Okay, I'm getting used to hearing news of gangbangers shooting each other on an almost daily basis in this city and don't really care if they shoot each other anymore. One less gang member means one less person to commit a crime as far as I'm concerned. But this recent incident in this violent city of ours is so sad and so senseless.
Imagine you are a 62 year old black woman, living on the southeast side of town, in a little house you and your husband worked hard to buy. Yes, it's the poorer side of town and things in your neighborhood are getting a little run down, but you have some pretty rose bushes in your front yard, and you love to tend them. It's a nice spring evening, getting a little chilly after a balmy day, but the air is sweet and the night is calm. You're getting ready to turn in and go out into the front yard to make sure your gate is closed and everything is secure for the night. You see a couple of your neighbors and stop to say hello and how was your day. Around the corner comes a car, you glance up, and that is the last thing you will ever do. From the car comes a hail of bullets and you are shot dead in your front yard. Your neighbors, a 54 year old woman and a 44 year old man are also shot, but survive.
Yes, this is probably gang related, but I hardly think that this 62 year old woman was a gang member. More likely some sort of gang initiation? Go out and kill somebody, anybody, and secure your position as a gang member? I'm imagining the people in the car speeding off, laughing about how they got one, bragging to their friends about how easy it was to kill this woman. Somebody's mother, maybe somebody's grandmother, a woman who'd lived her life working hard paying her bills, being kind to her neighbors, bringing a hot dish to the church supper, and tending her front yard rose garden.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Decisions Decisions
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about all of the online sites that I've been trying out, and if it really is worth spreading my stuff out all over the place or not.
Last year I tried madeitmyself, free to list, but very beta looking and no traffic. Then there was icraft, a pretty site, easy to use, but only 8 sales in 8 months. Then there was handmadefuzion, another startup site, the listing process was tedious and no buyers there, either. Dawanda has been around for a while and is doing pretty well, but you've got to list in euro dollars and if you don't speak german and french and list in those languages, you won't be seen by 3/4 of the buyers there. Artfire came along and I tried that out for 7.00 a month in listing fees-easy to use, but venomous forums and kind of a not so attractive look to the site. And then we have zibbet, which looks good, no listing fees, really easy to use, but again, no buyers. And last, we have Bonanzle, which is a spin-off of Ebay. Love the look of the site, the no listing fees, and the incredible ease of listing, but again, no buyers and I think any buyers that do come to the site are not going to be looking for handmades. So, do I keep trying all these start up Etsy and Ebay clones or just stick with Etsy? I don't like to have one of a kind items that could be selling on Etsy just sitting out there in cyberspace somewhere.
This post on etsy yesterday kind of put it all into perspective for me. I usually find this person's posts kind of annoying and try to avoid her, she's one of those 'know it all' types that is a little condescending in her posts, but this one hit home. I won't say her name, but I'm sure those of you familiar with the forums have run across her-she sells high end jewelry and her user name starts with an S and a T and rhymes with Perryfruitt.
Anyway, here is her post:
Don't put all your eggs in one basket means something different
to me, than it might to you.
During the two years I have been on etsy I've seen lots of ecommerce sites spring up: HandmadeFuzion, Lollishops, now Art Fire and 1000 Markets.
Not having all your eggs in one basket does not mean spreading yourself thin in the ecommerce world. It means diversification, your own shop, your own website, selling at craft fairs, in someone else's shop or if you are lucky enough, a gallery.
When I read that different venues are new and will have a different target market, I really don't think that is true.
I don't think that any handmade site will ever really compete with etsy, any more than the dozen or so auction sites tried to compete with ebay, and failed. Competition is good, but what it really does is make the best, better.
What etsy has done, by becoming professional (Maria, Chad, Sara and others I don't know) has insured their standing in the market place. If you are not selling here, why would you take your wares to another site with far far less traffic?
Yes, running your own business is hard work. I still spend many hours a week marketing on my own in addition to the exposure etsy provides. I'M NOT telling you not to sell on another site, but I'm wondering, if you only have a finite amount of time to spend, and there are only a finite amount of customers, don't you want to be where most of them are?
This is one of the few posts of hers that I totally agree with and find insightful. Etsy is the first and the best, and that's the first place a buyer is going to go looking for handmade. So, I think I'm going to stop wasting my time with start up sites and get all those eggs back on etsy where they belong and where the buyers are.
I also decided to clean out my supply boxes and get rid of stuff that I'm not going to use. I thought about re-opening a separate supply shop, but decided to just have a destash section in my shop. That way, everything is all in one place and someone who is looking for cheap supplies will also see my handmades. I listed a few things yesterday and have already had 5 sales from it, so that's what I'm going to work on the next few days.
Last year I tried madeitmyself, free to list, but very beta looking and no traffic. Then there was icraft, a pretty site, easy to use, but only 8 sales in 8 months. Then there was handmadefuzion, another startup site, the listing process was tedious and no buyers there, either. Dawanda has been around for a while and is doing pretty well, but you've got to list in euro dollars and if you don't speak german and french and list in those languages, you won't be seen by 3/4 of the buyers there. Artfire came along and I tried that out for 7.00 a month in listing fees-easy to use, but venomous forums and kind of a not so attractive look to the site. And then we have zibbet, which looks good, no listing fees, really easy to use, but again, no buyers. And last, we have Bonanzle, which is a spin-off of Ebay. Love the look of the site, the no listing fees, and the incredible ease of listing, but again, no buyers and I think any buyers that do come to the site are not going to be looking for handmades. So, do I keep trying all these start up Etsy and Ebay clones or just stick with Etsy? I don't like to have one of a kind items that could be selling on Etsy just sitting out there in cyberspace somewhere.
This post on etsy yesterday kind of put it all into perspective for me. I usually find this person's posts kind of annoying and try to avoid her, she's one of those 'know it all' types that is a little condescending in her posts, but this one hit home. I won't say her name, but I'm sure those of you familiar with the forums have run across her-she sells high end jewelry and her user name starts with an S and a T and rhymes with Perryfruitt.
Anyway, here is her post:
Don't put all your eggs in one basket means something different
to me, than it might to you.
During the two years I have been on etsy I've seen lots of ecommerce sites spring up: HandmadeFuzion, Lollishops, now Art Fire and 1000 Markets.
