This is our dinner for tonight. From our backyard vegetable patch, two vegetable dishes (& the tomatoes in the baked fish dish), the fish were caught early this morning (Thank you, Dad!) 
The fish 
turned out to be most popular tonight. Laura ate
fish, Sophie ate
! Looks like Daddy needs to bring more fish home.
Last day of school tomorrow, then girls will have a long summer break.
Cleared the patio, put up the table and chairs, spread the tablecloth, arranged a few vegetable flowers. The sun's warm, breeze is gentle. Are you ready for summer?
1. 青蒜 2. 茄子(Egg Plant) 3. Dill 4. 紫豆 （bean) 5. 辣椒 (Pepper) 6. 丝瓜 7. 秋葵 (Okra) 8.黄瓜 ( Cucumber) 9. 豇豆 10. 西红柿 (Tomato) 11. 香菜 (Cilantro) 12. 木耳菜 13. 油菜 14. 韭菜
这是部分蔬菜。莴笋还是小苗儿，苋菜好像种子不好，苗儿小，长得非常的慢。空心菜还没有下地。秋葵是应小蛙的要求种的。她喜欢吃腌制的秋葵。茄子是细长条的品种。今年辣椒种的比去年少些，品种多些。西红柿比去年种的要多不少。紫豆只种了两株，去年太多了，吃不过来。
今年到现在还没有特大的暴雨和冰雹，所以小苗儿都“健康”地在成长。只是地里的鼹鼠猖獗，把菜地弄得千疮百孔。想必是地下的鱼骨埋得太多，土太肥，地里的虫子个个膘肥体壮的。
葱没照。嗒嗒每天最喜欢帮我摘葱。我只要一说，“去后院给妈妈摘几根葱！”嗒嗒就会扔下手里的玩具，一遛烟儿地跑到后院的葱圃前。人家可不是摘，人家是薅！连着跟儿薅呀！爸爸回来看到那凌乱不堪的葱圃，还以为被鼹鼠刨过了呢！
Spring is back in our backyard. Time to get busy in the vegetable garden again.
The hyacinth must have popped out of the ground for quite a few days. I totally forgot it. I must have planted it last year. Sophie noticed the color of pink among the still bleak background first. She ran to it, knelt down and smelt the flower. "Mama, come, it smells so sweet!"
My favorite season is fall. But the best part of the year is early spring. I came to the States in December 1996. It was a bitterly cold winter. I spent most of the time staying at the apartment which we shared with the other three students. When they all went to classes during the week days, I usually sat at the table in front of the window, studying English, preparing for the GRE tests.
We didn't have a car at that time. There were times when my husband and I walked all the way to his lab at the Ohio State University. He was studying for his Ph.D. in biochemistry. It was almost an hour's walk. It must have felt longer than that since we had to walk in the single digit. That's not something I remember about Columbus, where we spent five years before we moved to Seattle, at least that's not what I chose to remember.
The fondest memory is the spring of 1997, the first spring after that coldest winter. The laundry was a few blocks from our apartment. On one of the laundry trip, I noticed a few bright purple flowers popping out of the melting snow along the sidewalk. They were small, packed in a few bunches. Then I saw some more along the way, some in bright yellow, more in purple-blue. It was a such a happy sight, almost like a triumph to me. I survived the first winter! And the spring's here! Only later did I learn that was crocus.
I went out more after that. I walked to the public library, to Kroger, the local grocery, or simply around the neighborhood. Wherever I went, the spring flowers were blooming. That spring was also a wet one. But they were more of drizzles, like we had in Seattle. The colors were just dazzling in the mist. I love the fresh smell of the soft rain, the grass, the dirt, the flowers, and all the things that were growing. That mesmerizing scent has linked forever with my first Spring in Columbus. The scent of early spring, the scent of the feeling that I finally settled down, the scent of a piece of memory that a young lady tried to start a new life in a foreign place. It was so precious. I wish it could be bottled and kept forever.
I heard about a poem saying that Hyacinth is so fragrant that people are willing to give up his last loaf of bread for the flower, to feed the soul. I guess I must have the same urge and yearning back then. Only I didn't have the dilemma. My husband brought home plenty of food for us. And there were always flowers in blooming outside my window. I should be the happiest soul.
"If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store
Two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one, and with the dole,
Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul."
~ Musharish-Ud-Din Sadi
眼看着就下霜了，后院的紫扁豆还是“我行我素”地在长。浓淡相间的紫花在秋天湛蓝的天空下，很好看。
This is one of our typical dinner for this summer: leafy greens picked from our backyard vegetable garden, crappie fish fresh from the lake (Lake Carl Blackwell), porridge and whole wheat soybean dregs pancakes. The dregs are from the soy milk made each morning.
