hump day nuggets: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week
As I have exhaustively told you all about, our winter was long and our spring more like the postlude to winter.
But now! Now we wake and assume it will be warm. I don’t think about turning the heat on at night, our vegetables are pushing up and out, exposing color and pledging to feed us soon.
So with this sudden and so awesome summer that is happening, I haven’t been writing as much. I have notes all over the place, both literally and in my brain, indicating things I want to download into essays and yet I end up instead installing sandboxes, watching storms, smearing sunscreen and pitching tents. And by the day’s end, I look at my notes and feel a real, fun urge to write but it is all we can do to grab greens from the plot and pair it with anything for a meal, run around a bit more and fall into bed.
My habit is to write nuggets on Tuesday nights when the family is tucked in. I sit cross-legged on our couch with my computer as I comb through photos and eek out words that tell the story of our last week. I like this ritual a lot. It still exists in the summer but happens much later, as dictated by our kids’ bedtimes that follow the sun. And sometimes, like last night, it just didn’t happen because I met up with friends at our local brewery and then came home to a wide-eyed Margot excited to camp out with mama again. Summer.
I think it was like 11pm the last time I told her sternly (but through a giant smile hidden by the darkness in our backyard tent) Margot, for real. It’s bedtime. And so we fell asleep snuggled so perfectly in our shelter next to the chicken coop. It was so good.
Nuggets.
:: Our Red Lodge trip ended and we took off west, headed home to see papa. Thankfully, it was smoother than the first leg. We weren’t 10 miles out of RL when Margot said, “Mom! It’s so beautiful! Should we pull over and run around in that tall grass?” Now, my girl knows how to tug my heart into bliss. “YES,” I said.
For Montana peeps: this is on the Victor Road
:: I love my mother-in-law and am thankful she is a day’s drive away.
:: We had our pal over for dinner, the one Margot calls by his first and last name as if it is one word BenBarbee. He is one of Andy’s oldest friends and my girls adore him. On this particular night Margot shushed us every time we got a little loud because her delicate baby was sleeping. Her baby, on that evening, was a yellow and pink bouncy ball in the bottom of a cup full of water.
She consoled, cuddled and rocked her baby all night and then Andy asked, “Margot, I wonder how he can breathe under the water like that. What do you think?” Ben and I nodded and looked to her for the answer. And she set him down, put her hands on her hips and said, “You guys. It’s just a ball. Geez. Balls, like, don’t breathe.”
:: Early summer bouquet of daisies and tarragon, the prefect combination of sweet and savory.
:: Shared summer meals with friends are the best, no?
:: Margot’s current clothing fixation is her polka dot tights. After the third day of rolling in dirt in light pink tights I announced she needed to wear something else so I could wash them. She protested and I held firm. She was upset and I sighed with the realization that my discomfort surrounding her too-warm disposition and crusty tights was my own. She only wanted those dirty, hot tights and so I said, “Oh, okay. Big deal, mama. Margot, wear the tights!” And she twirled and said, “Ruby! Did you hear that? It’s a miracle!”
Plus, she REALLY loves that Ruby has the same same.
:: Neighborhood ducks are back and it is a wonderfully wonderful thing to sit and stare at the mama and her ducklings with my kids.
:: I am so excited to tell you that I have an assistant! My business has been growing, both writing and clothes, and I have been a bit nervous for next. It has been a many-month process to decide this step was a good one and then, right as I was certain, Sarah Jess (her whole first name, all southern and sweet) landed right next to my husband in line at a coffee shop. We knew her, a friend of a friend and, long story short, she’s perfect. And darling. And my kids love her.
I am excited to share some new things with you all. Soon.
:: “Dad, wow! Our shoes match. Mom, take a picture.”
Let me answer before you ask: my husband has a funky shin vein. It’s fine.
:: Black & Decker sent me a PlantSmart digital plant care to give a go.
those sorry squash looks so much better since I added blood meal.
I tracked my winter squash for two days, plugged that bugger straight into my computer and *poof*. Charts showing me sun, moisture and temperature readings. Cool.
And? You could win one! Leave a comment for a chance at it. What are you growing? Thanks, Black & Decker!
:: I sincerely love my dog.
:: We had some left-over oven-roasted fingerling potatoes and I made a pretty dang good potato salad.
