One Day, Late

I took my camera to work today to take a picture of the amazing blue and white Passion flower on a plant in the walkway. No plant. Some thoughtless (smile) customer had the nerve to BUY it yesterday and RUIN my artistic plans. Geez!

G has gone back to work and my hours have been shortened. I'm now back on "dog duty" and Riley and I walked together for the first time in more than a month. He hated riding in my car. We drive him across the Invisible Fence line. I had a light lunch at work--it seems goofy to eat lunch at 1 and go home at 3 --- and then I had a cup of coffee while sitting on the stoop watching Riley hunt for and chew wood. Maybe it was the coffee, maybe it was not walking for a month; but 2/3rds of the way I got dizzy and hoped I wouldn't pass out. I have a real problem with getting faint. Low blood pressure. We made it home. And I immediately prepared myself a nice, hearty dinner. And some chocolate. Feeling 100% now.

I got to plant up two huge planters today. Bright colors, full sun. I centered the pots with magenta dahlias circled with golden coreopsis "Sunray", burgundy Verbena and some magenta and golden eye superbells. I filled in with lime green coleus. Hope they liked them. $190.

I'm happy today because:
-- there was leftover eggplant and pasta for my dinner
-- I can make people laugh
-- I realized I talk too much and am trying to not talk so much
-- I planted my sky blue cheap (cheerful) petunias in my little skimpy planter boxes. But I envy the people who can afford the $95 each planters.
-- the repairs on my thumb and index fingernails are holding
-- I paid the bills. On time.
-- the lawn looks so great this year; sort of golf course-ish
-- a nice, hot shower is the best part of my day
-- I had time today to think about things. Very important.

I want to make bead mosaics with all the Mardi Gra beads I have saved in the attic. Glue them into flowers shapes inside a square frame. I saw a bead framed mirror on a blog a year or more ago and wanted to make one. Big magenta petals, aqua centers, golden accents and green leaves. I'd like to add black accents. What sort of glue do you think would be best to hold plastic beads to plywood?

No mirror. Strange but true, I want to hang the finished mosaic on the front porch and I don't want any feng shui "voodoo" sending bad vibes across the street via the mirror. I have experience with this sort of "voodoo" and the plague of squirrels that still visit the home across the street. Never have a mirror reflect back onto a neighbor's house. Never.

Did you know that people born and educated in Cleveland, Ohio pronounce "zinnias" in a certain way? I'm meeting more and more Clevelanders at work due to my way of saying "zinnias". And the really weird part---- we all lived within a 20 block area. What are the statistical odds of meeting people from the 20 block area around your childhood home, 50 plus years later, and 1300 miles away? Really. Is Maine the alternate universe for people from Cleveland?

My new neighbor across the street was raised on 137th Street. Me? 135th. Her uncle worked in the Cleveland police with my dad. Two of my former library co-workers are Cleveland girls. The former library director's father played baseball for the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland. I'm surprised this many locals actually wandered away.

So, any blog readers alumni of Charles Dickens Elementary School on East 131st?