals leaves us no choice but to spur additional growth by cutting the blooms we have now.   The stove top is graciously taking one for the team.

This doesn't even scratch the surface.

That right there represents one day's output from the string bean plants.  Multiply this by maybe five or six, and you've got our total string bean harvest.  So far.

And we're still getting nearly a cup of snow peas every few days.  The snow peas from the seed packet sold for the 2008 season.  The snow peas that are supposed to be an early-in-the-season crop.  It's almost August, people.  Crazy.

The tomatoes are still threatening to take over the yard.  Or they would be, if they weren't collapsing all over themselves.  You can almost hear them scoffing at the tomato cages they've toppled.  If the tomatoes themselves would just hurry up and ripen, already, we'd be all set.

See, I told you we went to Chicago.

It was tons of fun.  It was also nearly two weeks ago.  Egads.

More later, I promise!

Google Reader Update!

Ok, first things first: if you don't have a Google Reader account, you should get one. Each time you sign in, it shows you the most recent posts from the blogs you read. The result is akin to an online magazine tailored to your interests and preferences. Pretty cool, huh?

Now, clearly, those of you reading have had craftosaurus updates arriving in your respective Reader accounts for some time now. Right? (If not, you can go fix that now. I'll wait.) Even those of you who are already faithful Reader readers might want to click that "add new subscription" button, though:

*insert drumroll here*

The Awesome Fiance has started a blog. He's sort of eclectic with his interests like I am ("well, it's a knitting blog, with a side of gardening and... OOH, some thing shiny!") but odds are good that he'll be discussing bicycle commuting, job searching (for now), and fly-fishing.

Please give him a warm welcome over at Some Bread and Circuses. Mmm, carbs... And, uh, clowns...*


*kidding! there aren't really clowns (shudder). "bread and circuses" is actually a really cool, complex phrase.

Whisper Cardigan (abbreviated)

Like I'd said earlier, as of Wednesday I'd made substantial progress on the Whisper Cardigan I was knitting. Since then, two things happened: (1) I kept working on it, and (2) I ran out of yarn. So, it's done! It's a little shorter than I would have chosen, and I still need to find the right layering shirt to pair it with. Still, though, ta-dah!

drive-by update

Appearances notwithstanding, this is not one of those weeks where I have nothing to blog about. The garden is overflowing with edible goodness (and I might seek your collective guidance w/r/t the tomatoes) I'm making substantial progress on the Whisper Cardigan I'm knitting. We went to Chicago. And there's a tornado rolling through town right now (yes, literally. I'm posting from my phone from the basement of the house, where it's safer,). Things have actually been interesting around here.

Sadly, though, my challenging job that I enjoy has been keeping me away from the house more than I'd like... and when I do get home, there's precious little time or mental energy for much of anything. Hence the progress on the project that's mostly mindless stockinette, I suppose.

So, soon, lovelies! I'll have some better posts for you soon. Cross your fingers for me that none of them are entitled "The Tornado that Broke the House."

small victory

The Awesome Fiance and I had a limited amount of time for a recent running workout, so I figured that I, at least, would use the opportunity to work on my speed.  The Awesome Fiance is a naturally faster runner than I am, but he's gracious enough to slow down to my pace.  Speed work for me is entirely comfortable for him.  And I usually focus on speed when I'm running by myself, whereas when we run together, we go slowly and add distance.

Anyway, so the victory: I can now say that I've run a 9:40 mile without the assistance of a treadmill (the conveyor belt and the constant pacing feedback are both helpful).  It certainly helped that he (unintentionally) gave me an inaccurate answer when I asked for a time check near the end, though. Whatever, I'll take it.  And the two miles in twenty minutes and a few seconds, I'll take those too.   

it's about time

I'm so pleasantly surprised that I can finally say this, but I really like my job. It probably helps that I pretty much rock the socks right off of it.

Yay.

recent observations

In list format:

- Working an extra several hours a week creates a domino effect on my schedule and sense of equilibrium. Running more than once a week, cooking, and blogging fall by the wayside. The paychecks are nice, though.

- A packet of snow pea seeds from 2008 can produce enough pea pods for more stir fry dinners than two people can eat in eight days. It's kind of scary, in a yummy way.

- Even tomato plants in cages can topple over. Multiple times. Only an elaborate network of string supports will stabilize them. Fortunately, said tomato plants can survive said toppling and be full of flowers and tiny tomatoes to boot.

- Keeping a pencil and paper with you to track rows when knitting a sweater is kind of annoying. I almost miss doing endless repeats. Almost.

- Breakfast consisting of a homemade egg sandwich on whole wheat, with a cup of coffee and a super healthy smoothie will keep me from getting hungry until late morning. Trust me, this is an impressive feat.

Guess what?!

I'm knitting something other than a super secret for knitting project! This is big news, people. Like, major.

I can't share any information on the super secret gift yet other than to say that it's done. Once it's been gifted I'll post some photos. And I'll tell you what it is. That might help, too.

Right now, though, I'm psyched to be working on a new sweater: the Whisper Cardigan, by fellow Mainer Hannah Fettig. I have one sleeve done, which in this case means I'm approximately 20% through.

My available knitting time is limited right now, so if I can finish this by the end of the summer, I'll be a happy girl.

Lettuce. It's what's for dinner.