Cool, Tep! My mom is kind of terrifying in her retirement--she's slamming through 1-2 books a day and her place is pretty well wall-to-wall books on every wall, with two TBR stacks on the floor next to every chair. It's entirely possible that before she dies she will actually succeed in her ambitious plan to READ ALL THE THINGS.

One downside - now that the filth is semi-conquered, the clutter is more obvious and dismal. How does that even work?

I need to start on my cleaning- which is Hazmat. I tend to feel un motivated, because once the Hazmat is cleaned up, you notice the clutter and stained carpet, so it i snot perfect.

I did walk to the store and back and so am feeling both accomplished and hot. Upstate NY, not so much with happy medium of temperatures. I love this little store, though-- it is like a real small town store, like the one I worked at in high school, and it has really awesome produce and meat (which is pretty much all I buy. It is more expensive (except their sales are good. I can't ever buy more than I can carry, though, as it is about a mile to the bus stop.

I have just done an epic sort of my clothing. I now understand what I should wash today, what I should take out to be washed, and what won't be attempted today at all, here or elsewhere. And I wonder if I have clean sheets. I might not have clean sheets.

But at least I know what I'm wearing next week. Can't work out how to dress with the light orange skirt, though. It's very new to me. It's this. I love the cut, but I really wish I'd gotten it in the violet instead. That would have been adoration.

Maybe I'll practice on that skirt today. But first I must start washing t-shirts.

Black sleeveless top and black strappy sandals, ita.

On an earlier matter, Pix, I hope you have a fantastic time in Barcelona. I loved that city, it's one of the absolute top tourist experiences I've had. Anything Gaudi is incredible. Beyond the usual, there's this market district selling artworks that's well worth a visit too. I'll see if I can track it down.

Re Madrid, the museum that floored me was the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. It houses Guernica and some marvelous Dalis. Of the two, though, Barcelona is the one I would choose to return to.

Man, it is cold and wet here today. A good day for staying in, drinking hot tea and reading or knitting.

Very glad that I'm not foolish enough to be at Indy right now.

Black sleeveless top and black strappy sandals, ita.

I can tie it all back to black, that's for sure.

Although I suspect there will be a fair amount of cowboy boot wearing with it.

It's such a lovely cut, and a soft fabric that I was tempted into it despite it not being in one of my colours. The shade of green was even less me.

I have to convince myself to stop buying the "party" boxes of cereal. Or whatever the samples are called. I hate Apple Jack so much I throw it away. I pretend I'll eat the Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes, and they just pile up, and I power through the rest of the samples, but not often enough to make it sensible to buy an actual box of the cereals.

I have so much Froot Loops sitting around, it's dumb.

I love watching how kids switch cuteness. It's an extremely important biological necessity that they are cute in order to survive.

I still need to pot my strawberry plants. But I need to go get another bucket to do an upside down planter.

I love Froot Loops. But I eat them dry as a snack, not for breakfast.

I think a white top with that skirt, and cowboy boots and a big bracelet or necklace in a strong color (not both), would also look great.

I think you can donate the unopened sample sizes to food banks. Then make a note to buy full boxes of the cereals you actually like.