Missed Events

My friend, Kev, was married last weekend. I did not attend even though I was invited. Part of the reason I stayed home was that he is at Yale. For a boy from Alabama, Yale is purely intimidating. Mark my words, Kev will be Secretary of State one of these days. I hope. Brilliant kid with wonderful insights. The other part of the reason is that WitchWoman and I are working out the after-shocks of the tornado in Joplin. To add to the confusion, her mother broke her hip and is now in a nursing home. WitchWoman did have an offer accepted on a house in Kansas City. She closes on it in November. How that works into our relationship, I am unsure. She is naturally drawn to her kids. And, now, there is another grandchild on the way. Makes perfect sense that she would want to be near them. It is a long way from Kansas City to Welch.

As for me, I plan to stay here in Alabama, even though I may be losing my ass in doing so. I have been unable to land any sort of job. I even offered a non-profit to work for free. They will get back to me. I guess the economy is as bad as I hear on radio or else I have a greatly inflated self-image.

Sweet potatoes are coming out of the ground next week. Stuff coming out of the ground includes collards, rutabagas, beets, peas and spinach. The cabbage plants are doing well under the protective shield of wire baskets to keep the deer from eating the tender sprouts. Tomorrow, I will spend most of the day making pear preserves.

Today I completed the roof from the new greenhouse. By this time next week, I should have a few items sprouting. The objective is, of course, to produce the perfect tomato.

Speaking of which, I have the best recipe for tomato sauce I have ever tasted. It is so easy. In a large pot, sweat a finely chopped onion, a green pepper and three or four garlic cloves in olive oil. Add a quart of canned from-the-garden tomatoes (or a big-ass can of from-the-store diced tomatoes), a fat tablespoon of tomato paste, a palm full of dried basil, a bay leaf, salt and pepper, a slug of red wine. Simmer for about an hour or so. Delicious. I use it for spaghetti and lasagna.

I wish I had gone to Kev's wedding if for no other reason than to give him this great recipe. But, I didn't. Life got in the way.