by Bebbi
I love to garden. In my years of gardening I have learned something important. When growing tomatoes, the tomato cage is very important. It helps to grow a better crop of tomatoes and they produce bigger better tomatoes!
Last year my mom bought 3 tomatoes. I planted mine in the back with a good sturdy tomato cage. My mom planted hers in her garden with a good sturdy tomato cage and my sister got the biggest plant and she had it on her front step. With mine, hubby and I watched the tomato plant and adjusted the tomato cage as needed. If it fell over or seemed to get unsturdy, we reinforced it and adjusted the limbs of the plant until it was balanced again. With my mom, she put the tomatoes in and left them, she did not readjust them and did not tend to them as much as two people do. With my sister, she left her plant on the front step and didn’t water it. It soon died.
My mom’s tomatoes were good but not huge and also she did not have very many. With Mr. B’s and I’s the tomatoes were huge and the crop lasted long into the fall. It was so wonderful to have those tomatoes..they were big, full and delicious. We were very proud of them.
I went to Walmart today and bought 3 tomato cages. We have 4 plants this year but we have a tomato cage left from last year. I am probably going to replace it because it is a little used up. As I was driving down Shelbyville road I realized the correlation between being a parent and being a good tomato cage.
A good tomato cage will be made of strong material. It will be flexible but sturdy. It will need to be adjusted as the weather blows it around and it will have to be tended to. All these things are like being a good parent and your children being the tomato plant. To be a good parent, you should be made of a good strong material, be flexible but sturdy and adjust to the winds of change.
Also, in this, that is why it takes two people, because it is a lot of work to keep adjusting and monitoring the success of your tomato plants. It’s just wiser to have two people to do it. It’s not always possible but the two people that do it don’t have to be “husband and wife” they just have to have a commitment to the tomato plant!
I would like to hear your opinions on my analogy. Do you agree or disagree? What are some times that you felt like you’ve been a good “tomato cage”. Do you adjust to the winds of change? Are you extra "sturdy” Are you flexible, but strong? Who has benefited from your support?
70 comments:
Hey I'm prettiest!!
Kudos to you BEBBI!! I for one am NOT a gardener by any stretch of the imagination. I prefer to just to buy my tomatoes at our local farmer's market. Been having a hankering for BLT'S...thanks for the reminder to go buy some tomatoes today ♥
Morning Jodi!
:O)
Your sure are the prettiest!
I was exhausted last nite.. I passed out at 11:30p last nite..
It sure was a long day yesterday.. I am glad its over.. The heat got certainly got to me..
Hi Bebbi..
I am not a gardener, I rather buy my veggies.. or have my mother buy them and cook them ;O)
When it comes to my business I am have def been a good tomato cage!
:O)
Bebbi..
Would love to see the after pics when the tomato's are all grown..
Ok.. off to work..
Everyone have a great day..
:O)
Shirley and J/L
BTW.. LOL on QOTD..
good morning hooter's- and Jodi you are so pretty today!!
I do not garden. hate it. mr. goldie loves to garden. I am a big fan of the farmer's market though.
getting pretty speedy with this one armed typing!
hope everyone has a good day.
Gosh, I feel bad..I have been MIA for days (no computer access at all)..and I come back to my blog1 wow,...seriously bad me! Hey, i will catch up later. My daughter is here and she is anxious to spend time with me too. We haven't seen each other for several days as I was out of town. So, I will have to catch up later.
Carol: Yes, I would say you are a great tomato cage for your business. :)
Shirley: i sent you a FB message..
Jodi: You are so pretty today! :)
Okay...I will be back on this evening...been a crazy busy bebbi lately.
Good morning Hooters! What a terrific metaphor in the blog today, yes? I think as parents, our cages need constant adjustment. When bending wire all the time though, it becomes brittle and often breaks. I find that the more flexibility I build into my "cage", the stronger I can be for my little "tomatoes".
