Almost Christmas

Late last night, Cody texted me a cry for help.  Oh, nothing's wrong.  They just have to be out of their house by Monday, and he needed help cleaning.   Early this morning, but not too early, I got up and drove down to Jackson and spent the day doing what I've wanted to do ever since they moved in to that house.  I thoroughly cleaned up that nasty kitchen of theirs. 

They aren't either of them very good house keepers.  

Anyway, I got there and instead of constantly asking "Do you want to keep this?  Do you want to keep that?", I told Cody I'd clean up the kitchen, but I needed some cleaning supplies.  He brought me a container of those Clorox wipes -- only the Great Value brand-- and half a roll of paper towels.  

I tried.  I really did, but I said, "I can't clean like this.  I need some proper cleaning supplies" and made him go to Walmart and get some.  Actually, I went with them, and after we'd dropped Brennan off at work, we went to Raisin' Cane's for lunch.  Then we went to their new apartment to drop some things off there and eat.  Their apartment is really nice.  Tiny, but nice and in a much nicer neighborhood than their old house.    

After we ate, we went back to their house and many garbage bags and much sweat later, the kitchen was finally clean except for the floors.  Cody said, "I ought to pay you for saving me the fees they would have hit me with."  Instead, they let me take my pick of everything they were going to get rid of.  What you are about to see is my loot.  

Four rolls of Christmas paper.  They were going to toss it, but I said, "I'll have that!"  

Plus, this advent calendar I'd given them last year.  They mostly finished it, and I said I'd like to play it, so Cody told me to take it. 

Then there were these two craft kits I'd bought Bren for Christmas one year, that hadn't even been opened.  "Oooh, I'll have those!"  I said. 

And a cat bed that their cat had suddenly developed a phobia of for some reason. 

And this whole pile of loot:  A clipboard case; some body butter (that I'd given Bren for Christmas one year.  I told Cody, "I thought she'd like that,"  and he said "Oh, she does, but with Brennan it's a bit 'out of sight, out of mind'");  a little sandwich maker, which I also gave them and I've already used; some pillow spray (which I also gave her); a lunch box; some coco bedding stuff that I thought I might be able to mix with potting soil to make a seed starting mix next year; and a couple more wax stamps. 

I managed to snag these four drinking vessels from the donation box.  I gave them all of this stuff.  

Cody said these were things he hated to get rid of, but they simply had no room in their new apartment.  They had two of those You Are Mine mugs, but I guess one made it into the donation box before I got there.  

Brennan said she wanted me to have these diamond dot kits.  I told Cody I'd put about five diamonds in the last one and said I understood why she quit.  

I don't know if I'll do these, but maybe I will.  I don't know.  We'll see.  

Look at this!  One of those 6 foot long folding tables.  That will come in handy at Christmas time.  

Another something that I'd given them.  

I'm not sure what you'd do with it.  I think it came with a cookie mix or something, because I can't see actually cooking anything in it.  Pancakes, maybe, but how would you flip them?  I guess into a regular flat pan or something.  Maybe I'll try that. 

"What on Earth did you do to your cast iron???"  I exclaimed when I saw this in their sink.   It looks like I have a project of my own now.  I'll have to look up how to de-rust cast iron on Youtube.   I'm sure there's a video somewhere. 

Once I get all of that rust off, I can re-season it and it'll be as good as new.   

So, I got the kitchen and guest bathroom all nice and clean, and just as I was about to leave, Cody's friend Dejuan arrived to take the second shift.  By that time, it was raining and I had to drive all the way home in it.  It wasn't heavy rain, though, until I got about five miles from home, then the bottom dropped out.  It didn't take long until I drove out from under it, and just as I'd gotten all my stuff into the house, it hit here.  

I came home with so much stuff, it almost felt like Christmas.  For the cat, too.  She found this bed and claimed it right away, but I still plan on giving it a good washing tomorrow. 

 That was how my Saturday went.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to look up how to de-rust cast iron. 

Laters

Eye Candy Friday

A couple of zinnias from my garden for your eye candy Friday.  

And yes, today really is Friday.  And yes, I did remember to go to work, and yes, the very first order I got I had to put an adapter tube back in for a rework because it was done incorrectly -- by someone who didn't do a first piece inspection like Group Leader Shark tells us to every single morning.  

