…to remind me I forgot to water my plants, the last time I’d spared a moment to think about it and reflected, gee, I ought to water my plants. And then didn’t.
A few dead leaves on the two that are stubbornly persistent, but I pruned those off with my fingers, and gave them some water. The others have been toast for some time.
Weirdly, I was really, really good with plants when I was manic. Though there was a period where I was fairly okay, and had a balcony garden I was very proud of. Lots of sunlight, so any flowers and things that thrived with heat and heavy, direct sun did very well out there.
I would train flowering vines to climb the spokes of the balcony rail– Morning Glories and the like. I also kept some decorative lights strung around the railing outside of holiday times for a bit, just for fun. One strand were those purple lights you see at Halloween. I think the others were white icicle lights. Somehow, the combination reminded me of a grapevine.
The balcony was nice. I went all out with decor and lighting for Halloween, Christmas/Yule, and Easter/Ostara. I think I even had Patty’s Day lights.
And I would set out my rickety (but pretty) black wrought iron bistro table and chairs, with their leafy motif. The table was fine, but the chair legs were separate from the seat and often needed tightening. I think I still have the whole set, in storage, in the garage.
Context about Jane Goodall:
I was searching for quotes about the color green, and green things like plants, etc., for inspiration for the name of this post, since I planned on writing about green.
Jane Goodall opined on the healing nature of plants and flowers, and I looked over and saw some wilted and crispy leaves. DOH!
This isn’t the first quote I found, and it’s on Goodreads, which (as I have said before), always makes me question authenticity of sourcing and verbiage. But, with that caveat, here it is:
“There is now scientific research that proves that gardening promotes well-being in people experiencing depression or distress, including those who are elderly, homeless, or mentally ill. Indeed, putting one’s hands in the soil, feeling the texture of plants, smelling their scents, and looking at their calming colors can relax the mind and uplift the spirits.”
― Jane Goodall, Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and Wonder from the World of Plants
Green things in relation to today’s adventures:
I made it to the grocery store today! Just in the nick of time, too. I had a bacon sandwich for breakfast, leaving me with nothing apart from a few more pieces of bread.
Got paid recently, so I had a bit more leeway with how much I picked up, versus when I was trying to stretch coupons and in-store specials, hoping to get snack stuff, eggs, bacon, butter, sandwich staples, fruit, and something for dinner, all for under $50.
Maybe it can be done.
But I tried about four different plans for what I could have made for dinner. Generic brands whenever possible, even if I did add on garlic bread for spaghetti night, and Italian seasoning to jazz up the pasta sauce.
I guess had I been willing to eat very humbly, I might have been able to figure something out. But I probably would have also had to cut out things like peanut butter and preserves. And maybe also the fresh fruit.
Regardless, I am so, so thankful for today’s stock-up. And I saved almost $28 with careful app-using. Most of it was even fairly healthy stuff.
I didn’t buy all the fruit I’d had on my list for today. I may have overestimated how much food I could consume before it went bad. Looking over everything already in the cart, I made some choices.
I did add a few things, as well, like fresh oregano, not just fresh basil, and a jar of minced garlic, in lieu of a garlic bulb. There was a salad mix brand on sale, so I got some salad. That had been on the list, but I was excited about it.
The variety I had selected in the app, I didn’t see offhand. I found another that had microgreens, which looked very interesting. Picked that up, instead. Something different. Even commonplace variety can improve mental health!
I also got a mix called a “salad topper.” My fave blend of those. Forget who makes them. Cashews, edamame, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, etc. Figured the balsamic vinegar I had left would be fine for dressing (and it was).
Today’s salad:
After several bites, the balsamic and the sweetened cranberries diminished the sweetness of the blueberries somewhat, but it was still a very tasty salad.
I swear the extra toppings were on the top… plenty of leafy green goodness underneath. I got my greens in!
Eating it, I thought of my aunt, now since passed, who used to make the BEST salads. Maybe that doesn’t sound like much of an accomplishment, but she would put in walnuts, and all kinds of fruits and other things, and really jazz it up. I looked forward to them at family gatherings.
Fear not! It wasn’t strictly a fruit-and-veggies and bacon sandwich kind of day. I also had plenty of pizza. A self-rising brand (not the “it’s not delivery” one– different one), was on sale for under $4. Got one of those. Supreme. Didn’t add spinach this time. I figured pregaming with a salad (even one with lots of “stuff” added on) made up for that.
I also bought a big box of kiwis. Those were on sale, too, and I had recently read that the skins are edible, as well as packed full of nutrients. Had been meaning to try eating them that way. Easier than peeling, too. The texture of the skin may take some getting used to, but it wasn’t bad!
A new experience! Huzzah!
Not my photo (neither was the first one– I just dug its vibe), but here are some kiwi slices, for variety, and MOAR green.
I stocked up amply enough that I had to clean out the fridge and freezer fairly well, before putting everything away. Still some work to be done there. But I hauled all that out, along with various other trash, from the small garbage bins in assorted rooms, and from having cleaned up after the cat.
Seven whole bags of garbage. Kitchen-sized, not the massive black ones, but still. I have to pick up the really big bags, to replace the one in my very large, fancy kitchen garbage bin. Forgot to add that to the mega-list.
Maybe I’ll get those tomorrow. I already put in a pickup order, to replace some beauty product “necessities.” Facial cleanser, micellar water, SPF facial moisturizer, and makeup wipes, to round off my total enough so I would qualify for a gift card.
