13

First off, I must update you on the Useless Cat:




Valerie came home from school today and reported, "Okay, there are two things on my bed. I find one of them disturbing."

I don't blame her. That cat drags in all kinds of foxtails and itchy things.

The skull is a souvenir from Michael & Rex's hunting trip today. They said that thing was coming right for them. So, not the wild boar meat they were hoping for, but not empty handed.

Today Rex officially turned 13. We have an actual teenager in the house. Michael and I cannot even remember our 13th birthdays (although 12 and 14 can be recalled) so we snapped a few photos for posterity:











He requested a cheese cake. I made it with eggs from our chickens and honey from our bees. On the side was a strawberry rhubarb compote that was also harvested from our yard.

In fact, at dinner tonight the salad and artichokes came from our yard and were served with a homemade mayonnaise (also compliments of our hens).

So, when Rex was in my belly I was still eating canned tomato soup and tater tots. 13 years later we are harvesting as much food out of the yard as possible. We've come a long way ... Baby!

Thank goodness for Rex and his sisters for this grand adventure.