Rotten Tomatoes

This tomato pin cushion has lasted me through many years - probably a good 15 years of sewing, but I'm thrilled to see it go.  I think it was the green leaves at the top that finally did it in - see the shavings popping out?

So, I'm happy to say I have a nice, new, pretty tomato to hold my pins.  I even decided to pitch all of those dress shirt pins that I had saved and opt for keeping my trusty long yellow headed pins.  Looks so much tidier, huh?

Speaking of rotten tomatos, one of the things I crave in the summer is fresh tomatoes from the garden.  If you don't already know, I live in Central Texas and we are on day 20 of 100 degrees or more - ugh!  

Each summer I've tried to plant a garden, and this year, mine got in a bit late so, my poor tomato plants are baking in the sun each day.  

I thought this garden was an improvement to years past in a way because normally I've planted WAY too many plants and ended up with a giant gnarled mess of a garden this time of year.  But - what was labeled as "Cucumber" at the garden center was actually a jalepeno plant, my "Zuchinni" was enormous bumpy Squash, and "Squash" died a pitiful death by some rooting animal early in the summer.  So....I would really, really like just one or two pretty tomatoes to eat on my turkey sandwich!!!  But, as you can see they aren't looking so hot.  I may try for a fall tomato, which apparently one of our local garden centers is advertising.  

This is what they look like now - barely hanging on - but I'm hopeful still for a few sweet fruits of my labor. (I'm curling my toes even taking these pictures, because I'm sceered (that's "scared" in "Texas lingo") to death of a creeping nasty snake biting my freshly pedicured toes!  Blah!)

It's hard to tell in this photo - but there is a dirty rotten catepillar just making himself at home on one of my juicy delights - I'd pinch his little head off and squeeze it between my fingers if it wouldn't totally gross me out!!!  Dang catepillar.