I have been a useless slug all day. Slept late. Didn't do anything useful all day except water the gardens.
I left the house only once, to take the kids to our favorite local
all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. On the way home we picked up a Wendy burger for
Granny. She isn’t big on Chinese buffets.
The kids like this particular buffet
because they can get sushi, as well as the standard dishes, chicken on a
skewer, eggrolls, etc. It’s a pretty eclectic buffet. Michael mixed up wasabi
and soy sauce and dipped his first sushi roll into it, and chewed with a look
of pain on his face and tears in his eyes. “That’s not even hot,” he said
slowly. Alesia laughed. “Michael I can SEE the tears in your eyes!” she said
accusingly. “No, not hot, “ he insisted.
The game was on. Wasabi was flying.
I finally said “Look, enough. This
is supposed to be a nice lunch, not an endurance contest.
Michael had eaten an entire plate
full of food after a while, and he said “My stomach isn’t even FULL. I need
MORE.”
“Have at it. Eat whatever you want,”
I encouraged him, knowing we would have a nutritious dinner. He cannot be
filled up any more.
Alesia ate heartily, then came home
and took a nap. Michael read, and I read.
At 5:45, the power went off, for 30
minutes. Yuck. I was praying the entire time. It’s too hot to be without power.
The high today was close to 90, and the same thing is forecasted for tomorrow.
I was able to pick enough green
beans from my garden to serve with dinner tonight. That
makes me incredibly edibly happy. Michael ate all of his soup and salad at
dinner, then informed me he couldn’t hold anything else, especially not the
green beans I had given him in a small bowl. I was taken aback. He loves green
beans. “I really don’t like these homegrown beans, Mom,” he finally admitted.
He prefers Del Monte Blue Lake green
beans to homegrown beans! Aaargh!
My corn is getting growths on it
that likely will turn into CORN! Not just any corn either, silver queen – the
absolute best corn of all time. I cannot wait. I planted almost 20 corn plants
and about 16 are thriving. Mother said I had to make sure there was cross
pollination. Well how on earth do I do that? I can’t tell male plants from female
plants.
How come wonderful corn has to come
from cross pollination? Why can’t it just come from a test tube?! My corn plants have to get it on, right out
there in the side yard?! I hope they’ve been doing it, quietly of course.
They’re behind a privacy fence, so not visible from the street. I want to eat my own corn at least once this
summer.
Maybe I ought to put a boombox out
there and put on some Barry White music, hope they feel the magic in the
moonlight…
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Weeks ago, I signed on to be part of the Decatur Book Festival – “The largest independent book festival in the nation.” I had no idea of how big it is, or who would be there. Now, I feel scared and humbled. Peruse this list and tell me it’s not amazing. On that long list of distinguished authors, there’s me. Like a real author. I don’t like the expression “OMG” but that’s what went through my mind when I saw that list. Mary Kay Andrews will be there. Rick Bragg. Nathalie Dupree. And me. I will be the enormous sweaty blob of terror trying to locate all the bathrooms and stay near them.
I will be reading and talking on one
day, and signing books another day. I need to get it figured out. I only have
15 minutes to talk. I imagine they will stuff a sock in my mouth and boot me
off the stage when they find out I am incapable of stopping after that amount
of time. Heck, I will barely be warmed up by then.
