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Well, good morning!

I had a bit of a late night last night so I'm still in slow gear around here. 

I just went out and checked the "garden". The BIG news from there is that my moringa trees are sprouting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So much of what I want to do going forward more or less depends on those seeds becoming trees. When the seeds didn't sprout in the first week, I hypothesized that it might be because it was just not hot enough for them to germinate. I had read that they germinate best at 90 degrees or higher. Well, yesterday it was HOT (in the mid nineties) and we have 3 sprouts poking their heads out of the soil. There are still 3 more seeds in that container so we'll see what happens with those. I think maybe the bit of top watering I've been doing has helped some too. Since that is a deep container, water has to wick a long way to get to the top level where it can help those seeds germinate. So, I've been careful to put just a little bit of water on the top for about a week now.

I did not water last night. So, I had to get out the hose to water this morning. Every plant out there needed water and they all got some. Tomorrow starts an 8-day run of 100+ temps here in Lost Wages so I may have to start watering 3 times a day. I want those roots cool and moist.............

50% is not a fabulous germination rate for those moringas. I really want at least 2 more of those seeds to germinate and I will not complain if all 6 germinate. But, I do have many more seeds and, obviously, the weather is now cooperating with seeds that want it HOT to germinate. 

I have two really healthy plants as of now. The potato is growing like crazy. And one of the zucchini is looking very healthy. The other zucchini looks less healthy but it does have new growth so things can't be all bad.......... The healthy one is the one I did not transplant...........And, I think we're past "transplant shock" as an excuse for the poorly one. 

So, the main slowdown to progress in the "garden" is the absence of "dirt". I need to get that taken care of by making a trip to the nursery. I think I just feel out of my depth when I go there so I put it off. Well, I need to get over that! 

I have been working on that "great adventure" kit. I have added all the basics and more and I still need to add more to get up to the minimum level at which I will release a kit. But, the preview is full, so I'm squeezing stuff smaller and smaller to make room for things on the preview........ I'd love to be done with the design work on that today.

Around here, I will, of course, be working in the kitchen. Number one on my agenda is getting that pot roast going in the crock pot. I am already looking forward to the smells wafting through my house this afternoon and melt in my mouth meat for dinner! 

I have many more corners/baseboards/edges to clean, so I'll be crawling around on the floor with my rubba scrubba. Found 2 new spots that need to be cleaned on the carpet as well. One of my purchases at Winco yesterday was a new bottle of hydrogen peroxide so I'm armed and dangerous to carpet stains! 

As always, I need to make progress on the desk. I've done some work on the surface of the desk for several days now, but it's not enough. It's NEVER enough, LOL. SO MUCH to sort and file and shred and..........well, you get the idea. 

My feet and legs are better than I could have expected, given my long walk on the concrete floors of the gigantic Winco store yesterday. My ankles are a bit testy, but not too bad. Loving that my stupidity didn't hurt me as much as I thought...........

Well, I think that's it for now. Since I'm starting late, I need to get a move on. YOU be BLESSED today!

 

I went, I saw, I ............

was not as impressed as I thought I would be. 

I went to Winco today. First, it's 13 miles from home, in an area of town I haven't visited for more than 5 years. And I got lost. Not very lost, but U-turns were required......... One of the things I love about the area in which I live is that I can drive 3 miles west, southwest, or east and buy pretty much ANYTHING my little heart desires. Driving 13 miles for anything is an unusual adventure for me. As I was driving on the freeway, I remembered how my father always told me it was bad for a car if you didn't go fast in it every now and then "to blow the carbon out". Lord knows if that was ever a valid concept, or if it's a valid concept now. Maybe it was just an excuse so he could go fast. But, if there was any carbon that needed blown out, it's gone now.

The store is HUGE. I kinda wanted to step inside the door and stand there with my mouth hanging open. It's not that I've never been in a grocery store that is this large. Of course I have. But lately, I've shopped at El Cheapo (now closed), Trader Joe's, and Smart & Final. Probably El Cheapo was the closest in size to this store, but maybe only 60% the size. So, it was a bit of a shock. 