Not Your Grandma’s Potato Salad (a very loose recipe)
a few handfuls of fingerling potatoes
olive oil
chives, parsley, tarragon, rosemary (or whatever herbs you have), minced
7 cloves garlic, minced
4 eggs, hard boiled and chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
red wine vinegar
salt
Chunk up potatoes and toss with olive oil, salt, herbs and garlic. Bake at 425 until done. Let cool. Add eggs, feta, more herbs, a splash of vinegar, oil and salt to taste. It’s good.
:: First strawberries are always the most exciting harvest around here. Always.
:: Peas are a close second. And they’re just around the bend.
:: I have a feeling I’ll probs declare beans, tomatoes, cauliflower, basil, squash, carrots, broccoli and beets to hold the same rank.
:: I am really interested in wires against sky. The sharp, defined man-made line communicating with intangible eternity.
So summer is here and my backyard camp awaits (with a squealing kid).
See that tent back there? A whole other world.
I conclude with my warm, green disclaimer: During the heightened energy of Summer 2011, Nuggets may be late but know they will arrive and it just means author is living the next Nugget.
Happy hump day out there.
:: :: ::
all photos taken with a Canon Digital SLR from Vanns.com
84 Comments
Wow. I think I’m first. That’s because I just left the theater with a babe asleep and walked home to laptop declaring “Nuggets.”
So with babe asleep on me, I’m able to see sweet Victor Rd., a hilarious photo of two ladies in tights with polkas (as Lucy calls ’em) and a garden I’m green with envy for. I love what you’ve got growing on (ha. cheesy, I know).
Not bad for having to miss the ending to Cars 2. Actually, this is much better.
Yippy for the assistant. Can’t wait to hear about your new plans.
Happy Nuggets. I’m glad they’ll be late, like bedtime these days. Perfect.
xoxo
I’m the same way with the “lateness”. My multiple blog posts per week have dwindled with the beautiful weather and my kids calling me to come play, I’m lucky to get two posts in now and I declared to my readers they are only guaranteed one or two per week and they’ll have to just learn to deal with it. So, I totally understand and relate to this!
So jealous of your campout with Margot. Makes me want to do it this weekend with my Brooklyn.
Our strawberry plants beared no fruit this year – what gives?! We’ve had a great turnout the past two years, so I’m not sure what happened. I’d love the B&D Plantsmart so it could tell me what the hell I did wrong – especially because it will help me prevent the same thing from happening to my first ever vegetable garden! I’m very much looking forward to our tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and carrots that currently have promising flowers on them, and I will be seriously pissed if the veggies don’t turn out.
One more thing… please stop with the Montana landscape already. 😉
Yep I think that Black and Decker thingy ma jiggy would be interesting to use…. Love the nuggets as usual! Great Red Lodge photos. Oh how I love living in Montana.
Oh, I thought I was going to be comment #2… but I am not. It took me too long to read it all. Gosh, I would love the B&D sensor. I would REALLY like to know about my soil!
Oh, how your photos make me miss living in Western MT. As always, I enjoy reading each week and the soil probe thing looks pretty cool!
as always love the pictures and words! We are slowly getting back into the Montana rhythm by spending some time in the northwest corner. Time moves so slow but goes by way too fast.
Nici your nuggets never disappoint! Great looking garden..ours is slowly coming along. I noticed two small cherry tomatoes this morning and lots of blooms on the rest of the veggies out there. I’m in eastern Nebraska and we had a very cold spring, so planting didn’t happen until Memorial day weekend! Enjoy your backyard world with that sweet little girl!
Yay for summer!!! Your photos are beautiful.
My garden would be so much happier if I had any idea what I’m doing back there so the black and decker thing would be awesome to win…
I called my husband over to look at your amazing mountain pictures. He has always wanted to move to Montana, so I told him we should definitly at least visit! So beautiful….
Love your posts as usual….your gardening encouraged me to “restart” gardening me with my kids. We used to long before my kids volleyball, baseball & refinding my relationship with the hubby.
So I have everything I need…trying to find a place to plant. Hopefully I can actally make it a go next year 🙂
I will keep keep reading if you keep inspiring!!
