Bits and Pieces

Today I've got some random bits and pieces gathered this week.

I call this KWW (Knitting While Waiting). John took the work "party bus" to DE yesterday and I drove down to to pick him up and look at a couple of houses. I texted him when I got there and he said he'd be "right out". I always like to guess how long that might be. This time it was a pleasant five rows worth on Match & Move (almost 20 minutes)!

Justin's birthday is on Tuesday and our plans were to go to NY for a visit and take him to lunch, but work responsibilities have interfered. That means I need to package up his presents and go to the post office this morning. When I made Christmas bags, I also made bags for each of the boys that I used for their birthdays. Even though these are 13 or 14 years old, his fascination with deer still continues (and they make wrapping very easy)!

A few weeks ago, Penzeys called out the President on his shift from "I have not committed any crimes" to "it's a crime to investigate my crimes" and offered their American Soul box of spices for free as part of their call for Americans to stop pretending that things were in any way normal. Bill Penzey has been speaking out against T.rump since he was elected, and this is a company that truly walks their talk. I can't not support a company that does business this way, so I took advantage of their offer, bought another box as a gift for my new neighbor, and also several of their cinnamon boxes as gifts. If you don't already shop at Penzeys (and I know that many of you do), please consider them next time you need spices. They are an extraordinary company with a soul and wonderful products.

I was happy to see a flower stalk on one of my little grocery store orchids. I'm grateful that they thrive on my benign neglect and reward me annually with beautiful, long-lasting flowers (soon)!

Once again (always?) I'm engaged in an epic battle with squirrels. It's been warm enough that I've put my indoor plants outside, including my immigrant hibiscus. The squirrels seem to be obsessed with digging in the pot, many times each day to the point that I'm afraid they are beginning to break and damage the roots. I cursed the squirrels and replaced the soil too many times, so I grabbed a paper plate and scissors, and fashioned my patented Squirrel Stop™. It's worked just fine for several days, but I have thought about improvements to the prototype. This weekend I'm going to look for a section of screen and fit that to the pot as a barrier so the soil will be more open to sunlight for evaporation and for easy watering. Bonny - 1, Squirrels - 0 (for now). 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!