R-A-I-N

 

And that, children, is today's four-letter word.  It's May 24 and I'm wearing long jeans, a long-sleeved tee, and a flannel shirt--and I'm not too warm.  



I got my wren house yesterday, got the eye hanger thingies screwed in, made a wire hanging loop that I twisted so it won't swoop all around in more than a breeze, and hung it up.  Now we'll see if any wrens come to live there.  Wrens are one reason I keep the fountain operating, they like to nest near running water.



I also got a couple geraniums and a yellow-green vine-y thing for the last patio pot.  It had started to rain when I wanted to plant it so I squeezed myself under the eaves and only got the right sleeve and right hip of my clothes rained on.  But then I figured I didn't have to water the plants in since they'd be sitting in the rain.  Pretty smart, eh?  This morning when I went out to take the picture there was a chipmunk in the pot already digging things up.  Arrrgh.


The reason I didn't plant right away when I got home (before it started raining) was because I'd stopped at the bank on my way back to have my cup of mad money coins counted and turned into folding money.  Oops, sorry, the bank no longer has a coin counting machine.  What????  The teller told me that they even have to sit with trays and papers and roll their coins.  Now that's an excellent use of employee time, don't you think?  I refuse to use the coin counters at the grocery because there's a charge.  I'll just keep making the bank give me coin rolling papers.  And how will they know if I short-change them one coin per roll?  Not that I would, of course, but...  
**P.S. I asked at the bank this morning how they'd know if they were short and she said that she'd have to unwrap them and recount them.  Can you imagine????



The bright spot of that little jaunt was this.  It's some kind of succulent and I had to buy it.  I don't know what it's called but don't you think it looks like it was drawn by Dr. Seuss?  I love it and, even better, the young woman that sold it to me said succulents are her favorite plants so she told me how to keep it alive.  

 
Last night after supper I cast on an Advent garland mitten.  I need 12 mittens and 12 socks and am probably halfway there.  Quick and easy knitting.  BTW, that tail will turn into a loop for hanging the upside down mitten.


May 24--Jean Patou, Evening Outfits in Velvet.  They were like a pair of cats defending the same territory.  Clarissa, Rissa to her friends, wore a deep aqua velvet dress with a wine satin sash embellished with mink puffs on the ends.  Her cape coat was made of the same fabrics with a deep mink collar that framed her face.  Mae wore coral and yellow velvet embroidered in silver down the center back of her cape coat and along the hem.  Her collar was deep and furry too.  They entered the room from opposite sides; you could hear them hiss as they spotted each other.

Meh.  I loved the picture but couldn't rustle up any inspiration.  Two of Durwood's favorite food store ads weren't included in today's paper so I, the good wife, said I'd stop for one on my way to work and the other on my way home.  But first I'm going to the bank with my paper sack of rolled coins.  Grrr.
--Barbara