Again, a friend peaked my interest. Now, I will share with you. FYI-Figs are said to be the first domesticated crops. Also, some say that early humans took took figs along with them and transplanted branches to have a ready supply of the fruit. Figs stand as legend and symbolism in various cultures and religions.

Season
"Fig trees usually bear 2 crops a year, the early season ("breba") fruits being inferior and frequently too acid. In Colombia and Venezuela, some fruits are borne throughout the year but there are 2 principal crops, one in May and June and the other in December and January.
Large-scale fig producers in California spray ethephon to speed up ripening and then wind-machines are drawn past the trees or helicopter overflights are made to hasten fruit drop, thus shortening the harvest period by as much as 10 days in order to avoid impending rain and insect attack. Proper timing of the growth regulator is crucial to fruit quality."http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/fig.html

SO, I guess just go to your local Farmer's Market and buy your figs there.

Speaking of trees, I have a husband that loves to climb trees. Check it out....

Starfruit

Thanks to a friend of mine, I have a heightened curiosity about starfruit. Last night after the gym, Chris and I stopped by Albertson's and guess what we found? You got it...the beautiful fruit of the stars!!! I have been looking for starfruit for years and have not found any until last light. Imagine my excitement....


If you ever want to eat a starfruit, but don't know how to cut it, don't be dismayed, I have your instructions right here:



First, you have to buy your starfruit. I guess they're mostly ripe when they're yellow and a little bit brown on the edges. If you buy a mostly green starfruit, you can put it in a plastic bag and leave it on your counter until it gets ripe.

Next, you cut off the brown edges of the starfruit. Don't cut too much off though (otherwise it won't look like a star!!)

After the edges, you need to cut off the hard ends.

Finally, ENJOY!! Everybody needs to experience starfruit...it's interesting and should be digested....hehe....

The big 2-3

So, my b-day started off with a bang. My faithful side-kick woke me up.
Since Chris took the day off (I already had it off thanks to the nice scheduler at the Depot), we went to Kneaders and had their all-you-can-eat french toast and sourdough pancakes. I pretty much kicked Boy's butt--they forgot his pancakes a couple of times...hehe. Anyway, after breakfast we did a little shopping. I got Across the Universe, as well as the soundtrack. We fell in love with that movie after we went with Catherine when she was in town. I also got the movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape. It's a good one, haha.



In the afternoon we went and saw Juno- a friend recommended it. We both really enjoyed that, as well. After all, it was only a dollar! At six o'clock we went to Jump On It. It is a huge warehouse full of trampolines. It was a freaking blast. We are all paying the price with sore limbs, but we would do it again in a heart beat!!
Thanks to everyone who made me feel special that day. Oh, I got a little punching bag that sticks to the table (or counter)! I love it. I use it quite often. This makes Chris happy. I got a cute purple baseball style shirt. I got balloons. I got an awesome kick-butt children's book "Llama Llama Mad at Mama." I also got a sweet Nintendo shirt.

Ah yes, and don't forget the kooky monkey slippers. Or, the money to Best Buy and the gratitude journal. Also, the many texts from people. I have the best friends and family...

That night, Boy took me to a play. It was a spoof on Wicked and The Wizard of Oz. Pretty darn funny. All-in-all, the day was nothing short of splendid.

grateful

I am alive indeed. That is a happy story!! Anna, do you have a picture on your blog of the tractor? Why did you get one? Can I drive it?
Ok, so if your rear-view mirror were to be broken, how would you fix it? You know, broken like a worm dangling at the end of a fishing line. The kind of broken that actually causes accidents, not prevents them. Got it? Well, my beautiful Go-Go Ghetto ('89 Honda) had such a rear-view mirror. After so many times of looking at the spot the mirror was supposed to be, I got fed up. I was bound and determined to fix it. One hot summer (this is an important fact), I had a friend visiting. I was explaining my predicament to her when I suddenly had a brilliant plan. GUM!!! I decided that the two of us would chew up a bunch of gum and stuff it in the top of the mirror. This was such an amazing idea...haha. So, my friend and I stopped at the local gas station to buy 3 packs of gum. We got our chompers ready. We each chewed up 7 pieces (more-or-less) and stuffed them into the top of the rear-view mirror. I am a freaking genius. After many minutes of chewing and 2 cases of TMJ, my mirror was fixed. I had gum stuffed in my mirror, but at least I could finally see. End of story.
HAHAHA....except that would really fit, right? A Spillers Fate...Like I said, it was a very hot summer. A few days after the fix-it session, my mirror fell right back into place and assumed its position as worthless. Also, the ooey, gooey, sticky gum we chewed got so hot it liquefied and oozed out. I had a rim of gum around the mirror, which I only had to look at during the winter, for that's when the gum hardened and kept my mirror in place.
I'm grateful for functional, non-minty, rear-view mirrors.

Happy B-day to me tomorrow. 23

On and On and On

So, our bathroom and the room next to it flooded again. Yes, this is our luck. A Spillers Fate...So, the latest. The Lincoln. Guess a lot of steering stuff is outta wack. The first part that needs to be fixed is $500 and the pump is $600. Apparently there is a hose broken that's $500 as well. Who really has that much money? So it goes I suppose.I guess we're posed to be learning some lesson...obviously we're not catching on......Also, I had to do blood work today. I really hate that. Needles scare me and now my arm is sore. Can you all please tell me some happy stories that are happening around...that would be fabulous. I'll be waiting!!!

More fun Stuff

Days 1&2

Days 3&4

Swimming with the sharks

So, Friday night I got to come home to a fun little adventure. The 3/8 hose to the toilet came off and sprayed water everywhere. Not only did it spray down the entire bathroom, it was unattended for 8 hours. I was hoping it was self contained; however, to my dismay, the animals were loaded on the ark two-by-two. Basically what I'm going to do is post pictures, for they can speak more than I can (haha, yea right!!).