I know, we are well into July, but this post is mostly about what happened in June. At the end, I have some fun July news.
We are fortunate to have great neighbors on all sides. Above is an example. One of our neighbors is growing a magnificent elm tree in their yard – but it hangs almost entirely over our property, and specifically over our garage. With no comment from us, they decided it was getting too top heavy, and paid to have it trimmed. That is pretty great.
I mentioned in my last post that we don’t spend much time in the front of the house. But there are nice things out there. Right now, I’m harvesting heaps of blueberries from the front yard – a win!! Most of the space is neglected. So neglected, that some “weeds” have thrived. Pedro and I like them both and allowed them to grow. Pedro is adamant that weeds are always in the eye of the beholder, and he has no hesitation in allowing things to grow that other households would not cherish. Can you believe that mullein is taller than the house?! It’s a valuable plant for its large fuzzy leaves that can be a natural absorbent, and can be dried and made in to a tea to aid respiratory health.
The other great thing about our front yard is sunsets, though we never spend time out there watching the sun set. It’s too noisy. We spot the sky from the back yard, then run through the house so we can look out the front way, ooh and ahh, take a photo or two, then return to the back yard.
We have eaten zucchini soup, zucchini bread, lemon zucchini muffins, zucchini stir fry, sausage stuffed zucchini, and fresh sliced zucchini snacks. We have grated and chopped and frozen zucchini, and we have given away zucchini to neighbors and kids. There are still more!
I know the zucchini problem is well known and not special at all. It is only new to us. We have struggled to grow and care for them properly in our past years, but this year all our work paid off and the plants remain robust and powdery-mildew free! Now that I know this system works, I will plant fewer plants next year.
We are also inundated with cucumbers. Our summer has been cool so far, so the tomatoes and peppers and tomatillos are still considering whether to ripen. I believe that when they do finally get going, we will have too many of those as well. The cool wet summer means we have not suffered with wildfires and smoke as much as many have, and we are grateful for that. The cool allowed the lettuce to thrive, but now our lettuce trees are finally spent.
Have you ever seen leaf lettuce grow into trees? I have never seen it until this year. I had no idea this was possible. These were purchased last year as regular leaf lettuce: buttercrunch and red lettuce. Last year they grew close to the ground like proper lettuce. This year I did not plant a single lettuce and LOOK at this! We ate and ate and ate lettuce, and then finally the trees went to seed and I pulled them up by their roots and gave them to the chickens, who were delighted, and devoured what was left of them.
Other things have been happening around here. For example, Pedro’s son Andre graduated from his dental hygienist assistant course. He was attending a different campus of Portland Community College, the same college I was taking Spanish classes at. That college has a strong orientation toward practical classes that students can use right away toward employment.
Andre’s twin brother Liam has wrapped up his years at PCC, and is now racking up volunteer hours with animal care so that he can join a new program at a different college to further his studies in veterinary school. My kid Kellen and their fiancé Cameron went on vacation in northern Washington state, almost to the Canada border, to spend some time visiting an old high school friend as an early birthday gift for Kellen. I took them to the train station.
I had been griping about my old laptop’s declining functionality. Pedro wanted my old computer equipment to install Linux on and do his computer geek fun projects, so I bought a new laptop and he bought me a new monitor (which is BIG). It’s all set up now and I’m loving it. The big monitor is so easy on my weak old eyes.
Pedro and I have both been going through a responsible phase, trying to schedule all the neglected doctor’s appointments, for example. We also got our wills completed, updated our legal arrangement for the house should one of us die before the other, and updated our Advanced Directives (the instructions for what to do with our health care in the case that we are incapacitated, such as in a coma) – all of these with an attorney and notary.
Medically, I have been trying to fix the pinched nerve at my left SI joint. Not that it really holds me back, because I am tough and just clench my teeth and keep going, but having this amount of pain every single day is not right. I am only 56 and I refuse to let this be my norm already. Anyway, after six months of physical therapy helping only slightly, I am now in active chiropractic care, which also helps a little. Next I will try acupuncture. My theory is that if each thing helps a little bit, maybe I’ll just keep trying new things till I am no longer in pain! Well…it’s worth trying….
