I'd like to offer a big shout-out (is that still a relevant term? How about mad props? I'll have to check in with my significantly younger cousins who complain to me about how all the "old women" ruin the Twilight movies. I was able to reply with a straight face how those old women with their "Bite Me, Edward" t-shirts just ruin it for everyone. Thank goodness my friends and I don't do such silly things. None of us would ever take pictures of the Twilight dolls on our phones or have kids who point out Robert Pattison as "Mommy's boyfriend." Anyway! back to the shout-out) to Covergirl mascara for coming clean in their ads that the models WEAR FALSE EYELASHES.

Unless of course that whole truth in advertising thing caught up with them and they were somehow made to come clean. But seriously, to all the cosmetics companies, you have to knock that stuff off. I first noticed this trend several years ago and I was as outraged as a half-Italian girl with some of the most pitiful eyelashes in the world could be. Is it not bad enough that I fall prey to every claim of long, thick lashes and own about 724 mascaras? Is it not bad enough that for Christmas I asked Duke to buy me the Sephora mascaras sampler? And then you had to go ahead and put false eyelashes on women whose real eyelashes are like expensive sooty paintbrushes? It's not enough to make an undereyelashed girl drool over real eyelashes she'll never have?Have you no shame? So, yes, I just noticed that in their latest ad campaign, Covergirl copped to the fact that Drew Barrymore is wearing eyelash inserts. To which I say No duh. And thank-you for admitting that no, there is no way you the average woman can achieve this with our product. And please believe me when I say that your honesty will in no way stop me from trying every new mascara that hits the shelves.

So, my garden this year is really flourishing! Must be the mushroom mulch. I have big 'ol stalks of corn and jalapenos and green peppers and green tomatoes and oregano, basil, cilantro, lettuce, arugula, spent spinach,sugar snap peas, potatoes, more strawberries than we can eat, and I just replanted the edamame and added a peanut plant. Who knew you could grow peanuts? How awesome is that? Apparently in the fall I can dig that sucker up and its roots will be littered with peanuts! I am also venturing into crazy territory: I'm going to try my hand at making strawberry jam. Mort has eaten so many strawberries that he's fallen onto the "I hate them!" wagon and quite frankly, even I am getting a wee bit weary of them.I'm freezing some, but going for jam with the others. That's right, it's the big time around here.