Summer winds....

This school break is going by in a blur of sunshine and chlorine.

I can't believe the kids are going back in a month!  Where does the time go?  We've had lots of fun in the yard, and even squeaked in a beach day; the kiddies have half day camps this week and in another week and a half - but other than that, we haven't done a whole heck of a lot.

It's funny, when I was a kid - we did nothing.  Literally.  I'd wake up in the morning, throw clothes on and run outside to play with any one of the kids in my neighborhood who may have gotten up early like I did.  All day games of 7 Up, bike riding, exploring, walking, kickball - you name it.  The summers seemed endless and were filled with sunshowers, playing with the hose or sprinkler - walking to the MDC pool - or hanging out in the park at the end of my street. 

So I wonder why I feel like my kids aren't having the time of their lives if I am not taking them places or doing things?  It's funny how we try to over compensate as parents.  It's not as if at the time I felt like I didn't have a great summer each year; at the same time - as an adult, I realize how much I missed out on, even simple things like going to the beach.

Life is good.  They're having a blast just laying low and enjoying their yard and down time.
I wish it didn't have to end so soon!

Black + White still equals Black & White.

I'm beyond disappointed with the verdict in the Zimmerman trial.

To me, this was not a case about racism. (Though I do believe that Mr. Zimmerman was criminally profiling based upon race.)

When does a fist fight equate to gunpower?
When does a person standing up for themselves because they feel threatened equate to being murdered?

Why is it that Mr. Zimmerman "felt threatened" and so it was okay to murder someone?  So Trayvon Martin's death doesn't matter because Mr. Zimmerman was "scared"?  Because basically, to have not given any semblence of discipline for the taking of another man's life in a deliberate manner just screams "unimportant".   Didn't this physical altercation that Mr Zimmerman claims happened - take place as a result of Trayvon Martin -- feeling threatened and defending himself?  So why is Mr. Zimmerman's fear more important than that of  Trayvon?  What if Trayvon was the one that had the gun?  Somehow, I feel that might have played out differently.... "Thou shalt not kill" is a phrase that I do believe the Bible Belt state needs to revisit.

This is a stupid law, plain and simple.  Mr. Zimmerman was told to stay away and leave the victim alone, and he didn't.  Don't fault the victim for standing up to his assailant; that's like blaming a woman for being raped because she wore perfume.

It's disturbing, disgusting and disappointing.  To me, it's irrelevant if the prosecution didn't play fair, if there was evidence withheld or if it all was presented as is.  The bottom line is that people should not have the right to kill another person just because they feel threatened.  Define threatened.  Define "in fear for your life".  It's all subjective and up to interpretation, isn't it?

If a person puts a knife or gun or baseball bat to your head - then yes, you may feel your life is in jeopardy.  But an unarmed person, who may have just handed you an ass whipping because you aren't capable of defending yourself otherwise - does not give you the right to take that person's life.

And there's absolutely nothing else that anyone can say, that can justify it in this girl's mind.

Summer, summer, summertime.....

Six days and counting to the yard renovation......that we keep adding on to!

Princess Petunia's birthday is next week and I'd been planning on taking her to NYC for a night.  But we may have to postpone it because a cousin is coming in that week who has the same birthday and all the girls in the family want to get together to do a little Girl's Birthday Celebration.  So I might take her in August instead, before school starts.

The poor thing had surgery on Monday in her mouth to remove an extra tooth embedded in her gum.  It took over 60 shots of Novacaine/Lidocaine & Marcane and almost an hour and a half to numb her.  But she was a trooper - and her recovery was fantastic as well.  I'm so proud of her.  Sure she's sassy, but she's such a good kid in general.

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day - all my kids' 1st cousins will be over at once!  I'm hoping to get a few good group pictures because I don't know if that will ever happen again... and it's the last get together before the yard as we know it changes forever.

I can't wait!

Who knew?

So I'm a little frustrated with my brocolli.
It's grown tall with flowers but nothing really resembling the vegetable.

So I googled it - this mysterious, flowering condition..

It's called BOLTING.
Cilantro does it as well... which I always wondered why it bloomed for a short time and then became very stalky!!

So, it seems my brocolli's soil was too warm - and that caused it to bolt.  Basically, seed as opposed to flower. And my cilantro, bolts because it's what it does in warm weather.  Optimum planting/growing time is spring and fall - but when do we all rush out to plant here in MA?  In the summer.....

So you get a very short window of time for delicious yumminess.

I think I'm going to pull my brocolli and try planting something different that will yield later in the season; I saw some mature seedlings at the farmer's market this past weekend, so I'll find something there.

These are just the little lessons that I, the black thumb gardener - have to learn.
But that's the fun of a garden anyway - it's trial and error!

I am a little bummed that I won't have brocolli though...