My child, Kellen, has a birthday tomorrow and turns 29! Twenty-nine!!! I still find it mind blowing that my baby is nearly thirty. I must have been 11 or 12 when I became a mother, because there is no way I’m old enough for a child that age, ha ha. Ok, but of course I am old enough.
Kellen’s big big news is that yesterday they put an offer in to purchase a house. It’s pictured above. It’s so cute and has potential. If you look critically, you will see that the house is a mess. I’ve been inside and looked closely and I’d almost say it is a disaster. BUT!! That is how a young couple in today’s America can afford a first home these days: buy something that no one else wants, and the price comes down. Also, I am going to provide the down payment. I might as well invest in real estate as the stock market.
Anyway, the offer has not had a response yet, so it might not happen, but just the fact that they are in home-buying mode is pretty fun for me. It’s one of the only ways to get ahead in this country: somehow purchase property. I hope it works out. The roof needs replacing immediately. Pedro and I have both committed to helping the kids with everything else.
We are having a pretty good summer so far. I hope you are too.
Conscious Engagement 
Oh so much to take in Crystal. Is it going to be hotter in summer in Pedros shed now the tree is gone, thankfully I may add. I have had a big screen for years now and it makes working with photos easier. That station is just amazing as is the number of students!!
Zucchini – cut into strips, cook in oil in a grill pan or BBQ and sprinkle dried garlic pieces and a bit of salt and pepper but I guess you have tried that.
The “car collector” looks more like a hoarder to me
ha ha!! Great comments all, Brian! The tree was only thinned out, not cut down. It is over our garage, which holds Pedro’s car and our home gym. Those things can have heat – though the workout is harder when it’s hotter. Pedro’s workshop is on the opposite end of the property, and was built so well that it stays blissfully cool on hot days, while MY office, right next to it, gets broiling inside (because we just bought a cheap TuffShed and finished it inside to look nice).
I think there were 450 students at Andre’s graduation? There was so much joy inside that auditorium! You described my absolute favourite way to eat zucchini – the simpler the better. Um…hoarder…yes. I was trying to be neighborly. They are the sweetest, sweetest people, but yeah: so many vehicles. At least they finally got rid of the school bus and the 12-seater van! We would love for them to finish the outside of their house, but that plastic weatherproof sheeting has been on the outside of the house so long that the brand name Tyvek has finally worn off. Not that I care what people do with their homes, but we have to look at it every day. Ah well.
Oh dear, your office sounds like an AC is needed and the gym has an inbuilt sauna 😂 My favourite zucchini cooking method as well if I don’t put it into a pasta sauce.
I am lucky I can’t see my neighbours but they all have lovely neat houses although the farm next door is a bit shambolic.
I love these pictures. Your child’s house is adorable with lots of potential. Fingers crossed that the offer is accepted!
OH Viv, thank you for saying so. I think that house is so adorable and has so much potential. The one good thing about buying a fixer-upper is that once you start repairs, the value=equity goes up fast. Kellen works for a construction/excavation company, and so they can help with insight, contacts, local knowledge…all that I think is going to go a long way toward helping Kellen and Cameron make their house a home, no matter what place they end up in.
Yes! We have bought a few fixer uppers over the years. My husband also works in construction. You are right – the value will increase once you start repairs. You’re making me want to look for another project house. Good luck with everything!
I love your collage post of news, Crystal. How wonderful to have a cool summer. I had a good giggle about your glut of zucchinis. 😆 Do I know about that!! What a blessing that you can also (at last) experience the joys and creative cooking challenges of having a successful crop. I like your approach to your SI pinched nerve. Fingers crossed that it will eventually be resolved. Living with pain can be exhausting, I’m told. Enjoy the rest of your summer.