I hit the produce area first. I'd heard that WInco had a not very good reputation with regard to produce. They had a vast selection. Everything looked to be fresh. HOWEVER, you really had to know your prices before stepping through the door in order to know if you were getting a "deal" or not. For example, they had some very small avocados for $1 each. The ones on my counter, right now, are from Trader Joe's, are at least 1.5 X the size of Winco's and I got 4 for $2.99 or $.75 each......... Many of their big price signs looked to be budget minded purchases til you looked at what they were advertising. Yes, the prices were good, but the fruits were little. A peach or a nectarine or an avocado that is all seed and barely any flesh isn't much of a bargain. I did, however, find some beefsteak style tomatoes at a good price that compared favorably with Trader Joe's price. It remains to be seen how they compare as far as taste as I've always pretty much thought Trader Joe's tomatoes were the best that could be had at any store in the valley. I do have to say that if you're into organic produce, I wouldn't bother going to Winco. They don't have much and I don't think you could entice me to carry home what they do have.

Next up was the bulk foods area. The most impressive thing I found in that area was some of the candy. I LOVE salt water taffy (probably a byproduct of being raised so close to Daytona Beach). Anyway, most stores don't even carry it, but they had 6 flavors for a decent price. Yes, indeed, I have a bag sitting next to me right now! I do think that maybe their price on nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc.) is pretty good. I don't buy this kind of thing often, but it seemed to me to be decently priced based on a comparison with Costco's prices.

I've been trying to figure out what fruit trees I want to eventually plant here on the family farm, LOL. Fig trees are known to grow very well in this area and to fruit well too. In the bulk food area, they had some figs from the same type of fig tree I've been considering. I bought just a little sample of those, and, yes, a fig tree is definitely in my plans now! 

I also bought some milk bone type doggie treats. Shhh.... I haven't told Parker yet. I couldn't tell you if these were a good price or not--I haven't bought milk bones in a LONG time.

The meat appeared to be of good quality and it appeared to be fresh. They had a VAST selection of meats to choose from. I was amazed to find whole turkeys there. I don't think anyone else carries those this time of year. Yes, I will be going back to get one or two of those............. And then the heavens opened and a choir of angels sang and I found meat for pot roast marked down. It was still pricey (for my budget), but I'll eat that for a BUNCH of meals. I walked out with two slabs of bottom round which will cook up very nicely in the crock pot. If I'd have had more funds available, I'd have walked out with a bunch more, LOL. But, common sense prevailed and I controlled myself by reminding myself that I can't eat that much meat. So, some of it would surely get yucky in the freezer over time.

I saw a sign for pork neck bones. When I lived in St. Louis (which has a large Italian population), I could always find pork neck bones in the supermarket. My Italian mother-in-law taught me that you should throw some of those in the pot when you're making sauce to "sweeten" it. Truly it does impart a different and, in my opinion, better flavor. So, I got all excited. I haven't seen many pork neck bones in the stores 'round here. And then I discovered the pork neck bones were smoked. No! Such a sad thing........ However, I found they had smoked pork hocks which do wonderful things to the flavor of a pot of homemade pea soup. I'll probably be going back there for some of those.

I bought a rotisserie chicken there. I think it was a bit on the small side, but the price was equal to Costco's and $1.00 less than most of the grocery stores in the area.

I use about a quart of half 'n' half a week in my coffee. I couldn't find any in the store. I'm sure it must have been there, but I couldn't find it. Their milk was way cheaper than what you find if you go running into 7-11 for an emergency gallon of milk. BUT, it was still $.10 more a gallon that I pay at Trader Joe's. 

They have a mind-boggling array of prepared frozen foods. I rarely eat that stuff. So, I wasn't all that interested and I wouldn't have been able to compare prices on any of it. But if you can think of it, I'm pretty sure they have it! But, I absolutely can't comment on the prices of that kind of thing.

The best prices I found, in general, were on their house brand of canned goods. Considerably lower than Target's prices and lower than Smart & Final as well, comparing house brand to house brand, of course. I'll be going back for those.

