Stop, no Go, Feed the Birds..

Or let them bathe, it really doesn't matter when you have one of these lovely, versatile, "green" contraptions.

Well, maybe contraption isn't the best word to describe these feeder/baths from redyellowandblueink but the bottom line is, they are awesome.
Bright, cheery, colorful and recycled. Even the packaging is reused and enviromentaly friendly. How kind these are to the earth in so many ways. You can't help but feel good about buying one, using one, giving one.......If that's not enough, part of your purchase is donated to the Audobon Society. I just can't seem to find a downside.
Be sure to check them out as well as Jenny's many creations and vintage finds. A true delight

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

Sing it with me........
I may have mention these before and I may mention them again. Bottom line is, they really are my favorite things and sometimes I just can't get enough of them.
It's summer, it's hot, the pool is inviting and I become easily distracted (or hard to motivate, you choose). However, I can always be persuaded to mix a batch of these.



and like the pied piper of vodka, I am forever turning someone on to the addictive libation. It may look pretty, but it's got a punch and even men love them. They're not a sip, suck, swirl and swallow as they appear.

Well, there goes that focus of mine. Off to the martini well. I'll have to talk about my other favorite things another day.
**shake, shake**

Frustrations Left and Right

We are all frustrated with the weather. That's for sure. Last night felt more like October than July.
We have had more rain than I can remember in a long time. Lake Johnson, kids canoeing through the yard type rain. A good solid week of killer heat to follow. Of course it was the week I was at a show, on the pavement, under a tent, feet in the ice chest (trust me, I was being polite by not offering those few and far between customers a cold drink). Now, and since (of course), cool, cloudy, rainy, blah, blah, blah.
BBQ for the 4th, poured rain. Plans for Great America, poured rain. Friends over to swim, poured rain.
I'm beginning to believe we should have bought an Ark and not a pool.

So, tomorrow the in laws start arriving. The weather is better and headed up in the 80's and beyond for at least the next week. Yeah! We're thrilled. Finally, the pool will warm up again (see, the last time the water got int he 80's and even hit 90, of course, I was at that stinking, and I literally mean stinking in so many ways, show and no one could use the damned pool. No adult home and I was gone 14 hours/day). So, with excitement, we check the water temp, 82°, great! Pull back the cover, test the water and all looks good (on paper). In person, not so much! Cloudy water. SOB!
We may be new to pools, but I spent many a year as a lifeguard and around pools. I know cloudy = algae and algae = frustration. Lots of frustration. and NOT lots of swimming.

So, warm weather, sunshine, warm water does not equal (need to look that symbol up) swimming.
end rant/ off to work on pool.