You are so right about the joys and creative cooking challenges. I have felt pressed to come up with zucchini solutions, but have not regretted a single thing!! What a lovely problem to have. Pedro has decided to teach himself to make pickles, and use up our heaps of cucumbers – also a creative way to deal with too much. 🙂
Yesterday we finished running the underground irrigation lines for the three new raised garden beds (speaking of work that gets buried). And I believe today is the day when I can finally scoop up the last of the dirt piled on the blue tarp and fold and put that tarp away. I am very excited. It’s an event!
It’s definitely an event! Woohoo. Really happy for you.
Enjoy all the creative ways in using your produce, and may your garden always be bountiful.
Great post! All good things in your life in June! Except that joint pain. Sorry to hear that. I had a pinched nerve many years ago. I also tried EVERYTHING for some relief! Acupuncture, chiropractic care, physical therapy, etc etc etc. In the end, I think it was time that did the healing….it was about a full year until the pain went away. Ugh! Hope you feel better soon! And I hope the house purchase goes through. That’s exciting!
Thank you for the hope that the pain will go away, or at least get better! Yes, we had a good June and July is looking good too. We are due. We had some rough months and things are swinging back. Nice when things ease and it’s easier to relax and smile. But also, I am getting better at slowing down and that also helps a lot.
Ahhh, like an ode to zucchini. I do love a good homage to vegetables. How did the offer on the house go? So exciting. I worry so many people growing up today are still too young to vote to protect their futures. Will home ownership be possible? Glad you’re able to help! Love the projects!
Yesterday we had ten zucchini stacked on the counter. I set one aside for dinner, and filled a bag with the rest and went door to door, asking people to take them off our hands. Got rid of all nine!! Came home with freshly made ratatouille, oatmeal cookies, and yellow plums in exchange! What a great day.
Thanks for asking about the home offer. Seller and Kellen settled on an agreed price and signed, which allowed Kellen to hire a home inspector. Thank goodness for that. They found so many electrical and plumbing problems, in addition to the roof (and moldy insulation), that Kellen backed out of the deal. I think it would be a marvelous project house. It’s adorable, and the foundation and structural framing is in great shape, the inspector said. But it has had very few updates since it was built in 1930, and it’s out of code and uninhabitable without about $50k worth of repairs first. We CAN do all of that (except for the roof and electric), and assured Kellen that we were willing to step in and spend a year of weekends down there…but Kellen said no. They want to move into a house to decrease their stress, not increase it, and a project house is not going to be calming. ha ha, good call! So, it’s back to step one. But that’s ok, the kids have a pretty good attitude about it.
I raised my kiddo right: we took voting very seriously since they were in middle school, and it was always a family event. Each time elections came around and we got the Oregon voting booklet in the mail, we would sit down with the voting book, and I would read through the people and the issues, and the pros and cons printed. I would explain how you need to see who paid for the paragraph written, and think about what is left out, in addition to what is there. We would discuss all our thoughts on it, check the internet to answer questions, till we felt good about a vote, which I would then fill in. When Kellen was old enough to vote, they were SO excited to get their first book, and ready to begin reading and choosing for themselves.
A good month. Keep going. (No zucchini for me though!)
I gave your calabacitas to the neighbors!! ha ha
Haha. Be my guest.
PS. What do you mean about SI joint? Is that in your column?
Sacroiliac Joint is a weird kind of “joint” where the spine connects to the pelvic bones (specifically the ilium). One on each side. My left joint is a tiny bit misaligned causing my muscles to be swollen, and that is pressing against some nerve. It causes all kinds of pain when I stand, and the longer I am upright, the more it hurts. So walking, running, standing, all quite painful. The nice thing is: the moment I sit down, it’s instant relief. So I know it’s soft tissue, and it’s fixable.
All right. It’s what they call L5-S1 here. That is usually a very delicate part of out anatomy. We were built to run on all 4’s. I have that too. I can walk just about any distance but if’m standing 5 minutes doing nothing, sciatica kicks in.
Physiotherapy is the best remedy.
best wishes…