Still trying to figure out where all the summer days went. One last week before the school starts. Hope you all enjoyed your summer so far.
You will like to hold these fresh-picked vegetable. They feel so warm from the sun.
More's on the way. Looks like August will be the peak season of our vegetable garden!
A morning walk into our backyard veggie garden brought back not only a refreshing me, not also a BIG basket of vegetables: Tomatoes, Banana Peppers, Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Leek, and Water Spinach or Ong Choy(空心菜).
It will take another month for all kinds of peas to climb to the top, and by that time, the girls will have more fun sneaking under the vines, looking for the ripe peas and melons, and making up stories of all sorts.
Stay cool. It's almost 100 degrees here.
Summer time. School out. With two super energetic girls around the house 24/7
, parents-in-law, cooking, cleaning, gardening... I haven't mentioned the swimming classes, piano lessons and summer camps... It seems I could never get everything covered.
Here are some pictures I took tonight while I was working in the garden. Girls went for a walk with their grandparents. It's nice to be left alone. 
清早打开通往后院的们，水泥露台上一天狼藉。显然昨晚的暴风雨把露台上桌子的桌布给揭了下来，原来桌上的东西七零八落地散在露台的各个角落。雨水裹着落叶和杂草，这一片，那一摊的。
一只脚踩进门口的拖鞋，凉飕飕的，里面尽是水。来不及退回来，大半个身子已经出了门儿了。顾不得这么多，我一心想去看看菜园里苗儿。今年到现在天还没热起来。成天不是大风，就是大雨。好在今年的雹子个儿不大，到现在那些小苗儿都还健在。昨晚的龙卷风虽然没在我们后院着陆，可不少地方树也连跟儿拔了，路也被水淹了，电线杆也倒了，何况我那些小苗儿呢？
五个菜圃一溜儿走过来，除了两棵老葱折了腰，其余所有的苗儿都齐刷刷地站得板直，跟收检阅似的，还都绿油油，水灵灵的。茼蒿长得尤其茂盛，又得收了。转身就回屋里抓了一个竹笸箩，一把剪刀。等再出到后院，太阳就出来了。蹲在菜圃边，一棵一棵地剪，太阳暖暖地照在后背，眼前葱绿的叶子晃晃的，一会儿笸箩就满了。
看着小苗儿出芽，长大，开花，结果是件很有趣的事，完全抵掉买土，买肥，除草种种的琐碎繁杂和辛苦。茼蒿特有的清香一阵阵扑鼻而来，我不禁想笑。这可是我小时候最恨的菜。可家规是不许挑食。每次吃都是先把它吞下肚，然后赶快吃一口喜欢的菜。哥哥跟我讲，有一次爸爸妈妈都不在家，哥哥给我做晚饭。端上一盆炒茼蒿，我硬是打死也不吃。无奈之下，哥哥牵着我的手，我们俩摸黑走到姨家，才算把我的肚子填饱。那时怎么能想到这么多年后，我会在地球的另一边，安家，育女，还种茼蒿。
小时候写作文喜欢用“时光如梭”，人云亦云的嫌疑很大。就像现在的嗒嗒，动不动就说，“我小时候... "。如梭自然就想到了那时候流行的一首歌，“金梭和银梭”：“太阳，太阳，是一把金梭；月亮，月亮，是一把银梭。交给你，也交给我，看谁织出最美的生活... ...”
蹲在菜圃边上，阳关暖暖，菜香阵阵，恍如隔世。如梭的又何止是时光。
最近得空就在地里忙火了。今天把最后一批小苗儿都下了地，还有豇豆，扁豆，丝瓜，冬瓜，刀豆，薄荷，茄子没有照。希望今年有个好收成！
蛙蛙管丝瓜叫“绿肥肉”。听听，别说她自己，我听着也不想吃了。可今年，架子(老公)搭得高，肥施得好，雨水还特多，这丝瓜简直就长疯了似的，每天都得收上七八根儿。在国内时倒还真没怎么吃上丝瓜，自从回来以后，炒丝瓜，炝丝瓜，蒸丝瓜，拌丝瓜，丝瓜汤，丝瓜砂锅... 能想起来的做法都用上了，冰箱里还是塞得满满的。眼看着架子上又有好几根等着收获，真是有些无可奈何。以前偶尔在中国店买两根，还不舍得吃。现在倒好，看着满地的收获，一个字：愁！
这“绿肥肉”叫着叫着，倒是叫出了一个主意。小蛙爱吃辣，什么水煮肉，水煮鱼，吃起来没够！这绿肥肉要是水煮，味道也差不到哪儿去吧！花椒，辣椒，麻椒，葱，姜，蒜，鲜酱油，高汤，听起来就牙米！满满一大碗端上桌，这“山寨版”的水煮“肉”还真能以假乱真。
老公一如既往地“好伺候”，这丝瓜楞是让他吃出红烧肘子味儿了。小蛙不好糊弄，只捡碗里的腐竹，木耳和豆腐吃。一会儿功夫，满满一碗就只剩汤了。这方法好，丝瓜一下锅就跟化了似的，两大根丝瓜转眼就“泡汤”了！
刚刚谷歌过，丝瓜汁有“美容水”之誉。说是把丝瓜的藤割断，流出的液体，用纱布蘸丝瓜水擦脸，可以防皱。为什么要把藤割断呢？藤断了，就什么都没有了。还是算了吧！
I was tending our vegetable garden this morning with Sophie running around dragging the newly cropped radishes all over the backyard. The sun was warm, the breeze very gentle, really a nice day to catch up some sunshine. By the time I was done with the new flower seeds, the leaves of the radish were all wilting and curling, no longer good for the lunch salads. Then I thought a cold water bath might help waking them up. And it did!
