Tomatoes are coming….

The tomatoes are coming fast this year. They grew so strong in the early summer that most of them pulled the tomato cages over or crumpled them onto the ground. Some of the plants were more than five feet tall. Not that we had a great summer, started cool, hot for about 3 weeks in July, then cool and rainy for another three weeks.

Yet here they are, ripening like crazy. I buy most of the plants from a very kind man who grows and sells tomatoes every spring. I always promise to bring the pots back, because that saves money on both sides and re-uses the pots. These tomatoes will be simmered until thoroughly cooked into a sauce. It has amazing amounts of flavour, much better than the spaghetti sauce you buy in the store.

What do you do with all your tomatoes?

Problem solved!

I developed a sciatica problem in October, and have been fighting it ever since. My GP gave me pain meds, and after 4 visits I managed to twist his arm enough to get an X-ray. The bones in my back were severely compressed. Too many car accidents? Maybe.

At any rate, I gave up on physiotherapy and chiropractic treatments after 15 such sessions. Now I’ve got acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, and an inversion table. Have you ever seen one?

I hadn’t either until we did some research. Here’s what mine looks like. You just strap yourself in and turn the table upside down!

🙂 Not really. You put your feet on the bottom bar, so your ankles are locked in when you pull the lever toward yourself. Then you press the button to start a low-level vibration against your back, and turn the table so it is leaning slightly back, with your feet a bit higher than your head.

Yes, you can use a higher gear and go back farther, but I was reluctant to go to that extreme. I use it three times a day and things are improving dramatically.

I realize it isn’t a pretty addition to my bedroom furniture, but it’s helping tremendously. Now I can get back to writing Book Eight, of The Last War series. Yay!!

My Gratitude for 2023

  1. I am grateful for all the members of my family near and far. We had fourteen wonderful people at the Christmas dinner table this year. They fill my heart with joy.
  2. I give thanks for my two little grandsons who live next door. They often run down the hill when they arrive home from school to tell us a joke. They either made it up on the way home or heard it from a friend at school. So funny.
  3. I am so grateful that I live in the calm country of Canada. When other countries are in the midst of turmoil and war, we get to enjoy the peace of our land.
  4. I enjoy the reviews of my books that my readers leave on so many online sites. It warms my heart that people are enjoying my work.
  5. I give thanks for my critique group, a wonderful band of supporters and readers who give great feedback to help me sort out problems in the current book’s plot, and point out typos and the misuse of words. Their support is what keeps me writing in many ways.

As we approach the New Year (can you believe it?) I’m looking forward with excitement and gratitude to what it might bring.

I wish you all great things in 2024.