book; bonk

Book read: Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell. The author is the woman who blogged cooking all the recipes in Julia Child's Matering the Art of French Cooking (524) in 1 year. I never read the blog, though I read some media coverage of it. The book had some thing about it I liked, but more things I thought were serious errors of pitch. I would have liked it more as a straighter account of cooking; as it stands it's as if the author, or her editor, or someone, said, "Cooking? Boring. What this book needs is some Chick Lit." I just didn't care about Julie's travails moving to Long Island City, or her friends' sex lives, or how boring it is to work as a secretary. It got better and more about the food towards the end. But I had to force myself to finish it.

Bonk: Casper whacked her forehead really really really hard on the windowsill right before bed. The goose-egg began developing immediately, and as the offer of ice sent her into hysterics, it's probably bigger now. She seemed fine (talking sensible, not unduly sleepy or nauseated, slept normally overnight, still asleep now which is normal), so apparently no serious brain-sloshing, but, ow. She's been really accident-prone this month. Photo may follow.

general domesticity

It is pouring rain, as it has done at aproximately 12-hour intervals since Friday afternoon, and is predicted to do for most of the week. On the plus side, no need to water the garden; on the mnius side, it's hard to dry the hand-washing on the line.

In garden news:

Recently harvested: 1 zucchini, lots of basil, parsley. Need to harvest the approximately 10 pole beans that have been produced so far. Have some more zucchini in progress, many tomatoes still bright green, and one little eggplant.

Rabbit depredations have now extended to the bush beans as well, and japanese beetles discovered the pole beans. Note to self: beans are hexed. Do not bother in future.

Recently planted things have germinated: more canteloupes, more carrots, more beets (original beets are a desolate wasteland), marigolds.

I have a second wave of climbing rose blooms, and under them the four o'clocks are blooming. A funny flower I'd never heard of until Nutty sent me a packet of seeds a few years ago, but they're like iron in this difficult climate, and so very useful. 3rd wave of lilies are blooming - some beautiful orientals, just like in the stores, which it amuses me to be able to produce so easily in my garden. Will have gladiolas, which I hate anyway and these are peach-colored, so doubly hateful, but I can't throw away a thriving plant, soon.

I finally inserted the new needle in the sewing machine and am again progressing on the Armadillo's quilt. Next need to make a measured drawing and some design decisions (can do at work tomorrow, where I have graph paper).

Casper's bonk is actually not photogenically horrible enough to bother, although I think there is actually a *dent* in her head. Well, now if she doesn't get into Harvard, I'll have something to blame.

We are thinking of going to the mall to get out of the house, but for now Casper is dancing to music in her Elmo underpants and shaking her maracas. (Literally.) mr. flea is dissertating in the bedroom.