Growing Green

Ok, so now that the photo has been posted for a number of days without text, I'm sure there is some question as to why I, having never been fond of watermelon, would put a photo of it in a collage. Two photos to be precise. Why would we even posses a watermelon in our house considering Chris has never liked them either, (or any other melon for that matter)? Is it just because watermelon is so iconic of summer? No...I can't seem to find a credible source, but I will go with the explanation our taste buds are transformed every 5-7 years (not that I am losing taste buds with age and becoming less discriminating). I distinctly recall the first inkling of liking watermelon. It was another sweltering day in the Galapagos Islands. I was in my fifth month of pregnancy with Finn and was was resting in a patch of shade at the edge of Biological station's organic garden. We had just completed the morning's physical labor. In addition to helping lug buckets of water to plants down the long rows, my individual job was to fill several larger buckets with tomatoes I harvested from the vine. Tired and thirsty I watched the coordinator pull a watermelon from a tangle of leaves, raise a machete and whack it into multiple pieces for us to savor. The high water content was what I was craving so I gave it a shot. Much to my surprise it actually tasted good. I thought that would just be an isolated instance but that was not the case. I've given watermelon another shot out of politeness when it was offered after a dinner with friends and it seems to be growing on me. The ironic thing is that Chris's taste buds have transformed right along with mine. On a hot summer day in Salt Lake, I'll take a sweet, fresh watermelon right along side Chris and Finn.

The other photos depict garden harvests of beets, cabbage and peas. I love the bullseye stripes of the Chioggia Beet beets and the deep purple torpedo shaped cylindrical beets. They were both excellent roasted with carrots, parsnips and garlic. I'm still stunned at the size of the cabbage I pulled out of the garden especially since it was the first I've ever grown. I wish I had weighed it but at least having a photo next to Finn gives a good sense of scale and the fact that it took two different recipes to use it all.

Lastly, there is a photo of my ring. For more months than I care to think about it sat in my drawer for fear that the diamond would fall out due to a worn prong and a lack of knowing who to trust with it. Finally we took it across the street to Charlie Hafen Jewelers and had it repaired. The trip was worthwhile in multiple respects. It was good to finally satisfy the curiosity of what they had in their store/gallery as well as to meet Charlie, our neighbor. I was nervous to have the crown totally redone but am thrilled with the new look. It is lower and despite the fact that there are more prongs it seems to show off the diamond even more.