But the good news is, I am off now and have a three day weekend ahead of me.  I know it will go fast, but I'm going to enjoy every minute of it that I can.  Except that it's supposed to rain all weekend...and all next week. 

It would seem we're getting a year's worth of rain in just a few days.  We've gotten nearly 4" of rain during the month of May, and 3.15 of those inches has come in the last three days.  Never the less, I managed to run out and get my Thyme into the raid bed between showers.  

Before I left work, one of my friends asked me what I was going to do over the weekend.  I'd thought about maybe running up to Batesville, but let's be real.  I may talk a big game, but I'll most likely spend the weekend sitting in front of the TV, especially if it's raining.  

I might even get some knitting time in.  I'll let you know how that goes. 

Not Friday

It has felt like Friday to me all day long.  It's not, but for some reason, it has felt like it.  Heh, I even got up this morning and tried to use my Friday finger to check my glucose level.  

Yes, I have a specific finger assigned to each day, and there is a logical reason behind it.  That reason being that if I poke the same finger every Monday, it has a whole week to recover before I poke it again.  Then, nothing gets poked on Sunday.  We all need at least one break every week. 

It didn't help that I also went to the store this afternoon instead of waiting until the Friday before a holiday weekend.  Tonight is also graduation, so I figured most people would be there instead of in Walmart, and in that respect I was close to being right.  There weren't that many people, and I didn't have to wait in line at all to check out.  

I only hope I remember to get up and go to work tomorrow.  He he he...

In other news, I hadn't planned on starting my native pollinator garden until next year, but I'd been looking at these tickseed plants for several weeks, and decided I really wanted one. 

Just for grins, here is an AI generated map of their native range.  

I'm not quite sure where I'm going to put it yet.  I've got a couple of ideas...If things work out, I might go back and get two or three more of these. 

While I was there, I picked up an English Thyme to replace the Rosemary cutting that didn't make it. 

I'll probably wait until tomorrow evening to plant it, since we'll be off Saturday.  I guess that means getting a pollinator patch ready will be the major weekend project.  And yes, I'll make you all look at it when I blog about it. 

Speaking of, one day I'll stop making you look at the littlest tomato.  Today is not that day. 

I can't help it.  I'm just so proud of how he's recovered and is growing like gangbusters.  As is my basil.  

I'm going to have to pinch some soon so it doesn't flower and go to seed.  I just don't know what I'm going to do with it.  I've still got pesto out the wazoo from last year, so that's not an option.  I guess I'll hang it to dry, at least until I get some tomatoes.  

And finally, I was talking with a coworker whose offspring is in something called "food therapy."  Apparently, the child is a picky eater.  I told my other friend, "I've never heard of food therapy.  When I was a kid, my food therapy was if I don't eat what Mama cooks, I go hungry."  

Food therapy...Sheesh, what will they think of next?  

Not My Garden

Look,  y'all!  I'm not posting about my garden!  Instead, I'm posting about my Amazon order, which arrived this afternoon.   And just what did I order, you may ask?  Well, I'll tell you.  I ordered another America 250 ornament. 

This will probably be the last one of these I order, but I do want to collect some more commemorative stuff.  I wonder if they're minting coins, like they did for the bicentennial.  I still have a few of those somewhere around here. 

Anyway, I also ordered another garden flag.  

I'll need to pick up a hanger when I go to Walmart next, and I think I'm going to hang this one in my fairy garden.  Which is looking very nice, by the way. 

The flag will look right nice in that front right corner, I think.  What say you, Gentle Reader?  

Speaking of my garden, look!  My little tomato is really coming on like gangbusters.  

Putting it into the big garden was exactly the right move.  It hasn't hurt that we've gotten more than 1 1/2" of rain over the last 24 hours, and have more to come.  In fact, it's raining right now.  It won't be enough to relieve the drought, but it will ease my water bill just a bit.  

While we're on the subject, I watched that new show on Discovery Channel, In The Eye Of The Storm: Chasers.   It was pretty interesting.  All of the footage was shot by storm chasers -- in this episode, it was in South Dakota sometime last year.  I'm telling you, that highway looked like a dadgum parking lot from all of the storm chasers out there. 

