Growth Spurt

We experienced our first major growth spurt this weekend. The tomato bushes almost doubled and there is the start of some very tiny green tomatoes. The eggplants, which I was about to scrap, are finally sprouting. Even the green peppers have tiny leaves sticking through. I am going to assume it's not a weed even though it is very weed-like. Now it's just a waiting game. Water and wait. Story of my life.

Realization

I've come to the realization that I am reality TV junkie. Junkie in the worst way. Looking back, it all started post 9/11 with my first taste of Temptation Island and has developed into a fullblown habit. I can, at any given moment, turn to Bravo or TLC and be sucked into a program. I realized my habit was really bad when CityCrab and I were discussing Operation Repo and Pawn Stars over dinner. My real favorite is the Housewives franchise. I love the drama, the dresses and the drag out fights. NY is my personal fave since I love NYC as the backdrop. Of course, with their nontraditional season, I need to find fill-ins. So, of course Millionaire Matchmaker makes the DVR to do list. One of my new faves is 9 by Design. Originally thinking this was a Jon & Kate or Duggar themed show, I passed on it. But then I saw the promo and hooked and now it's a DVR list staple. Oh, the addiction. The sad part? I don't want to be saved from myself.

Blog Roulette

Have you ever played blog roulette? This is where you click "next blog" in the toolbar above and it randomly takes you to the next blog. Then you hit it again and see what comes up. I don't do this often since I view it as an activity of those who have a lot of time on their hands. But I've done it enough to make a few observations:

1. 1 out 2 blogs on blogger are in a language other than English. I've seen Spanish, Portuguese, French, several iterations of Asian languages and even Hebrew. Pretty amazing on the part of blogger.

2. Most of the blogs I come across are used as a communication tool. Family themes with mundane descriptions of holidays or daily events with loads of pictures. Presumably to let friends and families know what is going on. I am guilty of this and know at least 3 other friends who are, too. But it is a nice way to stay in contact without having to actually be in contact.

3. Then there are the cause blogs. Another way to keep friends and families updated but these are much more dire situations. Sad stories of sick children, parents, grandparents. These are the unfortunate blogs.

4. I have also learned that everyone else is a blog slacker. Of the blogs I am able to read, the most current post usually starts with "has it been a month since my last post?", or "wow - it's been awhile", or, a direct quote, "holy sh!^, I'm lame." This always makes me feel better.

Try it sometime, spin the wheel and see what you find out. I think you'll be amazed. If not, you'll be sucked in the vortex of some random Midwest families most recent trip, which can prove to be a great procrastination tool.

And, from The Little Shelf....

I am lucky in that I come from a family of readers and thus have a constant resource of books either from my childhood or from suggestions. Here are CityBaby's favorites (and mine, too):

The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Suess - This is my all time favorite Dr. Suess book and you have probably never heard of it. The title story is about the Sneetches, a unique tribe where some have stars on their belly and some don't. But it's really about understanding other people's difference and tolerance plus it has a guy named Sylvester McMonkey McBean who is a Fix It Up Chappie. And there's also a little obscure poem in there about Mrs. McCave who has 23 sons and she names them all Dave. Hilarity ensues.

How To Make An Apple Pie and See The World by Marjorie Price - This books takes you on a journey around thw rold to acquire the ingredients to make an apple pie. Brilliant.

The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola - a poignant story about DePaola as a boy and his search to express himself through art. All of Dipoala's books are great.

Annie The Apple Farmer by Monica Wellington - in Spanish with English subtitles about Annie and how she grows her apples on her farm in upstate NY then sells them at, what I am guessing is, The Union Square Farmer's Market. CityBaby loves this one.

We also read a lot of the typical like Mike Mulligan and His Steamship and Goodnight Gorilla and, of course, Good Night Moon but hopefully the above will give you exposure to a few you haven't seen.

From the Shelf

Here's my update since my last book post.

The Rabbi's Wife by Reva Mann: riveting, read it in 2 days. Literally could not put it down. I read it everywhere even at stop lights. Rabbi's daughter grows awry then goes back, then settles soemwhere in the middle.

Queen Takes King by Gigi Levangie - not my proudest literary moment but a nice break from something as intense as The Rabbi's Wife. Screams beach read.

Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough by Lori Gottlieb - Oy what a book! Gottlieb got a lot of press a few years ago when she wrote the article that is the basis for this book. It's non-fiction and is an argument for overlooking flaws in men and marrying them despite their shortcomings. I ripped through this in about 4 days (it took some time to digest in between readings). I would not reccomend buying this book since there isn't anything in here that no one has heard before but if you can hget it froim your library or buy it used on amazon, it's an interesting read.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - I already blogged about this one. It's worth every period, comma and word.

