Community Garden

Well, our gardening has been a mixed bag this year. Last year we felt like we were hitting our stride and had some great produce so we thought this summer would be amazing with all of our experience and new found knowledge! We started out well, harvested a LOT of really good potatoes and some delicious tomatoes, some onions and leeks and greens, but since then we’ve had two major storms and an infestation of some sort of bottom rot on the tomatoes throughout the community garden. Now our plants are petering out–few tomatoes are left, one eggplant is all that has popped out so far (remember how many eggplants we had last year???), and a few peppers still hanging in there. The cantaloupe is growing but we haven’t seen any fruit yet. I am afraid we will be disappointed!  Very sad!

Winding Down our NJ trip

We had a nice dinner out with my brother and his family. I really do not like phone photos taken inside at night or maybe I am just not good at them, but wish I had taken a “real camera” with me.  My brother, sister in law and I don’t see eye to eye on politics and religion but we have a lot of fun if we avoid those topics.  And we always enjoy catching up with their kids.

On our last day, Mom and I went out for a pedicure treat, then off to the airport. It was a good visit and always a little hard to leave. I am thankful Mom is doing great and still very independent at 88. She’s an inspiration and I aspire to be just like her!  Rich and I had a crazy flight home as the pilot was rerouted a couple of times to avoid bad weather across the US.   We flew over Iowa and Nebraska and who knows were else before finally touching down in Dallas five hours later.  But safe and sound so who can complain!

Newlyweds

I came across my parents’ wedding album, which I have perused many times over the years.  Here are just a few of my favorites.  Mom was 21 and Dad 22 years old in 1952. He was in the Air Force stationed in France, where she would soon join him.  They look very young and full of hope and promise!

Grandmom and Mom

Mom’s Uncle John was a priest and performed the ceremony. That’s my Uncle Charles who was best man

The new Mrs and Mr

My Grandpop helping Mom out of the car

Cake!

I love this one. Note the guy with the cigarette peering in the windshield. And the kid to the side is my cousin “Buddy.”

Grandpop and Grandmom Pratt (Mom’s parents), Mom and Dad, Dad’s “wicked stepmother” and his father

Leaving the church

And here are my maternal grandparents on their wedding day in 1927.