They're hard to ignore. The early morning drizzle did its best to dampen the soil, making it a perfect dark backdrop for these fresh "clovers".
1. 一个月前开的一块地，蛙蛙说那是她的菜地(Laura's Patch)，只能种她喜欢的菜：小红萝卜(Raddish)，生菜(Lettuce)，西红柿(Cherry Tomato)，薄荷(Mint)，辣椒(Jalapeno)。不过蛙蛙还是很“慷慨”地让我撒了一片苋菜子儿。
终于有自己的果树了。是一棵小李子树，英文名字叫Santa Rosa，听名字就已经觉得甜丝丝的了，真恨不得手里的锄头变成仙姑手中的魔棒，就这么一挥，满树就是沉甸甸，酒红色的李子。
去年拿到菠菜种子的时候已是深秋了。当时地里的空心菜刚刚清干净，就顺便把菠菜种子撒进去了。想的是能长就长，不行就来年再种新的。秋日最后的阳光到了中午也是暖暖的，那菠菜小苗居然都破土发芽，长出了小嫩叶子。过了万圣节，就下了霜，夜里气温很快降到了零下。其间我还用塑料布罩了几次，怕把小苗儿冻坏。等到白天也降到了零下，就再也没去理会过它们。通往后院儿的门一关就是一冬天。寒风，大雪，冻雨，冰雹，有时候和疙瘩站在窗前，会看见远远的那一片菠菜地。灰蒙蒙的冬日里，那是唯一的一片绿色。心里有时会诧异，但从没想过会有收获的那一天。
热腾腾的炒豇豆一端上桌，小疙瘩就一路“yummy!”地跑过来，扒着饭桌，踮着脚尖，大声地吆喝着，“妈妈，吃豆豆，嗒嗒要吃豆豆！” 那嗓门儿就能盖过油烟机的声音！慢一点儿都不行，小人儿会跑到厨房，拽我的衣角。
而对小蛙来说，豇豆也已经“后来居上”，超过揶菜花，成为她今年最爱吃的蔬“菜”，还主动提出要带豇豆作为学校的午餐。想想她得有多拽：让她那些啃着三明治的同学，看她举着两跟“细棍子”(筷子），吃着一堆“小棍子”(豇豆）！（今天碰上她们学校的lunch lady，她还对我说，今天总算是看见小蛙用美国餐具 --- 勺子了 ！）
两个孩子这么“捧场”，对做妈妈的既是一种鼓励，也是一种鞭策呀！鞭策的结果在这儿：
下苗儿晚了些，我们家的丝瓜就赶上中秋了。
第一年种，不懂得间苗儿，总怕长不好，大大小小的苗儿挤在一起，到最后就是丝瓜藤，豇豆藤，藤藤相缠。每天清晨，紫色的豇豆花和嫩黄的丝瓜花竞相开放，倒也是错落有致。只是每到摘瓜的时候，都好像是在“寻宝” --- 扒开繁密的枝叶不说，还常常要弯腰低头，钻进茂密的藤架下。一不留神，就会有漏网之“瓜”。等发现了，已经老了。不过这样也好，等它长到又老又黄，变成丝瓜筋，就是最好的洗碗工具。以前外婆还在世的时候，家里的丝瓜筋都是自家产的。朝南的屋檐下，有外婆开的一片菜地。别的记不得了，只记住了丝瓜，和丝瓜棚下一把脏兮兮的木凳子。我得踩在凳子上才能够着丝瓜。颤巍巍地爬上凳子，直起身，再仰头摘瓜。有时候身子刚刚直起来，头就碰在了丝瓜上。不过不疼，那一定是我最喜欢做的事了。不然那么多年以后，怎么会偏偏记得那片菜地呢？
小蛙也喜欢帮我摘丝瓜，不过她一口也不愿意吃，说是滑溜溜得质地像肥肉。倒是疙瘩会捧场 --- 不仅每次看到摘回来的丝瓜，总会大呼小叫，而且吃起来也是大口大口的，还会笑眯眯地说，“好吃！”
