Who exterminated the exterminator? Misfits

Thursday morning was about phoning and searching and trying to track down an exterminator. The one I used in July seems unreachable -- his number was answered by a different company far north, his cell out of service, not responding to emails -- maybe he retired. And all the others are franchises, none very close. 

I'm finally getting estimates, and hoping for an inspection appointment. But it's a weird world, many takeovers, and a lot of negative online reviews.  Which might be fakes written by competitors, you never know.  And they all want continuing contracts with monthly payments. All I want is a baseline for now. And a local company to do it. 

In other dull news, the high tech cream my derma prescribed for the facial skin issue hasn't done much to soothe the itch or smooth it out.  So I returned yesterday to the rosewater and glycerin I used to use, and it feels much better.  And the continuing pouring rain helps quite a bit, with the increased humidity.

Thursday afternoon is take down of the group art show, best fun I've had in a while. It's always a bit sad to remove a show, like leaving a party in a way. 

At the library in the afternoon, my spirits were lifted when I saw a crowd of little kids getting organized for the Halloween parade and party. Tiny dinosaurs, pumpkins, cats, crocodiles, all kinds of costumes. No pix because kids.

Misfits was delivered in the rain, poor guy 

How I know when to expect them

Handy for the customer, but not so good for Robert this week's driver, working under surveillance. They're very accurate. The pink truck must be in the shop this week.

Here's the usual suspects. Extra canned goods for the food pantry. Olive oil because I'm nearly out and I use it daily. Scallions and spinach for the required leafy greens. The scallions are so fresh they snap. Beautiful brown free-range eggs for many purposes, what do you want for dinner, there's eggs, style. Two lots of panko, one now in the freezer for insurance because I like breading.  Brown rice, now spending a couple of days in the freezer in case of any wildlife.  Lime juice to beat up with the yogurt as desserts with the blueberries. 

I'm thinking stir fries this week, thank you, Sandra, also various ideas involving chickpeas, cannellini beans and rice. 

And the box is now broken down and tied with string for the recycle. When it stops raining.

Happy day everyone. Some days we all feel a bit like the box, broken down, tied up. But there's always tomorrow.

Today's resistance 

Here's me wearing my American Patriot pea whistle, in resistance yellow, ready to distribute the others to anyone who needs to resist ICE. 

In Chicago they're being used to warn neighbors about ICE in the streets and to help intimidate and distract them.

If you know a community organizer who can use them, email me with contact details and I'll ship them, no strings.

Bugs, rags, Melissa and WCK

Thursday started out with an email from the condo mgt saying several condos in Handsome Son's building have found roaches. I don't think he has seen any, but every condo in the building must be inspected and possibly treated. 

Sooo, sighing deeply, I put in a call to Exterminator John who treated my house in the summer.  Always something. I'd just written a sizeable check for the HO insurance for the year. 

I texted Handsome Son requesting he check and do serious cleaning and decluttering. He's good about putting food away, but  very clutter prone. He hasn't seen any roaches. But they're sneaky fellers.

On to better news. More simple upcycling. This is the white shirt from The Box. After removing all these frilly bits

From everywhere, collar, shoulders, sleeves, someone went mad, this nice simple cotton shirt emerged 

Just iron and it's ready. I had tried it on to make sure it fits. It's labeled xs which I'm not, but their xs is more like s. It works.  Twenty minutes clipping, done. 

Two items down, two to go. One item needed nothing done to it, big t-shirt for nightwear. I need to shorten the pants, and decide what to do with the wraparound dress/tunic.

This box is proving a good thing.  Definitely has entertainment value beyond just shopping. 

Not entertaining is the loss of SNAP food support in the next couple of days. Now is when we all need to find out how to give practical help locally to emergency ministries, food banks, whatever is being set up.  My state assemblyman has set up a collection system to supply locations in Trenton with food and donated money.  

If you're not in the USA,  there's great need in Jamaica which took a direct hit from Melissa. World Central Kitchen is already on their way. They can use $$. 

Go to their website and follow from there

Happy day everyone, we can do what we can but it's still okay to enjoy, too.

 

Tuesday, Upcycling, Knitting Group, Textiles and Tea

Another great Tuesday unfolded. 

Morning included upcycling this piece from The Box. I just removed the skirt thing, and this was the result.

Then the Tuesday knitters had two new members and the return of last week's new member, who had been busy with her learning squares and circles.

New member doing some exciting visible mending on the lining of a leather jacket 

Two more bears being cut out. This makes me think of making a bear or two for the Rez kids using that extra fabric from the upcycled top. .

 Two members conferring about alterations to a WIP.

And here's a better picture of a wearer-made sweater in action.

Talk was great, with new members adding a lot. It ranged over embroidery, elder care, food needs, the local crisis ministry, beginning a craft,  making bears, wills, trusts, mammograms, garden ornaments, Friends of Pine Ridge, and more.

Textiles and Tea was about fine geometric weaving in cotton and fine silk kumihimo braiding. 

The guest is a great teacher! She had set up the background with her marudai loom on which she braids and had examples ready to hand, to illustrate her points. Such preparation.

Great presentation, and I am in awe of anyone able to master kumihimo braiding, having struggled to make a simple little braid using that disk you see above. My product didn't exactly look like these masterpieces of the form.  Check her website for more.

Happy day everyone! Weave, braid, knit, read, loaf, stroll, whatever the day calls for. 

Still my flag

Purloined ivy, boyz with toyz and the rag trade

 Today's gardening was about swiping another tendril of ivy from next door where it's threatening the butterfly bush anyway, and potting it up.

Future houseplant and possible raw material for soap.

And this morning's walk was over to the next street, where after threats of lawsuits and much delay, the boyz are repairing the pothole ridden road. 

It's owned by the next development whose board has been reluctant to repair it, since it's along the edge of the development so it gets main road traffic, a lot of wear and tear.

So first they put up traffic cones. Several days later, one truck. Last week No Parking signs. It's always been a no parking zone. Today another truck and signs of activity.

Not a lot. They're not getting carried away here. Nice man directing traffic and telling me where not to step, new tar. He has a folding chair and thermos.

Then the exciting box of clothes arrived, no complaints here.  One dress, one tshirt, one pant, as they say in the trade, one cotton shirt, one sort of hoodie. Definitely worth the total of $25. Labels on, unused.

I can shorten the pant, take off some floofy frill from the white shirt, remove the peplum from the hoodie, use the dress thing as a tunic, it's a nice side-closing front, and the T-shirt as a cheerful pajama top.

That was a lot more fun than ordinary shopping. The goods were as described, arrived bang on time, clean, well packed. These guys know what they're doing. They're selling rock bottom for resale except I'm not selling. I'm upcycling. 

When I've had a bag of items from Freecycle, it's a similar thing, where you get to try stuff out of your usual range. It can be interesting instead of the routine, or rut, I tend to get into. I like clothes but not enough to spend serious energy choosing, more like making.  But I'm open to a new style if it comes at me. 

Now to try on, then wash. 

Happy day everyone, may all your mystery boxes be good ones.