Hey, Look at Me -

I'm a farmer!

The offical count (in case you were wondering)

Eggplants: 1

Tomato plants: 7

Bell Peppers: 7

Lettuce: 4

Zucchini: 3

Yellow Squash: 3

Strawberries: 2

Green beans: 4

Okra: 4

Cucumber: 4

Onions: 4

Basil: 1

Sage: 1

Rosemary: 1

Thyme: 1

Oregano: 1

Bags of soil and compost: 12

Trips to Lowe's and local garden store to get enough bags of dirt: 3

Pulled shoulder muscles from slinging bags of dirt: 1

Displaced garter snakes: 1

Days of rain delay: 11

Days of delay because I was told it was going to rain and it didn't but I'd already made other plans: 3

Neighbor inquires: 3

Mosquito bites: 6

Total number of hours to complete: 8

Total number of vegetables grown: TBD

Movie Monday

Bring it on, summer....

I hate summer. Have I ever mentioned that? Oh yeah. I have. One of the things that sucks most about summer - one of the greatest ironies in my life - is the summer blockbuster.

I love movies. I love going to the movies. I don't mind paying almost $10 to sit in a darkened theater - even by myself. And when it's 99.99 degrees with 99.99% humidity, my first instinct is to find a nice darkened, chilly room in which to hide. And wouldn't a movie theater fill that bill just perfectly?

Oh but no. No, in the summertime I must suffer under the harsh reality that the movie money is to be made off of the 13-24 year old testosterone-y boys. Boys who want to spend their money watching cars and flames and guns and aliens and cleavage and aliens with guns and/or cleavage.

Now, I'm not against those kinds of movies as a whole. It's just that if I am going to fork over my $10 and find a little air conditioned respite, it would sometimes be nice to find something with a little depth and purpose. But I gave up on that dream a long time ago. Instead I started to wonder - why can we not have the "girlie" version of the summer blockbuster? Because, you know, you can lack depth and purpose without explosives and car chases. It is possible.

Three years ago, my wish was granted by The Devil Wears Prada. I love that movie so very much. Would I have loved it as much if it came out in the middle of November when I have a list of Best Picture Oscar Nominees that I'm trying to find time to see? Maybe not. But that summer it was a godsend. And really - Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci? Not to mention the then-unknown-to-me wonders of Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt (and the extra bonus of Simon Baker)? There was no way it was going to be horrible. Britney Spears could have written and directed and it still would have been worth the ticket price.

So, for this summer - what is the only thing that could be as good as Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt? That would Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Amy Adams. In Julie & Julia:

Yes, it looks formulaic. I don't care. Yes, I bet there's a pratfall or two. And an adorably shabby apartment. And a boyfriend in cargo shorts and a t-shirt with some indie rock band on it. And a montage to the tune of a really catchy-yet-ridiculously-obvious song. I don't care. Snarky movie reviewers and mean boys can mock it and call it The Devil Wears an Apron or whatever they want. I don't care. And I can't wait.

In other movie-related nonsense...

MamaPop asks "What was the first movie you saw in the theater?" That's a good question. I don't know exactly what the first movie was, but the first movie I really remember seeing in the theater was Freaky Friday in 1977. I think The Shaggy D.A. may have technically been before that - and probably others as well - but I really remember Freaky Friday. Probably because it was the first movie that wasn't for "little kids." I was in first grade and, I'm sure, wanted to be appreciated for the mature adult I thought I was. I was a strange child... Of course, little did I know later that same year my tiny brain would be completely blown into a million pieces when I went to see Star Wars. So really it's quite a testament to Ms. Jodie Foster that I have any recollection of her movie at all. Speaking of Star Wars... I read on E!PeopleUSWhatever that Calista and Harrison were going to adopt a baby. Don't know if that's true or not, but if it is and if they're taking suggestions for names, mine is Chewbacca. And if she had ever seen Star Wars she would know if that was a good idea or not.


Finally...