Dianne, your reference in A51 to Decoration Day just about floored me. That is a southern term. There was a movie with James Garner called Decoration Day. The screenplay was written by a close family friend named Bill Corrington who unfortunately, won a posthumous (sp?) Emmy for it. His wife Joyce, accepted in his stead. DeeDee and maybe Bebbi are probably familiar with that term. The Corringtons have firm roots in Louisiana. Thanks for spurring some fond memories.
Morning Glories!
Jodi you are the prettiest! Well except for you Avatar. :)
Bebbi I think it depends on the gardener. Two is great but I know some single gardeners that do a fantastic job! I think it has more to do with love and patience.
Used to love to garden and now I don't have time and it has become another chore of late. Sad to say.
I am so happy my crazy busy day just got canceled and that has me doing the happy dance!!! Tomorrow is whole nother story. :0
Heidi glad to see you post!
Good morning CAROL!! I just got back from getting my hair cut. Got to keep it sassy ;) Sounds like a long day for you, and that heat really zaps me, too!!
GOLDIE - Good job!! I call that the hunt and peck method. Should I just call you a peckerhead now?!!? jk.....been there, done that!! Remember at work it will probably be easier to put your keyboard on your lap.
BEBBI - Where did you go?
BONACHICHI - Kinda reminds me of the saying....it takes a village.
LYNN - Why thank you, but I'm sure DIANNE would beg to differ with you!!
Off to lunch with my ex-SIL. Red Lobster here I come!!
Jodi, my pretty, couldn't you find a Det. Lions helmet?
Bebbi, Mr Mary does the gardening. You are sooo right with the comparison. He raised his boys the same way...terrible lol! Thank God they and the tomatoes survived! He plants, and is a lazy water-er. He will make 5 trips with a watering can. Too lazy to hook up the hose. The garden is about 30ft from our house. He has gone on his annual fishing trip, so I will hook up the hose like I do every year! Men!
Oh, btw, we have tall square tomato cages. They are the best! They stay up better than the round ones.
Goldie, I hope you are healing well. Thank-you for reminding me to be ever so careful when taking my puppy out for her walk!
Carol, I was in the sun too and headed right to bed! Of course the beer I had couldn't have had anything to do with it ;-)
Our Karaoke contest went very well yesterday. The rain held off until the last singer. We had to hurry with our equipment. It was held on main street and had people trying to get under our canopy while we we tearing down our stuff! Crazy people. We were tripping all over them and constantly telling them to find another cover!
Bonachi, well said!
LynnD, Enjoy your carefree day!
I am off to plant the rest of my flowers before they get root rot and I become a bad "cage gardner" lol!!
Good Morning Everyone.....
Shirley is tied up this morning...thats why she didn't make first...
of course I am just guessing. Your guess is as good as mine as to whether she is tied up in her basement and gagged and no one can hear her muffled cussing aimed at whomever would do such a thing....
I haven't gone anywhere....I have been right here at the house..(she says as she wipes the soot from the jets engines)
tomato cages...WTF!"
I can't seem to find my purse this morning.....anyone seen it?
(remembering where she left the bag she gasps and clutches her pearls...)
ah...gotta run....be back later!!
.....
Carol, Tina heads up I sent a blog by gmail.
ahhh...thats better.....I found my purse...all is well.....
Bebbi: Always difficult to summarize a relationship with the constructs you defined! Am I flexible enough? Do I go with the flow enough? Am I too rigid? And what about Jim?
I'll ponder these on the way home from Palm Springs today. The seven hour drive should be enough time!
Hi hooters,
Bebbi, MR. EBJ has his tomatoes planted, and they are coming along nice!
Last year he didn't use the cage, the tomatoes he grew didn't get real big, plus they would rot really fast if they layed on the ground any length of time.
This year, he has cages up and the tomates are growing so far.
I am not a parent so can't equate that with a tomato cage.