这丝瓜种的，起先还是为了解馋，慢慢地就变成了一种乐趣。每天除了早晚浇水，总喜欢到藤架下去转转，看看花，除除草，数数瓜。疙瘩个儿小，角度好，总能看见藏在叶子下的丝瓜。她会大叫，“妈妈，快看，小瓜！” 然后光着两只小脚，跑到我跟前，拽我的衣角。 藤叶之间，还常常可以捉到蚂蚱。姐妹俩喜欢捉蚂蚱，看蚂蚱蹦，尖叫着追着蚂蚱跑。有一次捉到一只硕大无比的蚂蚱。那蚂蚱一步步地冲着疙瘩爬，疙瘩就一步步地往后退，身子碰到栅栏，没路了，疙瘩竟大声叫起来，“妈妈！坏虫虫咬嗒嗒！坏虫虫咬嗒嗒！” 姐姐赶紧冲过去，抱起妹妹。
不知以后，留在她们记忆里，陪着她们长大的，是俯身钻进藤架时，落在脖颈上冰凉的露水，还是脚踩石阶，抬头满眼的黄花，或是那只坏虫虫“虎视眈眈”的眼睛？
小时候的记忆，好无价！
那还是五月初的事儿。静水的夏天早就落地生了根，而朋友给的豇豆种子却还沉睡在厨房的抽屉里。禁不住朋友的询问，终于半信半疑地把种子撒进了地里。
几场暴雨过后，小苗儿居然都破土了。一个个伸着懒腰，在初夏的阳光下，好不快活。当然最快活的还属我。
最辛苦的就该是老公了：搭架子可不象想像那么容易。辛辛苦苦搭好的竹架子，还当着两个女儿的面说可以抗八极地震，可没过一个月，就被爬藤压弯了。那枝叶茂盛的，真可以用铺天盖地来形容。又过了一周，整个架子就生生地倒了！
谁让我买竹竿时偏偏挑了最细的呢！赶紧“抢险”，又是支粗架子，又是拉绳子，忙活了大半天，倒“支”出了一个孩子们的好去处。后来好长一段时间，吃过晚饭，一家人总喜欢在豆架下的荫凉里坐一会儿。静水的夏天热，太阳厉害得晒一会儿，皮肤就会疼，感觉气都喘不上来。豆架下，虽谈不上“凉”，可有一片“荫”，就再也不要眯着眼睛，就可以看清绿的叶，紫的花，和蓝的天。
明年一定搭一个结实的架子，支一大片荫凉，给蛙蛙编一个更粗更长的豇豆“花”环。。。
怎么也想不到，当初那么小的苗儿，能“爬”出这么一大片的枝叶。从窗户里往外看，密密麻麻，枝繁叶茂，硕大的叶子亭亭玉立的，嫩黄的冬瓜花儿要是粉色的，真赶上荷花池了。两个孩子就天天地，吃过晚饭，跑到“池塘”边，撅着屁股，扒拉开一片片的大叶子，数黄花下核桃大的小瓜。一个，两个，三个，四个。。。
一天一天，小瓜慢慢长大，终于长到“苦大”。一听说今天可以摘瓜了，两个孩子真是就飞到了“池塘”边。姐姐摘，妹妹看。姐姐切，妹妹歇。一人一个小篮子，两个孩子就坐在草地上挖冬瓜籽儿。一个，两个，三个，四个。。。
傍晚的阳光暖暖的，秋风里已经有凉气了。明年要早一点下籽儿。
早就听朋友说，空心菜的梗儿插在地里就可以活。可听归听，心想世上哪儿有这么好的事。直到朋友把自己地里收的空心菜送上了门，我们很是“不好意思”地说我们还没“破土”。那已是六月中旬了。朋友说还不算晚。于是（老公）买土，买肥，翻地，这一通忙活。这农业州我们也得住得“名副其实”，你说是不是？
“谁知盘中菜，棵棵皆辛苦”！
从插梗儿，到第一次收获，不到一个月的时间。掐了第一茬儿，很快就又长出了新的叶子。原来种菜并没有我想像的那么辛苦。
以前吃空心菜，店里买来的那种，那一筷子下去，可就是小半盘子（说我老公呢！）这回菜端上来，大家这叫一个“秀气” （还是说我的老公！）一筷子就是一根儿，这炒好的菜筋筋拉拉的，也真难为他了。亏得小蛙和疙瘩都不吃这菜，不然这当爹的还不只能喝点儿菜汤了？！
“丰收”了，这“多余”的两捆儿，一捆儿送朋友；另一捆儿，给当爹的留着吧！种菜还是挺辛苦的。