I was disappointed in the bulk foods. If you're a prepper, or if you are like me and looking for lower prices for buying in bulk, I think you'll be disappointed. This is the opposite of what I was led to believe about Winco. Maybe I missed something, but I walked every aisle and peered into every bin. Maybe there is some special process required to get that kind of bulk at Winco. It seems to me that large bulk purchases are more available at Smart & Final.

So, all in all, it was a learning experience. One of the most important things I learned was to never go back to that store in anything less than truly good walking shoes! I was wearing the slip on shoes I slop around the house in sometimes, and I have a feeling I'll be paying for that tomorrow. 

 

It's officially Memorial Day

So, is everyone enjoying the long weekend? For me, it is quiet, as usual. No big plans.

Actually, I do have something planned. I'll be crawling around on the carpet, gathering dog hair from the places the vacuum can't reach and cleaning spots. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? And I think I'll make myself a hamburger on the Foreman grill for dinner. How's that for a big day?

I will probably finish up the "great adventure" kit I've been working on. I'm lovin' this kit. Also, while doing backups, I found one kit that is finished all but the alphas, so I'll drop back and fix that. 

Took a tour of the garden this morning. Nothing much new and exciting there other than that I now have 3 okra plants instead of two. I went online to see if the local nursery is open today. There is nothing on their website or in their weekly ad to indicate they're closed today, so I may take a run over there for "dirt". I saw a video on line today from some guy who used the fish fertilizer. He is container bags for his garden. Seems as his plants wicked up water into the grow bags, tiny bits of fish fertilizer ended up being deposited on the outside of his grow bags. And, his dog licked up the fish fertilizer off the outside of the grow bags and ended up with a severe case of diarrhea. Fortunately, that would seem to be too much work for Parker for too little reward. He prefers sitting still while he's brushed so he can get a milk bone as a reward..........

IF I go to the nursery, I may continue on to Sprouts, in search of some reasonably priced fruit. We'll see. Turns out I went WAY over budget on groceries last month and I don't want to do that again! The budget rules!

So, nothing fantastic planned for today. Lots of back ups to do. Work on the desk. And just general everyday stuff. I do not lead an exciting life and that is A-OK with me. YOU be BLESSED today. I'd say you are already BLESSED anyway, because you live in a free country! MANY, MANY thanks to those people who have served in the US military to help maintain my freedom.

 

Thankless job............

Between yesterday and today, more than 100 people have accessed this blog to grab the freebie. Not one of them has paused to say thank you. 

I feel as though I have worked hard today, though it doesn't seem I've accomplished enough. 

I got the bed made up. I hate that job. It is becoming a "thing" that I finish that task with something out of place in my back. And sometimes, I end up with a muscle spasm to go with it. I actually washed everything up yesterday, but last night I just wrapped myself up in the wubbie and slept that way.  I got the sheets and pillow cases dried today. Tonight I'll be sleeping just like civilized people with sheets and pillow cases and all that jazz, LOL. It's not easy work for me. This was one task with which Joe would help when asked and I sure appreciated his help. By the time you travel around that king sized bed 3 or 4 times or more and stretch and bend and smooth and pull and tug to get everything "just right", it's a hassle, particularly when you allow yourself to think about whether or not you'll be able to walk tomorrow. 

I got the fabric for the shades washed. I wanted that stuff pre-shrunk. It would do me no good to cut out a piece that has to be precisely fitted and then wash it after. And I have no intention of giving money to a cleaners to do something I can do myself. I will be washing these shades for a lot of years......... It was fun trying to stuff 35+ feet of fabric into my front loader washer. Fortunately I was less concerned with it getting clean than I was with it shrinking now if it's going to, instead of having it shrink later.

The kitchen is cleaner. Not clean yet and I don't think it will be before I finally crash for the night. But, better than it was...........

