Tag Archives: hobbies

Taking things to the next level.

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My son has been dancing competitively at fursuit conventions around the country since 2013.  He is completely self taught in urban and street dancing (never took a dance lesson) and has managed a string of second- and third-place finishes, both solo and in small group performances (that he has choreographed himself).

He’s never won a competition, but having placed second (and third) so often is nothing to sneeze at, since it’s not that easy to make finals at these events and even get to perform on stage, and even then, there are usually at least 20 finalists vying for the top three spots.

We spoke on the phone last night and he’s been working on a group performance involving himself and 4 other dancers since October.   This weekend they’re headed to Atlanta to practice together and get a feel for the actual competition which takes place in April (also in Atlanta).    He thinks — and he says others have told him they think — he’ll win this one.   He seems very confident and has never, ever thought he’d win before.

He says if he wins (or even if he just places second again) that he’ll feel encouraged to start expanding himself and not limit himself to costumed competitions.  He feels like he’s ready to start entering regular dance competitions regionally and eventually, nationally, if luck should take him that far.   He likes the idea of dancing in charity events, both competitively and not.  He told me of one taking place now where the proceeds are being used to help the people of Puerto Rico who were devastated by Hurricane Maria.

Since he’ll be 27 later this year, his best dancing days may be winding down.  But he’s a talented choreographer and good at motivating others.  Choreography is something he’s seriously looking at as a career for himself and can still do no matter how old he gets.

 

The Stack.

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thestack

My Stack.

A few weeks ago, I got a catalogue from The Vermont Country Store.  I’ve ordered a few things from their catalogues (I adore their super-comfy and attractive Mumu-style tops, and keep ordering more — I have 4 of them now) so they keep sending them to me.   Catalogues make great bathroom reading, and TVCS’s is one of the most fun to look at because it has just about everything you could ever want to have in it.    The candy page is always the page that automatically flips open because I’m constantly looking at it and drooling (although I have only ordered candy from them twice).  There’s candy there you just can’t find in regular stores — marzipan snow balls, maple-sugar leaves, chocolate covered sponge candy, and commercial candy that I remember from my childhood but is no longer available in any store.

On the inside front cover of their catalogue, there’s always a  quaint, old-timey, slightly corny write up about life in Vermont.  It’s always an idyllic little slice of Vermont life,  written by one of the owners.  Sometimes I read them and sometimes I don’t, but I happened to read the one that was in the latest catalogue.    The write up was called “A Nice, Quiet Winter Afternoon–and ‘The Stack’ Is Waiting.”  It was about something I can relate to — that tall stack of books that sits next to your favorite chair, usually on the floor (of course, in Vermont country, The Chair is always a cushy easy chair, perched next to a large picture window overlooking gently rolling fields of snow and farmland, and a large mug of hot cocoa is waiting there next to the stack — or on top of it!)

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I have a Stack.  It’s not on the floor, and it’s not next to a comfy easy chair, and there is no bay window behind it overlooking gently rolling fields of snow and farmland.  My stack is located on a dirty old orange steamer trunk next to my bed.  The window just to its right overlooks the parking lot of the apartment complex next door, and being that this is North Carolina, there is usually no snow on the ground.

But it’s still a stack of books just begging to be read, or referred to, or making me feel guilty because I haven’t read them yet — and maybe never will.   I look forward to the day I actually have the time to read (or give away) all these books (and de-clutter my bedroom in the process).    Since I’m home today, I may spend time reading (in fact, I definitely will), but before I do that, in this post I’m going to take inventory of these books and describe them, since even I can’t even recall what all of them are.

One Second After by William R. Fortschen.   A political/technology thriller written by one of my customers, who gave this book to me (I forgot to get it autographed though).    It was a New York Times bestseller a few years ago.  I know this man to be a political conservative (Lordy, I hope he isn’t a Trump supporter!),  but I started reading it a few days ago, and it’s damn hard to put down.   Since Fortschen also lives in my city, I am familiar with most of the places he describes in the book, which makes it seem even more real.  The man is a phenomenal writer, so I think I’ll be finishing this book first (although “Fire and Fury” is giving it competition).

