Donating to Locks of Love

After Jolie donated her hair to Locks of Love in May 2008, I decided that I would grow my hair out and make a donation as well.

Locks of Love is an organization that makes prosthetic wigs for children who have medical conditions in which they are unable to grow their own hair. The organization creates prosthetics with donated hair for children who are financially disadvantaged. The use of donated hair helps the organization provide quality prosthetics to needy children. Donated hair that does not meet the 10 inch requirement is sold to help cover manufacturing costs.

It has been over a year since I've had a haircut. In the Florida heat, all I have been able to do in recent months is to put my hair up in a bun or a ponytail because my hair is so heavy and thick. Leaving it down was just getting to be too much. I decided a few weeks ago that tt was time to take a big step and get my hair cut to donate, but I had to wait until after the Navy Day Ball so I could have my hair put up for the Ball.

Here are the before, during, and after photos.

I'm happy to be able to do a little something to help make a child smile. It will take some time to get used to my new "do," but I think it's going to grow on me.

Surfing in October

Apparently the weather has neglected to look at the calendar and realize that it's fall. Our temperatures have been in the upper 80s all week. In an effort to work with the weather rather than against it, we decided to spend Sunday afternoon at the beach. The boys went surfing, Jolie played in the sand, I sat under the umbrella and read. It was a wonderful trip all around.

Garden Update - Before & After

One benefit of living in Florida is the extended growing season. We are lucky that fairly mild winters make it possible for me to have a second planting...almost a second "garden."

Due to the heat of the summer, my garden started to slow in its production. The peppers remained the main staples that were able to brave and survive the heat. The volunteer watermelon did well, giving us four large watermelon. The tomatoes did fine too...that is until Lincoln broke into the garden and decided to romp through them, breaking many of the plants. We got one nice egg plant during the summer. The lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, potatoes and onions were a bust. Still operating on a Virginia planting cycle, I planted them too late into the season and they basically fried in the early heat wave we saw in May.

Below are photos of the garden at the close of summer -



Once the heat started to die down, I decided it was time to rip out the no longer producing plants and till under the overgrowth to prepare for my fall planting. I spent three hours one day pulling up plants, ripping out weeds, and tilling. Very therapeutic.

Here are some photos from my newly prepared-for-planting garden -




I have since planted three sections of green beans, with two types of lettuce and spinach in between. The broccoli and cauliflower that I started from seed have been transplanted next to my two sections of sweet potatoes. My egg plant decided to re-flower and currently has three fruit. The pepper plants (jalapeno, banana, bell, and cayenne) are still producing. I'm hoping to purchase a few tomato plants at the farmer's market this weekend, and will try to grow onions from seed again this fall. I am waiting for my garlic to arrive in the mail, and as soon as it does, I'll get it in the ground. The pumpkin plants that I started and transplanted, didn't make it. I think they got root bound before they were transplanted. I will miss having our own pie pumpkins this year, and am hoping that the farmer's market and/or our CSA will have some nice ones I can use to make pumpkin puree.

I am pleased with this year's garden. I am still working to learn the growing seasons down here. I figure as soon as I get everything figured out, it will be time to move again. I'm looking forward to seeing how this fall planting works out. I'll keep you posted.