Topsy Turvy Tomatoes

Al left for work early this morning.

I got up with him so we could have coffee together.

It really is the little things that make life special.

Better yet, I haven't gone back to bed.

Instead, I took advantage of the morning to look around the apartment a little more and get some ideas of what will need to be done when I come down in a little over a month.

I have to give Al credit, because the place does look great.

It's not a bachelor pad with beer boxes for a coffee table and neon signs that read "naked ladies inside." He's done an absolutely amazing job of setting up the basics in a clean and organized way. And it looks good to boot!

Of course, there are a few (read: a lot) of things I will need to do, such as decorating and pulling the whole thing together with side tables, plants, lamps, etc...

And, of course, getting rid of some of the guy touches that are there (like the tools in the linen closet and the bottom shelf of the bookcase that he's using as a shoe rack.)

One thing in particular that I just can't get over: he started growing some tomato plants on the deck. One is the regular sized tomatoes and the other is a cherry tomato plant. He started them in a little glass and then roots them into a foam base and hangs them upside, hence the "topsy turvy" name.

Last night, when we were standing out on the deck smoking, his neighbor yelled over and asked him about the tomatoes. Apparently her husband has been admiring them for days. She pointed out two other neighbors that have "copied" his idea and started their own topsy turvy tomato plants on their decks/patios.

Seriously. My masculine soldier-man is growing tomatoes and all the old ladies in our complex have sought him out for advice and inspiration. He's so proud of himself and that makes it even cuter. Really, though, I can't wait for the summer to really turn this into a home!