I have been crawling around on the carpet, using the rubba scrubba to get up stubborn dog hair that is too close to furniture and baseboards for the vacuum cleaner to get. I also found some spots on the carpet again, so I've been working on them. I still have a lot of this to do.......... Hopefully tomorrow.......... It's always a trip when I try to do this because Parker is convinced that if I'm on the floor, I MUST be down there to play with him. I keep having to either humor him and pet him or chase him away which I don't like to do. 

I've been sorting through papers and stuff on the desk. I just hate doing that. IF I did it consistently, every day, it would not be so bad. But, because I hate it so much, I tend to neglect it and then I pay a price later........ But I plowed through a bunch of stuff today..........

I carried water in, carried water out to the garden, remembered to water the big tree, fed the dog, brushed the dog, and so on. He has remembered that I used to give the dogs treats when they behaved well while I brushed them. As soon as he thinks I'm done, he starts jumping around, which for a dog as big as he is is something of an accomplishment all by itself, LOL. I don't want to break it to him, but we're almost out of milk bones........

The garden is coming along, albeit slowly. I think those 5 tomato plants will be ready to transplant within the next 2-3 days, which means I have to get some more dirt! They have "real" tomato leaves on them, several leaves on each plant. There is some lettuce that I can probably begin to cut from within just a few days as well. They are really soaking up the water these days, partly because it's so hot and dry here and partly because they are getting bigger and multiplying. 

I gave that bean salad another run today. When I was at Trader Joe's the other day, I picked up some avocados which are now ripe enough to eat. So, I chopped one of those up in the bean salad. Yummy! I have bought 2 bottles now of a Greek salad dressing that TJ's sells and I can highly recommend it if you like the taste of Greek food and Feta cheese. It's the perfect thing to add to that bean salad........

I have run backups and designed most of the day. I just might get it all backed up by the 31st..........The preview for the "great adventure" kit is filling up. That kit that had 59 elements now has 107. There's still room for more so I'll work on that tomorrow. I still have a few ideas for things that will work well in that kit.

I discovered today that I have not been diligent about moving my kits. I have a file on my working EHD labeled "Awaiting Release". What's SUPPOSED to be in there is the kits that are finished and store-ready. I found several today that belong in that file that aren't in there. THAT was like striking gold, LOL. I do like to have an inventory of completed kits that I can go to when I have the need. My intent is to get those backed up and then move them so that I feel less pressured when I go looking for what kit ought to go into the store next.

I decided last night to do an upper body workout consisting of free weights and some yoga stretches. I've been doing a little free weight work along the way, but I increased the reps substantially last night. I'd rather increase the weight, but I'm working with the heaviest weights I own. Those stretches were good for me though and I have not been doing stretches for a good long while. I feel it today! But, working at it along the way, I have just about completely eliminated that back-of-the-arm thing that happens as you get older. My triceps may be the only muscles on this body that are in good shape, but, yes, they are! 

Well, that's about it for today I think. There's some stuff out on the counter that needs to go back in the fridge before I crash, but, other than that, I'm about ready to give up for the night. I hope YOU had a BLESSED day. 

 

 

Stressful Saturday............

Phew! I have finally finished getting all the various bits and pieces of today's kit integrated into the store's software and up on my blog and links sent to the team blog and............

This is detailed work and never fun. The store software has a few flukes for which I have learned to compensate, but still.......... and, in theory, I try to get everything up and ready by 9AM on Saturday. I am WAY late for my own deadline! And just in case the usual process wasn't stressful enough, I went to start the carting of the many parts of the kit only to discover I didn't make all the "special" previews for stuff. (Scrapbird requires a "different" sized preview so that makes extra steps for me.) So, I made a preview, carted that bit, made another preview, carted that bit, made.......... well you get the idea, all the while knowing I was behind when I finally got started. NOT a good way to roll.

The weather here today can't seem to make up its mind. If I look west, there's a lot of cloud cover. But, if I look east, I see sunshine and blue skies. The weather in Las Vegas is usually pretty monotonous--sunshine every day--so this is different for us.

The "garden" is coming along. I figure by next week I will need to add more dirt to the tomato container. The more of a tomato stem you bury in the ground, the more/stronger roots you have. The potatoes are ready to be "hilled". There will be okra in my house--A second seedling has sprouted. So, we inch along. I am so anxious to sit down to a lunch or dinner of veggies grown in my own back yard! 

