The Soup Factory Has Opened

Monday afternoon Durwood brought home half a bushel of tomatoes and yesterday he fired up the soup factory.  By evening 5 quarts of tomato soup cooled on top of the dishwasher.  He's taking it one batch at a time, one batch a day, and he should be in the market for his second half bushel by the weekend.  I get to help with the actual canning, while he does the peeling and cooking.  We're a team.  (it's part of my master plan to slurp up more than a couple bowls of his yummy soup over the winter; I figure if I help more I'll get to eat more--mwa, ha, ha, ha)

When I drove across town after yoga class last night the sunset was just gorgeous, orange light splashed across the shredded edges of the approaching storm clouds, but when I was on the bridge (up high) my camera was in the back seat and when I got home trees were in the way so I went into the back yard and another tree was in the way, this is the best I could get.  We had lovely thunderstorms from about 9 PM on until I conked out around 11 PM.

I had to wait until all the soup making was finished and the dishes washed up so I had a bit of counter space to make hummus for lunches.  This week's version has 10 green olives whirred into it.  I'll be toasting sandwich thins (do you eat those?  I love them slightly toasted so they're not flabby, they make great sandwiches with a lot less bread) so I can have them open-face (Great-grandpa Gerst sandwiches I called them when I was very little, he was the only person I knew who didn't put a lid on his sandwich, now I know why, because that way you taste the goodies inside) with a smear of hummus, cucumber slices, and halved cherry tomatoes on top for my lunch.  Yummo.  My beloved Durwood bought me a bag of frozen mango chunks and I had one of frozen blueberries, so I cut up the pineapple I got at Festival (1.98!) and mixed it all together for lunch fruit.  (don't you wish I made your lunch too?  I know you do.)

September 11--Edward J. Steichen, Portraits--Evening.  Edward and Maude stood as still as they could but their image was blurred around the edges.  Maude held the print in her hands and thought how amazing it was that the photo had captured them in an instant.  Not only their likenesses but their feelings too.  Look at Edward with that half-smile playing on his lips.  He often wore that superior look as if he were laughing at those around him, at her.  She looked sad, like she was sliding into despair, and she knew that she was but thought she hid it better than that.  Anyone looking at the photo would see in an instant that they were intimate.  Her fingers clenched crumpling the photo and its telltale insights.

Twelve years ago today the World Trade Center was destroyed by terrorists.  DS had just gotten home from serving 5 years in the Army and I was terrified that he'd get called back.  He thought he would too but never let on.  He didn't.  *whew*  He went to college and met his sweet DIL1, they got married 5 years ago (already!?), and now they're having a baby.  All of the people that I love are doing okay, living their lives and working through challenges, just the way it's supposed to be.  Just in case I don't tell you often enough, family, I love you with all my heart.  You're all my "best babies" even if I didn't exactly give birth to you.
--Barbara