But life in general can equate, you have to take any situation that comes along and be flexible, be strong, etc.
I can think of quite a few experiences that have been challenging and required adjustment/strength/etc. Medical issues, death, even a marriage, stuff like that.
(One of my sister's in law and I don't really like each other, it is a whole other blog topic!)
I think I could go on and on here, but I need to get going to get haircut, eyebrows waxed (Jodi we are having the same kinda day!), banking and some other errands.
MR. EBJ and my dad have gone to the cemetary today. I mentioned before they go every year to put flowers on some vet's graves, including MR. E's father.
Have a safe trip home Bear, and hope everyone has a nice day!
Good morning, HOoters. Well, it's still morning for some of you, anyway. Last night my nose was running and today I'm all stuffy. Lord, help me. Everytime those spend the weekend, I seem to end up sick. What little petri dishes they are!
Jodi What a beauty you are at first. You seem to be floating like a ghostly apparition.
Carol Our fearless leader....so good to see you here this a.m. I hope you have a super day.
Bonach What an interesting story. I liked James Garner so I bet I saw that movie.
LynnD I hope you have a nice, easy-going kind of day.
Goldie You are getting good at the one arm typing thing but I bet it's a pain in the butt. I hope you're not hurting too much. Gentle (((HUGS))).
Mary I'm glad the rain cooperated for you yesterday. Sounds like you had a very full day. I've never participated in karaoke. I can't carry a tune in a bucket but I could manage to hook up a hose to the faucet for you. LOL
DeeDee Yes, tomato cages. Tomatoes must be caged or else they run rampant throughout the garden, destroying all plant life in their path.
Bear Safe travels!
Bebbi Thanks for the blog today. There is nothing like a homegrown tomato. I do like your comparisons between the tomato cage and parenting....Providing a strong framework to raise the youngins and hoping they don't stray too far from that as they mature.
I've never been a gardener but I bet it's very satisfying to see something you planted turn out really well. I'm supposed to be related to Johnny Appleseed so you'd think I'd have gotten some kind of planting gene from him, but alas, no. Hey, maybe that's why I'm now hooked on FV.
Hey, I was #25 two days in a row! Do I get a special award for that?
J/L.....
I saw some tomatoes in the produce sections at WalMart and the avocados
next to them looked horrified....now I know why.....thanks...
All this talk of cages makes me kinda sad.....I'm still missing my pet parakeet...Ruby Crump...if you all remember she had a massive coronary and was recovering in an oxygen tent....until she pecked a hole in it and died....
OMG! Who gave DeeDee crack? Nice little trip you took in that jet... what'd you do? Clear out the evidence?
J/Lin; Sorry about your snot.
Happy Tuesday Owls.
Jodi, You are lovely today in first. I hope your lunch at Dead Lobster was good. Makes me want some of their cheese rolls.
Bebbi, My father always had a garden and my grandparents owned the lot next to their house just so my grandfather could plant it with veggies and flowers. I, on the other hand, did not inherit that green thumb gene. Every plant I had died a horrible death. My Hubby loved to garden. I did not help him and I'm sure that's why we always had wonderful produce all summer and fall.
However, while I never put a cage up for tomatoes, there were many times when I wanted to put one or more of my kids in a cage...just for the teenage years, maybe.
DeeDee, Glad you found your purse. That was a close call.
Lynn, I hope you are feeling better. Have a relaxing day.
J/L, Maybe you should mega-dose with vitamin C before each visit with the kids.
I hope everyone is having a great day.
Good Afternoon!
BEBBI: I just love fresh tomatoes..there is no comparison to the ones you buy at the grocery store and those you grow yourself. I am definitely not a gardener..not for lack of trying though. I was able to grow tomatoes on our balcony in California..but I can't seem to get anything to grow here in AZ. Except weeds. Weeds I do really, really well with..lol..
As for your analogy..since I don't have children..I can't relate to it as a parent. But with my friends and family..yes..I can be very supportive and very strong. I don't have as much success holding myself up though..and I hate change...though I can adapt when I have to.
I think I'll make myself a tomato sandwich for lunch..wish I had some homegrown tomatoes though.. ;)
JODI: You are just gorgeous today! But I think you should change into something silver and black.. ;)
GOLDIE: You ARE getting good! Go slow, rest and heal quickly..ok?
LYNN: I'm happy to see you happy dancin'!! :)
DEEDEE: LOL! I love it! I've learned to watch closely so I don't miss anything..I'm glad you found your purse! ;)
J/LIN: Let's see what I can come up with... :D
EBJ: I hear you about the SIL.. ;)
BEAR: Have a safe trip home!
MARY: Mr Z left the water running in the pool on Sunday..it came close to overflowing. When I told him..he said "Oh I must have forgot about it after I put out the fire.." What?! Men indeed! :D
I'm off to test the pool water..should be just about time to dive in! YAY!! :D
..but first that sandwich.. :)
HI BARB! You popped in while I was writing my novel! :D
Hey y'all!! Bebbi, I LOVE garden tomatoes..Here in the south we eat "mater sandwiches" haha-I like mine with white bread, miracle whip & dill pickle chips"(the kind you put on hamburgers, not the potato variety lol)I do not have a green thumb though-I did grow basil once haha
Congrats on 1st Jodi!
Hope everyone around here is doing well-Loving the new layout on here now!
P.S. Is whabbear still the only other guy around here?hehe
OMG>.Heart attack...love that Joey popped in...! Well, Joey, yes, I believe he is. Not sure if you have been around the last few days because I haven't. I went to Niagara Falls and stayed at my BIL's house. It was fun but no computer for several days.
I am tired and back to work tomorrow. Thanks for all the comments about my quirky comparison to tomato cages and parenting..haha. :)
Okay...stilll have tons to do cause I have to help my Mom at 7:30 and I haven't checked my home email in days ....bbl.
jet!? what jet?!
ohhh...that jet....I had to run out and ahhh...get some milk....yeah...thats the ticket....there are these dairy cows in Oklahoma City that give hazelnut vanilla milk....I'm crazy for it...
BARB - OMG!! The cheese rolls are to die for!! And my salad and shrimp scampi were delish!!
ZONA - Silver and black?!!? Really? Can't imagine why ;)
DEE DEE - Hazelnut vanilla milk....must be some magic cows!!!
Bebbi~ I loved blog when I first read it and I still do~ I think it takes more than just a parent/parents to nurture kids~ I think it takes your whole family and close friends, and sometimes just acquaintances. There are some kids that went to my hubby's school that for some reason or another, I just adore. Today, one of them cut me off when I went to pick up the twins from school. He doesn't know it was me, and it doesn't really matter. I know his mom from work and am going to say something.....not to get him in trouble (which he will because she's a lot like me!), but because I care about him and don't want him to ever get hurt or hurt someone else when he's out there driving.
It's the same with my kids. I love it when someone tells me something that my kids have done....good or bad. It tells my kids that it's not just the hubby and I that care and that are watching out for them.
Jodi~ congrats on prettiest~ I think I need to go back to work just so I can be pretty again~
Joey~ Nice to see you~ And to answer your question, it's you, Bear, and DeeDee~ :)~
TINA - I go back tomorrow, but watch out for Saturday!! When do you go back to work? And I lmbo at your answer to JOEY'S question ;P
Good evening featherd friends!!
HODI...you look mahvelous! You would look even better in brown and orange :)
Where are the pics of your new do?
LYNN...a relaxing day? GOOD FOR YOU! Can you post what that is like...I seem to have forgotten!
CAROL...It was really hot and humid here yesterday, too. I got cooled off when I went to my car, after the thunderstorm, and sat my ass down on a SOAKED car seat! Guess I forgot to close the window all the way! I looked like I pee'd myself big time! It was rather uncomfy for a while sitting in wet pants and panties!