As always, I love this post. Margot is too funny. Love the comment about the matching shoes 🙂
Better late than never! I like the picture of both girls in the swing at Bonner Park. I like trying to figure out where you girls are in Msla when I look at your photos.
Here’s a joke I heard on the TV while my 3 y.o. was watching NickJr this morning. Maybe Margot will like it:
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Amos
Amos who?
A mosquito bit me and it REALLY itches!
🙂
Goodness Mt is far from TX! Peas and strawberries are looong gone. I’m just trying to keep things alive in this heat. Even the tomatoes are done setting fruit. This is the time of year I’m envoius of the north.
I’m working on my very first plot this year…just some tomatoes, lettuces, and peppers to round out our csa goodies. So far all are well except the peppers…they’re pretty puny. Love the nuggets! I, too have been loving that summer is finally here!
love the baby ball nugget. my two year old spent the day in our backyard cuddling his “baby daddy” aka a scraggly cedar wood chip.
I was up late – super late – working on digital photo books. Randomly checking for nuggets with no luck and threw in the towel at 12:30am. I saw your post on FB this morning about losing nuggets, so I’m glad to see that you were able to find and restore your writing. Phew.
I am loving the delayed bedtimes. Usually by 9, the house is quiet. I can only imagine how little time you have for writing these days, seeing that summer is a strong wave. Don’t you just love it thought? I am wading in the tide asking for it to knock me over again and again.
I love the story about tights, about her baby, and the matching shoes. And I got a chuckle seeing the girls share a swing and seeing the lack of sparkles on Margot’s well-loved red shoes. Alex bequeathed the name of “recipe” on one of her small stuffed animals last week. I kept hearing “recipe” over and over and and it took me that “ah-ha” moment to ask the right questions to figure out she was talking about her friend. And BTW, recipe loves to crack eggs, but sometimes he likes to take a bath in them. LOL.
Would love that garden toy. I need that technology.
-Jennifer from Annapolis
P.S. Praying that you have a good tomato bounty this year! My peas bit the dust already thanks to a short heat wave; the roots got too hot, so I’m already redesigning that bed for 2012.
My kale is coming up, and I have some tomatoes starting. I am excited for the new broccoli I planted this year.
Just lovely. You make me want to move there.
Oh wow, that thingy would be super helpful since I have no idea what I’m doing! As in, my potted daisies died in two days 🙁 Hate to see what happens when I try my hand at veggies next summer.
,,,”nuggets”,,,oh so warm and delicious!,,,
Congratulations on the new assistant! That must feel strange and wonderful all at the same time.
Right now it’s not so much what I’m trying to grow, as what I’m trying to keep alive. We just replaced some very large, overgrown shrubs with beautiful perennials. I hope they live!
I’m feeling the same way about wanting to write more than I can find the time but I’m enjoying the thoughts that are processing in my head and heart even if they don’t “get to paper.” I wish I had your knowledge and confidence in gardening and soil. Also, it is fun to know that we live in the same country but in such different climates since strawberries are long gone but our tomatoes look the same!! We are enjoying squash and cucumbers so far. I have some lettuce seeds and that is what i’m going to plant next since the person that gave them to me says they’ll bloom until the Fall. Anyway, so that is what I’m growing. Happy Summer to you and your girls!!! 🙂
We have some serious wires-against-sky views in my neighborhood as well. The kind with multi-post poles that always looked like robots to me when I was a kid. I stared at them two nights ago when I was on my walk and thought about how you would like them. (I could kinda tell you had a fascination with wires-in-the-sky from previous posts:) But until your blog, I didn’t see the beauty. Thanks for showing me that.
Blood meal! I’m so happy to see that someone who is a veteran gardener also has struggling squash! This is my first garden and while the corn, broccoli, and strawberries look OK, the zuc and winter squash are hurting! Thanks for the tip!
My new favorite post. Margo asking to run in that field of tall grass. Oh my heart. She is nothing but sweetness.
Your pictures just get better and better. Montana is so gorgeous and you capture it so well.
What a nifty little garden gadget. Way to go B&D!
I absolutely love when you post pictures of your plot. Your excitment for fresh veggies is right in line with my own. Cannot wait!
Now I want to run home and pick herbs and daisy’s for a vase…..and hug my dog.