The next morning, one of the local guys posted this on his Facebook:  

 

Every one of those red dots is a storm chaser.  (He also said this is why he pretty much sticks to Dixie Alley to chase -- and besides that, it's home.)  A few moments later, I saw a post from another chaser -- I can't remember who it was -- that said in the storm that passed in Nebraska a few days ago, there were more than 7000 storm chasers on the ground.  That's astounding.  I didn't even know there were that many chasers.  

This morning, Kenny Shenk posted this:  

I don't really have a dog in this fight, but still, it seems to have gotten completely out of hand.  These days, literally anyone with a car and a cell phone can call himself a storm chaser and get in on the action.  It's kind of the in thing right now.  

It kind of got me to thinking.  Now, what I'm about to say is completely my own opinion, based strictly on anecdotal evidence from what I have seen myself.  

It seems to me that storm chasers fit into one of three categories -- though there can be some overlap.  

Category 1:  The Serious Chasers.

These are the ones who actually have meteorology degrees, or who have at least taken some meteorology classes at an accredited university or studied in non-traditional ways -- such as online courses.  

Point is, they're educated in the science of weather.  They've studied.  They've learned.  They have all the equipment to collect scientific data.  Many of them have an affiliation with local TV stations or with the NWS and send information in to them.  Or they're partnered with someone like Ryan Hall or Max Velocity.  They're serious about this stuff.   Unlike those in 

Category 2:  The Thrill Seekers

The thrill seekers can be divided into a few sub-categories, the first of which is the adrenaline junkies.  These are people who put themselves into dangerous situations to get that rush of adrenaline -- much like those who jump off cliffs or free climb or whatever.  They're in it for the excitement, not for the science.  These are the dangerous ones, the most likely to get killed or get someone else killed because they don't know what they're doing.  

By the way, if you hear someone saying he's a "certified storm spotter," that doesn't mean a blame thing.  Anyone can become a "certified storm spotter."  I'M a certified storm spotter.  You, too, can become a certified storm spotter.  All you have to do is go to the NWS website and take the online class.  It's about an hour long.  When you're done, they'll send you a PDF you can print off, frame, and hang above your fire place.   Wood stove.  Whatever...

The second sub-category is those who want to be heroes.  They want the attention, the pats on the back, the glory that comes from helping someone out of the rubble of a destroyed house, or taking someone to a local hospital.  Oh, don't get me wrong.  Serious chasers do this, too, but they don't do it for the attention.   They do it because it's the right thing to do.  To be a decent human being. 

The next sub-category is the know it all, who just wants to one up everyone with his superior knowledge about updrafts and convective currents and what not.   They watched a few Ryan Hall videos and memorized the jargon, and toss it out like candy at a Christmas parade.  They're the most annoying ones, in my opinion. 

The final subcategory is the content creators.  These are the ones who are in it for the likes or click or views or whatever.  They're after the little dopamine hits they get when they get that notification that someone liked their post or video.  Again, they're not serious about the science.  They're serious about themselves.   Unlike those in 

Category 3:  Reed Timmer. 

There is no need to say more.  The man is in a class by himself.  

Some people are saying there should be more regulation on storm chasers, but I don't know if that's the answer.  I don't see how you can tell someone not to follow his dream if that's what he wants to do.   At the same time, something needs to be done.  I wouldn't know what, though.  

I'll bet you never knew there was so much drama in the weather community, did you?  

OK, back to my Amazon order.  I needed new coffee,  so I got this.  

The last thing I got was a garment bag for Brennan's wedding dress, which I need to go put into it and hang it up.  

I guess I've chuntered on enough for today, so I'll stop boring you with my drivel.  

I have an idea that I might regret later on.  And that idea is, YOU come up with a topic you want to hear my opinion on.  Just not politics.  I try to keep politics off the blog for the most part, so let's avoid that topic.  

Anything else is fair game.  Almost.  

One Of Those Days

Today has been another one of those days when absolutely everything that could go wrong did go wrong.  Every single order I got had something wrong with it.  Every. Single. One. 

And I'm not talking about Man, this is annoying wrong.  I'm talking shut down production and get it all re-done wrong.  Heck, even the last order I got -- which was a very simple assembly -- had one of the adapter tubes bent wrong.  

You would think if they were doing their first piece inspections like they're supposed to, they'd have caught that.  But no....apparently that whole "If you don't do a first piece inspection, you'll get a write up" doesn't include tubing.  It gets very frustrating and stressful.  

The worst part is knowing that management considers your department low priority, so you know they aren't going to do anything about it. 

