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Learned in May

Penstemon, planted on purpose in my yard rather than a wildflower, but in spite of being a native, it isn’t really thriving.

Is it possible I didn’t learn anything in May? Or is it that I just didn’t keep track? (Who said, “You learn something new every day?”) What can I pull out of my memory from just the past 30 days? How about these 7 items:

  1. I sold something on eBay for $20 and charged $5 for shipping. Someone in Florida bought it and it cost me $16.17 to mail (there is currently no UPS outlet in Three Rivers). EBay took their bite, and my net profit was $7.80. Ouch.
  2. I went to the bank to do a routine transaction, or at least I thought it was routine. In the olden days, it would have meant interacting with a human behind a desk. This time it meant sitting at a desk, watching a human interact with a computer. Ouch.
  3. While at the bank with high ceilings and echoey acoustics, I wondered why they feel the need to play annoying (too loud and echoey and irrelevant) pop music. I didn’t learn why, only that my tolerance for noise seems to be diminishing in direct proportion to the increase of noise in the world. Ouch.
  4. A small number of vendors and low visitation at a local arts and crafts fair does not mean low sales. Un-ouch. 😎
  5. After saying, “no more shows” (meaning entering juried and judged shows), I made 2 exceptions: entered the show “Seascapes” at the Exeter Courthouse Gallery, and plan to enter a show (untitled) at the Tulare County Government Plaza Building. Haven’t learned anything yet, except that maybe I am the living embodiment of the triumph of hope over experience.
  6. Kittens are so much fun! I’ve always known this, but now we have healthy and well-socialized kittens instead of feral, rescued, or weaned-too-early babies. There is a difference, and this is a good litter.
  7. Memorial Day used to be May 31. Now it is the last Monday of May, a way to mark the beginning of summer. Really??
Mineral King on May 20, 2019.
Hang on. Summer IS coming.

10 Comments

  1. Gina, I’m trying hard to not be attached. We have homes for 2 of them; Michael wants to keep three, but we are trying not to care which three!

  2. #7 May 30. Keep showing pictures of the babies. I want the squeeze them all. I might have to come over just to do that.

    • Nikki, you are right about the date of Memorial Day. I learned it from someone else too. Oops. Would you like a kitten?

      • I would love to have a kitten! But then I’d have to come live with you. Rich likes to be able to leave without worrying about a cat. I’m trying to wear him dow down but no luck so far.

        • Yeah, Nikki, I knew that. Just wanted to tempt you a little bit. 😎

          • Meanie!

          • You are welcome to come visit (but you WILL fall in love.)

  3. I am with you on #3. Banks used to be quiet, dignified places. Now they are getting close to the noisy din in restaurants, where you can hardly hear yourself think between the loud music and loud conversations. I am thankful for my home now in a quiet location, where I can sit outside and enjoy the peace.

    • Marjie, it baffles me why every place seems to need continual noise. I’ve even been putting gas in my car and a teevee was attached to the pump, on some inane news station. WHY??

  4. Your kitties will be awesome having been humanized from the start. So cute!

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