I've been doing something associated with design all morning. Plugging away on a really pretty kit I'm bringing up to date......a kit with a REALLY pretty color palette. I started a new kit, one about a very special kind of adventure (and that's all the hint I'm gonna give you, LOL). The new kit has 10 patterned papers and 1 element. For some reason, that "1 element" makes me want to giggle just a little. 

So, we are well along into the day, darn it. I need to do bazillion things around here. I need to finish unloading the dishwasher and start loading it up again. I have clean wet clothes in the washer that need to get put out on the indoor drying rack and clean dry clothes on the indoor drying rack that need to be folded and put away. I finally found the rubba scrubba (laying in plain view, dontcha know) so I can start crawling around getting dog hair out of the cracks and crevices the vacuum cleaner can't reach. I want to strip my bed and wash the linens. And that's just some of what needs done............

I have had all sorts of ideas on how to spend my new income. Of course, my bills exceed what I get from my widow's benefit. So, most of it will go on bills. There is a range of things I think I need. For example, several of my daily vitamins are about gone. I need to order more of those. I really want to buy some wood and some metal brackets to make just one raised bed for my backyard before I should be planting fall crops in July. I need to face the fact that some of my containers are going to be too small for what's planted in them which will minimize any harvest I get. I have no electrical socket in my hall. I'd like to have some of those battery-powered stickup nightlights for in there. I need to get more of the Warm Window fabric as soon as I find another good sale on it. And on and on and on............ I have to be careful not to spend it before I get it, LOL! 

Well, I'd better get busy and do some work around here. It's fast approaching that time of day when being in the front part of the house is out of the question..........YOU be BLESSED today!

Kit of the Week, 5/28/16

It's Memorial Day in the US and I'm feeling patriotic. We Americans honor our fallen heroes on Memorial Day in various ways. We may go to a cemetery to visit the grave of that special someone who didn't come back. Or we might go to a flag-waving parade. Or, maybe we gather those we love who are still with us together for a family reunion or picnic. At my house, I celebrate by watching all over again those old war movies. So far this week I've watched Von Ryan's Express, Gettysburg (and a 9-episode documentary about the Civil War), The Longest Day, and right now I am watching (when I finish this) We Were Soldiers and Young. I have more movies in my stash as well as access to both Netflix and Amazon Prime so I'll be feeling patriotic for several more days.

The kit this week was designed in red, white, and blue. There are no flags or gravestones or eagles. Just well-designed papers and elements in those colors. So, the kit could be used for a nautical page or any layout that works with red, white, or blue. We have LOTS of extras with this kit, so be sure not to miss any of them! You can find the kit, stackers, templates, and Word Art in the HotFlashDesigns store at www.scrapbird.com.

Let's take a look at the kit first.

Here are separate previews of the elements, papers, and alphas so you can get a closer look.

We also have stackers, templates, and word art to go with this kit. They're a darned good deal, just because we got overly enthusiastic in the creation process. Just keep in mind that you usually get 4 stackers, 4 templates, and 4 word arts per pack. We're treating you to an extra stacker AND 3 extra word arts. Here are the previews of those items:

I have a freebie for you with this kit. In fact I have 2 freebies for you, but one is on the team blog at hotflashdesignsbymarcia.blogspot.com.  Here on my personal blog I am offering a free alpha that coordinates with everything you see above as well as the giftie on the team blog. Just in case you wondered if I love ya, LOL.............

And here's the link to claim the free alpha: 

https://www.hightail.com/download/cUJVck96VEg5bEJjR05Vag

 .  When you stop to say thank you, it makes me feel like all the effort is worth it because I made somebody happy. Just sayin'....................... I hope you have a great holiday weekend. But, don't forget to take a moment to think about WHY we have this holiday and be grateful for the sacrifice of those who died, those who were wounded, and those who were left behind.