OK, now that I've had my whinge for the day, let's talk about....my dadgum garden!

Just look at how much my tomatoes are growing. 

Even this little guy is quite perked up just since yesterday. 

It won't be long before I can put its regular tomato cage around it. 

Not to be left out, my pepper bed is doing very well, too.  

I'm even getting peppers!  Sweet banana peppers, 

and cayenne peppers. 

 I didn't do too much work out in the garden this evening, mainly because it's supposed to rain tonight and off and on for the next few days.  We sure could use it.  It won't be enough to completely relieve the drought, but every little bit helps. 

By the way, I'm thinking about replacing my little dead rosemary cutting with some thyme, so I can have sage, rosemary, and thyme.  

OK, OK, I'll stop now...

I Lied

I lied to you the other day when I said Brennan hadn't even started on this diamond dots thing.   I was looking at it more closely yesterday and discovered she had indeed done quite a bit down towards the bottom. 

While I had it out, I got the little thingy and put about five of the dots into place my own self, then said, "Whew!  Now I know why she quit!"  If I do finish, it'll definitely be a long term project.  

I also pulled the calligraphy pen out to get a better look at it, and it's glass!  

I'll have to find some paper and play with it a bit.  Not that I'm lacking in paper...I'm pretty much SABLE in that department.  I'll start with some cheap paper, then move on to *whispers conspiratorially* letter writing paper...Shhh! 

Since we're on the topic of discoveries, look what I discovered in my garden! 

Yes, that is an honest to goodness real ladybug, not one of those Asian ladybeetles that are so destructive and don't control aphids at all.   I've seen a couple of ladybugs, so I hope that means there's more.  More of them means fewer aphids.  Of course, the marigolds repel aphids, too, so I ought to be good in that department. 

So, anyway, there really wasn't much exciting that happened yesterday.  I mostly rested and watched TV.  I did cut some mint and hung it up to dry.  By the way, these little hair bands do great at binding bundles of herbs up to hang. 

They seem to last longer than regular rubber bands and don't tangle as much.  

Then I decided it was time for this little guy to sink or swim, so once the sun got pretty low in the sky yesterday evening, I planted him into his permanent home.   

I figured he'd do better with his roots being free to grow and stretch anyway.  I checked him when I got home from work, and he's holding his own.  Once the sun goes down a little bit, I'll water and mulch him.  I'm going to wait until he gets a bit bigger to put the regular tomato cage around him.  For now, his little cloche will do.  

Now for a bit of sad news, my little rosemary cutting didn't make it.  

I was holding out hope as long as there was a bit of green on it, but no more.  Now, I need to decide if I'm going to plant another rosemary or to get a different herb.  I'm leaning towards different.  I'll have to do a little research and see. 

I'll tell ya though, one thing that makes gardening so difficult for me is that when I first get home from work, it's too hot to work in the garden.  It's hard on me, and it's hard on the plants.  But by the time it cools off enough to actually do anything, I'm already in bed -- especially in summer when it stays light until nearly 9:00.  That's probably the only thing I miss about being on second shift.  I could get out and piddle in my flower beds in the cool of the morning.  

I don't miss it enough to go back to second shift, but I do miss it. 

You know what else it's too hot to do?  Enjoy my zinnias, which are really coming on. 

 I'll bet by this time you're asking, "Becky, are you ever going to talk about anything besides that dadgum garden of yours?"  And the answer is:  maybe.  If something worth talking about ever happens. 

I mean, do you really want to hear how I made it halfway down the aisle at work before I realized I didn't have my ear plugs in?  Or how I forgot to get new PPE today until it was right before time to leave?  Or how I had to go track down one divider from my parts trays when i got to my stand?  

Or perhaps you'd like to hear how I slow cooked a pork roast yesterday, and started pulling it when I got home, but had to quit because it was quite a lot of meat and my arms were tired?  The smallest one I could find was 7 lbs, but I got it anyway since most of it will be put into the freezer for later. 

Or....I can't think of anything else, so I'm going to go knit a bit before bed. 

Goodnight.  

No Market For Me

Our local farmer's market on the square opened this morning, so after enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee, I got dressed and went down to walk around a bit.  Honestly, I wasn't expecting much because it's so early in the season yet, but there were a few booths open -- including the lady with the really delicious tea cakes.  