If you haven't seen the documentary American Teen yet, I highly recommend it for your Netflix queue. It's a very white, middle-class documentation of American teens, but very true and very good. You think all of your drama - good and bad - from that age is embarrassingly trivial now, but really, not all of it was and it was nice to be reminded of that.


So, any thoughts on coming attractions? The first movie you saw? Things I should be watching from the comfort of my couch? Do share.

Happy Monday!

Two Things. Ok, well, two things and then 32 more.

First - So, in my last post, when I said "if the rain holds off..." I apparently didn't realize that I had done something to anger every deity in the universe. It has not stopped raining since. I may take the two frames for my raised beds and use them to craft an ark.

Second - I've been busy with a big - but fun - project for work and haven't been around a computer much when I've had any free time and could also stay awake enough to type. Luckily Green Girl saved the day with another of her lists and so tonight while I should be doing laundry I'm doing this instead.

Now, here's the 32 more - a list about my reading habits. Or, the list in which I disgrace two high school AP English teachers and the good institution that gave me a college diploma...

1) What author do you own the most books by? Technically - Beatrix Potter. Adult fare - William Faulkner. I'm an English Major from the South, so it's only by default.


2) What book do you own the most copies of? I live in a house with less than 900 square feet. That is not an option. Over time, however, Walden, The Great Gatsby, The Elements of Style.


3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions? Nah. If you'd asked "Where you keep your books at?" then we'd have a problem...


4) What book have you read the most times in your life? Walden. Again, only by default. Not by choice.


5) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old? What was that, sixth grade? Help me, Katie! It was likely something by Judy Blume as well as anything by our favorite girl detective, Trixie Belden.


6) What is the worst book you've read in the past year? Breaking Dawn


7) What is the best book you've read in the past year? Right now I'm (finally) reading Prodigal Summer - I think it will probably end up being the best.


8) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be? An Inconvenient Truth, by Al Gore.


9) What book would you most like to see made into a movie? Hmmm... maybe A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. Something by David Sedaris - if done well - could be some crazy delicious fun.


10) What book would you least like to see made into a movie? Ah, if only we could turn back time, I would say Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason... Otherwise I'm not sure - I think it's hard to do any good book justice with a movie just because of time constraints. But at the same time I don't mind at all when a good producer and director are able to capture the spirit of a book but not all of the story.


11) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult? I think my Twilight addiction has been well-documented in this blog. BUT I do stand by it's overall story, quality of characters, etc. (despite Breaking Dawn). So, if that is the standard, I should also include anything I've read by Grisham and Brown.


12) What is the most difficult book you've ever read? Beloved. I just shook my head when Oprah put it in her book club and made it into a movie. What was she thinking?


13) Do you prefer the French or the Russians? Russians.


14) Roth or Updike? Not really familiar with either.


15) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers? Sedaris. Sedaris. Sedaris. And his sister, too!


16) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer? Shakespeare.


17) Austen or Eliot? Austen. Austen. Austen.


18) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading? All of the great works of the last decade. To this day I still have a hard time reading a novel without feeling that it's an assignment and I need to rush so that I can write the paper for it and then study for a poly sci test and then finish a geology lab and then clean my dorm room. I'm almost like, what, 87? You'd think that would have gone away by now... I have issues...


19) What is your favorite novel? There's something about The Great Gatsby that I just love. But I think technically it may only be considered a novella...


20) Essay? I guess some of Ann Lamott's books would be considered collections of essays. She's awesome. And I keep copies of a couple of sermons on file when I need a little inspiration.


21) Work of nonfiction? There's so many - I love nonfiction. A Walk in the Woods. I thought Tipping Point was great. I love Sarah Vowel's books. Also, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers is (I SWEAR!) an awesome book.


22) Who is your favorite writer? Tom Stoppard. I would sit and read the phone book if he wrote it.


23) What is your desert island book? Besides How to Get off a Desert Island? Maybe James Joyce's Ulysses. It's something I've always wanted to read, but never had the time or energy to tackle it. For lighter fare - and if I could create my own collection/anthology - all of Nick Hornby's novels or the two Bridget Jones books because I could read them over and over again.