Twin Flame by William Fortschen with Nora D’Ecclesis.  Fortschen’s first romance novel. He gave this to me along with the above book.   It’s a very short book and I read it in two days.  I haven’t removed it from the Stack yet.   It was both a fascinating and uncomfortable read for me, since this “novel” is obviously a factual account about him and his new wife (who he is now separated from), who I also know slightly.   The only things that have been changed from real life are their first names, but everything else is autobiographical.   Reading it, I got the slightly uncomfortable feeling of eavesdropping into the very personal life of someone I don’t know that well (but know well enough to know this is not a novel!).   The guy is a hopeless romantic, emotional, and very spiritual person and also an amazing writer.  And yes, I wish I could find someone like him in spite of the fact he is pushing 70 years old (though not him, obviously!)   And no, there is no sex in the book (thank goodness!)  It’s a very clean read.    Unlike Fortschen, however, I don’t believe we have “soul mates.”  I’m far too cynical for that.   The fact he does believe that each person has a “twin flame” at the age of almost 70 years old gives me hope for humanity.

Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America’s Most Powerful and Private Dynasty by Daniel Schulman.   This is a library book that is due back in a week.  I read about half of it, but I decided to stop reading because after awhile the book started to bore me (and make me feel sick).   I’ve already read so much about the Koch Brothers, their vast empire, and their diabolical plans to make America into their own image that I’m burned out on this sort of stuff and don’t want to read about them anymore.    I was curious about their early lives, and that’s the real reason I checked out this book.   I wanted to find out if they were ever human beings, and yes, apparently they were.  They were cute as children.   Charles Koch actually seemed like a sweet kid but it was clear he was his family’s golden child, even though he wasn’t the first born.    The eldest, Frederick, was the family scapegoat because he never fit in with the rest of the family, may be gay, and was partially disinherited.  He’s a patron of the arts, New York gadfly, and eccentric, and that embarrasses the rest of the Koch family.   Apparently, Freddy’s  not all that conservative (and may even be liberal).    David (one of the twins which included Bill) always looked up to Charles and became his partner in crime.  David was the cutup of the family, always in trouble as a kid but was Mr. Popularity at school.   Bill had a terrible temper, was unpopular with other kids, always threw tantrums as a kid, and wasn’t favored by the family.  He was never really part of the family business, except in a peripheral way.   I found out everything I needed to know.  Now make them go away, please.   I’ve had enough of the Kochs.

Exoplanets by Michael Summers and James Trefil.  This is also a library book due back in a week.   I haven’t read it, but I skimmed through it, and I looked at the beautiful color photos and paintings of earth like planets that may exist in the Milky Way Galaxy.   I may renew it, or not.   I probably won’t have time to read it even if I renew it though, so I probably won’t.

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult.   I picked up this hardback novel by one of my favorite writers at Dollar General for three bucks.   I want to read it, and eventually will, but it will probably be awhile since between blogging, work, and my Internet activities, I don’t find a lot of time for novel reading anymore, and that’s a shame.

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz.  I actually bought this paperback for the full list price at Food Lion.   Like the above book, I want to read it (because Dean Koontz has always been a favorite writer of mine), but wonder when I’ll get around to doing so.

Devil’s Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency by Joshua Green.   This was a bestseller a few months ago, and I did read a few chapters of it, but there are so many other books about this presidency that have come out since then that are more timely (since current events are moving at near-light speed) that I probably won’t ever finish this book.   It seems kind of dated now, but I keep it in my stack just in case I change my mind or have nothing else to read (not likely).

The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President, editor Bandy Lee, M.D.    A must read for all conscientious Americans.   Although I finished this some time ago, it’s one of those books I will keep referring to again and again.  So it stays in the Stack.

Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth’s Last Days by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.   This was a one dollar Goodwill find, otherwise I would not have it in my Stack or even in my house.  I will probably never read it, but on that day at Goodwill, I was momentarily curious about the far right Christian evangelical mindset about the End Times, and since I’d heard so much about these books, curiosity got the best of me.  I’ll probably take it back to Goodwill at some point.    I don’t like Tim LaHaye or his politics so I don’t want to read any of his books.

Cold Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels by J. Warner Wallace.   This attractive looking trade paperback was sent to me anonymously, possibly by a reader of this blog who happens to have my address (thank you, whoever you are!) but so far the three people who I know have my address have denied sending it to me.  The book came in the mail at a time I was having doubts about my faith, so perhaps this is a message from God — very mysterious!    It looks interesting and fun to read, and evidently God wants me to read it, so in my stack it sits.  But I really have no idea when I’ll get around to it.   I will try!

My Fucking Coloring Book (with a box of Crayola crayons and package of colored markers which have probably dried up).  This adult coloring book was a gag gift from my daughter last Christmas (2016), but I’ve only found the time to color in one and a half of the intricate panels.   I wrote about receiving this book here.

Three books that are not in my Stack but should be:

The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy by William Strauss and Neil Howe.   My copy of this 1997 future history is dogeared and battered from constant reference.  I won’t describe the book in this post because it would take too long.  Never mind that Steve Bannon is a huge fan of the theory.  It’s not the insane conspiracy theory everyone thinks it is.  I wrote about it here and here.

The Bible.  I really need to get a modern English (preferably a Catholic version, which includes the extra chapters), since the two translations I have (Old Scofield Study version and KJV) I find so difficult to read.

Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff.   I did not want to wait for this book, or fight people in line at Barnes and Noble to get the last copy.  I don’t like reading books on a computer, but I just had to have it right away, so I went ahead and ordered a Kindle version off Amazon.  I’m reading it now, and believe me, it is a page turner.  It reads like a soap opera, but it isn’t trashy, because with this dumpster fire reality show of a presidency, that’s actually the way this White House operates.

13 reasons why you should pick up a book and read it.

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Knowledge - light

I used to read about three books a week, sometimes as many as four.   As a child and teen, I was a voracious reader, so into my books that the adults around me used to worry about me.  “Why don’t you watch more TV like other kids?” they’d say.   Yes, they actually wanted me to watch more TV because my obsession with books seemed so obsessive. TV was okay, but it never held a candle to my books.

My addiction to books lasted well into my thirties.  But then along came the Internet, and before long, I no longer read three books a week, or even three books a month.  Hell, these days I barely read three books a year.

I’m trying to get back into reading books again, and am rediscovering an old love of mine.  Here are 13 good reasons why you should do the same.