Congrats on your new assistant!
And btw…nuggets are SO worth the wait.
xo
Kris
Congrats on the next step in business!
I’ve got greens and peas coming in now. Beets and radishes are over, but squash, peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins and popcorn (yes, popcorn!) await the hot summer days.
I wonder if that little device could tell me what’s wrong with my squash plants…
I planted a few plants but not many b/c I just knew they would all die since I work full time and wouldn’t be able to really give the time that a garden needs but they are all thriving!!!! I’m not quite sure what to do! The squash plants are as big as me and have little baby squash poking out. I’m so excited! I picked my first cayenne pepper on Sunday night and it was so hot it rocked my world…seriously I nearly choked on it!
I’m also sewing my first blanket for a friends babe. I curse worse than a sailor doing it…but I’m doing it!
Boy your peas are getting big!!…it has still been so cold in Seattle…maybe July our will run a little higher. The potato salad looks really yummy! Fun post.
We planted tomatoes,cucumbers, cantalope, cilantro, green beans, hot peppers, green peppers. Tried zuchinni, it didn’t fair well.
So far all is doing well. We even got our first cucumbers this week. It was wonderful.
I think Margot’s right about that grass. It just calls one out to walk through it.
Margot is the wittiest little girl I have ever heard of.. I can’t wait until Ruby starts throwing in her own little sound bytes.. I wonder if she’ll take a cue from her big sister.
Your peas are so much bigger than mine and I can’t be more than a couple miles away! Things are coming along with our garden but we sure have had a slow start. Thanks for the tip with the blood meal! The yellowed leaves are greening up. This is our first year having a real garden since moving here 2 1/2 years ago from a VERY different climate. We have lots to learn. Nice photos!
No need to enter me in the contest, just wanted to say that the picture of the girls on the road is amazing! It makes me want to drive there (what’s 10hrs) and take a pic of my boys. Just love it!
I love everything about this post except the fact that summer has yet to come to Helena and a growing number of us are beginning to fear it never will.
My strawberries are hard little pale green nuggets and my pepper plants are literally skinnier than my four-year-olds pinky.
I’m really not one for gadgets… BUT my husband would love me forever if I won this! 🙂 (Since I kind of owe him for watching the babe while I went shopping with some girls last night).
About the peas:
THe secret is getting them in the ground EARLY. Like as soon as the earth can move. The seeds don’t easily rot and they love cool weather for early growth. I planted my peas in mid March.
About the blood meal:
It is a giant source of nitrogen so unless you have a nitrogen deficiency, don’t use it! Nitrogen deficient plants usually have yellowing on the older leaves. Before you apply any fertilizer or insecticide, first diagnose the problem. This is a wonderful resource: http://www.co.missoula.mt.us/extension/plantdata?. Just search for your problem plant and read the symptoms to get ideas! Also, call your local extension office or take them a clipping. Good luck!
We have started small in ‘Caden’s Garden’ we have 3 tomatoe plants, 4 cucumber plants, rosemary, thyme and cilantro and a beautiful sunflower! All inspired by you little space on the web right here! Thank you!
I love you words noting the nuggets may be behind…knowing there are more nuggets being experienced. Its like an invitation to find our own nuggets!
We’re growing tomatoes, bell peppers, basil, and coriander this year… I can’t wait for the harvest.
Mmmmmmmmmm… my mouth is watering looking at your potato salad! And it’s only 9am! Maybe I’ll make it up for the 4th. 🙂
I love the picture of the little pea-picker helper!
Tomatoes, zucchini, sugar snap peas and I cannot wait for the KALE!!
That potato salad recipe came at the perfect time! I need to make some this weekend and that sounds perfect.
Good for Margot to know that with scenery that gorgeous you have to get out of the car!
In my mind I grow everything we eat! In reality I live in a high altitude environment with a very short growing season. I rely on my friends in Boulder to supply our little family with homegrown goodness!
Aww…Sully came and snuggled up with me while reading this. He looked at the pictures of Margot and Ruby so quietly and serious. I told him their names and he smiled and whispered, “Margot. Ruby.” 🙂
I heart Margot-isms!
My squash died a miserable death last year, but I am giving it one more go and giving my new plant lots of sunlight and protection from a little stone garden Buddha.