Not having all your eggs in one basket does not mean spreading yourself thin in the ecommerce world. It means diversification, your own shop, your own website, selling at craft fairs, in someone else's shop or if you are lucky enough, a gallery.
When I read that different venues are new and will have a different target market, I really don't think that is true.
I don't think that any handmade site will ever really compete with etsy, any more than the dozen or so auction sites tried to compete with ebay, and failed. Competition is good, but what it really does is make the best, better.
What etsy has done, by becoming professional (Maria, Chad, Sara and others I don't know) has insured their standing in the market place. If you are not selling here, why would you take your wares to another site with far far less traffic?
Yes, running your own business is hard work. I still spend many hours a week marketing on my own in addition to the exposure etsy provides. I'M NOT telling you not to sell on another site, but I'm wondering, if you only have a finite amount of time to spend, and there are only a finite amount of customers, don't you want to be where most of them are?
This is one of the few posts of hers that I totally agree with and find insightful. Etsy is the first and the best, and that's the first place a buyer is going to go looking for handmade. So, I think I'm going to stop wasting my time with start up sites and get all those eggs back on etsy where they belong and where the buyers are.
I also decided to clean out my supply boxes and get rid of stuff that I'm not going to use. I thought about re-opening a separate supply shop, but decided to just have a destash section in my shop. That way, everything is all in one place and someone who is looking for cheap supplies will also see my handmades. I listed a few things yesterday and have already had 5 sales from it, so that's what I'm going to work on the next few days.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
And Another Thought on Today's Post
If you do get swine flu and you do work at walmart, you're going to give that swine flu to every one of your customers, because when you work at walmart and you get sick, YOU BETTER STILL SHOW UP TO WORK, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CALL IN SICK!
Seriously, if you call in sick at walmart, it is considered an unexcused absence unless you are sick for something like 3 days, in which case you HAVE TO HAVE A DOCTORS NOTE to be excused. So, if you are feeling sick but not sick enough to go to the doctor, or if you just have a cold or something, you still have to go to work OR YOU WILL BE WRITTEN UP! If you are sick enough to go to the doctor, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR IT BECAUSE YOU WORK AT WALMART AND CAN'T AFFORD THE INSURANCE! BUT YOU MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY TO QUALIFY FOR MEDI-CAL! And, since most employees at walmart are considered part time they don't qualify for any benefits anyway so even if you could afford the insurance YOU DON'T QUALIFY FOR IT OR FOR SICK PAY!
Nuff said. Don't shop at walmart during the swine flu pandemic!
Seriously, if you call in sick at walmart, it is considered an unexcused absence unless you are sick for something like 3 days, in which case you HAVE TO HAVE A DOCTORS NOTE to be excused. So, if you are feeling sick but not sick enough to go to the doctor, or if you just have a cold or something, you still have to go to work OR YOU WILL BE WRITTEN UP! If you are sick enough to go to the doctor, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR IT BECAUSE YOU WORK AT WALMART AND CAN'T AFFORD THE INSURANCE! BUT YOU MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY TO QUALIFY FOR MEDI-CAL! And, since most employees at walmart are considered part time they don't qualify for any benefits anyway so even if you could afford the insurance YOU DON'T QUALIFY FOR IT OR FOR SICK PAY!
Nuff said. Don't shop at walmart during the swine flu pandemic!
Swine Flu?
Does this worry you when you see every news station reporting about the deaths in Mexico and showing footage of crowds of people wearing masks as they go about their business? Or is all the coverage just a plot to get you to forget about the economy for a little while? Sure, we need to be informed of possible health risks, but if you didn't know better seeing these stories could just scare the bejeesus out of you and cause you to become a hermit. Just now as I logged onto yahoo to check my email the first thing that I see is a big story about how the US would handle a pandemic with the scenario of millions of people in hospitals, schools closed, everyone who's not sick staying home so they don't get sick, and in turn all of this causing more economic woes. Do they really need to scare people quite this much with stories like this? Or is that story supposed to ease our worries by showing that the government's got it all worked out already?
I kind of think flu outbreaks like this is Mother Nature's way of cleaning up the planet a little. Hey, you people just keep reproducing willy nilly and messing up my earth, so every 100 years or so I need to have my little viruses mutate and get rid of a bunch of you. You're not supposed to be living so long, people, and quit with all the medicines that prevent the diseases that are a part of natural selection already! You went and got rid of smallpox and polio and measles and whooping cough and all those other diseases that helped me to thin the herd, and look what happened! There's just too many of you humans and you're endangering my animal friends with your pollution and urban sprawl, not to mention how dirty you've made my air with your factories and billions of cars! Enough already, now here's some swine flu to get rid of some of you!
Me? I'm not real worried about getting swine flu. I've never had the flu in my life *knock on wood* and don't mingle with crowds much these days. If I were still working with the public at walmart, then I'd be in a panic. I worked there for 3 years and was constantly catching colds from handling the dirty nasty money that came through there. Money is the worst for spreading germs. Think about how many different hands a dollar bill goes through in it's life. But, not a single cold since I left there 2 years ago. And now I have another excuse for not going back to work there just yet-I might catch swine flu!
I kind of think flu outbreaks like this is Mother Nature's way of cleaning up the planet a little. Hey, you people just keep reproducing willy nilly and messing up my earth, so every 100 years or so I need to have my little viruses mutate and get rid of a bunch of you. You're not supposed to be living so long, people, and quit with all the medicines that prevent the diseases that are a part of natural selection already! You went and got rid of smallpox and polio and measles and whooping cough and all those other diseases that helped me to thin the herd, and look what happened! There's just too many of you humans and you're endangering my animal friends with your pollution and urban sprawl, not to mention how dirty you've made my air with your factories and billions of cars! Enough already, now here's some swine flu to get rid of some of you!
Me? I'm not real worried about getting swine flu. I've never had the flu in my life *knock on wood* and don't mingle with crowds much these days. If I were still working with the public at walmart, then I'd be in a panic. I worked there for 3 years and was constantly catching colds from handling the dirty nasty money that came through there. Money is the worst for spreading germs. Think about how many different hands a dollar bill goes through in it's life. But, not a single cold since I left there 2 years ago. And now I have another excuse for not going back to work there just yet-I might catch swine flu!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Dove Ultimate Go Fresh Deodorant-A Review
I have always steered clear of scented deodorants after a bad experience once where I used a smelly deodorant and spent the day being annoyed by the strong scent of the deodorant wafting up from my armpits all day long. It was all I could smell and it wasn't a good smell, but kind of a weird soapy clinical smell, like antiseptic or a hospital smell. So, anyway, unscented for me ever since.