GOLDIE...so sorry to hear about your accident. I hope you feel better soon.
TINA...r the inlaws still there? Did you post from the poopararium?
JOEY...OMFG!!! Where have you been?
BEBBI...I am sooooo not a gardener! I am afraid to put my hands in the dirt as I HATE bugs!! A few years I did glove up and plant garlic chives, tomatoes and lots of impatiens. I had my own technique...buy the cheapest un-attended plants from the deep discount store. Plant them and then ignore them...like they were at the store! When it rained they got watered! I had impatiens all summer, way too many tomatoes in the fall and garlic chives that came back year after year! All planted in pots!
Your analogy is spot on. You have to be strong, compassionate yet flexible to parent, to be successful in your career and to be a good friend and family member.
This last couple of weeks has been hard being flexible. I have to learn to let things go, because I can't force people to things...if if it is necessary and the right thing to do...and I don't wanna end up in the next bed due to a stroke!!
JUST LIN...could yo be allergic to your son? LOL! Didn't this all start after he came home? IJA!!
DEE DEE...untie SHIRLEY!! And put away the ether!! I think that plane may have taken a quick trip to the nether regions of Canada and now no SHIRLEY...Hmmmmm
MO LOL @ being allergic to my son. Maybe closer to the truth than I want to admit. ;)
Joey What a surprise to see you here today! I love tomatoe sandwiches on a Dutch Crunch roll. I use mayo though. Haven't had Miracle Whip since I was a kid living in southern California.
Even though I'm a bit under the weather and strained my back looking for charts at work today, I still went to Curves. Yay for me! I wanted so badly to just be lazy and come home.
Sorry about that "e" on tomato. I screw that up a lot.
JOEYYYYYYYYYY!!!
Good to see yah !!
Tina, I spit and almost choked!"you, Bear, and DeeDee"!!!!!!
You are going to be in T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!
Zona, lol @ the running hose. I did that earlier today,,,duh!!
Barb, cracked up @ "caging kids"
Mo, sorry 'bout your wet ass lol!!
EBJ, That first ripe tomato mmmmm!
Justlin,sorry your not feeling well :(
DeeDee, there you go giving me nightmares tonight! I have had my purse stolen and have left it in a Vegas cab. I have had nightmares of losing purses on and off for the last 5 yrs! One time I parked my newly bought car at work. I pulled in after a day shifter. I came out in below zero weather and my car was gone! I didn't know the day shifter was parked straddling "the white line". My car had been towed. I found that out after panicking and calling the cops! That nightmare hits me a few times too!...ok, I will take a deep breath lol!!!
MARY...that is so funny about losing your car! My mom would report it stolen at least 6 times a year, as she forgot where she parked it! After a while, she would just wait until the mall closed then have my brother drive her back and voila...there it was!!
Joey: OH WAIT< > Ross checks in occasionally too! hehe...!! So, really there are three..four if DeeDee really is a dude like Tina says.
*****WARNING...RANT COMING...*****
I am trying to be strong yet flexible...and my tongue hurts from biting it.
Sharon has the ok to speak to the doctors now. Yesterday I made her a list of questions to ask the Doc...about 10 - 12 questions...which she asked me to do. Then another cousin gave her about 4 more questions to ask.
She called the doc and he finally called her back. I asked her what the answer was to a couple of questions and her repsonse...I don't know, I didn't ask. WTF???? Why waste my fricking time if your not going to do it? I didn't say anything to her, but I wanted to rip her a new one. How can she not want to know...or need to know.
I know, it's her problems to deal with, not mine. I need to just let it go.
Help me to let it go!!!!
Grrrrrr
*****END OF RANT...FOR TODAY!*****
Mary: I have nightmares about my purse and I hate them..so I can totally relate..uggh.
