Friday, September 9, 2016

Je n'ai pas oublié, vraiment


I've resumed walking to or from work a couple times a week to get some exercise. It feels pretty good, in this mild weather. The walk takes about half an hour, and my only complaint is that it's not particularly scenic, at least not after you've done it 100 times. I've even stopped routinely lugging the camera bag with me -- the ratio of pictures to shoulder discomfort isn't worth it.

I got back on Duolingo yesterday to refresh my knowledge of French before our classes start next week. I haven't practiced all summer, so all my indicators -- showing how thoroughly I've learned various categories of words -- have slowly weakened. (The web site assumes you're forgetting if you're not practicing there.) I have to regain all my lost ground. Kind of a pain to work through a million repetitions of "Je suis un homme" in order to prove that I know what I'm talking about.


We tried our homegrown tomato last night. We wanted to really taste it, in isolation, so Dave made a tiny tomato salad with olive oil, salt and pepper. I must say, it wasn't bad, and there is something cool about eating food that came from your own dirt, in your own garden. Especially when you look at all those little seeds and think, "I could plant those and have more tomatoes!" Circle of life and all that.

We didn't plant any seeds, though. We ate them.

Speaking of circle of life, we're at the point in the garden where things are definitely dying back. The nigella is a stalk of round, dry pods, the ragwort has gone brown and shabby, the foxglove is a dead finger pointing skyward. We're considering a big fall cleanup. On the other hand, it all looks very autumnal, so maybe we'll leave it and enjoy the seasonal mood.

(Top photo: Peckham, on Sunday.)

10 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

What does "Je suis un homme" mean? That word "homme" sounds suspicious.

Ms. Moon said...

I've made a few tiny tomato salads in my time!
I say leave the garden for a while and let some seeds drop, etc. I have Duolingo on my phone. Have I ever used it? No. I have not. For Spanish.
Soy una abuela.

ellen abbott said...

you know that tomatoes taste best at room temperature, right?

Sharon said...

Now you have my mouth watering for some tasty tomatoes. I might have to go to a farmer's market tomorrow and see if I can find any.

Linda Sue said...

Je Suis un homme has gotten me by on several occasions. It is all you ever really need. Your foxglove pointing a dead finger to the sky made me laugh. Last gasp. The temperature here has dropped with a thud! Do you say "tomahto"?

jenny_o said...

If you really want to taste a tomahto (thanks for the reminder, Linda Sue) in isolation, pick a ripe one from the plant on a warm day and eat it like an apple. There is nothing quite like that explosion on your taste buds. Mind you, I haven't done that in years, but - I remember it!

Good job on getting caught up on French and walking. Your ambition exceeds mine at the moment.

Red said...

Duolingo? I'll have to check that and see how much French I have left.

37paddington said...

the tomato salad looks delicious and you grew that! it is indeed very cool.

e said...

Wow...have you noticed a difference between your own and the tomatoes bought at the grocery. I have. They have little flavor. Glad you enjoyed yours. When are you putting in a veg patch?

Elizabeth said...

The simple tomato salad looks mouth-watering. Good luck with the French!