Most instructive, as Spock would say.

For several weeks, I have not been in the mood to cook. I grab something here, something there, in part because I seem to be living in my car. I try to make relatively healthy choices. I decided to tot up everything I had spent on fast food for the month of July. And then to consider putting an equal amount into savings and as a donation to one or more of my favorite non-church charities.

Why? Several reasons. Enlightened self-interest, for one. I think I would feel better physically if I spent some of that money on healthy snacks so I can graze all day if need be, guilt-free. [There is a nectarine on my desk, as we speak. Was. I should have put it into a paper bag to ripen; I left it one day too long inside the plastic bag. Eww.]

Another point: if I can “afford” to eat that money, I should also be able to afford to save that money.

Third point: I think that money could be put to far better use. The $164.46 that I spent, which does not include sit-down dinners with friends, would buy feed 22 kids for a month OR provide 10 months of clean water for 40 refugees OR five surgical kits through Doctors Without Borders OR buy four goats OR half a cow OR 320 chickens through Rising Star Outreach.

So I logged on to Rising Star and sent them two virtual goats. I like goats; I try really hard to be a good, obedient sheep, but in my heart of hearts I am a goat. And I transferred $164.46 into savings. And I logged on to DWB/MSF and sent them $85.00.

[I have resisted doing my impersonation of a grownup, i.e., paying my bills, but I have them all together, and I’ll do that in a minute. You financial types will be pleased to know that I have barely even glanced at a drive-through since forking over all that cash, though I am contemplating turning over the money I’ve been tempted to spend but haven’t, next payday. If I don’t practice generosity now, while things are still a little tight as I pay off debt, how can I expect to be generous when I am debt-free and solvent?]

And then ~ THEN ~ I went online and almost bought Arie, but I just could not make myself turn loose of all that cash for a doll, all at once. It was the shipping, mostly, but Trainman assures me that that is the going rate for overnight shipping for overseas, and Middlest and Fourthborn tell me that the shipping on larger dolls is even higher. So I put half the money into savings, and when it’s all saved up with some to spare I’ll put on my SuperGem-sized p@nties [on my fingers, you goosies!] and make PayPal very happy.



This was in the neighbor’s yard when I had dinner at my friends’ home on Monday night. I think it is clever, attractive, and a good use of vertical space.

In knitting news, no progress whatsoever on the embroidery on Autumn Asters yesterday, but oodles and oodles of progress on the lace scarf for my friend who moved to Missouri. And I am nearly to the end of the first ball of yarn and I know where the partial ball is that is leftover from Secondborn’s birthday scarf.

I did a load of laundry last night. [Is it sad that that is news?] No Knit Night, just straight to the laundromat from the train station and be done with it. There’s more to do, but it’s not critical. Yet. Tomorrow night will be just fine. I think that tonight I will come home and put my feet up and not-have-meetings and let yard after yard of lovely soft wool glide between my fingers.