A summer re-cap

Late August:8-ft. tall tomato plants in the foreground
and pole beans on the trellis.

Despite a cold start to the gardening season, then a rainy July, then a cool August start, it is finally the kind of weather in which the tomatoes and other vegetables thrive. Unlike the tomato and the jalapeño pepper, I personally like the cool.

We now have bounty of good-looking tomatoes although they have been sweeter tasting in past years. My current stock will go into making oven-roasted tomato pasta sauce. I just purchased a food mill and am anxious to try it. It is supposed to separate the seeds and skins from the rest of the tomato, I hope it works. My garlic harvest was bountiful so that will definitely been in the sauce as well as my herbs. I'll try to remember to comment on how it all worked.

Oven-roasted Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce
http://areluctantfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/07/oven-roasting-fresh-tomatoes-for-pasta.html

Despite the ups and downs of the weather, my container flowers and perennial beds are having a good year. Keeping a journal helped me with this year's selections and garden plans. I have also been recording for next year. I have noted what plants need moving and dividing as well as what additions I want to get and where to buy my favorites. I had a slow start on planting my seeds indoors, however the zinnias, the small teddy bear sunflowers, kale seedlings were worth the effort. Next year, less procrastinating, more planning and more seeds. Currently working on another round of bush beans and have been harvesting the pole beans on my garden gate trellis.

Back inside the house, I am contemplating a few updates to the kitchen, bath and fireplace. Tim and I recently painted the downstairs bedroom a pleasant shade called Manchester Tan from Benjamin Moore. I have always liked their color palette so I am starting to peruse many paint swatches as well as wall and floor tile samples which of course make Tim very nervous. I want to lighten up the inside of this house.

The view from the street from a recent shopping visit to Wickford, RI,
while I was in RI visiting my aunt, brother and sister-in-law..