Today is a day full of errands, but it snowed last night, and I’ve decided to get a late start so that I won’t have to compete with those who are trying to get to work under less than ideal conditions. (That’s a classy way of saying I slept in, and am off to a late start. *G*)
I need to start with the bank for both the business and our personal banking.
Then, Home Depot is across the street. I need Safer Soap, and those crystals that absorb water and then release it into the soil of potted plants. I hope they have them, this time of year.
Then I need to stop at one of the big fabric chain stores and pick up two yards of camouflage fabric to make cooling scarves for the troops in Iraq. Our exercise group is sending over comfort boxes, and I’d like to add these to the boxes. The absorbent crystals are used in these scarves.
The next stop is Target for toothpaste and nail clippers to round out the shopping for those boxes. Elegante Mother and I went hog-wild at Sam’s Club yesterday, but I wanted the small travel sized toothpaste tubes, and Sam’s doesn’t carry that sort of thing.
I need to make a stop at my favorite fabric shop to pick up a yard of fabric for the quilt I’m presently creating. I can’t wait, or it could be gone, never to be reordered. If I miss getting the fabric, I’ll just sit down and pull my hair out, I swear! I’ve been working on the color placement for this project for the past month, and I think I’ve finally found an order to the colors that I can live with. Unfortunately, I’m short about half a yard of fabric to create the design, and I’d have to start all over again should this piece not be available. Pray for me!
I need to go to the post office. EM has a letter that needs to go to Canada, and it requires overseas postage. I think I know the amount, but I don’t want this to come back, so I’ll make the extra stop.
THen…..groceries. I sure wish I knew what we were having this week other than salad. I’m fresh out of ideas. Do you think if I cooked grilled cheese sandwiches every night that my family would get the idea and give me a hand planning our meals??
Once I get the errands run, and bring in the groceries, it’s office work for me. I’m actually looking forward to it. The day is bright and sunny, but cold, so it will be good to be where I can look out,and enjoy it, but not have to deal with the wind chill.
Have a good day!

I THINK it’s spider mites. I’ll have to get the plant disease reference to check.
At Christmas, I moved the plants that reside along three of the big windows in the living room to make room for the Christmas tree. I have to admit, the Christmas tree is still up, because I’ve been enjoying it, and I’ve had other things to do. It has to come down before next Friday, when my quilting bee returns for the second time after Christmas, so I have a goal. But, until then, I’m going to enjoy it, darn it all!
Back to the subject… I’ve been growing a small, shrubby tree that was originally part of a mixed planting that was given to my mother years ago. It was perhaps two feet tall then, and is roughly four feet tall, with a spread of four feet. I love the silly thing, but it’s been hard on it, having to grow inside. We’ve had some leaf drop, and I thought it was due to my erratic watering, but now I think that it could be due to an infestation of spider mites. I can see small white “bits” on the underside of the leaves on about half the plant.
I’m fairly sure that this problem came into the house on a plant that was give to my Mother. That plant has been residing in the garage (read: dead, frozen, but not yet buried), since November. Apparently we weren’t quick enough to see the problem, and now, it’s spread. I’ll have to keep an eye on all the plants in the house.
My first line of defense will be to wash the leaves with Safer Soap. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, more drastic efforts might be necessary. Research first, attack later is the plan. I hope I’m not too late to save this plant. It’s an old friend.