Good stuff

The sugar snap pea plants that looked terribly shriveled from the lack of sun a couple of weeks ago are producing enough peas that we've had a couple of meals with them. There's something so satisfying about eating veggies you've grown.

Waldo, the not so magnificent - also known as the little furry bitey boy - has taken to the run that we put between the front door and a maple tree across the yard. He seems to enjoy it, in fact. We've also discovered that he prefers his water and food bowls in the living room, up on the hearth, so he can eat and slurp on his own schedule with us nearby. He still hasn't eliminated his nightly tear around the downstairs, but at least it's shorter and he quiets down a little more quickly.

The new vacuum cleaner works like a dream. It picks up dog hair and all the sand tracked in by rain damp shoes, boots, and paws. It's also truly picking up more dirt than the previous ones, and its dirt cup is truly easier to empty. Now if it'll last for a while, I'll be a happy homemaker!

I found two sets of nice, almost new summer (percale, not flannel) sheets tucked away in a drawer in the guest room. Added to the collection I already had on the shelves in the bathroom, they give me lots of options and I won't have to buy any more sheets for the beds for quite a while.

I realized today that I still have a little more than a month left before I have to become the schoolmarm again. Woo hoo!

The Canadian rocker that Sis3 gave me a couple years ago fits nicely into the corner of the dining room so I have a really comfy place to sit and read with a cup of tea.

Four of my dad's nutcrackers look nice lined up on the dining room table. To me, those and his neckties are such a part of him that I'm glad to own them.

I was able to find a frame and glass large enough to accommodate the family genealogy wheel that needs a new frame. I have my own copy, but this one belongs to my mother, and the glass was the only casualty of her move into her assisted living suite. Since it was my fault for being careless with it, I'm the one to reframe it. I was afraid it might need to be a cu$tom job, but I think this will work just fine, and the frame is nicer, in my opinion, than the old one.

I was able to find a couple of plastic bins and a tote case in which I can transport the open trays of my jewelry to craft fairs. I've tried a wire tray and a laundry basket, covering the trays with fleece to keep the items in their open boxes and dry, but in rain and snow they could be awkward to carry. These will fit on a luggage dolly so I'll be able to load and unload quickly and without fear of my product being compromised in the rain. The notecards are already in plastic sleeves, but I'll use one oversized plastic bag to keep the revolving display dry and the other one to transport the table covers. At least everything will start out dry!

The black lamb leather jacket that I ordered on sale online from Wilson Leather fits like it was made for me and it feels buttery soft, as advertised. Sometimes the descriptions and the size charts aren't very truthful. Shock! But this time the advertising was completely accurate. Of course I won't be wearing it soon due to rain and warm(ish) weather, but I know it's there when I want it.

After diligent searching, I located the woven cotton summer blanket for our bed and the pink and white quilted comforter to give to my sister. I seem to have no organization as to where I store bedding, so I need to get on that.

Finally, Sis3 is truly back in the fold. Having health care professionals who are actually paying attention to her overall condition and providing also better nutritional regimens and more effective meds in addition to down to earth therapy has really helped her. There's still a long way to go, but she's looking healthier and she's committing to visiting Mom weekly for lunch, and to accompanying her to some local health appointments. Selfishly, I'm happy that her stepping up will relieve some of the burden I've been carrying alone for the past year or so. I think it's also going to help her mental health recovery to have a better relationship with Mom than she did in her past.

All good stuff :)