Mo: What a dumb thing to do..and I agree..why ask for questions and then not ask them>>>!! duh...!!! Sheesh.
Zona: LOL about doing really well with weeds..
Mo, maybe there should be a different designated person to speak to the drs. There is no point in being the go-to person if she can't do the job.
Ideally, she would have the list of questions and write in the dr's response to each, so she can share the information with everyone else.
We see this at work, and it is really nice to talk with someone (caregiver, patient's child, spouse, etc) who has an agenda and gets it taken care of.
Could it be that Sharon is just overwhelmed and not able to handle it right now?
Another idea is to fax or email the questions, is that an option?
Sorry you're so upset :(
Today I found a new little beauty shop. I stopped in to get a cut and eyebrow wax.
They are having a special with a cut, color, style and eyebrows, all for $40!
Turned out really cute!
Hey Joey LTNS!
EBJ: That is a really good idea about fax or email!
Bebbi....excuse me.... "a dude like Tina says!!??"
Tina is obviously suffering from PTGSD.....post traumatic graduation stress disorder coupled with Aliceitis.....
Maureen...I am sure Shirley is just fine.....
didn't some of the lifeboats and passengers from the Titanic wash up on the shores of Nova Scotia??
@"(^&#~%*^?# WHERE IS SHE!!!!!!!
***grumbles and swears***
YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST USED A CLEAN SOCK WHEN YOU GAGGED ME!!!!
DEEEEEDEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! I'LL GET YOU!!!$#%^@#%$*&#=&
Good evening everyone, except DeeDee! I would have been here sooner but I was a bit TIED UP!
Nice blog Bebbi and a good analogy too, although I think a single parent can do just as good a job. It would be harder but I think it's possible. Of course I don't have kids so I don't really know. But if I did have kids though that's what I would think...I think...or maybe not...but I probably would. Oh and by the way I don't really like tomatoes. There are ok, but I wouldn't grow my own.
DeeDee your avatar looks like you've fallen and can't get up. You're perched there like a seal!
I have had an exausting day (thanks to a certain someone who shall remain nameless...DeeDee...) so I am going to bed.
Good night Owls!!
(((HUGS))) to all who need them!!
oh hi Shirley!!
Sorry you didn't get first this morning.....lol...
Actually I am paralyzed from the waist down today....it is psychosomatic so hopefully it won't be necessary to drag my legs about tomorrow...
now get your rest....you are getting s l e e p y.....on the count of 1-2-3 you will be fast asleep! 1-2-3!!
I put pics up on FB of my trip to Niagara Falls if any of you are interested. :) If not, that is fine too.
Shirley: I am glad you are okay..my goodness...it must have been a harrowing experience...shesh.
DeeDee: Hmmmm...yep, you must be a dude..they are the ones that like to tie women up..haha. But, just so you know, It didn't even dawn on me to question your gender until Tina let the cat out of the bag..and I suppose she would know. Sooooooooo.....
Okay...going to bed..I think I caused enough trouble..going to water my tomatoes..haha. Night all...but you know where I have to go before I go, right???
63
yup
you guessed
it!
before I go I must
a 69~! awwwww.
70
night!
Shame on LYNN, ZONA, MO, MARY.. for telling JODI she should change colors on her avatar!! Each one of you need to wash you mouth out with soap.!!! I'll bet she uses that Bronco bag too..but then this is a gal that wears the shirt proudly and in the winter the scarf. She is a True Bronco Fan. MARY, sent me a text tonight showing her Bronco bag in the garden getting all dirty. Now, if Detroit Lions were my home team..I would cherish that Bronco bag.
Good blog today BEBBI. I don't like tomatoes or have any kind of a green thumb although I am going to throw some flower seeds outside and see what happens.
I am starting to get a little lonely for MR D but don't any of you dare tell him...:)
Too late to comment to everyone but hello to all and pleasant dreams to everyone. I am trying to get to bed earlier at night.
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