If I weren't currently battling my blood sugar, I'd have gotten some.  Maybe later on in the summer when I've gotten things under control, I'll splurge, but not right now.  

They also had a new vendor that was selling spice blends and meat rubs.  I looked, but again didn't buy anything.  I stopped by the Little Free Library before I left, and even that was empty.  Slap empty.   I got back into my car completely empty handed, and said to myself, "I'm not even going to go walk those trails.  I'm just going to go home."  

However, by the time I'd made the square and got back onto the road, I'd changed my mind.  "I think I will go walk that trail after all."  And I did. 

I chose to walk the bottom land trail this time, even though it's not a Pokémon Go route.  

I need to walk this one more, because it's such a nice trail.  

And there is always interesting flora, such as this mushroom -- the like of which I've never seen before. 

According to Google, it's an American Ceasar's mushroom.  Of course, I didn't touch it, since 1) I didn't know at the time what it was and 2) it's a state nature preserve and that would be illegal anyway.  I just took the photo and walked on. 

I was also finally able to find and identify this spiderwort. 

I've seen them growing on the sides of the roads, and really wanted some for my native pollinator garden, but you can't really stop on the highway just to run off and identify a flower.  I mean, you could....but anyway, I know what it is now and can add it when I finally get that part of my garden going. 

Speaking of my garden, lookit!  I have a baby cayenne pepper!  Woo hoo!

And...I have a zinnia!  

I have a couple of them, actually.  I chose this variety thinking it would make it look like my fairy houses were in a forest, and I think I did pretty well in that regard. 

The only issue is that it is hard to see the houses now that the zinnias have grown up a bit.  Next year, I'll know better.  No matter, it's still fun to have a fairy garden.  

In other news, last night a bird got into my wood stove, and while I was catching it and putting it back outside, I realized I hadn't cleaned out said stove since the ice storm.  I decided then and there that this would be my weekend project -- to get the stove cleaned out and this entire corner tidied up and ready for summer. 

I'm almost embarrassed to tell you I got an entire five gallon bucket of ash out of the bottom of that stove.  Oh well, I burned a lot when I didn't have electricity, and by the time it was over, so was I.  

I think I've only lit one fire since then.  Oh well, it's cleaned out now and all of that wood ash is mixed into my compost pile.  All the tools and stuff are tucked away behind the stove until it's needed again, and that corner looks so much better.  

I still need to wipe down the walls, and will probably have to take a scrub brush to the grout between the bricks on the base.  That isn't going to happen today, though.  It probably won't happen tomorrow, either.    Maybe not even next weekend.  Cody and Bren have to be completely out of their house by the 25th, and I told them if they needed help next weekend, just let me know and I'd come down and give them a hand if we're not working.  

Cody made a flying trip up here to bring some stuff for me to store for them, including this rocking chair.  

They didn't have room for it in their apartment, and Bren didn't really want to get rid of it, because it was a family heirloom.  She also asked if I had room for her wedding dress and one of the bridesmaid's dresses, and I said I did.  I'm going to have to buy a garment bag before I hang them in the closet, though.  Just for a little extra protection. 

A couple of other things she sent were a calligraphy pen and a wax stamp, because she knew I'd like them. 

It's a letter B, and a different style from the B I already have, so it works out. 

The only problem is that the only pen pal I still have is the one in Australia and I don't trust the international mail enough to use wax seals on those letters.  All of my American pen pals have quit writing, and aren't likely to start again given that postage has gotten so astronomically high these days.  In fact, it's so high I'm going to have to cut back even on my Christmas cards this year, so if you don't get one, don't take it personally.  And if you do, don't feel obligated to send one back, even though I love to receive them as well. 

The last thing she sent was one of those diamond dot kits.  I don't know if she bought it or if it was given to her, but she hadn't even started it. 

I'm not sure I will, either.  I've seen them on craft store websites, and it looks like something that would drive me absolutely nuts.  I told Cody I'd try it, but can't promise that I'll finish it.  But if any of you want the thing, holla at me.  I'll ship it right out to you. 

Cody didn't stay long, saying he had to get back to cleaning that house out, but before he left, I sent those three tiniest basil back with him.  I said maybe he could baby them and get them to grow.  And if not, he can always stop by here and cut some.  

That's about it for my Saturday.  I'm going to go get me something to eat and watch some TV. 

Laters.