I saw a commercial or print ad or something for the new Dove deodorants and how they are solid but don't leave the white mess. I've been using gel deodorants and really don't like that slimy feeling when you first put it on. So, I got the nectarine and white ginger burst flavor to give it a try. You can get little body sprays in the same flavor.
Well, so far I like it. It does go on smoothly and is soft and the scent is just barely there, not overpowering like so many scented deodorants. If you're wearing this in public, you won't choke the people around you with the smell, and hopefully you won't choke them with any body odor smell, either. I'm not sure how well it really works since I haven't done any major sweating this weekend, but I think it's a keeper. The body spray is nice and refreshing without tons of scent, too.
I saw a commercial or print ad or something for the new Dove deodorants and how they are solid but don't leave the white mess. I've been using gel deodorants and really don't like that slimy feeling when you first put it on. So, I got the nectarine and white ginger burst flavor to give it a try. You can get little body sprays in the same flavor.
Well, so far I like it. It does go on smoothly and is soft and the scent is just barely there, not overpowering like so many scented deodorants. If you're wearing this in public, you won't choke the people around you with the smell, and hopefully you won't choke them with any body odor smell, either. I'm not sure how well it really works since I haven't done any major sweating this weekend, but I think it's a keeper. The body spray is nice and refreshing without tons of scent, too.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Grocery Shopping and Important Questions
Today was grocery day, my most favorite thing to do next to cleaning the shower. I spent a lot of money but also saved a lot because I stocked up on a bunch of stuff that was on sale. We even have some real dinners planned! And, I even made hamburgers for lunch!
Vons had canned fruit on sale for $1.00, so I'm thinking why not buy a bunch of cans and then some little reusable bowl things and make my own fruit snack packs? So, I did, and each snack pack only cost 25c and there's no little plastic tub to throw away.
I'm getting a little smarter and greener here in my quest to save money! Oh, and I also bought cloth napkins this week instead of using paper.
I was reading Star magazine (one of my sometimes guilty pleasures-nothing like seeing who looks like crap without their makeup or who's got the nastiest cellulite in Hollywood) at lunch and there was an article about Nascar driver Danica Patrick in a bikini and about how she has to watch what she eats but also has to think about being in a race car for up to 5 hours and eating enough so she doesn't get hungry. My first thought is forget fueling up on food, what do you do if you have to pee? So, I googled it and apparently lots of other people have this particular worry on their minds also, because a whole bunch of stuff on the subject came up. The best answer was that they do like your mommy always told you AND GO PEE BEFORE THE RACE EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO GO!
Vons had canned fruit on sale for $1.00, so I'm thinking why not buy a bunch of cans and then some little reusable bowl things and make my own fruit snack packs? So, I did, and each snack pack only cost 25c and there's no little plastic tub to throw away.
I'm getting a little smarter and greener here in my quest to save money! Oh, and I also bought cloth napkins this week instead of using paper.
I was reading Star magazine (one of my sometimes guilty pleasures-nothing like seeing who looks like crap without their makeup or who's got the nastiest cellulite in Hollywood) at lunch and there was an article about Nascar driver Danica Patrick in a bikini and about how she has to watch what she eats but also has to think about being in a race car for up to 5 hours and eating enough so she doesn't get hungry. My first thought is forget fueling up on food, what do you do if you have to pee? So, I googled it and apparently lots of other people have this particular worry on their minds also, because a whole bunch of stuff on the subject came up. The best answer was that they do like your mommy always told you AND GO PEE BEFORE THE RACE EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO GO!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Nesting
I guess I haven't ridden my bike in a long time. Look closely and you'll see a dove who's moved into my bike basket.
And now we're creeping closer.
A little closer, trying not to startle the dove.
I got this close and she flapped away.
Keith found the nest today only because he got too close and had a dove flapping right by his face after he startled her. He wouldn't have noticed the nest otherwise.
I feel bad that my bike lock is taking up nesting space, but I'm afraid to move it and disturb the nest. I'm glad somebody's using my bike, at least!
And now we're creeping closer.
A little closer, trying not to startle the dove.
I got this close and she flapped away.
Keith found the nest today only because he got too close and had a dove flapping right by his face after he startled her. He wouldn't have noticed the nest otherwise.
I feel bad that my bike lock is taking up nesting space, but I'm afraid to move it and disturb the nest. I'm glad somebody's using my bike, at least!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Door to Door Salesmen
Here's another reason why we have a 'no solicitors' sign on our door.
On Wednesday I was heading out to walk over to the post office and noticed what looked like someone trying to sell something knocking on a door around the corner. My first thought was 'good, I'll be gone for a little while and maybe when I get back he'll be done with our street'. So, later after I get back home, I see what looks like the same person knocking on the door of one of the foreclosed houses across the street and I'm thinking 'doesn't he notice how abandoned the house looks and obviously nobody is home?'. And if you come to my door, I'm just going to ignore you and not answer the door. I don't care if you are trying to sell candy or magazines to get you into college or help you stay off drugs, learn to read and if you don't know what soliciting means, look it up in the dictionary.
So, a while later, no knocking on the door and I don't see the guy at any other doors nearby, so I assume he's moved on to greener pastures. Greener indeed.
Yesterday I hear on the news that on the next street over a magazine salesman (I'm assuming the same one that I saw) knocked on a door and asked for a drink of water after the woman in the home turned down his sales pitch. The woman goes into her kitchen to get the water and the man FOLLOWS HER INTO THE HOUSE, PUSHES HER AGAINST THE COUNTER AND STICKS HIS HAND INSIDE HER CLOTHES! She 'protested' according to the news story, and he left. Police picked him up a few blocks over and arrested him for sexual assault and attempted rape.
Did he think she wouldn't call police and just went on his merry way knocking on doors?
So, now if I don't know you, don't expect me to open that door and listen to your sales spiel. I've done this before, just called through the door or window to whoever is there telling them that I don't open the door to strangers, but this really clinches the deal, DON'T FREAKING KNOCK ON MY DOOR!!.
