So I'm an employee now...

First off, I got the job. It runs 4 weeks. Orientation is June 9th. It starts June 14. The timing of this thing, with my vacation, is so perfect I almost can't believe it. I wanted days because they were 8 hours, but those spots were full so I'll be working 5:30-10:30. That's the only part I'm kind of meh about. I love my summer nights. Being able to pay my bills should make up for that though. I'm really looking forward to enjoying vacation without the pressure of job searching or bills lingering in the back of my mind. (Thanks for all of the well wishes, prayers, good thoughts and congratulations!)

Second off, I'm couponing again. It just seemed like the fun thing to do and I was bored last week. I got all of this stuff for a little more than $5:

Score!

Third, a garden update.

The cold crops really make the entire garden seem so big and green. Finally all of the summer stuff is in. We've planted a zillion tomato plants, green peppers, pickling cucumbers, burpless hybrid cucumbers, squash, zucchini, 3 teepees of pole beans, 3 rows of bush beans and okra.

T-Minus 5 Days

I've been thinking about my upcoming trip to Sanibel.

About how different it will be than the last time I was there, in 2008.

For one, Jonathan is now taller than everyone.

He has officially lost the little boy chubbiness. Which I didn't even know existed the last time we were there. He was 13 then, I thought 13 was old.

I also watched a video of that trip. Holy crap! Voice change. He sounds like a MAN now. Gross.


(P.S. I have the camera I coveted the entire time we were there and hopefully will no longer have crappy dusk photos like this one. That is, if I'm not too paranoid to take it out.)


Jill lost a few teeth. Although I doubt anyone will notice.

And Sanibel's crocodile died! It's so tragic.

Serious question: should we take the gnome again?

If you could, please pray or send out good vibes for me. I have a job interview today at 3, for a job I desperately need. These bills of mine aren't going to pay themselves. And this job is perfect. It's temporary, it pays well, and it utilizes my college experience so it'll look good on a resume. But mostly, money would be really nice.

Quattordici

New shorts. Shorts that aren't as long as my knees because I'm normally self conscious about my thighs. Shorts that aren't a size 16, the size I've worn for the last 7 years.

22 pounds. Size 14.

Photo of the Day: Riley Paige at 14 Months

The toothy grin kills me. I taught her high fives and patty cake. Dog is her current favorite word, next to Mama.

Letting go...

I said 24 was going to be a year of getting over my self consciousness and my control freak tendencies and allowing other people to take my picture. There are a bunch of these shots, Jon learning how to use my Canon (which he jokingly says is a Cannon as it's larger than any camera he's used before) and me learning how to sit still and not worry about the size of my thighs. I have several of the fake smile poses, which might be more flattering, but I think this is my favorite... because my brother makes me laugh. For that, I am grateful.

Hello, Virginia!

We took a day trip yesterday to Pineville, where my grandparents are buried. My mom's Mother's Day wish was to decorate her mom and dad's graves and visit a few things while we were there. We got a late start (more detailed post to follow later) so we didn't get to see all that I wanted to. But I did get to accomplish one thing I wanted: add Virginia to the list of states I've stepped foot in.

This was the official state line on the side of the road after you go through a tunnel to Middlesboro, Kentucky and veer to the right. You travel through Tennessee and then hit Virginia in like 30 seconds time. So cool.

Tell me we're not a bunch of goobers when traveling together.

Garden Frugality

I read an article in one of my organic gardening magazines (a free subscription, no doubt) a few months ago about a family planting their garden on a budget of like $50. I was intrigued because after all, what good is this garden thing if I can't pull it off frugally?

One thing I had going for me was the fact that a neighbor tills the garden for us each year. While I am always tempted to find $300 to pluck down on a manual tiller I accept the annual till and then use old fashioned elbow grease to keep the weeds out for the rest of the year.

Next up: plants. My plan to grow tomatoes from seed failed. I find tomatoes difficult to grow, like some mystical experience I just can't quite master. I don't know why but I've yet to have any success. Instead I took $20 and went off in search of nice healthy plants last weekend. The rules: stay under $20, get as many varieties as possible, and buy all local (and locally grown, hopefully).

Between Mount Eden Nursery, Cheeks Produce, Polk House Plants & Produce, and Garden Gate I picked up the following for $20:

Tomatoes

1 Giant Tree

1 Mountain Fresh Hybrid

1 Manalucie Red

1 Chuck's Yellow Beefsteak

1 Razzleberry Hybrid

2 Pink

1 Celebrity

1 Floramerica

1 Big Boy

1 Green Zebra

1 Persimmon

2 Cherokee Purple

1 German Johnson

2 Yellow Jubilee

1 Better Boy

1 Grape Tomato

1 Beefsteak

1 Big Beef

I already had at home: 2 green pepper plants, 1 red pepper plant, and a jalapeno plant.

At the house I had planted: zucchini, straightneck and crookneck squash and pickling cucumbers. I also have white half runner beans leftover from last year and several packets of other green bean varieties bought during a buy one get one free Earth Day sale.

Which means all I needed were burpless hybrid slicing cukes and okra. I already had seeds for both at home.

Be frugal!

So, I planted a tray of Okra and Cucumbers. They started sprouting a couple of days ago when this thing showed up:

And burrowed itself in the middle of them. It's been there two days now and seems to show no sign of leaving. Meanwhile in the overgrown 'bird retreat' there are a dozen baby frogs hopping around. It seems the pond has brought all the creatures to the yard.

At least I had good intentions.