Harvest!

Thank goodness for housemates! I was able to harvest these colourful gems because my housemate made sure my small garden didn't get too thirsty during the reign of 40+ degree days with no rain...

This is the third harvest off my tomato plants - the first harvest was picked the day before The Man and I flew to Thailand (one grape and one sugarless yellow - you wouldn't believe how proud I was of them) and the housemate used the second harvest in a spag-bol-from-scratch.

These tomatoes are teeny tiny - but pack a big punch in flavour. These are cherry, grape, sweetbite and sugarless yellows - small fruit that is great to nibble on during the day. I also have some Moneymakers and Black Russians - however these are still ripening on the vine.

The garden appears to have exploded during the three weeks we were away. The capsicums and chillies have fruit on them, as do my cucumber(?) plants (these were a gift from The Man's dad, and look like little Heinz gherkins) and there are two red hunchback looking things on my strawberry bush. The beans are still going crazy, and the eggplants have flowers on them, and the pumpkin runner has taken off (I think it may be attempting a half marathon, or at least a cross country...)

Post-script: Yes, it is 3am and I can't sleep. During yesterday's tyre saga, I rather foolishly spent too much time in the sun wearing a tank top sans sunscreen. I now glow in the dark red across my neck and shoulders. Silly really - it was at least 10 degrees cooler here than we had in Thailand (where I didn't get burnt sunscreen or no) so I didn't think about it. Shows just how bad a hole in the ozone layer and the sun directly over head can be. Oh well, at least blogger is letting me post pictures now... And in case you're wondering- I have an appointment to enrol in my course next Tuesday. Allaz wal!

a two flat tuesday...

There is nothing like real life to remind you that you are no longer on holiday!

While I was away, I received the official offer for the Studio Textile and Design Course. Enrolment day on the letter was listed as today....

So this morning I jumped in my car, backed out of the drive, got halfway round the round-a-bout....

...and had a sneezing fit...

BUMP BUMP! I ended up driving over the gutter....

I heard a funny noise coming from outside the car, so I pulled over.

Got out of the car.... the back passenger side tyre was completely flat, and the front passenger side tyre was slowly joining it...

First of all, I called for help. The man said he was on the way...

Secondly, I called up RMIT - I spoke to a girl in the enrolments information office who made helpful comments like "oh... your enrolment session is 11-1, which is now. No one will be in their office to take your call...'' and ''...you really need to go to your enrolment session cos otherwise they will think you're not interested and give your place to someone else...'' After finally convincing this bright spark to put me through to someone because I was sure they had voicemail, she then hung up on me....

So I found a direct number for the textiles school... which was a lot more helpful :)

The Man sorted things out with the car for me... (put the spare on, take the flat to be fixed, put the new tyre on, now need to get spare repaired...) ....and I have spent the rest of the day doing laundry from our trip and pottering in the garden.

Ahh... yes... real life :P

Mary Mary Quite Contrary, How does your garden grow???

UP! stoopid...!

hehehe.... I think that was a poem from 'Far Out Brussels Sprout' (or perhaps 'All Right Vegemite'?) when I was in primary school. Anyone else remember those fantastic introductions to poetry, rhythm and rhyme???

Oops - slight digression there, before I even start...

A couple of the men in my life have been conspiring to give me a new hobby. One that gets me out of the house a little bit....

These are some tomato seedlings that my Pop gave me after one of his markets. (well... the seedlings have been in the ground for about a month now...)Having joked about my 'black thumb' (I have been rather unsuccessful with anything green - so much that The Man suggested I try a Bonsai Mountain aka a pet rock), Pop gave me half a dozen of these seedlings to have a go with and The Man, despite earlier commentary, has been encouraging me quite a bit too. And they have been amazing me - I didn't know that tomato plants had flowers (apparently the ones that don't get you unfriendly calls from the narcotics squad!) I am happy to report that as of this morning I have two teeny tiny green tomatoes on these plants.

And I got a nice pumpkin plant....

And Pop gave me some magic beans (well, okay, they are regular climbing beans - they didn't quite grow up to the clouds overnight, but they are popping up rather quickly)After this, I took advantage of a sale at kmart and came home with some mixed capsicums...

and eggplants (they aren't doing too well thou :() That's just a sample of my new green finery :) - The Man visited his Father (also a keen gardener) in Melbourne yesterday and came home with some more additions for the backyard - including a strawberry plant ... yum yum!