Saturday of Flowers and Hopes for Peace

Since this is Saturday, the cats generously let me sleep in until 5:15. They then graciously allowed me to feed them and turn on cat game youtubes until their naptime around 7.
I finished scanning and discarding business cards from a wooden card file that looks likes Mom's old recipe box, but might have been detritus picked up along the way. If it was Mom's I don't want to discard it but I have no use for it so maybe I'll put it in the box of miscellany for the next time I see Ellen and Ralph.
I added this month's LexisNexis to 4freeCLE and erroneously re-added LawPay's January offering. It's easy to get into a posting frenzy haha!
Now it is time to go to the Y for my favorite Saturday morning class. I hope to take my daily picture in their garden, but who knows?
I stopped by the White Center Library to print some stuff, then went home to do my Minimum Daily Gardening - in this case, put in more bulbs near my apple tree:

I observed that something had dug up a couple of last week's bulbs, but they were still there. I guess or I hope they were just not tasty, but maybe I need to lay down some mulch to discourage a repeat.

Due to issues in the news, I brought out one of me pro-peace memes to share around the internet, for all the good that it does ...

A couple of friends commented on it, so I guess at least we are not alone.

I also updated http://4freeCLE.blogspot.com which is something I do frequently, but I needed to play catch-up on LexisNexis's monthly release.

I uploaded the slideshow for Thursday's CLE and sent directions to the speaker.

I also read a lot of webcomics before turning in at about the usual time.

Tomorrow I need to read the rules for Toastmasters' contests, so I can confirm I will Chair our next one.
Also, I need to follow up on the Herbold meeting for VAF.

More Than 50,000 Reasons Diplomacy Is Better Than War

I had had faint hopes I wouldn't have to bring this out AGAIN!

Workout Haiku

After Many Years
I Am At Peace With Planking.
I Still Hate Crunches.
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#exercisehaiku is true. Planking now merely takes time and if the music is nice I hardly notice. But crunches? bleh.
One really funny thing is the reactions of Facebook friends. "Burpees are the worst" to which I replied "They should be called Vomitees" --- only later did I decide to call them "Barfies".
Another friend said she has just the opposite - likes crunches, hates planks. It takes all kinds!

When A Plant Goes Bad

I don't know what it did,
but it's been there for years
so I'd guess some sort of felony.

I stopped by the Credit Union after work, and then over to the bus stop near there, where I saw this.
I don't often experiment with filters because usually the natural look appears best to me, but this was fun.

Bus Stop Tree

Back to work! And who's over looking our commute?

Rock wall in seasonal finery

I took a walk around, looking for something interesting. It looks like they're jumping off!

First Day Of 2020!

I started the day with a warmup yoga
Then immediately into some low-impact fitness Now I am sweaty, ready for the showers and ready for the day!

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I also saw this (technically while still in bed so before the warmup)
(With English Subtitles)

Fiber Donation Bin

I was thinking of not driving at all today - just hanging out and cleaning and playing with the cats as I changed ALL my passwords - but "Buy Nothing" had a cat scratching poll on offer, and we can always use another. So I drove to pick it up, and on the way made my annual fiber donation - the clothes that got too worn this year to keep wearing. This year, it was my last pair of blue jeans (I prefer black jeans), one shirt and a bunch of socks - they tend to wear out in flocks.)
Every year I get the idea of re-using the fiber on site, but nothing seems to work. I used old jeans under the little wooden step I build for my shed, and they block stuff from growing through the 2x4s, but otherwise I haven't found much else. Cotton and silk are technically organic materials but they don't seem to get composted in a reasonable time; there must be some additive to keep them from rotting on our backs. Also I don't really want their dyes in  my food garden. This fiber recycling bin seems a reasonable alternative.

I ordered a free credit report. According to https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0155-free-credit-reports we get one free one each year from each of the three major credit reporting firms via https://www.annualcreditreport.com. This time I chose Equifax and saved it on my hard drive for later analysis. I scheduled time on Saturday to write letters to close unneeded accounts.

I planted some grape hyacinths in the heart-shaped garden. I'll be able to see them from my bedroom window some mornings!

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New Year Thoughts

• Let no word pass your lips or your fingertips that does not say something positive, if only "we can do better".
• We, and no-one else, can define happiness for ourselves, and for no-one else.
• Every now and then it is pleasant, and therefore useful, to review our creative work.
• A nightly ritual of setting out gear for the morning orients the sleeping mind toward tomorrow, and it's easier on the waking self as well.
• You are what you eat, but what you eat is what people feed you. That is to say, associate with positive people if you want to be positive.
• It's ok to rebrand every 18 months or so (check with Rebecca's resources on this)
• Write Every Day. It's both creative and memorable.
• Fear of change just means you're paying attention
• Remember how wildly capable you are!

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Who are the positive people in my life?
I need to be objective here: they have to be people in my life (...not I wish were in my life...) and they have to be positive.

• Toastmasters is intrinsically positive
• West Seattle Timebank is positive although not as active
• WPTL is basically positive. It was kind of a drag for a while, but the last two years or so have been great! I need to keep connecting with the positive forces there
• My current job is neither bad nor good. There are some pretty cool people there but the set-up is deadening.
• The Y is complex. Saturday morning classes are thoroughly positive which is why I never fail to attend. Evening classes feel differently to me; I have friends there but the vibe is different; I am continually welcomed but don't really fit. Still I love the dance so I keep going
• the neighborhood is a great place to live but not especially close
• I know a few individuals from here and there but no one close at all but the cats
• The Low Bono Network might be just what I need
• 
  

Our famous self-shovelling snow!!

I have been struggling to keep taking a photo a day. In the grey and wet winter, it is harder to find beauty - so why not just photo what there is?

After Winter Solstice

After Winter Solstice

The Days Grow Longer.

Already It Feels Like

Forever Until 5 O'clock!

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(of course, I get off at 4. But it's funnier saying 5 since that's the standard).

Sunday Title

I planted a few more things today. Being outside is so relaxing! In addition to these bulbs, I made even more progress on transplanting periwinkle from the sidewalk to the yard, tinkered on miscellaneous other things around the outside, and posted some unneeded yard detritus on "Buy Nothing"

Also It's the End of the Month: I gave the cats their flea treatment!