This year I am putting out two tomato plants of my favorite variety, “Big Boy.” I found them at Lowe’s after looking all over town for this particular variety. If I can find two plants that are “Better Boy” I will buy them, also. These two varieties always produce big, firm tomatoes that are perfect for slicing and layering on a summer sandwich. At the end of summer they make wonderful Fried Green Tomatoes, too.

I want to try a grape tomato plant, also. I think if I can count on plucking 5 or 6 ripe grape tomatoes every couple of days that I will be more inclined to have salads this summer. I will be buying more fresh greens and I love a couple of grape tomatoes scattered in the bowl.

I started a couple dozen green bean seeds that have sprouted and grown to several inches. They are just begging to be transplanted. But not yet – I think tonight is the last of this cold snap and it will be safe to move them outside tomorrow.

How I Make Hard-Boiled Eggs
Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover the eggs. Over medium-high heat slowly bring the water to a simmer – not a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook the eggs at the barest simmer for 10 minutes.

To avoid the dark blue ring around the yolks, pour out the hot water into the sink and immediately run cold water over the eggs until completely cooled.

To peel, crack the shell several times on a hard surface and gently roll the egg between your palms to loosen shell. Peel off the shell by starting at the large end and discarding the shell into the trash or add the shell bits to your compost pile, but do not put shells down the garbage disposal. Rinse the peeled eggs under cold water or dip in water to remove bits of shell.

If your husband has a “Man Cave” that needs some manly decor, try this clever idea I found on Pinterest this morning. It is a fishing pole and reel mounted on the wall with photo frames hanging across the pole, in between the guides. Of course, the photos are of the fish that were caught. What a great way to display the proud moments of your loved one and start some great conversations among the guys as they share their fishing stories.

My favorite PBJ is made with Reese’s brand peanut butter, Welch’s grape jelly and Wonder Bread white bread. If I don’t have any grape jelly, I am happy with Smucker’s strawberry jam. They are both good, but nobody makes grape jelly like Welch’s and that is always my favorite brand of grape jelly.

This little sign is so true. My darling grandchildren are wonderful! They are sweet, intelligent and charming. They obviously take after me!

This phone is more like a multi-function device instead of a phone. You can make calls with it, but it also sends text messages, lets you get on the internet, provides GPS mapping, plays music and movies, and take pictures and videos. Its like a tiny computer, Walkman and Kodak all mixed together in a tiny box with a screen.

I don’t think I can justify spending $600 on a cell phone with all those extra gadgets. It would take me a very long to just learn how to use them all. I’m glad Haley is young and able to learn all of this as she goes. Catching up is getting harder to do as each day goes by, and I don’t think I can keep up with these young people with their fancy technology any more.

That is why I find it so odd that many parents around here are freaking out about teaching the children about evolution or creationism. They even considered legislation about it and passed a law that appears to bring the whole state back to the ignorance and mentality of the Scopes Monkey trial, over 80 years ago. What on earth are these people thinking? We don’t need to go back to the mentality of people from 1925. Have we not learned anything in over 80 years?

As it turns out, the original developer of this neighborhood must have really liked magnolia trees, because I can see a magnolia tree was deliberately planted in the front yard of every third house all the way down my block, on both sides of the street. That is actually a large number of magnolia trees and that many would not just be a coincidence.

The trees are actually evergreens, which means they keep their leaves throughout the year and do not drop their leaves like all the deciduous trees here. But they are mostly known for their beautiful, large white blossoms, which last a long time and are very popular for southern brides bouquets and decorations in the home.

But like every absolute, we humans like to challenge them on occasion. I imagine that is a big problem for the wives of celebrities, wanting to so something with their spouse or family and being restricted by a schedule. It is always tempting to try to get an exception for one “good reason” or another. But a professional cannot afford the luxury of canceling a commitment or they risk getting a bad reputation for not showing up – and that can be a career killer.