My 2011 garden includes:
Squash
Three kinds of tomatoes
Red Bell Peppers
Green Peppers
Basil
Oregano
(and coming soon…sage)
I need some PlantSmart love!
guess what kids?
potato salad for lunch. outside. in a tent.
see. we can all live the nuggets. 😉
oooo, that B&D thing looks totally cool. This year I ventured from the ‘usual’ stuff I grow. I kept the tomato’s, pumplins, zuchinni and summer squash, but decided to add strawberried, cucumbers and sweet potato’s. I can’t wait to see how it all comes out.
I just started my container garden again a couple of weeks ago after a long pregnancy/postpartum hiatus. It’s an itty bitty thing, but I’ve got a lot going.
Cilantro, dill, chives, rosemary, marjoram, green onion, Hawai’ian chili pepper, three types of basil, thyme, strawberries and a tomato. I’d love that B&D jobber to help me figure out what my light situation is over my lil plot.
Ok. I hope this comment sticks this time.
Aloha ;D
Ok now wow, the geek in me wants a crack at that data. You know what I’m growing, girl! A shit-ton of onions will be my crowing haul this year, they are bigger than softballs and effing gorgeous. Like you! (Just the last part.)
xo
Heater
I’m growing brussel sprouts for the first time ever! yay! So far they look good – guess I harvest when they look like the ones in the grocery store?
So beautiful, as always. I love the whole other world.
Radishes, carrots, peas, spinach, lettuce, basil, cilantro, tomatoes, asparagus, chives, onions, garlic, peppers, dill (poorly) and cucumbers (really poorly) are currently growing in our backyard and strawberries up front. Wanna hang out soon – got your oils. xo
I love the backyard tent. Wish I was cool enough to be cool with letting my kids not be asleep by 11 pm. You are one good mama.
That potato salad looks so good! I’m going to have to try it.
As much as I love your blog and admiring your gorgeous pictures and getting creative ideas from your adventures, please, please, please go live your life first. Blog later. We can wait … impatiently. 🙂
An assistant! How exciting. Can’t wait to hear what’s next.
Minnesotagal, Deal. 😉
That plant thermometer looks so cool! And, I’m jealous you have tomatoes growing already. My seattle-ite plants are getting big, but no fruit yet. They don’t believe me when I tell them it’s summer.
-a mostly lurker reader 🙂
Tomatoes. Tomatoes are the most hotly anticipated garden item always.
And you know I want to know everything about their soils so I’m tempted to just run out and buy one of those fancy thermometers, but I’ll wait.
Just in case this instance is different from every other one in my life 😉
Go Alice. One day – I will cuddle her, too – sweet girl.
Those mountain photos are breathtaking.
We are digging up everything and getting new soil because something’s up with ours. We’re at a stand still in the garden and are going to replant soon.
I miss midwestern produce.
xo
We’re growing all kinds of things and they are all (slowly) coming along. I’m jealous of your tomato pic! We’re in the South & I have MAYBE 3 small green tomatoes…and no more. We’re starting to enjoy plenty of fresh cucumbers and the zucchini & squash aren’t far behind. The B&D sensor looks VERY interesting!
Tomatoes! I am so jealous. We are still waiting for flowers on our plants. We have zucchini, strawberries, lettuce, onions, peas and spinach so far. That sensor is quite the gadget! Will share the giveaway on Twitter!
I love the photo of you and Alice! We are growing cucumbers, rosemary, lavender, basil, mint, grape tomatoes. We also are enjoying the fruit from our lemon and lime trees…
Yum, feta in potato salad sounds delicious.
We’re growing way too many radishes, the peas have flowered, we’ve got rogue tomato plants popping up as a result of our compost, corn that’s knee high by the fourth of July, peppers that have barely grown since we transferred them from the indoor pots, and so much lettuce we can’t keep up! Oh the variety 🙂
True beauty in your photos! As usual, I took them all in, imagined what you were saying about them and then went back to read and see if I surmised correctly…just a little HDN game I play! Oh & I would buy 8 of those garden thingies if they would help me grow your tomatoes!
Margot ~ I used to love sleeping out in the back yard too! Your Uncle Skip and I did it quite often…under your same Missoula sky!
