Lunch Bunch

This should be a shameful secret but just between us--I'm a junk-food junkie. Love the stuff.

At lunch time, I drive to my favorite spots--first to Burger King for the burger and then on to Wendy's where they have the best value for the diet coke.

I park at Wendy's, pull out and spread over my lap and the gearshift  a garbage bag to catch the sesame seeds and goopy dressing in the burger.

Then out comes the veggie burger and my book, propped in front of the steering wheel

I was trying to be discreet when I took this shot but around me are several lone munchers, some reading while they eat, some who listen to the radio, read and chew. I'm in the latter category.

I'm breaking myself of the meat- burger- everyday habit, hence the veggie burger.

Often I bring a sandwich from home and just buy the diet coke. Not just any diet coke . It has to be in a waxed cup, lots of crushed ice in the bottom and a nice straw.

Heaven.

be Careful What You Wish For

I found these geraniums on my front porch the other day and I'm happy to have them.

Lately I've mentioned to a lot of people that it's such a waste to toss geraniums at the end of the season when they can be stored and re-planted in the spring.

I'd rather not mention those senior moments (come to think of it I've had them most of my life) but I have no idea where these came from.

I'm glad someone was listening but who do I thank?

Over the years I've kept to the same quick-and-dirty storage method and it works quite well; brush away as much dirt as I can, then stuff the plants into a plastic bag and store them in an a cool, dark place.

Cool is hard to provide. My garage isn't insulated and things freeze into Popsicles out there so that leaves the basement.

I have an empty plastic bin ( a miracle in itself but I'm really trying to thin out) and they are now stashed in the bin  at floor level behind the box of birthday decorations..

In the spring when I'm just itching for the snow to melt, I'll retrieve them.
I  pull off the dried leaves, make sure the stalks has some green in them and pot in  lightweight soil.

Finding a sunny window ledge is always a difficult process  and  the best window is beside my desk.
By the time all the pots are strategically placed, I have a six inch square all to myself to pay bills and do things like, you know--carry on with life.

But first, there is a pesky winter to get through. and someone to thank, but who?

 

Stained Glass Reincarnation

This is one of the stained glass windows I bought at an auction around thirty years ago and I think I paid $11 for each half. At the time I didn't realize they were originally one double-hung window, probably from a farm house. The center panel was plain glass with blue and red inserts on the sides.

The picture above shows  the bottom section missing a center and side panel and I decided that was a good time to refresh the paint.

 

Here's the top, relatively unscathed. Over the years I've replaced some of the stained panels as well as the center panel that started out as clear glass.

I shudder to think what I've spent on these simple windows over the years.

 

During an earlier incarnation I had a frame made to hang them on the deck, with hooks holding the top and bottom. and the top window shows here. Any strong wind had them waving back and forth violently so I removed the bottom part while I reconsidered.

I retired the top part (probably another broken pane) and the  bottom panel tried life outdoors. The wind was still a problem so this one went into the basement. I didn't have any space to hang them indoors, separately or together.

 

Then came the eureka moment when I turned  part of the family room into a home theater; a rather grand name for a nice little nook to separate the viewing area from the rest of the room.

(I had a better picture but I haven't figured out the new blogger codes for switching pictures around.)

The windows hide the telly and they look perfect. The top center panel is still frosted glass and the lower window now sports a mirrored center panel.

Barring a nasty tornado or another move, chances are this vignette will remain unscathed for a long time.