i took this picture a couple of days ago, and the bunch is looking much redder these days than then ... i haven't picked a tomato yet, only because i don't know when is the best time to pick it. should it just sort of release w/o much of a fight? i'm afraid that if i wait too long, some critter will come and eat it. these are on my little cherry tomato plant on my back steps. i wish i had a garden full of tomatoes, but ... i don't. that has not kept me from making gazpacho though. i live near the state's farmer's market, so garden fresh tomatoes are only a couple miles away.

i have enjoyed my backporch garden this season. i did not get too much use from the parsley because when i need it for a recipe, i needed more than i was growing ... same with the cilantro. but, the rosemary is still growing strong, and will be around for a long time. i have used lots of mint lately ... for a certain cocktail ....



that's mojito, enjoying the spirits of his namesake. how to make a yummy mojito? well, crush up some mint leaves in the bottom of a glass. crush them good, with the back of a wooden spoon if that's all you have. add 2 tbs. of granulated sugar. pour some hot water ontop to melt the sugar and stir until dissolved. squeeze a lime, then add 2 oz of a light rum, then finish off with soda water and ice cubes. a flexi-straw is an excellent choice, as a straw keeps you from having a smile full of mint leaves after every sip. these cocktails are labor intensive, but definitely yummy.



that's the pile of books next to my bed. after about 4 months, i have finally finished _the cider house rules_. i did enjoy it, but for some reason, it took me forever to read. i started a new book in the stack, _bel canto_, but i'm only getting a few pages read each night.

i am a firm believer in sleep hygiene. in college, i could sleep anywhere, anytime, on any surface. nowadays, not so. i'm lucky to just sleep. i wake with every toss & turn. it's been this way for years. it's been a bit worse lately with waking up in the wee hours ... waking up and staring at the time glowing on the ceiling (i have a clock that projects the time on the ceiling). sometimes i give up fighting it, and just get up. the earliest i've let myself get up is around 4am. a couple nights ago when i was awake in the 3 o'clock hour, i made myself stay in bed, and i fell asleep again by 5am. it sucks. i wake up with all kinds of things on my mind. some good, some bad. if i wake up with crafty thoughts, i just get up and go and look at my craft books or knit.