24) What are you reading right now? Poisonwood Bible and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Urban Planning and Public Health (it's a real page-turner, trust me!).


25) What fictional character are you secretly in love with? Please - it's no secret. Mr. Darcy. And of course, Edward, my Mr. Darcy With The Very Pointy Teeth.


26) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature? Hell if I know.


27) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character. In college I had a Shakespeare course that was crazy hard. I studied endlessly for it and the papers and exams gave me much anxiety. So, while I don't remember any details of the dreams I do remember having several Shakespeare-related dreams because of that class. As a side anecdote (and proof!) I went to college with a now-famous actress and a long time ago I saw an interview with her where she was asked if the martial arts training for her role on a TV series was the hardest thing she'd ever done. She said "No - Intro to Shakespeare with Dr. Lisa McDonnell."


28) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen? Speak of the devil... Troilus and Cressida. Yeah, beat that. It also serves as the answer to the question "What is the worst Shakespeare play you've ever seen?"


29) Favorite Play? Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard (so I guess Hamlet should be included too.) Good ole Will is popping up a lot on this list...


30) Favorite Poem? "i thank you God for this most amazing day," by e. e. cummings.


31) Favorite Short story? I don't know that they're favorites, but The Lottery and To Build a Fire always stuck with me - though I couldn't remember the title of the last one and literally Googled "short story dog man cold." Ta-da.


32) Who is the most overrated writer alive today? I have zero authority to judge this, but I'm going to say Dan Brown. The man crafts a thrilling plot and I loved The DaVinci Code, but I found a lot of the actual writing - especially much of the dialogue - to be, well, much less than thrilling.

Splendid

Not that I'm ever lacking for an opinion, but you know, it's always nice to have a little external validation that some notion you have or project you're working on is not completely hare-brained. When there's no husband or boyfriend to offer their two cents worth (because I've heard that's what they're for - unsolicited advice and getting things down off high shelves, right?) you have to find other outlets. I do have many friends with very good heads on their shoulders, but when its the smaller-to-medium-sized things I'm questioning, I don't like to pester. No one needs their friendly neighborhood spinster calling them to find out what color fabric to have a chair reupholstered in, or if it really is wise to spend that much money on a pair of boots.

Or, in the case of this weekend's project: Should I really be putting a vegetable garden in the front yard?

If you're into the current environmental movement of local food and organic gardening you may have heard about the idea of planting vegetables in the front yard - as a way of making a statement, being a "rebel," or participating in a bit of civil disobedience. Probably a notion for more of the stricter suburb and subdivision sect where you're often not allowed to have a clothes line out back and where front yards are supposed to be turfy and shruby and immaculate.

Thing is, no one in my neighborhood would likely care if you started a whole crop of corn in your front yard. As long as you're doing something productive with your .08 acres and it doesn't smell bad or involve gunfire - they're pretty flexible. People would, however, start to call you Corn Lady. And then expect you to throw a big party with some corn-related theme and create some corn-related holiday and then maybe organize a parade (we like our produce).

It's true. My neighbors can suck the fun out of being a rebel faster than anyone I know.

So my idea for a front yard vegetable garden, while sparked by this movement, actually just made more sense logistically. I have very little sun in my yard to begin with. I also have too very well-intentioned diggers that reside in the back yard. There is one decent patch of sun in the dog-free front yard so it seemed to make sense.

But then. Then as I'm assembling two wooden frames to make my raised beds, I start to have second thoughts.

"These do look sort of tacky."

"How is this going to look if I actually get tomatoes and beans and zucchini growing here?"

"How dumb is it going to look if I go to all this trouble and then I can't grow crap?"

"Maybe I should rethink this."

"This is why I could use a husband right now..."

"And to get the rest of my summer clothes out of the top of my closet...."

By that time I was taking another Diet Coke break on the front porch and listening more intently to the lovely Lynne Rossetto-Kasper on public radio's The Splendid Table. (A show I often mock, but actually enjoy...) Her guest was a woman named Rosalind Creasy, and lo and behold, what was she talking about? Planting vegetables in the front yard! She wrote the book, Edible Landscaping, and talked about growing cherry tomatoes over an arbor instead of morning glories and other fun things.

