Garden of Galadriel

My curtains only took me three days to finish. I worked about an hour or so each day; it took me longer to measure and plan them than it did to sew them. I had to take very precise measurements to ensure they were exactly the same. Nonetheless, I'm pleased with them, especially since I didn't have to rip out any seams (I do with most projects).

Though the weather, and especially the wind, has turned quite cold we still haven't had a frost in our garden. Therefore, I can't possibly justify the clearing away of plants just yet. However, I'm now looking forward to the first frost, just so I can tidy everything up. Partner's broken up all the concrete in the vegetable bed, and has dug out more than half the grass. I can't wait to plant things in it next spring: potatoes for one. This year, we decided that the chard was a success (it's still producing, actually) and we will plant it again next year. The runner beans are an old favorite, along with carrots and beets. I think we will definitely do cabbage again, and while the broccoli was hit and miss, I think if I had caught the caterpillars sooner it would have been a winner. There were two others we planted that I probably wouldn't go for unless the seeds were free: lettuce and squash. The lettuce was all right, but the squash never had a chance--too rainy. The only one which was a disappointment was the tomatoes. But then again I knew they would be and if it were up to me, we wouldn't have even bothered.

We took our dog and Partner's parents' dog out walking together last week; it was obvious who gets taken out more often. Our dog was streaking around like a greyhound and their poor doggie was waddling and puffing behind. He's such a funny little dog and loves it when Beauty bosses him around, but he doesn't have any manners--he doesn't even sit unless he's offered a treat he likes. Still, at our house, he quickly learned he wasn't allowed to beg at the table and to (very reluctantly) sit at street corners before crossing. In this picture our dog is in the background, theirs, Dudley, is in the puddle, and my baby bump pokes out a little through my baggy jacket.