Thomas Feels the Force of Six Years

On November, 4, Thomas turned six.  As is tradition, we had a meal at Mamaw's, and Thomas invited friends Anna and Gable to join the celebration.  He requested spaghetti and meatballs for the dinner and a chocolate sheet cake (rather than a layer cake) for dessert.

Lance wrapped up his old Star Wars land speeder to give Thomas and included Obi Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, and C3P0 (Thomas's favorite Star Wars character) as "extras."  Most of Lance's Star Wars paraphernalia has been stored in our basement for the last decade.  It's good that these figures can once again see the light and feel the force as re-gifts!

The birthday ring

Blowing out the candles.
(The "Magic Sorcerer's Birthday Hat" was loaned to us by Gable for the occasion.)

Daddy's old Star Wars landspeeder

Summer Bounty

Here are some pictures of this year's garden 

(and a really good garden helper).

The garden, mid-June

Sunflowers with a blue sky

A particularly striking sunflower

Thomas holding the gourd plant that I won at the ALHFAM conference auction.
The seedling was donated to the auction by Karen Becker of the Museum of American Frontier Culture,
who received seeds directly from Africa for the West African village site at her museum.
 (The seeds are not available commercially in the USA).  The gourd grows into the shape of a large bottle with very thick skin and is traditionally used as a water carrier. 

Thomas with freshly picked wild blackberries.
I was so proud of Thomas this year.  He stayed with me until we had filled our bowls.
 The first time I took him blackberry picking (when he was two), he sat in the middle of the field and cried.

Thomas holding a scallop squash with the HUGE plants in the background

Thomas with "Mr. Potato Head"

Thomas in his farming clothes, with walking stick (sword) in hand
and Williamsburg straw hat on head.

Thomas helping Mamaw break "October" beans

Thomas with a platter of tomatoes--Cherokee Purple, Black Krim,
Pink Bumblebee, and Mountain Magic--and Mexican sour gherkins
(the little green balls in the corner)

Thomas with our yield of dried cannellini beans.
Organically controlling bean beetles continues to be my greatest gardening challenge.
These little devils particularly like bush beans (like cannellinis),
and they make it particularly difficult to keep plants alive until beans are mature enough to harvest.
 This year was the first year I actually accomplished this task--but just barely.

Fresh ingredients for minestrone soup

Thomas and the Soldier

Here is the video of Thomas's musket firing lesson with a 17th century English soldier, portrayed by Willie Balderson of Colonial Williamsburg.