Abundance and Beauty

The abundance of our yard right now is leaving me with little time to write but I would like to share some photos. We had a frost and I lost a few green tomatoes so we spent yesterday picking everything that was left in the garden. I had helpers.
We now have hundreds of pounds of tomatoes to put by and...my loving husband, knowing how much I love tomatoes, went to a friend's field and picked two more big boxes of ripe ones just for me. Wasn't that sweet? More tomatoes. When I already have hundreds of pounds. Hee hee hee....ha ha, aha, aa haa, sob, sob, sob. ;-) (Where's the I heart tomatoes now, heh?)

Thankfully E had picked his Stars and Moon watermelons the afternoon before the frost. It was sad enough waking up knowing that I had lost some tomatoes, the heartbreak that E would have felt if his raised-from-seeds-that-he-chose-and-grew-himself would have been too much.

Notice the melon held aloft with joy. ;-) (yes, that is a crown on his head - both boys have been wearing them for a few days)
Last zucchini of the year - it happens to be off the same plant that I forced (under a milk jug cloche) which also gave us our first zucchini of the year.

Boxes of grapes that we made juice with. Grapes and I have some issues. They seem to like to spill their staining juice all over and I seem to like stainless countertops and cupboards. Once again this year I have promised myself that I Will Not Make Juice or Jelly Again!! Ever!! (stay tuned for the exact same post next year) More on this another day.Tomatoes ready for roasting for sauce - sprinkled with some chunks of peppers and some garlic
E found this leaf and brought it in to show me. He was thrilled with how "gorgeous" it was and later on I found it tucked in a vase of cosmos that I had picked and put in my room. The picture is up top. I love that my boys take time to appreciate the natural beauty around them.Another thing that I love about this time of year is the way that plants show us so clearly their abundance - not only do they provide us this year (whether in flower, fruit, or veg) but once the frosted bits are pushed asidewe can see that they have also provided us for next year - in the form of seeds. I love that cycle.

And so with all this bounty which can sometimes seem a little overwhelming ...
it really seems to important to take time to enjoy the beauty of this season too.