Growing

Every year we plant a couple tomatoes. This year they are coming up so nicely. On our three plants I counted eight baby tomatoes, I'm even thinking we might get to enjoy one on the 4th of July.

















We also added a pumpkin plant this year. I think it would be so cool to let the kids carve Jack O' Lanterns out of pumpkins they grew. Also I would like to try to make a homemade pumpkin pie.






















This plant is growing like gangbusters. The leaves are huge and it has lovely yellow flowers.
I know it's not quite a victory garden, but I wanted to start small, and to make sure I can manage the care for these plants all summer. Growing vegetables takes a lot of tending for months before you reap the rewards in late summer and early fall. It's hard for me to keep interest in things with such delayed gratification. But this project is going well. I'm loving how beautiful the plants are by themselves and taking a lot of enjoyment from watching them grow. I also have a basil, a jalapeno and a raspberry bush, which won't fruit for at least one year.

This process kind of reminds me where I am artistically. I haven't been listing new paintings on ebay or etsy (though lots of prints are up) because I've been preparing to enter my first true juried art fair. I've been busy creating new pieces, larger pieces and attempting to construct a booth. This weekend is kind of the deadline I set for myself, so hope to photograph everything and email my slides tomorrow. Lot's of preparation for one big payoff, emotionally. I'm very excited about the prospect of crossing this off my to-do list and getting back to 'normal'. Look for new work listed on ebay and etsy soon...