So really, that was all the extra incentive I needed. I'm still only about halfway done - I have the ground cleared and one of the two, 3' x 6' beds made (I still need the rest of the soil and compost and, oh yeah, plants.) But if the rain will hold off for a couple of days, I should officially be a front yard urban farmer by the end of the week.

So thank you once again to the public radio gods for watching out for me. Now, if they could send someone over with a step-ladder...

Happy Earth Day Bonus

Because my environmental news feed overfloweth-ed with goodies yesterday...

Three good quotes:

1. Thoreau

Oh, the number of times I had to read Walden in high school and college... My relationship with Henry David began as many relationships do - with wide-eyed, idealistic infatuation. By the end of my senior year of college I had come to the conclusion that he was a bit of a whiny, over-priviledged mama's boy. Sadly, many "environmentalists" continue in that tradition still today. He did say this though:

“What good is a house if you haven’t got
a tolerable planet to put it on?”

2. Wangari Maathai

She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work with Kenya's Green Belt Movement.

“It's the little things citizens do.
That's what will make the difference.
My little thing is planting trees.”

Well... 30 million trees, that is. The Green Belt Movement works for human rights and democracy through environmental protection. Mostly by planting trees. Planting trees = cleaner water, land and air and helps to create educational and job opportunities for women and the poor. Clean water, land and air + educated and empowered citizens = more stable economies and governments. Sounds pretty peaceful to me.



3. Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot.

I loved the way he said "billions."

"That's here. That's home. That's us.
On it, everyone you ever heard of, every
human being who ever lived, lived out their lives.
The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings,
thousands of confident religions, ideologies and
economic doctrines, every hunter and forager,
every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer
of civilizations, every king and peasant,
every young couple in love, every hopeful child,
every mother and father, every inventor and explorer,
every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician,
every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint
and sinner in the history of our species,
lived there on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam."

Happy Earth Day

I saw a nice quote yesterday:

"Never does nature say one thing
and wisdom another." ―Juvenal

Very true.

I then looked up who the heck Juvenal was (ohhh... so that's what wikipedia is for...). No, not a rapper as I initially though. A 1st century Roman poet.

Shame that few civilizations since Juvenal's have actually paid much attention to his sage words.

But it did remind me of one of my most favorite sayings and bumper stickers:

Equally true. And much more my speed.

By the way - if you're out and about and you have a camera handy, there's a cool Earth Day photo project called Earth Mosaic that is going to compile photos from all over the world taken on April 22. Go here to learn more and hopefully participate: earthmosaic.org/index.html.

Hope your day is bright and sunny with all of the clean air and water you need and that you find something nice to take a picture of.

Happy Earth Day!

If you're in need of a new bumper sticker, this one - and many others - can be found at Cafepress.

Ahh Irony

I think my blog should have a tag line: "Mostly Just Me Linking to Other People's Stuff"

Anyway... What Would Jane Austen Do posted this most excellent picture with the very appropriate title:

"Calling Bullshit"

It reminds me of an article I once read about an anti-American protest (in China, maybe??) where the reporter casually noted that most of the student protesters wore Levis and many were drinking from bottles of various Coke products.

It also reminds me of my previous employment with city government where the people who called to whine about having to take their trash and/or recycling to the curb or because their brush was only picked up quarterly and not monthly were always from the same zip codes that are first to whine about their taxes. The parts of town who actually pay a disproportionate percentage of their income in taxes - especially things like sales taxes - were a fairly quiet bunch with apparently more productive things to do with their time.

And, while I do give a thumbs up to all protesters in that picture for having signs that are legible (Nothing more irritating than a handmade sign in ballpoint pen or fine point Sharpie...) my favorite sign is the "Cut Taxes not Defense." Ummm.... how is it we pay for Defense? Is there another funding source in our government that I don't know about? Are we selling Mary Kay to other countries? I wondered what Michelle Obama really did when she was hanging out with Carla Bruni....