Don’t ever give up that imagination of yours. I tried to remember a quote I once heard & really liked, I knew I had it written in my little book of quotes…I found it “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” ~ Albert Einstein
AND…as far as I am concerned…YOU are the miracle! I Love You A Bushel & A Peck!
Ruby ~ YOU are a treasure! I love how you say “Hi” to me on the phone…your mama says you wave at the same time! I can’t believe you are on your way to two…it seems like yesterday that you were just a wee babe…next summer at this time you will be doing all the things your big sister is doing this summer, hard to believe.
You are My Sunshine!
See you all in 20 days!
Love to all,
xoxo, Mom/Gram
ps~congrats on your thriving business ventures too…welcome Sarah Jess
pss~I sincerely love your dog too!
Hooray for your business! Hooray for your assistant! A double hooray for backyard camping!
We are growing strawberries, artichokes, peas, beans, tomatoes, basil, peppers, and squash. Having a sort of bad garden year though. Definitely could use some help!
Oh man, my peas are 1″ high… rumor has it that at some point, those little guys are going to need some sun to get any bigger, and thats just something that we are reallllly lacking this year.
Doing a little growing dance for them.
Your photos of power lines fascinate me.
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I am not growing anything but my three year old has peas in the ground. She also has an herb garden. I am growing vicariously through a three year old-good way to spend a summer I think.
oh my poor squash look sorrier than yours. as do my radishes, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc, etc. i NEED a plantsmart, stat!!
It’s very disheartening, but EVERYTHING I grow becomes bug eaten or splotchy leaved (hydrangeas, hostas, echinacea….very sad & expensive) . It doesn’t stop us though. I plant basil every summer in a barrel, and my boys plant whatever seeds they get their hands on…..sweetest thing ever to see how proud they are to grow something. My, then 6 year old Eli, grew Zinnias last summer and received the Sweepstakes ribbon at the fair! They are now growing pumpkins, sunflowers, Hollyhocks (seeds gathered from around the neighborhood), and hopefully zucchini. We have a very small sunny spot to grow, and all have splotchy, bug eaten leaves, but we’re still hoping for the best 🙂
Happy Summertime,
Kelly
Congrats on the assistant! I love your posts as they put so much joy into the world.
Thank you for all your sharing.
we’re growing a lil bit of everything… i would be really interested to see what this little gadget says is wrong with one of my blue hubbard squashes. we have several growing in a different spot that are thriving, but this one over next to the fence looks terrible. wonder what is up with it??
Hi! Here in Phoenix, I just harvested my beets and squash. We are also growing celery which is ready to be picked. My tomatoes never quite made it…although the rabbits sure enjoyed them! The basil looks super crispy every day by afternoon, but I am able to revive it with a good watering. Gardening here in the summer is a bit of a challenge. After all, it was 118 yesterday! We need all the help we can get! Love all the pics of the girls. Can’t wait to see you guys in a couple of weeks!
Happy 4th! Jessie 🙂
Would love one of those just like I love your blog~:)
I am growing zucchini, butternut squash, acorn squash, tomatillos, tomatoes, corn, radishes, beets, sweet peas, green beans, watermelon, and basil. Not all of it is growing successfully, but I am still incredibly proud since this is my first garden. 🙂
I love your photos. I love the mountains and clear blue sky. I also love strawberries and green bell peppers… I don’t have any to grow yet, so until I do I will just buy overpriced organic ones 😉 xx
I’m throwing my name in!
Home after 10 days away from my garden and its a healthy growing teenager to the cute first grader I left behind. Corn! pumpkins! sunflowers! tomatoes! cucumber! purple basil!
spinach and broccoli are no longer happy… but BEETS! a warm and wonderful welcome home.
pS – the photo of the friends spread with glassy baby candles… hope to someday have a seat at that table.
Your garden is beautiful! We only planted giant pumpkins and our planters full of flowers. Maybe next year we will have our own house to plant a garden….
your garden inspires me… i have no land (apartment living is for the birds!) but will be setting up a window sill garden next year!
Hope you and your family had an amazing Independence Day!
I love the idea of the plantsmart. I live in the desert and want to start a garden, I bet it would help immensely!
I’m growing radishes, chard & zinnias right at the moment! Pick me. Pick me.