Two Successes

   Finished today`s crossword in the Toronto Star - my first time ever completing it! This is a new (to me during lockdown) activity as I always thought I wasn`t smart enough to try it. However, it is a good way to put in an hour or two on the long mornings. I do the Sudoku and Jumble as well.

    More gardening today. I found two more tomato plants at the grocery store today, one a grape variety. I would still like to get a cherry tomato but am running out of space. Transplanted two pumpkin plants that I grew from seed just to see what they will do. Stay tuned!

Bleeding Hearts

    Sore back and hip today from preparing the vegetable garden yesterday. But that's mostly done so I had time to examine what else was going on in my garden.

   This is one of five Bleeding Heart plants spread around the front and back borders, all from one original plant. It tends to self propogate (shoots spring up close to the mother plant) and only requires  a transplant of the new growth which seems to establish itself quite easily.

    We are set to have a beautiful week of sunny skies and high temperatures. The nights are still cool but no hint of frost!   

Some Chats and a Good Book

    Window cleaner here today - my faithful Ahmet of the roof repair - I only have him come twice a year as the air here is relatively pollution free and the windows stay pretty clean. He made quick work of my windows and was quite happy to stay for a short chat as I was his last job of the day. Earlier I hit the garden centre on the lookout for tomato plants but came away almost empty-handed - just one tomato, some kale seedlings and three begonias for a hanging basket. Lined up to get in and again to pay but, all in all, it didn't take too long. Last stop of the day was to make a delivery to a friend so another chance to while away some time chatting.

   I have just finished an excellent book, one of those that you never want to end, very satisfying. It's "A Town Called Solace" by Mary Lawson and I have immediately requested two others by her from the library. A couple of reviews sum up its appeal.

     "Poised, elegant prose, paired with quiet drama that will break your heart."

    "Lawson is tender with her characters.... She has a unique talent for making them so vibrant and compelling that readers will feel they have made new friends."

First Asparagus of the Season

    Asparagus has been in the stores for a couple of weeks but the spikes were rather spindly. Today's were much more appetizing so I bought a bunch. This will do me several meals in prepared in different ways. Today it was steamed for 5 minutes and then finished cooking in butter. A generous squeeze of lemon completed it.