On Wednesday I was heading out to walk over to the post office and noticed what looked like someone trying to sell something knocking on a door around the corner. My first thought was 'good, I'll be gone for a little while and maybe when I get back he'll be done with our street'. So, later after I get back home, I see what looks like the same person knocking on the door of one of the foreclosed houses across the street and I'm thinking 'doesn't he notice how abandoned the house looks and obviously nobody is home?'. And if you come to my door, I'm just going to ignore you and not answer the door. I don't care if you are trying to sell candy or magazines to get you into college or help you stay off drugs, learn to read and if you don't know what soliciting means, look it up in the dictionary.
So, a while later, no knocking on the door and I don't see the guy at any other doors nearby, so I assume he's moved on to greener pastures. Greener indeed.
Yesterday I hear on the news that on the next street over a magazine salesman (I'm assuming the same one that I saw) knocked on a door and asked for a drink of water after the woman in the home turned down his sales pitch. The woman goes into her kitchen to get the water and the man FOLLOWS HER INTO THE HOUSE, PUSHES HER AGAINST THE COUNTER AND STICKS HIS HAND INSIDE HER CLOTHES! She 'protested' according to the news story, and he left. Police picked him up a few blocks over and arrested him for sexual assault and attempted rape.
Did he think she wouldn't call police and just went on his merry way knocking on doors?
So, now if I don't know you, don't expect me to open that door and listen to your sales spiel. I've done this before, just called through the door or window to whoever is there telling them that I don't open the door to strangers, but this really clinches the deal, DON'T FREAKING KNOCK ON MY DOOR!!.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
SALE!!
I'm having a spring clean sale in my shop until May 15! I'm doing my shop instead of spring cleaning my house-haha.
I'm trying new things for my shop, magnets and wood pendants instead of concentrating on soldered pendants. With the economy in ruins, I want to offer more affordable choices (impulse buys), plus the magnets and wood pendants are fun to make.
So, all of my old style glass pendants are half off. I'm still going to do glass pendants but am going to make a new style of reversible ones only.
Here's a sample of the sale pendants:
This size pendant was originally 11.00, now 5.50. I'm in the process of bringing all of these pendants over from my other sites and listing them on etsy these next few days, so there will be a huge sale section to choose from.
This is a sample of what's new-wood magnets and domino pendants:
And the new reversible pendants-this one is a little risque:
I'm trying new things for my shop, magnets and wood pendants instead of concentrating on soldered pendants. With the economy in ruins, I want to offer more affordable choices (impulse buys), plus the magnets and wood pendants are fun to make.
So, all of my old style glass pendants are half off. I'm still going to do glass pendants but am going to make a new style of reversible ones only.
Here's a sample of the sale pendants:
This size pendant was originally 11.00, now 5.50. I'm in the process of bringing all of these pendants over from my other sites and listing them on etsy these next few days, so there will be a huge sale section to choose from.
This is a sample of what's new-wood magnets and domino pendants:
And the new reversible pendants-this one is a little risque:
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Oh
Another thing-if you decide to use cloth wipes for peeing, don't do like I did and absentmindedly drop one into the toilet after you wipe. And then have to fish it back out. Ick.
Yes Etsy Has Them
I did a little searching on etsy for cloth wipes and there are some sellers who have them listed under personal bathroom wipes.
These watermelon wipes are from allnaturalme and are 10.00 for a pack of 10. Now, remember, I'm using these just for number one, not number two, that's just a little too much. We'll use toilet paper for that, thank you very much.
These ones are from littlelovedesigns, 7.50 for a pack of 4.
I did see some on etsy that were made from recycled t-shirts-sounds soft but the word 'recycled' scares me when it comes to wiping my very personal area. That's kind of icky, I don't care how many times you've washed the t-shirts, somebody else wore them and probably for a long time.
These are what the cloth menstrual pads look like. The care bear fabric is really cute, and what could be more fun when you have to be on your period than some cheery happy loving care bears?
You can also use these for incontinence pads! I may need to get some of these-ha ha.
These watermelon wipes are from allnaturalme and are 10.00 for a pack of 10. Now, remember, I'm using these just for number one, not number two, that's just a little too much. We'll use toilet paper for that, thank you very much.
These ones are from littlelovedesigns, 7.50 for a pack of 4.
I did see some on etsy that were made from recycled t-shirts-sounds soft but the word 'recycled' scares me when it comes to wiping my very personal area. That's kind of icky, I don't care how many times you've washed the t-shirts, somebody else wore them and probably for a long time.
These are what the cloth menstrual pads look like. The care bear fabric is really cute, and what could be more fun when you have to be on your period than some cheery happy loving care bears?
You can also use these for incontinence pads! I may need to get some of these-ha ha.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Budget Living and Pinching Pennies
There is an article in this week's Time magazine about 'The New Frugality' and ways that people are saving money by not spending money. It is time that we over-consumers cut way back on the never ending spending spree, but at the same time the economy as it is today won't recover until we start spending again. Think about it. You stop buying that Starbucks coffee each morning, saving $4.00 in the process, but when hundreds of thousands of people stop buying that coffee, Starbucks sees a drop in sales, thereby cutting staff and not buying as much coffee, napkins, coffee cups, etc, thereby causing the producers of coffee, napkins, coffee cups, etc. to have to cut staff and slow production. Around and around it goes in a vicious circle.
I know I didn't buy my usual Starbucks treat while grocery shopping last weekend.
We were at Target on Saturday morning, getting our weekly staples of toilet paper, cat litter, and cat food. We got to talking about toilet paper (yes, we do have some fascinating conversations, don't we?) and about how much toilet paper we, I mean *I* use each day. I do pee a lot and use about a foot of toilet paper each time. Boys don't use much toilet paper since they can just shake it off, but we girls have a hard time doing the old drip dry thing. So, Keith suggested using cloth wipes and washing them over and over again. Hmmm...nothing wrong with that and that would save a lot of endangered toilet paper, also saving a lot of flushing because you can wait a long time to flush if there's no toilet paper clogging things up. So, we got the mega pack of cheap washcloths ($4.00 for 18 cloths at walmart) and put a little trash can by the toilet to drop them in and so far I've saved at least one roll of TP. And not flushed the toilet as much. But, then of course I still have to use water to wash the cloths. But maybe not as much water as continually flushing since I can just throw them in with the regular wash.
Does this idea gross people out? I don't really see much difference between this and using cloth diapers, something that I'm glad to see is coming back among young mothers these days. Sellers on etsy offer all kinds of handmade diapers and diaper covers in cute fabrics, so no need for those horrible diaper rash inducing plastic pants that my kids had to suffer with. I just plain old couldn't afford disposable diapers so cloth it was for us. Velcro hadn't quite been invented yet, so I used those big ducky diaper pins that I don't think they even make anymore. You had to be careful with those things, many fingers and babies have been stabbed with those.
Another thing that is becoming popular among the young and green are reusable cloth menstrual pads, cloth being what our grandmothers had to use before they invented kotex. A pain to have to toss cloth pads in a bucket and wash each month? Maybe, but think of the money and trees you'd be saving not using all those pads each month. I'm just glad I'm post menopause and don't have to mess with all that (mess, get it?) every month anymore. If you're interested, hop on over to etsy and you'll be surprised at how many of these they have for sale. Cute fabrics, too.
So, anyway, the cheap cloth washcloths are a little rough but seem to work just fine, and if I were more ambitious I might think about buying some soft fabric and sewing some up, but maybe I'll just go on etsy and see if they sell reusable wipes there yet.
But, if we all stop buying toilet paper we're going to put Charmin right out of business. See what I mean about a vicious circle?
I know I didn't buy my usual Starbucks treat while grocery shopping last weekend.
We were at Target on Saturday morning, getting our weekly staples of toilet paper, cat litter, and cat food. We got to talking about toilet paper (yes, we do have some fascinating conversations, don't we?) and about how much toilet paper we, I mean *I* use each day. I do pee a lot and use about a foot of toilet paper each time. Boys don't use much toilet paper since they can just shake it off, but we girls have a hard time doing the old drip dry thing. So, Keith suggested using cloth wipes and washing them over and over again. Hmmm...nothing wrong with that and that would save a lot of endangered toilet paper, also saving a lot of flushing because you can wait a long time to flush if there's no toilet paper clogging things up. So, we got the mega pack of cheap washcloths ($4.00 for 18 cloths at walmart) and put a little trash can by the toilet to drop them in and so far I've saved at least one roll of TP. And not flushed the toilet as much. But, then of course I still have to use water to wash the cloths. But maybe not as much water as continually flushing since I can just throw them in with the regular wash.
Does this idea gross people out? I don't really see much difference between this and using cloth diapers, something that I'm glad to see is coming back among young mothers these days. Sellers on etsy offer all kinds of handmade diapers and diaper covers in cute fabrics, so no need for those horrible diaper rash inducing plastic pants that my kids had to suffer with. I just plain old couldn't afford disposable diapers so cloth it was for us. Velcro hadn't quite been invented yet, so I used those big ducky diaper pins that I don't think they even make anymore. You had to be careful with those things, many fingers and babies have been stabbed with those.
Another thing that is becoming popular among the young and green are reusable cloth menstrual pads, cloth being what our grandmothers had to use before they invented kotex. A pain to have to toss cloth pads in a bucket and wash each month? Maybe, but think of the money and trees you'd be saving not using all those pads each month. I'm just glad I'm post menopause and don't have to mess with all that (mess, get it?) every month anymore. If you're interested, hop on over to etsy and you'll be surprised at how many of these they have for sale. Cute fabrics, too.
So, anyway, the cheap cloth washcloths are a little rough but seem to work just fine, and if I were more ambitious I might think about buying some soft fabric and sewing some up, but maybe I'll just go on etsy and see if they sell reusable wipes there yet.
But, if we all stop buying toilet paper we're going to put Charmin right out of business. See what I mean about a vicious circle?
Monday, April 20, 2009
More Weekend Projects
Here's what Keith did this weekend. Yes, he is still working on the backyard, too, which may get finished sometime this decade.
I had seen these evergreen trees over at walmart for only $10.00, which for a tree is a pretty cheap price. So, along the side yard they went.
These trees are supposed to get 8-12 feet tall (if they don't burn up in the hot sun and die, that is) and are low maintenance (yay), so someday we'll have a nice privacy screen and shade on the driveway.
We had summer this weekend, temps got up into the 80's and 90's, and are supposed to get near 100 today. What the heck? It's only April. I even turned on the air conditioner last night before we went to bed to cool off the house a little. A week ago we had a cold front coming through and almost turned on the heater.
I had seen these evergreen trees over at walmart for only $10.00, which for a tree is a pretty cheap price. So, along the side yard they went.
These trees are supposed to get 8-12 feet tall (if they don't burn up in the hot sun and die, that is) and are low maintenance (yay), so someday we'll have a nice privacy screen and shade on the driveway.
We had summer this weekend, temps got up into the 80's and 90's, and are supposed to get near 100 today. What the heck? It's only April. I even turned on the air conditioner last night before we went to bed to cool off the house a little. A week ago we had a cold front coming through and almost turned on the heater.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
That Not So Fresh Feeling
When you have six cats and two huge cat boxes (we use the big plastic oil change pans for cat boxes, not those tiny things you find at the pet store) you deal with a lot of poop and pee. Similar to what people with multiple small children deal with on a daily basis. At least we don't have to wash diapers or wipe butts, though.
Anyway, lots of stinkiness every day. We had been using Scoop Away litter, which comes in a big plastic tub with a snap on lid. It smells good, works pretty well, and the tubs make great all purpose bins to store things in. All of the guys at Keith's work have cat litter tubs for storing their tools and junk now. It probably looks a little strange to see guys in uniforms carrying around cat litter tubs while they're doing their burly man work, but hey, cheap tool bins and recycling to boot!
The only thing bad about this brand of litter is that it creates a fine dust that gets all over everything. Good smelling dust, though. So, we decided to give a different less dusty brand a try and went with Tidy Cats, which comes in an even bigger all purpose plastic tub with a snap on lid. All is well, right?
Does anyone remember that cat litter commercial where the woman comes into a house, her nose wrinkles up, and she says (in a rather snotty tone) oh, you have cats...
Well, that's what our house was smelling like. Cat box. I'd be sitting doing something and my nose would wrinkle and I'd say oh, we have cats...stinky cats.
So, back to the dusty Scoop Away, and now our house smells better. It even makes the never ending job of cat box scooping not so bad, because now when I scoop, tiny scent crystals are released into the air, making everything smell not quite as stinky.
Anyway, lots of stinkiness every day. We had been using Scoop Away litter, which comes in a big plastic tub with a snap on lid. It smells good, works pretty well, and the tubs make great all purpose bins to store things in. All of the guys at Keith's work have cat litter tubs for storing their tools and junk now. It probably looks a little strange to see guys in uniforms carrying around cat litter tubs while they're doing their burly man work, but hey, cheap tool bins and recycling to boot!
The only thing bad about this brand of litter is that it creates a fine dust that gets all over everything. Good smelling dust, though. So, we decided to give a different less dusty brand a try and went with Tidy Cats, which comes in an even bigger all purpose plastic tub with a snap on lid. All is well, right?
Does anyone remember that cat litter commercial where the woman comes into a house, her nose wrinkles up, and she says (in a rather snotty tone) oh, you have cats...
Well, that's what our house was smelling like. Cat box. I'd be sitting doing something and my nose would wrinkle and I'd say oh, we have cats...stinky cats.
So, back to the dusty Scoop Away, and now our house smells better. It even makes the never ending job of cat box scooping not so bad, because now when I scoop, tiny scent crystals are released into the air, making everything smell not quite as stinky.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Misunderstood Lyrics
I've been listening to one of those 'soft' rock stations the last few days, you know, the ones that you'll hear in the dentist's office or the ones you had to listen to at work so you wouldn't offend anyone. It's funny, I haven't listened to this kind of music on a regular basis since I left office work, and it's the same songs they were playing way back then.
So, anyway, George Michael's Father Figure comes on the radio today, and until someone told me the correct lyrics, I really couldn't figure out what the song was about.
Here is the correct refrain from the song:
(Baby)
I will be your father figure
(Oh baby)
Put your tiny hand in mine
(I'd love to)
I will be your preacher teacher
(Be your daddy)
Anything you have in mind
(It would make me)
I will be your father figure
(Very happy)
I have had enough of crime
(Please let me)
I will be the one who loves you -
Until the end of time
And here is what I hear:
(Baby)
I will be your BOTTOM FEEDER
(Oh baby)
Put your tiny hand in mine
(I'd love to)
I will be your CREATURE FEATURE
(Be your daddy)
Anything you have in mind
(It would make me)
I will be your BOTTOM FEEDER
(Very happy)
I have had enough of crime
(Please let me)
I will be the one who loves you -
Until the end of time
Even now that I know the real lyrics, I still hear bottom feeder.
So, anyway, George Michael's Father Figure comes on the radio today, and until someone told me the correct lyrics, I really couldn't figure out what the song was about.
Here is the correct refrain from the song:
(Baby)
I will be your father figure
(Oh baby)
Put your tiny hand in mine
(I'd love to)
I will be your preacher teacher
(Be your daddy)
Anything you have in mind
(It would make me)
I will be your father figure
(Very happy)
I have had enough of crime
(Please let me)
I will be the one who loves you -
Until the end of time
And here is what I hear:
(Baby)
I will be your BOTTOM FEEDER
(Oh baby)
Put your tiny hand in mine
(I'd love to)
I will be your CREATURE FEATURE
(Be your daddy)
Anything you have in mind
(It would make me)
I will be your BOTTOM FEEDER
(Very happy)
I have had enough of crime
(Please let me)
I will be the one who loves you -
Until the end of time
Even now that I know the real lyrics, I still hear bottom feeder.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
It's Time
For another Oddities from Etsy post. I haven't done one in a while, mainly because I haven't been doing much on etsy other than listing stuff and trying to make a buck, not much browsing, so finding the oddities have been few and far between. I did find these on another blog, though, and was reminded at my befuddlement the first time I saw these on etsy. These will make you scratch your head and ask:
Why?
and better yet:
Who buys something like this and what for? Halloween costumes? To cover up acne? Robbing a bank and want to leave the teller laughing?
Because quite a few of these have sold, and at a hefty price tag of $40.00 a pop. $40.00?!?
And here goes:
If you're not into the full beard thing, there are a myriad of just the mustache products on etsy to choose from. Why fake mustaches are so incredibly popular on etsy I'll never know. But here goes:
I didn't have to look far for this mustache catnip toy, it was on the front page in all it's glory. It's a steal at only 3.50. I'm sure your cats will love it?
And this mustache necklace for only 12.99:
And this is supposed to be a mustache pillow, but to me it looks like those wooden yard signs that are the big butts bending over. 32.00 for this lovely addition to your decor.
By the way, there were 717 pages of mustache stuff on etsy today. Yes, 717!
And everybody needs a mustache on a stick for only 10.00:
And, you will really fool them with this crocheted or knitted or whatever it is mustache for a bargain price of 9.00:
Either that or people will think you have some big hairy centipede on your upper lip.
Seriously, would you waste your hard earned money on something like this?
Why?
and better yet:
Who buys something like this and what for? Halloween costumes? To cover up acne? Robbing a bank and want to leave the teller laughing?
Because quite a few of these have sold, and at a hefty price tag of $40.00 a pop. $40.00?!?
And here goes:
If you're not into the full beard thing, there are a myriad of just the mustache products on etsy to choose from. Why fake mustaches are so incredibly popular on etsy I'll never know. But here goes:
I didn't have to look far for this mustache catnip toy, it was on the front page in all it's glory. It's a steal at only 3.50. I'm sure your cats will love it?
And this mustache necklace for only 12.99:
And this is supposed to be a mustache pillow, but to me it looks like those wooden yard signs that are the big butts bending over. 32.00 for this lovely addition to your decor.
By the way, there were 717 pages of mustache stuff on etsy today. Yes, 717!
And everybody needs a mustache on a stick for only 10.00:
And, you will really fool them with this crocheted or knitted or whatever it is mustache for a bargain price of 9.00:
Either that or people will think you have some big hairy centipede on your upper lip.
Seriously, would you waste your hard earned money on something like this?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Cat Pictures
I was just cleaning up my picture files and can't remember if I've posted some of these, so bear with me, sit down, shut up, and look at my cute cats!
This is the one and only time Mimi squished her little self under this very short not much room underneath it bookshelf.
And the back of our new sofa has these pocket like things so that you can recline the seat. Of course, every cat has had to investigate.
And, here Mimi is up on the rolled up blinds. She hopped from my shoulder onto the top of the dining room hutch, then up onto the blinds, and then didn't really know how to get back down.
Hey, wait, all these pictures are of Mimi, let's see if I can find some of the other numerous felines.
Here's Lucy in one of her favorite sleeping spots-precariously perched right on the edge of the counter. She likes it even more if there is a magazine or towel or something there to also lay on.
Here's Buddy just hanging.
And, last, but definitely not least in the round belly department, here's Bear showing off her amplitude.
This is the one and only time Mimi squished her little self under this very short not much room underneath it bookshelf.
And the back of our new sofa has these pocket like things so that you can recline the seat. Of course, every cat has had to investigate.
And, here Mimi is up on the rolled up blinds. She hopped from my shoulder onto the top of the dining room hutch, then up onto the blinds, and then didn't really know how to get back down.
Hey, wait, all these pictures are of Mimi, let's see if I can find some of the other numerous felines.
Here's Lucy in one of her favorite sleeping spots-precariously perched right on the edge of the counter. She likes it even more if there is a magazine or towel or something there to also lay on.
Here's Buddy just hanging.
And, last, but definitely not least in the round belly department, here's Bear showing off her amplitude.
On The Street of Abandoned Houses
It seems to happen overnight around here. People move out of their house, the yard starts looking neglected, and next thing you know, there's that tell-tale letter from the bank taped to the front door, flapping in the breeze, letting the whole street know that another one has bit the dust. Another foreclosure and another empty house. There are a lot of them in my neighborhood.
The latest casualty appears to be our next door neighbors. They are a young couple, early thirties, with three girls. The oldest is around 10, another about 3, and one who I think just turned 1, she is just learning to walk and talk. They moved in a few months after we did and over the years have done a lot of expensive improvements on the house, new paint, new carpet and floors, a backyard covered patio, new furniture, and so on, all of which they had contractors do. So, we figured that these two were doing pretty well since they were able to pay for all that. But, yesterday, we saw what appeared to be real estate agents bringing people to look at the house. No for sale sign is up so we were a little perplexed as to what was going on. Being the nosy neighbor that he is, Keith asked the oldest girl if they were moving. The girl said yes, her mom just told her that day to start packing her stuff and be ready to move in the next 30 days. He also said that he had heard the neighbor talking to her mom on the phone about how overextended they were. Keith was of course pressed up against the fence straining to overhear every word as they talked. No, we're not nosy! So, we've come to the conclusion that they are short selling the house to get out from under it. The mom had opened a salon a few years ago and I guess business has been really slow lately so times are getting hard for them. Makes sense, in a down economy you start doing your own nails and hair and get the spray on tan in a bottle instead of going to the salon.
So, we were kind of talking about how we may be a little worried and pinching those old pennies, at least we haven't been living on credit cards like a lot of people, and unless the whole world comes crashing down, we should be able to ride it out and at least are able to pay our mortgage and keep things going. Could be a lot worse.
The latest casualty appears to be our next door neighbors. They are a young couple, early thirties, with three girls. The oldest is around 10, another about 3, and one who I think just turned 1, she is just learning to walk and talk. They moved in a few months after we did and over the years have done a lot of expensive improvements on the house, new paint, new carpet and floors, a backyard covered patio, new furniture, and so on, all of which they had contractors do. So, we figured that these two were doing pretty well since they were able to pay for all that. But, yesterday, we saw what appeared to be real estate agents bringing people to look at the house. No for sale sign is up so we were a little perplexed as to what was going on. Being the nosy neighbor that he is, Keith asked the oldest girl if they were moving. The girl said yes, her mom just told her that day to start packing her stuff and be ready to move in the next 30 days. He also said that he had heard the neighbor talking to her mom on the phone about how overextended they were. Keith was of course pressed up against the fence straining to overhear every word as they talked. No, we're not nosy! So, we've come to the conclusion that they are short selling the house to get out from under it. The mom had opened a salon a few years ago and I guess business has been really slow lately so times are getting hard for them. Makes sense, in a down economy you start doing your own nails and hair and get the spray on tan in a bottle instead of going to the salon.
So, we were kind of talking about how we may be a little worried and pinching those old pennies, at least we haven't been living on credit cards like a lot of people, and unless the whole world comes crashing down, we should be able to ride it out and at least are able to pay our mortgage and keep things going. Could be a lot worse.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Back Yard Progress?
Keith asked me this morning if I had taken any pictures of his work in progress in the back yard. Um, no...but if you want me to I will.
This is the project that he started last summer, building planter boxes and experimenting with wildflower seeds. An experiment that failed as far as the wildflowers went. So, this year no seeds, much easier to buy plants and flowers that are already established. What he's trying to do is build a patio so we can actually use the wasteland that our back yard was.
This is the side of the yard that he started last summer. We put a few plants in these boxes and he's trenching for sprinkler lines so we don't have to worry about watering.
And this shows the other side of the yard with the finished parts of the patio, the tool shed that still hasn't been painted, and the trenches for the water lines. Today he's working on spreading the gravel to put more pavers down. We've been buying the paver bricks a little at a time to spread out the cost more. Cheaper this way than having concrete poured (or trying to do it himself).
Maybe by next summer it will be finished? But, I'm not holding my breath. Keith is a perfectionist and it takes him a long time to finish something (if ever!).
This is the project that he started last summer, building planter boxes and experimenting with wildflower seeds. An experiment that failed as far as the wildflowers went. So, this year no seeds, much easier to buy plants and flowers that are already established. What he's trying to do is build a patio so we can actually use the wasteland that our back yard was.
This is the side of the yard that he started last summer. We put a few plants in these boxes and he's trenching for sprinkler lines so we don't have to worry about watering.
And this shows the other side of the yard with the finished parts of the patio, the tool shed that still hasn't been painted, and the trenches for the water lines. Today he's working on spreading the gravel to put more pavers down. We've been buying the paver bricks a little at a time to spread out the cost more. Cheaper this way than having concrete poured (or trying to do it himself).
Maybe by next summer it will be finished? But, I'm not holding my breath. Keith is a perfectionist and it takes him a long time to finish something (if ever!).
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Finally Some Rain
I could smell and see the rain coming yesterday afternoon. Dark clouds to the west of us and a sheet of rain coming towards us. The air smelled fresher.
And then, here it came, hard rain, thunder and lightning. Then I realized the hard rain was bouncing off the grass and was actually drops of hail, which only lasted for a few moments. Then thunder, which completely panicked all of the cats. We don't get thunder here very often and the little cats had never heard it before. Total chaos as six cats ran in six different directions looking for a place to hide from this horrible noise! The sky is falling! The world as we know it is ending! What to do!?!
Hide under the bed, that's your best bet guys!
So, we had three cats huddled under the bed and three cats in the garage hiding in dark corners out there. It took about an hour after the thunder stopped before they calmed down enough to venture back out from their hiding places. Scary stuff!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Drugging My Cats
I got the kids a fresh bag of catnip the other day. It's so much fun to watch them rolling, sniffing, scratching, licking when they have a toy that's been dipped in catnip. Since cats are so much like toddlers and don't like to share, I gave each of them their own little catnip blankie. Everyone was satisfied except for Buddy, who must go around to each blankie because as you know, the grass is always greener and somebody else's catnip is probably better than his or they got more. He does that with the food bowls, too, never satisfied with his, but always checking each and every food bowl because this next bowl might have a better selection.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Jet Trails
You don't realize how much traffic is up in the sky until atmospheric conditions are just right.
These were our skies the other night while we were waiting for the big storm to come.
And here is the big storm. Watch out for flooding!
These were our skies the other night while we were waiting for the big storm to come.
And here is the big storm. Watch out for flooding!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A Good Sandwich
I never liked coleslaw. Growing up, the only coleslaw I had ever eaten was the slimy soggy vinegary stuff that was served in little paper cups in the elementary school cafeterias, and having to eat that mess totally turned me off of coleslaw. Until I ate some real homemade fresh crunchy tangy coleslaw many years after that school cafeteria experience. Yum.
So, a few years ago I was ordering lunch at a restaurant and decided to try the tuna and coleslaw sandwich and I was hooked. I've never seen it on a menu since, and the restaurant was in a town that isn't exactly convenient to go to for lunch, so I've been forced to make my own tuna and coleslaw sandwiches ever since. The restaurant one tasted better, like every food that you don't have to fix yourself does, but my version is not too bad.
For convenience's sake, I just get the bagged coleslaw mix and a bottle of dressing, mix that up in a portion just enough for a sandwich so that I don't end up with a bowl full of soggy coleslaw sitting in the fridge, and slap that on my sandwich instead of lettuce or whatever else you like on your tuna sandwich. It might sound strange, but the coleslaw adds just the right flavor to the tuna, plus gives you a little 'roughage' with your lunch.
It's good-try it sometime!
So, a few years ago I was ordering lunch at a restaurant and decided to try the tuna and coleslaw sandwich and I was hooked. I've never seen it on a menu since, and the restaurant was in a town that isn't exactly convenient to go to for lunch, so I've been forced to make my own tuna and coleslaw sandwiches ever since. The restaurant one tasted better, like every food that you don't have to fix yourself does, but my version is not too bad.
For convenience's sake, I just get the bagged coleslaw mix and a bottle of dressing, mix that up in a portion just enough for a sandwich so that I don't end up with a bowl full of soggy coleslaw sitting in the fridge, and slap that on my sandwich instead of lettuce or whatever else you like on your tuna sandwich. It might sound strange, but the coleslaw adds just the right flavor to the tuna, plus gives you a little 'roughage' with your lunch.
It's good-try it sometime!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Fiber-O-Rama!
I'm armed and dangerous now!
I have the modern version of 'wonder' bread.
Vons had Progresso vegetable soups on sale for $1.00, so I'll have some of this for lunch and get some vegetables. Too bad it's loaded with sodium, but I'm too lazy to make my own soup.
And this new Sunsweet Plum Smart juice tastes really good, not like (ick) prune juice.
These fiber bars from Target taste good, but eat with extreme caution-there's so much fiber in these that they give you bad gas. Bad. So, don't eat the whole bar all at once.
And a big barrel of metamucil (not pictured, we all know what metamucil looks like). I've tried the Benefiber, which does dissolve really well, but I think they are tricking us and it's just a placebo, it didn't seem to do much for me.
I guess I could also get that yogurt that helps you go poop, but those commercials with Jaime Lee Curtis just annoy the hell out of me, so I'm boycotting the yogurt. I've tried that cheese that they have with the active cultures or whatever, but it just doesn't taste all that great, kind of dry and grainy. Cheese is not supposed to be dry and grainy.
And, in other news, I just wrote out the checks (ransom) to send to the IRS and the State of California. Very painful, but I've got to do my part and send all my money to the government so that they can spend spend spend!
Oh, and we might get some rain tonight and tomorrow. I know that's not big news in parts of the country, but here in California, rain is so unusual that we make a big deal out of it and all the news stations are on STORM WATCH!!! every time we get a few sprinkles.
And it got up to 87 degrees here yesterday. And of course I choose the hottest day yet to decide to bake cookies and heat up the kitchen even more. They came out good, though.
I have the modern version of 'wonder' bread.
Vons had Progresso vegetable soups on sale for $1.00, so I'll have some of this for lunch and get some vegetables. Too bad it's loaded with sodium, but I'm too lazy to make my own soup.
And this new Sunsweet Plum Smart juice tastes really good, not like (ick) prune juice.
These fiber bars from Target taste good, but eat with extreme caution-there's so much fiber in these that they give you bad gas. Bad. So, don't eat the whole bar all at once.
And a big barrel of metamucil (not pictured, we all know what metamucil looks like). I've tried the Benefiber, which does dissolve really well, but I think they are tricking us and it's just a placebo, it didn't seem to do much for me.
I guess I could also get that yogurt that helps you go poop, but those commercials with Jaime Lee Curtis just annoy the hell out of me, so I'm boycotting the yogurt. I've tried that cheese that they have with the active cultures or whatever, but it just doesn't taste all that great, kind of dry and grainy. Cheese is not supposed to be dry and grainy.
And, in other news, I just wrote out the checks (ransom) to send to the IRS and the State of California. Very painful, but I've got to do my part and send all my money to the government so that they can spend spend spend!
Oh, and we might get some rain tonight and tomorrow. I know that's not big news in parts of the country, but here in California, rain is so unusual that we make a big deal out of it and all the news stations are on STORM WATCH!!! every time we get a few sprinkles.
And it got up to 87 degrees here yesterday. And of course I choose the hottest day yet to decide to bake cookies and heat up the kitchen even more. They came out good, though.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)