This morning I was up at eight, and after starting a load of clothes, ate breakfast and gave Tucker a long walk. It was cloudy and slightly foggy, which made sense since there was a warm front [yeeech] on the way. By the time I'd finished unloading the dishwasher of yesterday's baking items , one washer load was done and I popped it in the dryer, and put a second load in the washer, but delayed the wash. I had some things to pick up (thankfully with coupons) and didn't want the clothes sitting in this sultry weather.

About 10:15 I headed up to Town Center and Bed, Bath & Beyond. I picked up a few little things: food-safe mineral oil for the table and cutting boards, a refrigerator container for James' insulin, a couple more little lights for the library, and a new blanket for Tucker, who tends to bite holes in his. At JoAnn I had five half-price coupons and a 40 percent off. I got mostly Command hooks, but bought a piece of foam for James' truck seat. Hoping that works better than a wadded-up towel.

I also found some Christmas items on deep discount: two little resin foxes and a large bottle-brush tree and a pack of smaller ones. I went next door to Michaels and found some small wooden rectangles. I'm seeing craft project here...

In the meantime I cut through the back way to Barnes & Noble; I didn't have a coupon, but I wanted to look at the clearance table. I found a book on Mickey Rooney and one on Neil Armstrong, both for $4 each, and joined the queue. In front of me was an older man in a US Army veterans cap, behind me was an older couple buying a stack of discount games. The woman tapped the veteran on the shoulder and handed him a card, saying "Thank you for your service." The veteran stammered a little and she said, "It's a homemade card. I make them and hand them out only to veterans." The veteran said thank you and then was called to check out. I was called next and did so with a big grin on my face (and donated a kids' book to their book drive).

I realized I hadn't taken anything out for dinner, so I stopped at Nam Dae Mun for some chicken legs and also got some little steaks to put in the freezer. Total: $5.35. I put the meat up when I got home, but the craft project called me and I even forgot about the clothes sitting in the washer (well, for a little while; they did get dried). I painted two of the wooden rectangles white with Delta Gloss paint and then sprinkled them with coarse white matte glitter and a little blue microglitter after leaving spots for foxes and trees to go. When the paint was dry and the glitter firmly stuck on, I glued the items on. Now: two winter decorations.


Before I painted the rectangles, I noted they needed a little sanding. There was a small paper bag hanging on the back of the craft room door with sandpaper sticking out of it. I looked at it, but the grit was still too coarse. I knew I had finer-grain sandpaper, so I dug in the bag--and found six "S" hooks I bought at the hardware store near Corley's hobby shop years ago, and...what was this thick, hard black thing in there?

Rewind: for Christmas 2010 James gave me a little gadget called a Flip video camera, which...gasp!...took HD video. I used it at Christmas and a couple of times right after, and then it disappeared. Actually, it was hiding in plain sight; it was in a black case, and it was wedged between my computer CPU and the upright of the computer desk where it was dark and I couldn't see it. So I pulled it out again, put new batteries in it, and used it for Phyllis' birthday party, Christmas 2011, New Year's Eve, and the party at the Lawson's house in early 2012. The last thing I did was make a video for my cousin Debbie of our house decorations. And then it vanished, never to be seen again.

Until today. In the little paper sack was the Flip in its black case.

Put new batteries in it, it still works, the software loaded up right away.

I've been saying over and over I need to get this house clean. And this is one of the reasons why. Maybe someday I'll find my pocket-sized birth certificate and my original social security card.

Despite the traffic, James made it home from cardiac rehab in good time. We had chicken legs and pickled tomato slices (boy, are they pickled, and taste strongly of cinnamon, too) for supper, with peppermint "Jo-Jos" (Trader Joe's version of an Oreo, with candy cane chips in the center) for dessert. For Christmas programming: both Prep & Landing specials (they're so tinsel!) and Geraldine Page in A Christmas Memory.

Labels: chores, Christmas, cleaning, crafts, electronics, food, shopping, television

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 11:20:00 PM

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