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand - I'm a big Hilderbrand fan. Blue Bistro is still my favorite by this is a close second.

The Late Bloomers Revolution by Amy Cohen - this is the kind of book that makes me realize if someone could write their mundane story, so could I. It was entertaining - read it in 2 days - but nothing more than a here's-why-I-am-a-crazy-neurotic-New York-Jew-with-issues. Who isn't?

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella - entertaining, easy to read, and I love London as a backdrop.

Summer People by Elin Hilderbrand - not as good as he others but enjoyable. I like finding a writer whose collection I haven't read since it's a way to ensure I'll have books for weeks.

Next up:
The Weissmans of Westport by Cathleen Schine - found this through NYTimes Book Review. Also want to read The New Yorkers by her.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell - I'm going to steal this from CityCrab's nightstand when he's done with it.

The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson - We've had this book since last summer and I can't help but be intriugued by all the goods press it is getting. It also inhabits CityCrab's nightstand.

What is everyone else reading?

I've Gone Green

It's spring. I'm embarking on a garden project. I need to renovate a lot of things including my blog. That's why I've decided to go green. What do you think?

Fruits, err, Vegetables of Our Labor

All the watering, and fertilizing and praying, not to mention the motivational talks, are paying off. The tomatoes, yellow squash and yellow pepper plants have shown significant growth. But more exciting are the plants that we planted as seeds. The lettuce started to sprout last week but the cucumbers and squash literally popped up overnight. It's so exciting to see the little leaves sticking out of the dirt. Even the watermelon and beans are starting to show promise. Our only loser right is the eggplant. In the herb department, everyone is doing fine and we've significant growth there. The interesting thing I have learned is that all herbs look the same when they first sprout. Looking across the 6 pots and seeing the same thing, had me wondering if I mistakenly planted the same seed in every pot. They sprout the same then turn into their own plant. Am I boring you yet with all my useless knowledge and talk of dirt? I'll post pics when I have a chance.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I'm happy to report that after a few trips to our local garden center and Lowe's, we successfully planted what will be sure to bring us a summer full of vegetables.

Here's where our tomatoes, peppers (green & yellow), squash, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuce, green beans and watermelon will be living all summer long.













And here is my father doing the initial water. You can tell he never met a camera he didn't like.

I've been out there watering twice a day and think I can already see some improvement. We shouldn't expect our first crop for a few weeks and we are all anxiously awaiting it.

Garden Update

There's not much to update. I haven't actually planted anything yet because I have been waiting for the nighttime temperatures to reach 50 degrees. Also, I'm feeling anxious about planting. However, this Saturday, I am going to buy plants and get started. I have a diagram of what I need to buy (some veggies do best started as plants, others can be seeds) and optimal placement (things that grow in vines need to be on the outside, bushes in the middle). In other gardening news, I also have herbs growing in individual pots. I did this last year with basil and thyme and it was such a success, I've decided to expand to rosemary, parsley, cilantro and dill. These were planted about 10 days ago and I am just starting to see a few leaves pop out of the basil and dill. Every day I go out and water and inspect. It's a bit frustrating but I am hanging in there. CityBaby helped me plant those (and helps me water, which is just a mess) but we are both hopeful that before long we'll have some herbs. I'll post pics when I have something to share. I don't want to bore you with pictures of dirt.

Easter

I'll just go ahead and answer the questions about to roll off your tongue. Yes, we are Jewish. No, we don't celebrate Easter. But who are we to pass up an invite to an Easter Egg Hunt? This past weekend good friends of ours held an Easter Egg Hunt and invited us. We are always up for a cultural exchange (we send them a Purim Shalach Manos every year) and well, let's be honest, chocolate is involved. In preparation, I put together a small basket for the host. Picture me in the seasonal candy aisle at Target surveying everyone for their opinion on what to include. We roll up to find everyone in their beautiful smocked clothing (we went slightly more urban) and empty baskets. Empty baskets??? Shoot! You need some type of receptacle to hold your eggs. I looked back into my car. Would a Whole Foods grocery bag do? We were already smockless- why push it? And truth be told, my only option at home would have been a Halloween pumpkin. Thankfully, the hostess had a basket for CityBaby. Once he got the hang of it, he really enjoyed it. He didn't love the Easter Bunny arrival but he has never really taken to human size creatures. Here are some pics. I'm thinking about using them for next year's Chanukah card...whaddya think?





GC and Citybaby discussing strategy.



I'm not that into you but I'll take your bubbles.