Friday, July 31, 2009

Michele sets crickets free

So today, Richard and I went out for a burrito (and it was delicious). We were leaving the restaurant to get back in the car to come back home, when Richard suddenly paused. I walked over to his side of the car to see what he was looking at and it was this:


Someone had just left a bag of 15 crickets on the ground in the parking lot. I felt bad for them, Richard was disgusted, but I felt we should set them free, at least so they could know grass, before a bird came by and ate them up.


We ended up leaving them to go free in the backyard.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Tomato Update - 7/28


This photo is a little late, but better late than never. This is the largest tomato on all four of my tomato plants. After I plucked off all of the diseased fruits and wept, the plant developed a lot of new flowers, that have already started budding into tiny fruits. I have lots of new tomatoes, none of which is suffering from even the early stages of BER. Yay!
I amended the soil with some old compost I had, bone meal, egg shells, and a small amount of unflavored gelatin, which my mother recommended.

I've changed the image hosting to picasa for the blog. I recently installed it on my computer and now I'm wondering whyyy I never looked into it before. However, I think I will keep using Flickr for other photos for the time being. Picasa is just more convenient for posting images here.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Tomato Update - 7/24


It was probably a given that I was going to end up with a disease that is extremely common among container growers. And it doesn't help that I wake up late, well after the sun has started to heat the soil in my pots, and the water dries up.
This is good experience for future tomato growing endeavors, but for now, it's so disheartening, seeing all those tiny tomatoes, with black soft spots on the bottom. UGH. I plucked 8 diseased tomato-ettes a few days ago, but new ones have popped up. There is not ARGH enough to portray my dismay. No, I'm not being melodramatic.
Perhaps I should buy one of those bulb waterers they show on tv? I don't usually drink any bottled drinks, but I managed to scrounge up two old plastic bottles and have them in two of the pots as slow-drip system thingers.




It has suddenly gotten very dark outside, and a bit thundery. Beautiful. Last week lightning struck nearby and reset the power in the entire house. I'm off to unplug important things.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Stuff I Like

Five links that I just can't stop looking at


Tomato Update from 7/14:

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Yellow Dress

While I was in Maine on vacation, I went to Portland, and saw this dress and immediately fell in love with it, but not with the price. After some quick searching on Craftster, I found rostitchery's version and tutorial, and set to make my own.









I changed the skirt to a simple A-line, and also had to run some elastic through the waistband because apparently I'm not very good at measuring my own waist. I found it was easier to loop the elastic through the band if the band were 2 or so centimeters *shorter* than my waistband, so the ends don't meet. That way, if it wears out, I can also cut it out and put in a new one.

In spite of myself, I think it turned out rather nicely.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Adagio Tea

I was sitting on the floor, sipping lukewarm coffee and not really watching Wimbledon (I am aware that I am unemployed.) when I hear a knock at the door. Thinking it might be the landlord, I go to check, I don't see anyone, but there is a small package on the ground.
I open it up and...


tea!





I'm almost a bit afraid to drink it, the tiny tins were so adorable. Though I suppose I could repurpose them for spices, or crafty things...