October Recap

 I haven't blogged a lot this month, but there has been a lot of activity around here.  Malachi had a mini concert, and for the first time, his orchestra accompanied a live song and dance performance.  They did a great job.

The chickens have been enjoying greens from the gardens.  These are mostly sweet potato leaves.  I dug up a good crop of sweet potatoes yesterday.

Malachi turned 17.  

And I never posted many pictures from camping:

I was amused by how fascinating checkers were.  Every game had observers!

Also, we took the younger 5 to Holiday World for the day, along with my brother's and sister's families.  My sister got a few good pictures:

Book Review -Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant

 

If you've ever watched the Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks movie You've Got Mail, you will enjoy the echoes of it in this book.  It's been years since I've seen it, so I'm sure I missed some of the references, but it was still an obvious homage to that movie.  This story has an online anonymous dating app as well as real-life encounters between the main characters, and that was a fun aspect.  Main character Rory is really looking for her identity.  I don't feel that her character fully developed, but she was still likeable.  Some of the secondary characters were definitely more "types" than fully developed characters, and the story ties up a bit too neatly.  That said, it was a fun read.  I enjoyed it, even though I could put it down and then come back to it without much issue.  Although it is a Christian book, there is not much about the faith in the story, which could be a down side if you are looking for spiritual growth but perhaps an upside if you want a positive but not in-your-face book to share with others.  It has a nice romance, and I like the taco truck setting.  I also liked the inclusion of a character with Down Syndrome, and I actually would have liked more time with her.  Overall, it is good but not great, so I would say 3.5 stars.

I received this book from the publisher, Revell, for the purpose of writing a review, but all opinions are my own. 

Visitors

 We had a great time camping.  We got back Monday late afternoon, and started the process of unpacking, laundry, etc.  So it was a nice surprise to have visitors on Tuesday morning:

The kids spent all morning playing with them.  They are super friendly.  I finally found out that they belong to the neighbors across the street.  That family is on vacation, so I think the kittens heard my kids playing here and wanted some fun.

They have enjoyed visiting.  They were already back this morning.  The kids made cat toys with sticks, string, and old socks, and the kittens just loved them.  Our cats have never been interested in toys, so this was a treat for the kids.  Our cats are not so sure about these kittens.  Midnight tends to hide from them.  Panther was trying to scare them off, but when he saw Nathaniel pet one, he seemed resigned to letting them hang out in the yard.  So he went off and hunted a chipmunk and has came into the house for lots of cuddles.  

All Dressed Up

 

Homecoming Dance is tonight, and this guy is ready!  

New Glasses

 Gyunay was very happy to get to pick up his new glasses today.  He's been waiting eagerly for 2 weeks.  He picked out the frames himself, after careful deliberation, and his transitions lenses even turn bluish in the sun.  He's a very happy boy!

Still Growing

 

As you can see, the gourds are getting crazy long.  These are trying to invade Mary's territory.  Lydia has harvested a few and set them on the porch to dry.  The ones on the ground curl, but these growing vertically just grow straight and very, very long.  I'm surprised that the weight hasn't crashed one yet.  

September Harvest Totals

 Beans, dragon tongue - 1.7 lbs

Beans, golden crescent - 3.5 lbs

Beans, KY blue - 3.5 oz

Beans, provider - 3.4 lbs

Cantaloupe - 1

Carrots - 4

Cucumbers, Edmondson - 4

Eggs - 225

Peppers, red - 3

Peppers, yellow - 1

Tomatillos - 7.6 oz

Tomatoes, Better Boy - (18)  6.5 lbs

Tomatoes, Black Krim - (9)    3.9 lbs

Tomatoes, German Pink - (6)    2.3 lbs

Tomatoes, Orange - (7)   2 lbs

Tomatoes, Saint Pierre (13)    4.2 lbs

Tomatoes, San Marzano (14)   1.8lbs

Yellow Squash - 3

Watermelon - 1

Plus, cherry tomomatoes, mint, sage, oregano, chives, dill, basil, and thyme

Total beans - 8.8 lbs

Total tomatoes - 20.7 lbs

As you can guess, we ate a lot of beans this month!  I also made mint jelly, which has made several kids very happy.  I hope my mint plants have enough leaves for another batch.