Um, teacher? Are we graded on timeliness?

As it turns out, becoming a student after a ten year hiatus is a bit difficult. Not the classes, per se, but the structure and discipline. I've had a career for 10 years, a career that needed me to be at work on time. I've never had an issue with attendance, and in fact, am pretty much psychotically aware of being on time to the places I need to be. But with class...oof, a different story altogether. I am rush, rush, rushing to my morning classes and am still about 10 minutes late each day, and the night class...oy. Part of the issue is that the classes are 4 hours long. I seem to have the attention span of a 2 year old when it comes to a 4 hour class...I wriggle around in my seat, heave exasperated sighs, and doodle in the margins of my notes. But, in truth, I love the classes. I received a perfect score on my first horticulture test (a feat of which I am very proud), and have included photos of the first two arrangements we did in Floral Design. The large triangular one is the symmetrical arrangement (note that we are not able to choose our flowers, we use the ones the school has...so while pretty, not necessarily the pieces I would have chosen myself). And the second is the asymmetrical bouquet. Awfully exciting, no?

The tomato pictured below is the first major heirloom I have picked this summer. While my cherry, yellow pear, and sungold tomatoes have been producing for a while, the big guys are just now coming to the party. This particular specimen is a Black from Tula. I got the seedling from my neighbors Julie and Jay, and I'm glad I chose this varietal. It weighed nearly 2 lbs (I know because I stood on my bathroom scale with it, then without it, and the difference was nearly 2lbs. Scientific, aren't I). Anyway, I have made two jars of salsa and both have been devoured.

Easy salsa recipe below:

Chop enough tomatoes (different colors if possible) to fill a bell jar nearly full.

Chop 1/2 red onion

Chop 1 jalapeno (mine was from my garden too!) More if you want it hotter

Chop some cilantro (if you like it)

put it all in the bell jar

Add in 3 or 4 pinches of kosher salt

pour in enough white wine vinegar to fill the jar

shake and roll jar to mix up all the colors of tomatoes

Refrigerate and serve with chips (I like multigrain tostitos the best)