Category Archives: Project 366

Forbidden Fruit

Fundamentally, it is all about tomatoes.

Some men have a mid-life crisis that involves a sports car, or a new job. For me, it was gardening, so we spent a good part of the Spring planting tomatoes. Then we had to transplant, stake and prune them, and we even managed to sell some of the plants.

We drew all kinds of deep, philosophical lessons from the planting, growing, staking and pruning, provoking one common reaction from our readers:

“For crying out loud, enough with the tomatoes, already!”

A-Camping We Will Go
This boy was so sick of tomatoes, he’s packing to leave.

But at last we have arrived at the day we’ve all been waiting for: Harvest Time.

When I returned home this evening, Kathy asked me eagerly, “When are you going to eat one of your new, red tomatoes?”

I chortled with glee. “Maybe today … ” I hinted, waggling my eyebrows in a conspiratorial way.

Later, I went out to water and inspect my little darlings, and to photograph them appropriately. Looking closely, I noticed that there were only two crimson globes, where three had dangled yesterday. Frantically, I searched in the dirt at the foot of the plant — nothing! Could it be possible that someone had eaten one of my precious tomatoes?

My Precious
The first fruits of my harvest

I rounded up the usual suspects. “OK,” I snarled. “Who was throwing a frisbee near my tomato plants, and what did you do with the tomato you knocked off?” I marched up and down the line of ‘persons of interest’, noting their beady eyes and guilty faces.

But none of them cracked. “We don’t know what happened to your silly ‘ole tomato,” wailed my youngest daughter.

Forbidden Fruit
… and then there were two …

Finally, a confession was received from an unexpected source: “Um, I had one, sweetie,” admitted Kathy, scuffing the dirt with her toe. “It looked so good, and the snake said it would make me wise … ”

It is things like this that really put a marriage to the test.

Tim
Project 366, Day 220

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Tomato Promises

My how those tomatoes are growing.

Well, at least the plants themselves are growing. So far we don’t have any actual red fruit. Oh, there are a smattering of green globes here and there all over our back yard garden, but so far no edible tomatoes.

We want our tomatoes!

Look at the size of those tomato plants! Aren’t they impressive. And to think that Tim and the children started out with a little bit of dirt and some seeds. God’s bounty is truly amazing. We’ll have some tomatoes soon. I Promise.

Kathy
Project 366 – Day 215

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Hooray for Fred Meyer

A little more than a week ago, I bought a set of patio furniture for Kathy’s birthday, as discussed in Birthday Bash. I was feeling very virtuous because I had used my hoarded computer fund to purchase the furniture, but God was just looking for a chance to show us His love.

It has been a hard month for the budget — we’re over in kids’ clothes and Kathy’s haircut was more than we expected. All year long she cuts hair for the four males in the house — probably 30 haircuts or so — and we put aside a little money each month so she can have a salon cut and some highlights. Somehow she ended up with some higher costs and a third color, and went over by $46.00.

Daniel washing my car
We also save a lot by never washing our cars …

We recorded some birthday expenses, because I wanted to know if I had any money left. Seeing that I still had a little cash in my Tim’s Miscellaneous, I offered to pay the difference for her haircut. “After all,” I suggested, “a man’s gotta have his wife look good.”

Actually, I’m just pathetically grateful that she’ll cut our hair. I’d be shelling out at least $300 for all those haircuts, and I’d still have to pay for her to get her hair cut.

“No,” Kathy demurred. “I’ll pay some, too. How ’bout you pay $26?”

I bargained her up to $36 (I’ve always been a sharp bargainer) and she rushed off to Target and Fred Meyer to spend some more. She called me from the store while I was out puttering with my tomatoes. It turns out that the patio set was on sale (even more than it was when I bought it). I encouraged her to ask if they would do a price adjustment (or whatever they call it) since we’d bought the furniture so recently. “Yep, they will,” she told me gleefully.

Dave the Brave
David was gleeful too …

I jumped in the car with the receipt as soon as she returned home, and rushed to the store, fearing that the clerk who agreed to give us the deeper discount would leave, quit or be fired before I could get there. But my fears were groundless; they cheerfully agreed to credit me the difference of $108.80!

There are several morals to the story:

  • Don’t be afraid to spoil your wife if you can afford it
  • Don’t be afraid to ask — they can always say “no”, but they might say “yes”
  • If you try to be more generous than God, you’ve got your work cut out for you.

Sarah washes cars daintily ...
“Anyone want to take a turn washing? I’ve got to do my nails … “

A special thanks to Fred Meyer stores for giving me such a good deal on patio furniture. An even bigger thanks to God, for leaving me some money in Tim’s Miscellaneous so that I can balance the budget at the end of the month.

