I wore a sweater at work for the first time this fall. Whoopee! It’s my kind of weather.

I’ve said it before: I cannot understand how beans are so cheap. I spent some time this week processing another row of them. This was a variety called lazy housewife. (Honestly. I could not make that up.) It may be my new favorite, so-named as they are stringless and therefore easy to prepare. They are a triple-purpose bean, used as a regular green bean, as fresh-shelled, or dried.

I picked the entire crop at the shell stage. They were super easy to remove from the pod. I froze several containers and put some in my supper.

Too late in the spring, I seeded a package of wando peas. It was a variety that supposedly tolerates the heat of summer. I wouldn’t know, since I lost track of them in the weeds. They promptly died and I forgot all about them. That is, until this week. The dried-up seeds re-sprouted and now are all blooming and producing tiny pea pods. Nature is truly grand. Our job is to pay attention.

For the past several years, I have attempted to grow my own sweet potato slips. I have not had success. When all else fails, look for direction.

I finally learned to cut one in half width-wise, support the cut end in a jar of water, and leave in a very warm place. After a month, some tiny roots developed. I planted them in a fish tote and, as is my custom, forgot about them. Recently, I pulled up one pathetic-looking plant and found four small but wonderful potatoes. I had them for supper and couldn’t be more pleased.

The photo this week is a foxglove blooming at the Katama General Store. I don’t know if I have ever seen one blooming this late in a growing season. Perhaps it thinks it had gone through a winter. Foxgloves are biennials. They bloom the second year from seed. They then throw seeds which were in turn mature the following year. Here on the Vineyard, the winters have become so mild that they are behaving like a perennial.

If you happen to head over to the Katama General Store, check it out. Have some lunch. They have some great selections.

Now is prime time for dividing perennials in the flower beds. For example, irises often die in the middle, with new plants around the dead center. Several new plants can be retrieved.

The latest kerfuffle is the back-up of containers at ports along the West Coast. The New York Times recently ran a front page article with photos of enormous ships piled high with shopping containers. Lack of truck drivers has them not moving across the country.

Right-wing media has, naturally, put the blame on Joe Biden. As part of their obsession with the so-called war on Christmas, we won’t be able to buy cheap plastic items for under our trees.

I must state the obvious: We haven’t even bought candy for the trick or treaters yet.

Oh yes, also, did I remember that Christmas is some sort of birthday celebration -- not just another reason to consume products made by cheap labor in foreign countries.

Don’t even get me started on Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema.