Does Everyone Do This?

I finally caved and called a cleaning lady to come over to talk about having her come once a month or so to really clean.  I figure I can beat back Old Cesspool in the bathroom every week and Durwood's pretty good at keeping up with the dishes but I'd like someone to come in and be serious about chasing the dirt every so often.  Which means that I cleaned the bathroom within an inch of its life yesterday, pulled out the stove (but not the fridge) to clean behind it, and mopped the kitchen floor.  Today I vacuumed everything I could reach.  Shouldn't I have left the place dirty so that the cleaning lady takes pity on me and wants to come save me from myself?   Or would more dirt mean a higher rate?  I don't know, I just want someone to come and clean.

Despite persistent drizzle all day, the Bay Lakes Knitting Guild had its picnic at Echota Gardens south of DePere.  They have a clubhouse/party room that they let us use which was just right.  Since the use of the room was gratis it was only fair that we browse the greenhouse and buy things.  Their things are very distinctive, plants are in all sorts of unusual vessels.  I saw this old coffee pot and was drawn to it by the String of Pearls hanging out of it.  See, when we were dating I had a pot of this plant hanging from a hook in my apartment.  The vines were long and every time Durwood walked by it tangled in his hair.  He complained that the plant was a man-eater.  I hoped to just buy a pot of the plant but I looked and looked and finally asked but he said he'd sold out within a week and that was the last one.  I grabbed it, besides look at that planter.  It makes me smile every time I look at it.

More honeysuckle blooms are popping out so we're keeping an eye out for more hummingbirds.  I think they must be sitting on nests right now because they've been a bit scarce lately but as soon as those babies fledge they'll be back.

June 12--Alan Kaplan, KAP507.  Greta let her newspaper fall to her lap.  Eli and William were talking about selling off the back half of the farm to an investor.  "An investor in what?" she asked.  "Didn't say," William said, "he just approached me with an offer for that whole strip off Creamery Road."  Eli nudged his brother.  Greta noticed.  "What aren't you saying?"  "He wants the creek too."  Eli jammed his elbow hard into William's ribs.  "You have to blurt everything."  William winced and sidled away.  "Eli, would you have said anything to me about the creek?" Greta asked.  He shook his head.  "When were you going to tell me?  When it was time to sign away our land?"  Both men had the grace to look ashamed.  "We could use the money, Gret," Eli said.  "Yes, but not at the risk of having the creek filled in and a phalanx of cracker box houses across the orchard."  She stood up and brushed non-existent crumbs off her lap.  "Call your investor and invite him to meet with us tomorrow.  I'll find out what he means to do with the land."  She walked away shaking her head.

Hey, the sun's out.  After yesterday's drear and rain it's nice to see.  There's a lot of pasta salad left so guess what I'm having for lunch today and at work next week.  Right.  Peace out.
--Barbara