IT'S ALIVE!!

What do Nick and Victor Frankenstein have in common?

They both love being "mad scientists." (OK, that interpretation of Victor is not exactly correct given the text of Frankenstein, but it worked well as introductory material.)

Here's the thing. Nick really really likes his garden, as we all know. And I like it too. And every day Nick asks me if I've shaken the tomatoes. Shaking the plants gently for 3-5 seconds in between the hours of 9am and 4pm increases the rate of pollination. It sounds like a simple task, but when I'm holding the baby on one hip and leaning over to shake the plants, I get this Igor kind of feeling--the slight humpback-like hitch in my walk, one eye squinting away the bright sun, and the shaking and shaking and shaking, all with the intent of making life. And if I'm Igor, then Nick is, well, you know, the mad scientist bent on producing new life where there was none before.

Just thought you all should be aware of what's going on here in the Webb household ... that way when you're visiting and Nick's out in the garden and you hear him muttering and then shout "IT'S ALIVE!!' you'll know that he just found another tomato growing.

I won't even mention the work he does with q-tips and the squash plants ... :)