We’ve been growing a Sweet 100 tomato plant in the house for a couple of months. Last time was 15 years ago, outdoors, and we had bugs and worms and three tasteless tomatoes all summer.
Finally we have about fifteen, more to come, tomatoes and one turned yellow today. When it turns red and is ripe, I plan to halve it and we will cheer. It suffered for a few weeks even though it was re-planted to a larger container delicately. Now it is growing tomatoes over a cage and watered every day, and we have new flowers that have been pollenated.
Our major coup was to find and adopt our hip-less wonder dog Zoe, and keep her happy and healthy for 13.5 years. She is a light in our lives, and many others, a neighborhood mascot. A sole tomato plant is only the icing on our cake. Zoe is the cake. Don’t ask me what kind of cake because it will determine north and south and the “war of northern aggression.” Let’s call it what Mom used to make for our birthdays. Viennese Chocolate Pecan Torte. I don’t have the recipe and she’s gone nine years. Dee
Cooking with Dee 
The tomato has turned red, still hard but we’ll let it grow a bit more, and there are others to come. It is good to raise something from beginnings.Tomatoes, an old dog. I just got her a new leash, stronger than the one she’s had over 10 years, because I am losing strength and wish to assure I don’t fall on a walk if she sees a squirrel. She is so smart, she knows all hand commands (not taught by Puppy 101, from which she graduated, but by me.) I don’t know that we’ll ever find another like her. Yes, I may have one more shelter pup in me to raise and train.
I’ve so many ideas about this birthday Torte that I’ve sent to my siblings, after all I had more cakes than the rest of the dear “youngsters.” I am thinking chocolate and raspberries and pecans, including other things I cannot tell you until they get back to me with their thoughts.