Carried out all of today’s seven bags in one trip, like a wackadoo, because I didn’t want to have to do it twice. Dropped a bag 3/4 of the way to the dumpster, but I managed. I am very stubborn about minimizing trips when carrying trash or groceries.
I’ll admit, there was a lot of drama around here, as I was emptying out the fridge and freezer, and putting things away. The bags of garbage were constantly underfoot, and if it wasn’t those, it was the cat.
Probably unfair to be cranky with her, since animals are bound to be curious about new food brought into the house. All the fresh smells. And she’d likely missed me.
But it was a lot to handle at once. My anxiety skyrocketed, and I spiraled fast, dwelling on everything that still needed to be done at home.
BUT in spite of that, I did, in fact, clean up cat mess, take out trash, water the plants, etc.
I also field-tested my strapless bra as intended to be worn, so that the straps wouldn’t show around the neckline of my it-now-fits-okay purple top. Even after having to reach over my head to snag something off a high shelf at the store, everything stayed in place. Very reassuring. I may in the future try on a different size to see if maybe this one isn’t quite right, but it definitely works for now.
What else… did I mention kiddo going to a Renaissance Festival in the Dallas area this weekend? I think I did. She had hoped to meet at least one guy dressed as Vessel from Sleep Token. No luck there, but multiple pirate Deadpools. I guess that’s another unexpected Ren Faire trend?!
She got a photo with one of the pirate Deadpools, and one of two performers in motley jester attire, and video of a circus act involving rats and cats, I think. Always fun to see her adventures, even if it has to be from a distance, for now. Better than no contact at all. And she had a gorgeous homemade manicure to coordinate with the Sleep Token tee she wore there.
I’ve been having friendly conversations with the latest online match, who sincerely seems interested in getting to know me, asking about my day, etc.
He’s a night owl like me, which is great. Kiddo goes to bed so early when she works the next day, and even my long-distance bestie in another time zone two hours earlier sometimes calls it quits long before I do. This way, I still have someone to message a couple times before bed.
OH… I was mentally thinking about how I wanted to segue into the graphic I made in Canva tonight, also in shades of green. I’d found a template with some fun content added to it, then switched up the background, and added more details.
Anyway, it was a witchy template. Thinking about that (and momentarily chiding myself for being a witch who has killed so many plants and threatened others lol)… I happened to remember something I saw on Instagram about a SLEEP TOKEN TAROT!!!
Kiddo is a bigger fan than I am, and she was really interested in it, too. That reminded me I might still have her apocalypse-themed deck (like, nuclear war, and such, nothing supernatural, necessarily), in one of the closets here. Will have to check eventually. That one was pretty cool, too. Were there zombies? Maybe there were. I’ll have to look at it again.
So, the cat’s satisfied, even if I was crabby with her earlier. I may freshen up her water situation again, completely, and give her all kinds of ice cubes. The colder the water is, the more of it she seems to drink, which is great! I know I love cold water, too. My water bottle has to be jam-packed full of ice. Sometimes, more than a whole tray. Then, I add water.
I’ve been using disposable bowls for her food, rather than having to worry about bacteria lingering on ceramic or what have you, if it isn’t washed regularly. Gave her a new one tonight, with fresh food and fresh probiotic.
She got up onto the PC desk shortly after that, and nuzzled into my hand.
Happy kitty.
I also browsed and favorited some phone cases on Redbubble tonight, until the app refused to keep loading images. It felt like a day to spend a teensy bit of money frivolously, after squirreling away into savings, buying healthy foods (and pizza), and having given some travel money to kiddo. In the end, I decided instead to get the beauty stuff, and pay off my last two lingering purchases financed with Affirm. I had two payments for those due in June. One for each order. All done, now. YAY!!!
Even if one of my coworkers has been demanding story updates, I may be too tired to add to Mystery Train tonight. I could break habits and write before work rather than at night? We’ll see. I’d say, however, that it’s time to brush my teeth, and otherwise get ready for bed, and curl up with Lost Souls.
OH before I sign off here… my next door neighbor, who also writes, told me today about a series of thesauruses for writers. I looked it up. Set of 10 books, each covering a different category of fiction topic. She’d said they break down hypothetical scenarios you might have to describe and walk you through all the details you might consider adding. Sounds, smells, etc.
Assuming the one I found is the same one she mentioned, it’s called the Writers Helping Writers series. She said I could look through hers any time, but now I kinda want my own. MOAR books, I know LOL.
We had a lovely chat outside, this afternoon, before I went to the grocery store. She’s a good neighbor to have, for sure.
The Canva graphic:
Me, as the Green Fairy of Absinthe, many Halloweens ago. I initially tried background remover, but it cropped out my wings! You can’t be a green fairy without wings!
And to think, I thought I was fat, at that point, when I could still fit into premade Halloween costume kits, even if they were the bigger sizes (I had adapted an Eve costume for this look).
Would I fit into them now? Who knows? Probably…
Been coming up with my own ideas and using regular clothes, instead.
Infinitely more reusable.
The photo background may not be visually stunning. Dunno why I had that photo taken in the damn bathroom, with my hand up to the thermostat lol. Hence the little artsy details framing the pic. Camouflage.
Kiddo was a scowling, preteen dark fairy that year. Very angsty. But she still dressed up. I hope she’s able to put together her Miss Moth (female Mothman) look for this coming October. It sounds so cool! I nearly bought the stuff for it and sent it to her, myself, but she told me not to.
Ah, Halloween.
I can’t wait!!!
Enjoy!
All the Bright and Sparkly Things 
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