Tim
Project 366, Day 201

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Birthday Bash

Today we celebrated Kathy’s birthday, and also Sarah’s birthday. This year Sarah showed her colors as a birthday ‘player’ — aware that the day is personally special and able to anticipate it, days in advance. On the first of July, she woke up early and tip-toed around the house, turning all the wall calendars to July, giggling happily. She even snuck into the boys’ room as they slept, and turned their calendar forward from June.

Sarah received a number of delightful presents, and was overjoyed to receive each and every one. She is a very satisfying gift recipient, gasping and wide-eyed with wonder almost before she knows what it is.

[slideshow=kathysarahbirthday2008]

Kathy has been hinting for quite a while that she would really like to have a set of patio furniture.

“I’d really like a set of patio furniture. Here’s the specific one; I clipped the ad from Fred Meyer (they’re open until 9), and here are your keys,” she hinted. She’s always been a little coy and hard to read about these kind of things. Choosing patio furniture can be a little overwhelming because there are several material types and hundreds or possibly thousands of styles made from those materials. The type of materials that you choose should depend on your personal preference but also on the climate where you live, whether your patio is covered or uncovered, your budget and several other factors. Furniture in the modern home comprises items of furniture, usually relatively small in comparison with the other pieces furnishing a room, which can be used on occasion when required. Such items need not be placed in a permanent position, but can be moved around according to its needs. It is not optional, but usually comprises useful items such as coffee tables and side tables. Click here if you want to know more about the antique table furniture.

“Hmmmm. Are you sure we really need it?” My first line of defense is usually to pretend that I didn’t hear her, but I could sense that wouldn’t work in this case. “That’s an awful lot of money … what would Dave Ramsey say?”

Kathy was unimpressed by my attempt to name-drop. “Dave who? So, anyway, wouldn’t a new set of patio furniture be a better use for that money you’ve been hoarding, than for some stupid computer?”

This was the crux of the matter. I earned about $600 recently doing some side work for a friend, and I’ve been, for lack of a better word, hoarding it to buy a new computer. Our newest computer is almost three years old, which is shameful for a person in my line of work. Besides, there are a lot of games I can’t play with my current setup.

Kathy and her girls

“There is no way I’m giving up that new computer! I’ve scrimped and hoarded at least three or four times, and each time, something more important comes up. Not this time!” The children had gathered as I bellowed, admiring my example of selfless sacrifice. Undaunted, I was firm in my resolve: nothing was going to stop me from buying that new computer.

Several weeks later, I stood in the garden department of a Fred Meyer, across town. My stonewalling had produced one effect: the stores near me had all gleefully sold out of the patio furniture Kathy wanted. “Curses!” I groused. With the help of a friendly clerk, I found one remaining set of patio furniture in a store in the next city over. Using a borrowed van, I bought it and thoughtfully stored the roomful of boxes in a friend’s living room. “It’ll be great,” I enthused, ignoring the way the boxed furniture hid the couch. “You’ll hardly even notice its there, har har.” Later, I heard that my friend’s children used the boxes to make a big fort, so maybe it was OK.

This morning I quietly unloaded the seats from the van and retrieved the patio set from my friend’s house under cover of early-morning mist. I must have been rather convincing in my bluster about not buying the furniture, because Kathy seemed pretty surprised. Joshua and I spent a good bit of the day assembling it, but it seems to have been well-appreciated. We lined up the first four chairs as though they were the thrones at Cair Paravel, and there was much squabbling among the children about which seat was King Peter’s, or Lucy’s.

Kathy’s friend Michelle generously took her out for a pedicure and lunch at their favorite Thai restaurant, which rounded out the day nicely.

Later in the day a few of Kathy’s friends came over for a low-key garden party that I had secretly engineered via Evite. I served fruit and cookies, and Joshua officiated as a Viking waiter. We both agreed that his horned helmet lent a certain dignity to the proceedings.

let them eat cake

In the evening Kathy made us a delicious steak and potato dinner, and finished decorating a cake for Sarah. A good day was had by all.

Tim
Project 366, Day 198

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Mud Pies for All Ages

It seems you’re never too old for mud pies.

little girls

Sarah’s birthday is on Wednesday. She’ll be 6 years old. She’ll still be my princess and baby.

Won’t she?

let's make mud pies

A big pile of dirt just cries out for attention. Sometimes it says, “Play with me! Drive cars up and down my hills. Dig your toes in my dusty layers.”

But today it shouted: “Add water and get dirty!”

alison helps rachel lines up the pies

You’re never too old for mud pies.

Yum!

Can I place your order?

Kathy
Project 366 – Day 196

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