Good Things List No.88: Summer Tomatoes, Fall Garden, Plastic Free Scrubber, Book Reviews and More

Good things to do, buy, read, and watch – in this month’s list I’m sharing about summer tomatoes, the fall garden, the sad truth about “natural” sponges, 5 books reviewed and a movie I liked.

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Even though the calendar shows that fall isn’t until the 22nd of September, the week after Labor Day always means the beginning of fall to me. The sun is at that angle that reminds me of fall, the sunrise over our hills isn’t until 7am (it’s been up as early as 5am midsummer!), and the plants are losing their summer lushness (no matter how much I water them).

You, too? Of course the kids and teachers going back to school is a classic tell of fall – and even though our kids are grown, it’s still in my blood as a former teacher as well.

I aim to enjoy the month, though, and make an effort to slowly enter fall while enjoying the last of summer fully without complaining or wishing for cooler weather or to wear different clothes – to be fully present.

Let’s get to this month’s good things and what I read in August!

Good Things List

Tomato Harvest (& Summer Flowers)

The photo above pretty much sums up August for me: A bouquet of classic summer flowers (dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers, asters) and enamel bowls full of ripening tomatoes. Seriously one of my favorite times of the year!

About the flowers: In every house we’ve lived in, once I planted shrubs and perennials I would cut flowers to bring in the house. But this is the first time I’ve had a dedicated “cutting garden” – mainly because of the deer required us to fence off a garden area, lol.

But here’s what I’ve learned with a cutting garden: it’s SO freeing to just cut any blooms you want from bud to blousy without thought of what the plant looks like!

If I need every bloom to fill a vase, I can take it. If I think a few buds will look good in the arrangement, I take them without thought to how much longer the plant will be without blooms. It’s lovely. My cutting garden isn’t large – about 3-feet wide by 12-feet long – but it’s enough along with the other things I have growing to fill in. It includes a couple hydrangea shrubs, dahlias, and annuals. Do this if you can!

About the tomatoes: Some people who visit and see my full bowls ask what I will do with all the tomatoes – and all I can do is taste the deliciousness of not only sliced sun-ripened tomatoes but what they will become when made into:

• Easy Addictive Tomato Chutney
• Best Thick Canned Salsa
• The BEST Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce – Fresh or Freeze
• Safe Water Bath Canned Roasted Tomato Sauce
• And so much more!

Also, remember what this kitchen space used to look like???

Fall Garden

August is a month where we can think about and plan more for the fall garden. I especially like to start seeds for lettuce, spinach, onions, small cabbage, and overwintered things. I’ve found that since they need consistent water during this hot month, it’s better to start them in trays where I can monitor them better (this works for most everything but carrots).

Sadly, the trays you see were decimated by birds and squirrels shortly after this photo was taken and I had to replant and cover them with bird netting. Sigh – this is honestly the story of my life on this property!!

It may end up being too late for some of the varieties, especially the Walla Walla onions which have a 1-2 week window in early August to overwinter and produce next June. Oh, well – I’ve always held fall gardening loosely since I never know what will work between the weather, my schedule – and now the animals, ha!

Interested in fall gardening? Check these out:

• Tips to Plan and Plant a Fall Vegetable Garden
• Fall and Winter Garden & Yard Prep + Printable Checklist
• 15+ Fall Gardening Tips & Inspiration

Actual Plastic-Free Scrubber Sponges

I love it when I learn something from this community! I mentioned in a recent newsletter (you get these, don’t you?) about not worrying about microplastics in our sponges because we’ve used Grove’s Walnut Scrubber Sponges for years and a couple of readers emailed me saying that they actually DO have plastic. What??

So I contacted Grove and sadly they responded with:

“The Coconut (and Walnut) scrubber sponges contain recycled plastic fibers in the scrubber part of the sponge.” But that they are “non-toxic, sustainable and cruelty-free.”

However, going plastic free has pretty much been their by-line for years, so this was disappointing to me for sure. So the search was on for something new that was plastic free and completely compostable – which was NOT hard to find, by the way (hello, Grove?!?).

Curious about the foaming soap in a mason jar? This article gives all the details plus container and lid options!

I chose this set of compostable cellulose sponge with coconut scrubber pad instead of walnut that comes in a pack of 12 (for about the same as Grove’s pack of 2!). Note that they do come flat and expand once the packaging is opened. They are about 1/4-inch less thick than the Grove sponges, but I am happy with them.

Oh! And they are even cheaper if you get them through Subscribe & Save – and I will still cut these in half like I do with all sponges, so they are literally pennies each which ends up being a huge savings total. Live and learn.

August Books Read

Ordinary Grace, William Kent Krueger. This is a beautiful coming-of-age story set in the summer of 1961 in a small Minnesota town. It’s told in a flashback of 13-year-old Frank when he’s older and married with kids with occasional hints about what happened. His father is a pastor and there are deaths and mysteries and revelations that reverberate throughout Frank’s life. So well done with a sense of place and childhood – and nostalgia. There are tough things and beautiful things and how faith can see us through all of them.

Winter Solstice, Rosamunde Pilcher. This was like a comfort listen for me – I’ve read a number of Pilcher books, but all many years ago. And listening to this set in the cold of a Scottish December in the middle of our hot August was kind of fun: this season, too, will pass! This is classic Pilcher – we meet a number of people who have no connection to each other and by the time the book is over they are almost like family. Sweet, not too heavy on the “issues” and just a fun way to pass the time cooking, preserving, and harvesting.

Practicing The Way, John Mark Comer. The subtitle of this book makes it pretty clear what it’s about: Be with Jesus, Become like Him, and Do as He did. This author is always down-to-earth and shares what this can look like in our 2025 world. There were some things where I thought, “that’s easier for you when your job is doing what Jesus did (pastor, teacher, writer, etc).” But there were practical things, too, that I’m thinking about and mulling over how to add them to my life, specifically practicing the Sabbath more and being more intentional with community. Fun fact: my daughter goes to the church Comer helped found in Portland (Bridgetown) and it is very much alive and encouraging in these ways to become more like Jesus.

Good Dirt, Charmaine Wilkerson. This book had as much interesting past history as it did interesting current story. It took me a bit to get into, especially with the flashbacks and multiple new characters, but once I did I was hooked and couldn’t really tell where the story would go. It sort of centers around a slave-made pottery vessel that has been in one family for years and that family has become wealthy and well-known. Then a tragedy happens which affects them for years and we hear the story as they come to terms with both the incident and their past. Racism, greed, love, and family ties are all themes, told in a way that you come to care about the characters and want the best for them.

Passion Project, London Sperry. This flirty love story actually starts in a place of grief and depression. While these episodes of deep depression went on for pages sometimes in the beginning (I did end up skimming these…), seeing the main character on that end and watching her emerge from the pit (slowly) is enlightening for those of us who haven’t experienced that state of depression before. I thought the reflationship between the man who becomes her boyfriend seemed real and honest. The second half of the book is more about their relationship and the fun “passion project” they embark on to help our heroine find something she’d like to do. You know how it will end and you know I’m always there for that, lol. (Note: this is open door, though just one scene.)

Watching

Fantastic Four: First Steps – theaters. Brian and I really enjoyed this movie – we both really loved the art direction and setting in the 1960s, it was really fun and realistic. I thought the story was good, easy to follow (as someone who knew nothing about the FF) and entertaining. Brian thought it didn’t quite click for him though.

That’s it for another addition of the Good Things List!

If you’d like to see more of what I’m enjoying, you can check out all the Good Things Lists here. I’d love to know what you think – if you’ve tried any of these or what you’d recommend. Leave a comment below with your thoughts!

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