a little home improvement

a week or two ago, i did a google search on a solution for my pot lids. my search mostly yielded pot racks. i did find a person with a solution though ... he used either a towel rack or expandable curtain rod.

here's my solution though ... for about $10 ....






the rods are 30" and about $2.49 each. the wall mounts come in pairs, and the retail price is the same (i think).

funny thing is, these appear to be the same as my (worthless 18") towel rack in my bathroom. good to know how little $ my landlord invested in things around here ....

odd couple

these are two of my favorite plants. they get to share a shelf together. i just realized that they're both "holiday" plants ... a christmas cactus, and a shamrock.

i love the shamrock. i wish i had one of the purple varieties, but i wasn't willing to pay the price for one from a nursery, and got this one from a grocery store.


they'll come back, year after year, if planted in the yard. i don't have a yard, so mine kinda stumbles through the winter and early spring, in a pot, indoors. perhaps it needs a bigger pot. maybe some fertilizer? i don't know ... i water it when it looks limp. it rewards me with springing back life and putting out wee flowers.


my christmas cactus? i'm not sure how long i've had this one, but i'm sure it's overdue for a larger pot. it often looks sickly. i'm certain i don't take care of it properly. it's probably been near death more than once. but, i do know that if i leave it outside as long as i can into the season, that the cold weather will stimulate it to bud.

we had a cold snap not too long ago. it budded. and now, before thanksgiving, my christmas cactus is popping all over with blooms!

but, it's okay. it's doing what it's suppose to do. it just means if i want flowers around here during the holiday time, i'll probably have to put some paperwhite bulbs on rocks & water.

shopping experience

it seems that ravelry has more to offer than just knitting and crochet ....

Hmmm - it would be interesting if there were any way to track a different “voting with dollars” - stocking up for the future. For example, if sales at Sam’s Club and Costco increased dramatically before the end of the year due to people stocking up on food and other items.

I belong to a food co-op, and remember the large orders in preparation for Y2K. I just placed a smaller version of such an order (oatmeal, flour, sugar, some canned goods, etc). DH & I are calling it preparation for the Obamanation.

i found that quote after i came home (after shopping @ sam's club), and did a search on one of my favorite websites.

aside from the political statement, i finally realized tonight how cheap some stuff can be (per unit) when bought at sam's. the caveat is 1) do i have enough space to store it? 2) will it spoil before it can be used?

answers ... yes and yes, if i shop carefully. of course, it kinda sucks to carry all the heavy things in like a squirrel stocking up for the winter.

i'm never in a rush at sam's. that place amazes me. everything is B I G. the carts are big, the aisles are wide, the portions are huge. it's kinda crazy.