 

How about...........

some good news from me for a change? Can you stand it? I had a job interview today at 11AM. By 11:45 I was interviewed, hired, drug tested and back home. How about that! Had to have been a divine appointment. 

The pay is less than I thought it would be. However it is more than 25 % higher than I was earning at the last place. And that place was about 7 % higher than the place before it. Yes, God is a God of increase.

I can pretty much wear anything I want to work, even shorts! I've had to wear specific types and colors of slacks and specific colors of tops before, but the sky is the limit here. Both previous places, it was necessary for me to buy additional clothes. But, not so this time! It will be a relief to wear shorts to work when it's 114 outside and I have to go climb into my hot car!

I was hired verbally. It becomes official in 5-7 days when I receive an e-mail. This is a seasonal position. However, apparently they have turnover (they hire a lot of students) and they fill the permanent part time positions from the seasonal employees. The head of HR, who did the interview, said last year she converted every seasonal hire to permanent part time except one before the "season" was over and the one not converted didn't want to be. So, if, with God's help, I can avoid doing something REALLY REALLY stupid, I should be hired permanently by the end of the summer. 

The location is pretty convenient. It's 4.5 miles from home and there is one street I can take for the bulk of the distance that is not heavily traveled. So, the commute should be okay. I didn't do a good job of timing it today, though I intended to. I think I was just too excited...... I'm guessing, but I doubt the commute will take 15 minutes. 

So, our next prayer project is to pray that Marci gets around 20 hours a week on the clock. That will help me to stop dis-saving and maybe even make some headway on things like the water bill and some of the medical bills I owe. 

That's it for now. I hope YOU've had a BLESSED day!

In some ways I regret that this job will be less "physical" than the last one. I will be on my feet on concrete floors and I expect once again I'll have to get used to that. However, I did a LOT of walking at the last place. I often clocked a couple of miles in a 5 or 6 hour shift. That was hard, but it sure did get me into better shape! 

So, a friend asked what I HAVE to do before I start work. I don't know that there's anything I HAVE to do. For me, it's all a process of putting one foot in front of the other every day. I'd love to get going on those window coverings/shades. But, I'm less worried about that than I was in that I raise the thermostat in the summer on days I'm working. That alone will cut my power bill and I'll be in an air conditioned store where I don't have to even think about working in a sweat box. Primarily, I think, I have to do work-related things, like find where I stashed my insulated lunch box........... Otherwise, basically, I'll just rearrange my life to fit into the time available.

 

The best laid plans...........

I had planned to go to bed early to give myself a running start for the morning. But I am having one super-duper really long-lived hot flash. I know I'll never sleep in this shape........

So I have two kits finished this week, one of which wasn't even started last week! I'm really pleased with them both. I'm working now on re-doing an older kit with a fabulous color palette. This may well have so much new that it won't even resemble it's predecessor. It will be a really pretty feminine kit.

I went to Trader Joe's today and managed to pretty much behave myself. I wanted to get two gallons of milk and 2 quarts of Half 'n' Half as well as some veggies. I also needed olive oil. Trader Joe's guarantees that their olive oil is truly olive oil, not some shabby substitute so I like buying it there. I have some bacon on hand so, of course, I got some beefsteak tomatoes. I also got eggplant. I don't know what vitamins and minerals are prevalent in eggplant, but, lately, I can't get enough of that stuff. I think maybe I need to do some research on eggplants........

I got some more of those frozen tamales I got the last time I went to TJ's. I am not a crazy Mexican food person. And I've never been a real fan of tamales. If you want to know the truth, the ones I've tasted in the past made me wonder what folks could possibly see in them. But these tamales from TJ's have been quite good with a little verde sauce on them.

I picked up some baby kale. I'm hoping that "baby" kale tastes better than regular kale. I am NOT into the bitter taste of the kale I've eaten in the past. I think I could eat it mixed into a salad, but I don't really have any salad fixings right now. So, I'm going to try cooking some of it and if that doesn't tickle my taste buds, maybe I can make some kale chips. I also got cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, So I have a good assortment of fresh veggies to eat over the next couple of weeks. I didn't buy any fruit there. I may stop at Sprouts tomorrow and get some. Their prices for their loss leaders are pretty darned good.

