curls

It's another of my favorite pictures. I used to look at it mostly for mother's curls. But now I'm impressed by her dress, complete with wide sash and bow, the cut of her father's suit, the starch in his collar, his straight part and slicked down curls. I like how comfortable she seems, not only with the camera, but also with her father. If my date is right, it's 1929, so she must have been around 16, very much an only child, and her mother gone.

Progress in the garden/outdoor area (how many pictures of dirt can you take?). From the deck to the garden, we have four steps. One of them was rotting out and the others on the verge of punkiness, which is not a good trait underfoot. So yesterday Tom removed them. A few trips to Lowes, a fair amount of sawing, drilling, and sanding, and by 4:30 this afternoon, the new—incredibly stable and solid—steps were in place. Fortunately St. Rose had its plant sale today so we replaced the plants that were either chewed up by the cats or fried when they were put outside too early. Fourteen tomato plants (Celebrity, Better Boy, and Golden Girl) are in the ground, and the row of industrial strength tomato stakes have been sunk deep. More entertainment for the Asian grandfathers who advise Tom and monitor his progress. Lots of chatter and hand gestures, but hardly a word in common.