First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Yesterday’s tomato count was 6,681. I just went outside and picked 22 tomatoes for a new grand total of 6,703. And the winner of a $100 American Express gift card is… Marithia! She guessed exactly 6,700 (only three off from the total). Marithia has a little something extra to be thankful for today.

Marithia is the 8th Grade Transition Program Coordinator at her local Junior High School.  “My job  is to prepare our 8th graders for high school, by teaching them study skills, test taking skills, organization skills, and how to advocate for themselves!”

Congratulations, Marithia and thanks to everyone for playing.

In the summer I was picking up to 150 tomatoes a day and now that it’s cooler, I’m still picking every day, averaging around 20 a day. I do expect the total to reach over 7,000 before this plant expires. (for new visitors, I did NOT plant this cherry tomato plant. It just started growing in my back yard!)  Happy Thanksgiving to all and… easy on the pie!

You know I love my contests and here’s another one. Just guess the total number of cherry tomatoes I will have picked off my monster plant by Thanksgiving morning and win a $100 American Express gift card. At 10 am Thanksgiving morning, I will pick whatever ripe tomatoes I find and add them to the running total. I’ll post the winner right after that. Whoever guesses the closest TOTAL number of tomatoes from day one (over or under) will win. How about that? A hundred smackeroos just in time for holiday shopping! Good luck!

One guess per person.

Winner will be revealed Thanksgiving morning, before you’re all asleep from eating too much turkey. 🙂

I’ve seen photos of some of the damage and it’s unbelievable.

Is everyone okay?

I shouldn’t have to live in fear, but I do. I shouldn’t have to sneak up on my slippers, but I do. It’s spider season and none of us is safe. I’d rather find a snake in the house than a spider. What about a bat? A bat wouldn’t scare me as much as a spider. Why, you ask?  Because spiders are sneaky little arachnids. They hide in the worst possible places, hunting for food, always at night. Pesticides don’t kill them because they don’t breathe. They play dead – I hate that. I’ve passed by a curled up dead one thinking I’d sweep it up later, and later…. it’s gone!!! But where? And here’s a piece of information I wish I didn’t know: You are never more than twelve feet away from a spider. I did not need to know that.

So I live in fear, sneaking up on my slippers, looking behind cushions, under the toaster… But where is the worst place to find a spider? I say on your white sheets while you’re in them.

Anyone?

Sue sent this sad note today…

“Good Lord Jenny does it ever end!! Teka has just been diagnosed with a splenetic tumor!!  She went to the vet last evening and they called us back this evening with the results of her blood work. She has elevated levels in her liver and kidneys which means that her cancer has spread  Our hearts are so heavy right now. I hate to ask again, but please friends pray for her. We lost our first dog, Sheba, from this disease. I can’t believe this is happening again!! We took her for a 5k walk this morning and she wanted to keep going. Kya saw my jeep and ran for it!!

I’m so sorry to bring sadness to your website again, but you all know how much my dogs mean to me. Sorry JJ but please pray for her. Unlike Jess, this is cancer and it has a very low survival rate. I have to take off Monday to take her for an ultrasound. With that we will know where it has spread. Ugggghhhh!!! Just Pray friends!! Again, I’m sorry to be so depressing and needy!!”