so what do i do...

with all these tomatoes?

i've already made gazpacho, caprese salad, and tabbouleh...can you freeze homemade salsa?

any suggestions? ;) because i think there is another batch this big on the vines ready to be picked soon.

at least the darn tomato plants actually did something this summer... my zucchini can't get any bigger than a golf ball without rotting, the cucumber decided it didn't like where it was growing and is pathetically trying to hang on, the cherry peppers didn't get as big as we thought (smaller than golf balls) and some little bugs have decided that they REALLY like my basil, oregano, and spearmint. so leaves the tomato plants and the lemon thyme. ah well. we tried.

Scup on the NYTimes

Okay, so my DOG makes the NYTimes... and we never have. ;)

Check it out! HERE

Okay, it was a "reader submitted" photo thing, but hey, i'm glad they chose it... and like a bunch of others, but that's ok!

What's in a name?

So we ran into someone at our favorite Mexican restaurant last week that told us there is a song called "Stella by Starlight" - so I looked it up today. Looks like Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra all sang it - here are the lyrics.

The song a robin sings,
Through years of endless springs,
The murmur of a brook at eventide,
That ripples by a nook where two lovers hide.

That great symphonic theme,
That's Stella by starlight,
And not a dream,
My heart and I agree,
She's everything on earth to me.

That great symphonic theme,
That's Stella by starlight,
And not a dream,
My heart and i agree,
She's everything on earth to me.

Now I've got to find a copy - I would LOVE all three - I think they would each be fun.

One of my professors also told me there are a series of poems by Sir Philip Sidney, a Renaissance poet, who wrote a series of sonnets entitled "Astrophel and Stella" - and some are quite lovely -

There is also a Jonathan Swift series of poems (and a journal) to a woman named Stella (whose actual name was Esther). Yes, THAT Jonathan Swift of Guilliver's Travels.

and then of course, there are all those damn dogs at the dog park who are named Stella. (see previous post from last month on this topic).

But obviously, OUR Stella was certainly inspired by Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire - why?
1) because we're theatre dorks (and no, it wasn't after Stella Adler, although she was a formidable woman)
2) because Steve just thought it would be awesome to yell at the back door when she's off playing with the neighborhood pack of kids ... STELLLLLLAAAAAA!

Oh yes. That was the reason. ;)

Stella's got a puppy

My series of photos of Miss S today whilst eating her hand. I came in from fixing lunch and she had her arm wrapped around the pup. I put this little guy on our registry way back when she was Speedy because it looked like Scupper (and my friend Dana was nice enough to indulge us and buy it). I'm trying to "introduce" Stella to having a little friend for comfort. We'll see if it works. So far, seems that she likes him well enough. Or it just could be that she has no clue and by happenstance wrapped her arm around it. I'd like to think the former...

Camping!!

So we went camping for Steve's 40th birthday this weekend.

yes, camping. All of us.

A Dog.
A 3month old baby.
and two old farts.

in an 85 VW Vanagon.

Kick ass.

It ended up being an awesome trip. We went about 5 hours north of San Diego to the mountains outside Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara = beautiful and cool with a breeze. Mountains = over valley and 90. Luckily, b/c it's California and the desert high country, it went down to 60 at night, but man alive, it was a little hot during the day.

Here we are - on our way. I actually got to sit in the front passenger seat for a change, after I wrestled the dog for the spot. See, he thinks it's HIS spot.



And later on in the drive, he DID indeed mark his spot.

With a bladder full of pee. While we were driving. No joke. Steve and I just started laughing, because hey, whatcha gonna do?


Steve and Stella - ready to camp.... and then she passes out in the new stroller.


We had to eat dinner in the van because the meat bees came. Yes, the meat bees. Yellow jackets that like meat instead of fruit or other sorts of things. Meat bees. No joke. They liked chicken sausage on Friday and our bacon on Saturday morning. We've had a run in with them before over chorizo.

Scupper gets ready to jump in a swimming hole full of stagnant water. Yum.
This is right before we decided to turn around on our morning hike because it was getting so hot.


post hike -yup. it's hot.

Steve enjoys one more beer (later on in the day) at the age of 39.

After the beer, we take a rim hike around the mountains above the campground.

A picture to remind Stella that she camped and hiked before she was 3 months. (also because Steve wanted to have something to show her when she's 13, remind her how good her father was to her and that even if he's an old man, he was a cool dad.

The view, the shadows at night falls.

The van doing a "water crossing" - supposedly this photo will get Steve clout on a VW forum website. and the last photo is where Scupper liked to pass out on the way home. He was so tired from all the hikes that he slept all day on Sunday once we arrived back in San Diego.

Crafty Momma

So this is probably the ONLY outfit Stella will ever get from my little hands - as the time to actually knit or make anything seems impossible... although i have some damn cute patterns waiting in the wings. I made this before she was born and finally finished everything last week. It really isn't a dress, but more of a tunic so that it can grow with her - it's open on the sides and you just put it on with a onesie.

booties to match - we'll see if they actually stay on her feet.

She seems pretty happy about it, but what do i know ;)

Can't say things are exciting 'round here

but Stella is still pretty cute, so we continue to take photos. Other than that, we had a great visit with Uncle Mike. He fell in love with Scupper and Stella - and Scupper was certainly sad to see him go. I was sad to see him go too b/c he cooked a lot of meals and did i don't know how many sinks of dishes. I think he was ready to install a dishwasher by the end of the week - oh if only our kitchen had room.

Stella and her sleeping habits continue to befuddle me - but this morning we reached a milestone - she is currently napping UNAIDED in her crib. aka not on my chest or driving around in the car. You know, it's only about a week until she's 3 months old, so it's about time. I don't want to get too excited, because everything could change tomorrow, but hey, right now, pretty darn cool.

So if this becomes a habit, I might actually get a dissertation written? Do ya think it's possible?

Stella's first tat. ;)

Adorable outfit compliments of Auntie Ali. 'Cause you know i'm WAY too pratical for buying a jean skirt for a 3 month old. ;)