A New Home For the Trees (Trader Joe's and Dollar Tree, too)

I've recently read that there are a half billion bloggers on the internet. (Rhonda on Down to Earth)  Holy tamoly!  That's a large population of people who open their lives to others in an effort to help people be successful.  I'm sure some of them blog for other reasons, but the number of bloggers is shear amazing.

Armed with those numbers, I see that this blog is miraculously followed by a number of readers.  I'm so happy when the numbers reach 260 in a day, but I'm equally happy with the normal 100-120 readers.  It means there are people looking for positive re enforcement - the operative word being positive.  With so much going on in the world that can't be defined as positive, a respite is much needed.  At least, I know I need it.

I mentioned in my last post that I was going to transplant the olive tree and the lemon tree to bigger pots.  Since the weather was in the 60s that morning, I took them both outside on the patio and began the transformation.  The olive tree went into the new bigger pot.  The pot it was in was scrubbed out and the lemon went into it.  Both were watered and left to enjoy the warm breeze for a while.

About an hour later I went out to see if the water drained out of the pots and was surprised the temperature had dropped.  In the house they went and the heat went back on.  I'm thankful I checked on them because the temperature got so cold that afternoon that I had to bundle up in a blanket, even with the heat on. 

The one thing I don't like about my home is there is a vaulted ceiling in the living room.  If I want to sit in there a blanket comes out and the fire place goes on.  I put blankets on the loft railing in hopes to deflect some of the heat back into the living room, but I don't think they are much help.

Later that day a friend told me if I transplant the trees, I should cut off about six inches from the top so they will form thicker trunks and be healthier.  It hurt to do that because I was so proud of how big both of them got.  But, one must suffer for beauty.  I put the cut off parts into water and will use root hormone as soon as I can remember what I did with the tiny packet.

I have a statue of Mary in my bedroom that my uncle Dom gave me when I was about 8.  He began his career as a trash man for the city he lived in.  Someone had thrown it out and he recovered it for me.  I don't know why he gave it to me rather than his daughter, but I'm so thankful he did.  I have carried that statue with me for 55 years.  I put the clippings in front of the statue.

Putting flowers in front of a statue of Mary is an old time Catholic thing.  It is a show of rememberance to the woman who is the mother of Christ.  When I was little I grew pansies next to our garage so I could present them in the month of May to Our Lady.  I know the statue is just that, but it's more of a tangible way to remember someone who is in the spiritual world.  I loved to do this - and I guess - I still do.

Going in an entirely different direction I went to Trader Joe's yesterday with my daughter.  I get so excited when I go there.  I put things in my basket, then have to take some of them out before I hit the checkout. 

Organic grape tomatoes, 1 pound, 3.79
Organic mushrooms, 8 ounces,  1.99
Organic Greek yogurt, .99 (single serve)
2 Cliff bars @ .99 each (not shown)
2 organic bananas, .19 cents each
And my favorite:  A 24 ounce jar of cherries in their own juice. 2.49  They are heavenly.  The regular grocery stores sell 16 ounce cans for (drum roll) $4.49.  That's prohibitive to most of us.  No wonder they only display 3 cans on the top shelf.  No one can afford to buy them.

Today we went to the big Dollar Tree just a couple miles outside of our area.  This store had everything anyone could need or want.  I picked up a few items, but there was one thing missing - glue.  Ordinary glue.  There was the kind that holds broken things together, but none for use in paper crafts.

I won't ever use the 'tough' glue again.  The first time I used it I was pregnant for our second child.  All I remember is two of my fingers were stuck together.  When I say it took me over an hour to remove that glue using alcohol, I'm not over speaking.  What a lesson in patience that was.  Not to mention the smell of the alcohol on my pregnant stomach.



I found:
Potting soil for seeds
Twine
Spray bottle
Fertilizer sticks for indoor plants

Also:
2 skeins Wool yarn
1 Roll of two colored curling ribbon, black and white to go with the white wrapping paper in the closet
Craft paper labels
Cinnamon gum (a favorite flavor)
Jelly Belly beans for the grands

All in all, the week has been productive. 

What have you been up to this week.  Frugal or not, we want to hear about your adventures.