I still have some leftovers as well. I have some tuna noodle casserole in the freezer and some of that "cheesy noodle bake" in the fridge. I should have no trouble keeping myself fed for a while.

I tried my "catch the leaking water" thing again and fared a bit better. I am trying to catch the water that is leaking from the hose bib where my front hose is connected. I don't want to pay for water that is wasted. I caught a good bit of water and had to let some of it spill before I could move the container. But, I did get a good bit on the half-dead hedge, enough so that I won't need to water it tomorrow. 

I found a source for my "sulfatiazol con penicilina". I actually found it on e-bay from a different seller with a MUCH more reasonable price. My purchase should arrive somewhere around June 2 and I think I have enough to get me through til then.

I got my hair cut today. I will not be going to that interview looking like a shaggy dog. I may, however, be going looking kind of "butch". It's really short, but that's what I asked for. I guess the only thing I don't like about it is that she used the clippers on it. I would much prefer a scissor cut. She pulled something funny at the cash register too. The total was $17. I handed her $22, intending for her to keep the change. She rang it up as though I had given her $20. I don't know what that was about unless, somehow, it shorts the house and keeps more in her pocket. Well, that's her problem/ethics...........

So, anyway, I still haven't stopped "flashing" but I have to go at least attempt to sleep. Because it is reasonably cool outside, I've been daring to set the thermostat a little lower at bedtime. I'm sure that the only extra power I am paying for is for the initial cool down as there's not enough heat outside to cause the unit to run again. 

So, I'm off to bed. If I don't sleep, I can always pray! I get a lot of prayer time in that way, LOL. G'night...........

Patting myself on the back............

I have finished, but for alphas, the kit I had placed on the back burner. It's a great kit for summer and for kids in summer. I'll work on the alphas later today.

I had backups running all night and I have backups running again. I'm so close to the end of the month, I really have to maintain the pace.

I checked the garden this morning. The potatoes can actually be "hilled" a bit. One of my beefsteak tomato sprouts is getting some real tomato leaves instead of the faux leaves with which they invariably start off. AND, one lonely spinach plant has finally sprouted in that flat I planted. I'm a happy camper. I'm pretty sure if one sprouts, there are more to come!

It's a beautiful sunny day today. I'm sad to say it, but we are forecasted to be at 100+ by the end of next week. Well, I guess, this being the desert, this gorgeous weather had to end sometime. Darn it all! I'll be moving containers around once that starts, trying to make sure those plants that love full sun get it and those that don't do so well in that kind of weather have the chance to hide in the shade in the afternoons.

My nose is somewhat better. I have an old tin of "sulfatiazol con penicilina" that I brought from Mexico a LONG time ago. It has a vaseline type texture. I kept that stuff in my left nostril yesterday, all day. Today, I feel less like the mucus membranes in there are raw. My little tin doesn't have much left and I thought I ought to try to acquire some more. Amazon has something like this, but not really what I want. I found some on e-bay, but it's REALLY overpriced. The little tins from Mexico, even after inflation, are probably not more than $1.50 a tin (last time I was there, at least 6 years ago, they were $.50 each). The stuff I found on e-bay they want $17.50 and you have to buy two. And there's shipping over and above the $17.50. I wish this stuff did not work so much better than neosporin.......

I am planning a quick run to Trader Joe's today. I need half 'n' half. I am also plumb out of fresh veggies. I've fortified myself with some bean salad which I made yesterday for lunch, but the beans are living up to their reputation. I don't want to eat that stuff for every meal, LOL. I am planning on trying to get a few more leafy green veggies this trip. I've been eating veggies, but have neglected the leafy greens. To tell the truth, I do NOT love leafy greens, but the are very good, nutrition wise, so I need to eat some anyway. 

I think I have figured out how to deal with keeping good soil concentrated around the zucchini I'm planning to plant in the front yard. Remember those "flats" I bought at Goodwill? Well, they're about 16 x 16 and will hold that good soil in place to feed the precious zucchini. I am planning something like a mini raised bed. I am going to cut the bottom out of one of those--that way the roots can go down into the yucky soil beneath, if they need to REALLY hide to stay cool. 

