There's one born every minute

Today is my son in law's birthday and I always struggle with what to get him.  This year, however, I was inspired almost a month in advance, when I went through the exhibits at the Regina Ex.  I found an 'all in one' type tool that, according to the advertising at the booth, would take the place of an ENTIRE toolkit.  It has a screwdriver component, with all the various screwdriver ends, a pliers, a wrench, a tape measure, a hammer, a level, a cherry pitter, nose hair trimmer and earwax excavator all beautifully illuminated with a clever LED display light. The sales guy thought SIL needed one.  As I examined the ads at the booth a little more, I found that this was T H E  T O O L that was on Dragon's Den.  I know most of my family and friends are saying "uh...what?" because we just don't do CBC as a rule, but this is a show where people make a presentation to a panel of rich people who want to invest in clever ideas/inventions.  On a really bad TV night I did manage to catch a rerun of this particular episode.  The inventor was so well received, and highly praised by the panel that they actually invested MORE money in his invention that he was asking for.  Could I just leave it at that?  No...I had to throw some of my money at him as well.  Anyway, how bad can it be with all those screwdriver ends?  Gotta be good for something, right?

Sweet Violet

Violet in Bloom(s)

Yes, that is indeed M Y violet, which has - ta da - BLOSSOMS!!  As a rule, violets enter my home in relatively healthy condition - check the place out for a couple of weeks - and sicken and die a horribly 'violet' death.  Brown leaves.  Dried up stems. Wilt. Rot. Drought. Despair.  But THIS violet is incredible.  I got it from my co-workers in March 2009.  Yes, that is not a typo, March 2009!  Wahoo!!  Check out the blossoms,  there is more than one!  And - it is as vibrant a violet colour as I have ever seen.  Look at those leaves - not a wilty brown one among them.  Well, I have recorded it for posterity - so whatever happens from here on in - I can bask in the knowledge that I have kept a violet alive long enough to bloom and after 17 months it is still healthy and alive.  Sweet sweet success.

A few first words

I am the only person I know who is not really crazy about Saturdays.  I find myself wondering what to do, should I do anything?  There is no focus or structure to the day.  The only end to Saturday is midnight, and I virtually NEVER wait around for midnight.  I mean, on weekdays, working days, the day is over after work.  Now you do whatever you need to do - make supper, load of laundry, knit/crochet in front of the evening TV shows - and then off to bed.  Sunday starts with family breakfast, then Sunday takes us wherever it goes - I don't have to have a plan or make a plan - I just ride along on Sunday - which is over at Supper time as everybody works on Monday so no big plans for a Sunday evening.  But Saturday drags on and on, nothing good on TV, no plans ever as I am married to a workaholic who is never around on Saturday.  Then its supper time, but Saturday is not over yet.  What will we do to fill the time between now and bedtime.  Evening TV sucks.  Who knits on a Saturday evening?  I do.  Cause I am old and I am not crazy about Saturdays.