I AM A Gardener - Yes, We Have No Tomatoes

August…sun…heat…TOMATOES!

If you are of Italian heritage, of course you have an “orto” (kitchen garden), and of course you grow vegetables, and of course one of those vegetables is the tomato.  Looking back over the years, my life story is "peppered" with tomato memories.

My dad was the gardener in our family and he took great pride in his tomatoes.  

My dad, circa 1958 - Isn't he proud!!

They often did not make it into the kitchen.  He would pick the tomato, wash it off with the garden hose, and hand it to me like an apple. “Here, take a bite of THIS!”  And I would…bite deeply into the red flesh, feeling the juices still warm from the sun, running down my chin.  

We often ate tomato sandwiches.  Bread, a little mayo, sliced tomatoes, sliced onion and a piece of lettuce.  Who needed baloney when you had ripe tomatoes?  

And the excess harvest?  Well a whole day was devoted to canning in the basement and its aroma would permeate the entire house.  Tomatoes were peeled, simmered with some seasoning, placed in sterile canning jars and stored for the winter months.

When I was a young mother and we bought our first house, one fine day in May my dad arrived at my house with a shovel, some fertilizer and tomato plants.  He spent the afternoon digging a small garden against the back wall where he planted my tomatoes.  There…now the house was complete.  I tended them as I was taught but it was Dad I called if I ever saw a fat juicy tomato worm!

One of the many advantages of living at Palos Verdes Shores community is the opportunity to have a plot in our community garden.  Though I have to endure the local wildlife of birds, squirrels, gophers and raccoons competing for the harvest, it still affords me the pleasure of growing tomatoes.  

My solar activate sonic gopher repellent that seems to be working!

Gino and Jessie love to go down to the garden to “help” me.  

"I can help you, Mima! Let me do it!"

This year we purchased 7 plants from Laurel's Heirloom Tomato Plants in Lomita.

Jay does the dig and carry!

All planted!

 I have spent the last few weeks reaping what I have sown!  

Just one day's pickings!

Some ripening on the window sill.

In addition to making some favorite seasonal recipes and freezing fresh sauce for winter months I have had the joy of sharing some of the bounty with neighbors and grounds keepers.

Ahhh - gazpacho!

Fresh tomato salad.

Both sets of grandparents had “orto”s so it is very natural for me to follow suit.  They didn’t spend time worrying about a lovely manicured lawn.  To them, it made no sense to spend your time, money and energy in growing something you could not eat!   

It is only now, in my golden years, that I am beginning to grow something other than vegetables and I take delight in watching the Monarch butterflies circling my glorious milkweed bushes. 

My milkweed in full bloom.

A visiting Monarch butterfly.

Gino looks for caterpillars every time he comes over!  I hope this one sticks around long enough for him to see it!

And...a monarch caterpillar that we are praying makes it into a cocoon.

And the cycle of life continues.....

I Am A Traditionalist - Charlotte's Bridal Shower

I can never think of traditions without hearing Tevya, in “Fiddler on the Roof,” singing in his deep resounding voice.  I love traditions.  For me, it is a consistent way of marking special times in life’s journey.  

Yesterday we experienced the traditional “rite of passage” of the bridal shower.  A young woman (Charlotte) was surrounded by her circle of women (friends, relatives) who will walk with her through this very special transition period in her life…as she moves from one status to another…from being a single woman to being a wife and sharing the rest of her life with a husband (my son, Marc). 

Times of transition are filled with emotion.  Of course there is excitement, happiness, anticipation but there can also be some fear, anxiety, self-doubt.  Can I really do this?  Will I be up to the task?  Who is better to give the advice, the understanding, the listening ear, the support, than other women, women who understand how she feels, especially women who have known her through various stages of her life, women who love her and will hold up her up!

Yesterday, 24 women gathered around Charlotte at the home of her “future sister-in-love,” Milli, to celebrate and support her transition.  

Many traveled the long distance from Charlotte’s home town of Dos Palos, CA.  They made toasts and expressed their good wishes.   

They surrounded her with the things she loves and even fed her, her favorite grilled cheese sandwiches.   

Overtime some traditions give way to new traditions.  When I was a bride, I received aprons and cookbooks.  Charlotte received more current gifts from her friends!

As I prepared to walk beside this new daughter-in-love as she marries my son,  I wanted to gift her with something personal so I knit her a lace shawl.  It was very intricate so it took time and concentration and in each stitch was wrapped a wish and a prayer for happiness that will hug her whenever she wears it.  It was in her favorite color, cobalt blue, and it had “bling” which she loves!

Her "blingy" shoes!

Traditions provide roots…and more than anything they remind us of who we are and that we belong to something bigger than ourselves…we are connected to a family, a group, a circle of friends…reminding us that we are not alone, nourishing our spirit.  The friends who surround us helped to shape who we are and who are yet to be…they help us remember who we REALLY are. Life is just better together!

One tradition that signals Charlotte’s entry into our family is the signing of the “You Are Special Today” plate.  This plate has been used throughout the years to honor family members at special times.   

Today as Charlotte began her entry into our family, she ate off the plate and she signed her name…it’s our Tradition!

Charlotte...we all love you, I love you and I love that you love my son, Marc.  

Welcome to our family!!