INTERRUPTED TO ANNOUNCE: I HAVE A JOB INTERVIEW FOR TOMORROW. I just got the call. I know a bit about the pay structure for the company with which I'm interviewing, and this interview has me VERY EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sure they will pay as much as the last place I worked and it's possible they will pay almost double.........

This means I'll be getting a haircut this afternoon too! I'm shaggy right now, but just give me a coupla hours! 

Okay...........I'm too excited to keep chatting, I think. I need to go say "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you" heavenward for a while. YOU be BLESSED today. 

 

 

Finally............

I screwed up my courage and measured my fabric. I was "sure" I had enough to make these shades, but...........what if I didn't? What would I do then? Well, I guess the first thing is it's no small task to measure at least 30 feet of fabric. I needed a reasonable way to tackle this task. I decided to measure the top of my dining room table. It measured 5 feet. Then I turned a chair on the end around backwards. Then I flattened out fabric from one end of the table to the other, called it 5 feet, and marked it to the end with a pin. Then I unrolled a bunch more fabric from the bolt and repeated and repeated and repeated........ When I got to 35 feet, I quit. I have more than enough, and right now, that's all that matters! 

I've finished the kit I've been working so hard on. Now I need to drop back and finish that one I've momentarily abandoned to create the kit I just finished. But, hurrah! The kit I finished is a baby boy kit. I tried to produce a "good" baby boy kit in the past. I never liked it and it bit the dust. However, this just-finished kit is a baby boy kit and I think it's a really good one! And it is chock full of elements! I can make papers all day, but it is the elements that sometimes ensnare me. But not this time!

I have even taken the time to make the previews and get everything sorted into the appropriate folders. Alphas are also complete. I could put it in the store if it had piracy notices and tou in the files. Yay, me.

I have decided that the 3 beefsteak tomato sprouts I thought I had are really 5 sprouts. God can multiply my tomato sprouts anytime He wants, LOL. I had planned to add some magnesium to my various plants last week but didn't do it. I am planning on doing that tomorrow. The potatoes are growing nicely. The celery is maybe 1/8 of an inch taller than it was yesterday. Nothing else has turned up its toes and died, so I must be on a roll here...........

Right now, I don't think I have anything planted that needs to climb. My original intention, if the need arose, was to loop some twine around the overhead beams on the patio and train stuff to climb the twine. It occurred to me I have something that may work better. I have a HUGE dog crate. It has been used by my rottweiler/german shepherd mix, by my saint bernard/german shepherd mix, and so on. Right now it's disassembled, and, frankly, in the way. I think if I need something for stuff to climb on, I could easily use the sides of that crate, turned on end. That would give somewhere close to 5 feet of climbable wire..........

I tried my flat-under-the-hose-big trick tonight again. Last night it worked well and I got a LOT of water on half of that one half-dead hedge. Tonight, however, I caught so much water that I couldn't move the flat! Finally, I managed to spill the whole thing, right where I want to plant that zucchini plant............ I'm in a holding pattern on that til I figure out how to corral my "good" dirt so that the zucchini can grow in it as opposed to it being eroded away.......... I need a box of some sort, but I don't have one. It'll come to me. I know it will........

I didn't do too badly in the house. The kitchen is vastly improved over where it was this morning. A load of laundry has been washed.

I did some dusting in the living room. I am amazed at how much less dust there is to cope with with only one fat dog in the house. He doesn't run in and out like Punkin did. I think that helps. 

I paid some bills and sorted through some mail. More of that on the agenda for tomorrow. 

I went through the grocery ads that arrived today. I am astounded that the best produce prices I found seem to be at Sprouts. And, there's really not much at Smart & Final that is on sale that interests me. Maybe I'll get the grunt stuff at Smart & Final and then take a run on Sprouts for fruit and veggies.........

Now, I'm about to declare this day done. I feel like I accomplished some necessary things.