Tomatoes, Apple of Peru plant, and interrupted sleep

I have been reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love. I'm about two thirds of the way through and I find myself reconnecting with some of my post divorce passage to independent, self-sufficient womandhood! Long time ago and not something I think much about now, but this current journey has some parallels.

Tomatoes!!! Out of the garden, fresh picked and popped into my mouth! I had forgotten the intense sweet taste, unlike anything you can buy from the grocery store or even a farmer's market. Its been years since I have planted my own tomatoes. I can't imagine why it took me so long to try again. Another discovery this week has been a plant that came from a branch with seeds that I picked last year during one of my early walks through the neighbourhood. Not one I had ever seen before. I planted the seed head and forgot about it, until I discovered it peeking out from under a bleeding heart plant several weeks ago. Grows quite rapidly, so I will have to move it to another part of the garden. Sandy was able to have it identified by the Biology Department at Trent University as the Apple of Peru, or Nicandra physalodes. Lovely mauve trumpet shaped flowers  on a tomatillo type shellcase. Apparently its an annual that self seeds quite rapidly. I'd sure like to know why its called the Apple of Peru though!

On to interrupted sleep. Mom has taken to waking up in the middle of the night again and thinking its time to get up.  In the last four or so nights that has been the case. Several nights ago Alex woke me up because she had been rattling around in her closet for some time around 1:30 am or so. I went to check and she was fully dressed and had made her bed! Saturday night she calls me to wake me about 2:30 am to ask if she can have her bath. She was up again at 4:00 and at 5:30 am! Last night a bit better. She woke me about 6:30 to see if she could have her bath. I always get her to go back to bed, but its hard for me to get back to sleep after that.

I did get some more painting done. A couple of studies working outside sitting with Mom. One is from a photograph I took of a wall of hydrangeas a long time ago when Alex and I were able to take a short break and go to visit wine country in the Beamsville Bench.

The other is a study of a Swallowtail butterfly. I got a lot of positive feedback on the Monarch I did last week, so I thought I'd give it another go. Not quite as real.

Lastly, another abstract done with acrylics and modeling paste.