School Spirit?

My class had the lowest participation rate! I wonder why - if it is something demographic or if it is something about our collective experience?

Quotation of the Day

"Deliberately seek opportunities for kindness, sympathy, and patience."

~Evelyn Underhill

Tote Bag Swap

Occassionally, on swap-bot, I try different types of swaps, like last month's tote bag swap. On these swaps, you never know what you are going to get - sometimes, it's great, sometimes, not so much. (For the record, I sent my swap partner a Greenstar canvas bag.)

I was lucky, though, because I got a very cool bag from my swap partner. It's a perfect size and shape for the baby blanket knitting project I'm working on for Anna's baby.

A Different Direction

A Winner!

Jambu Footwear, a sister company to J-41, has a selection of vegan shoes. My "Touring" shoes (in the photo) have been my go-to shoes this summer. I had to get a pair in black and a pair in brown! Recently, Jambu held a raffle, and I won third place. Last week, I received my prize - an awesome, big umbrella, a great tote bag, and a notebook (as well as a Jambu pin). Now, I like the company even more. I just wish they had more vegan shoe options!

Jambu's Blog Entry about the Raffle

Pet Postcard Project

The Pet Postcard Project helps shelter animals - for each homemade postcard received, a sponsor donates a specific amount of food to a shelter. Walter and I have been participating off and on since last fall (when we can think of fun ideas in the categories: confession, advice, wishes, excuses, and you know you love your cat/dog when). We're sending off a few cards to them tomorrow. This is a great way to help animals (and there are contests that you might win). If you have kids, it would be a fun project to do with them.

Here are the cards we're submitting this month:

Unexpected Bus Ride

Yesterday did not go as planned! First, I went out to the Museum of the Earth because I thought the art fair was being held there - I was a day early. Since I was so close to the Ithaca Anitque Mall, I decided to check out the vintage postcards. (This is just over seven miles from my house - not much in the car!) Once I'd made my purchase, I had to go to Greenstar to get some supplies for George. Alas, when I turned the key in the truck, nothing. Not even a sputter. To make matters worse, I had accidentally left my cell phone at home. I asked the clerk at the antique mall if I could use her phone, but George didn't answer. I was so frustrated with the situation, I just wanted to go home. Certainly, I could have made better decisions, but I had a single focus: getting home. I walked down to the hospital (2.5 miles) thinking that I could at least find a cab and pay phone there. Hah! I found neither. The pay phones had been removed. The nice woman at the admissions desk let me use her phone but the cab company had a message saying that they were completely booked and to call back in twenty minutes. The woman suggested I take the bus, which was making a stop at the hospital in just fifteen or so minutes.

It was my first time on a TCAT bus, and it was a pleasant drive. I felt like I was at least getting somewhere, away from the frustration of my car and closer to home. (If it were logistically feasable, I'd want to take the bus to work.) The bus stopped at the Commons, where I went to the library. A pay phone! Then I realized that George's cell phone is not a local call. By this time, it had been several hours since I'd eaten, and I was famished, but I was driven by inertia. I decided to walk the rest of the way home (1 mile). It went fairly quickly, but I got terrible blisters!

Meanwhile, George had received my message and driven out on his scooter to check on the truck, which needed a new battery. He had to come back into town to get tools from home, go pick up a battery, and then go back to the Antique Mall to install it. Since I couldn't ride on the scooter with him, he had to drive back home to pick me up, and then we went back to Trumansburg to get the scooter. He insisted I take him out for dinner for ruining his Saturday!