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My bookshelf at home.
  1.  Books are cheap.    You can go to Goodwill or the Salvation Army and pick up used books for a buck or two each.  Yard sales usually have books that are practically free or less than a dollar, and you never know what you might find.  And of course, there are libraries, which carry current titles and all you pay is the cost of a library card.   Some communities also have used bookstores, and in some of them you can trade titles you’ve read for ones you haven’t read and pay practically nothing.
  2. Nothing smells quite like a book.   I’ve always loved the smell of books, and walking into a library is like walking into olfactory heaven.    You can’t get that smell from your Kindle reader.
  3. Books can take you into other worlds.  A good fiction book is like walking into another person’s life and living it for little while.  If you find a book that grabs your attention and you can relate to the protagonist, in a way you actually become that character for awhile.   Chances are, their life is a lot more interesting than yours.  You can go places you will probably never go in real life and have adventures you will probably never actually experience.
  4. You can educate yourself.  Anything you want to know or are interested in, there is a book about it.  There’s no excuse to not educate yourself, with all the books out there you can read.
  5.  Books are attractive.  They look great on shelves or lying on tables,  and are a great way to decorate a room and make yourself look smart at the same time.
  6. Books allow you to be left alone.   If you’re in a public place, such as a bus, a waiting room, or in a park, if people see you reading a book, they will probably leave you alone and let you read.
  7. Books can start new friendships.   Sometimes, if you’re reading a book in a public place, someone may ask what you’re reading.   That can be a great conversation starter, and you never know — you may make a new friend that way.
  8. You can read a book anywhere.  You don’t need to recharge it or have a special table for it or a place to plug it into the wall.   You can lie in bed and read, lie on the floor and read, lie on the beach and read, or even lean back in the tub and read.  You can’t generally go online comfortably (or safely) in these places.
  9. You don’t have to worry about the power going out, viruses, or crashes.   As long as you have a lamp to read by, you can read a book anytime you want.
  10. You will always have something to talk about.
  11. People who read books are perceived as smart.   Even if all you’re reading is the latest beach romance.  The strangers around you don’t have to know that.
  12. Books can relax you.   Whenever I settle down and start reading, it calms my nerves and I stop worrying about whatever’s bothering me.  You can’t worry about your own troubles when you’re engrossed in a character’s life or a subject that fascinates you.   Try not to read horror novels late at night though, if you want to sleep.  If you want to sleep, read a dull book.
  13. You can never really get bored.  If you enjoy reading, you can entertain, educate, or enlighten yourself anytime or any place.

The latest about the family tree.

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ancient_germans

So, I went back even further down the line that produced my Spanish ancestors.   That one is allowing me to go back the farthest so far.   I’ve run into dead ends on a lot of the others — Ancestry.com wants me to pay for an upgrade on many of them (I have the basic package).   Anyway, my Spanish ancestors originated as Germanic tribes before the time Christ was born, but I’m not sure which tribe.  These people appear to have migrated to Spain around 400 or 500.   The records go back even earlier, but no dates are given BC and women are no longer listed.   I decided to stop there.

Out of curiosity, I decided to look up the history of German migrations.  It turns out my findings in my family tree about a migration to Spain taking place among certain Germanic tribes during the 4th and 5th centuries fits historical data, as you can see from this map.

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By Modification · Bearbeitung · Prilaboro: D. Bachmann – File:Romia Imperio.png, originally by Jani Niemenmaa., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1485399

I’m amazed at the accuracy and consistency of the recordkeeping. On this particular line of ancestry, every single direct male ancestor leading to me for over 2000 years has been listed!   My earliest known ancestor on this line was a man who died in the year 20 named Gaut Balthes Koning der Gothen (59th GG).

So, this is the pattern of migrations over time for this particular line of ancestry (through  my maternal grandfather):

Ancient Germanic peoples —> migrations to Spain in the 400s and 500s —> Spanish royalty during the 900s – 1100s  —> migrations to France in the 1200s and 1300s —> minor French royalty—> migrations to Cornwall, Wales, and Southern England in the 1400s and 1500s —>  English and Welsh ancestors —> arrival in America during the 1600s and 1700s (including those who came over on the Mayflower). 

The generations moved faster in ancient times and the early middle ages because people had children so early and died in their 40s and 50s, if not earlier. But I was surprised how many people in the late middle ages lived into their 70s and 80s! One of my ancestors from around that time lived to be 103!  Another interesting thing was that exact birthdates (month and day) and place of birth were not recorded for births until the 1400s or 1500s (the beginning of modernity), but exact dates for deaths (and place of death) often were.   My theory about this is that birth information was considered less important because babies were very likely to die during their first year.  I remember reading in some book about the middle ages that parents didn’t grieve the death of an infant because it was so commonplace.  To prevent getting too attached to newborns, parents didn’t usually name a baby until it was a few years old and there was more likelihood the child would survive.

My medieval ancestors were Spanish royalty.

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Ferdinand III King of Castile (1100s), one of my ancestors.

Last night I worked my family tree back through the 800s (through my maternal grandfather’s side) and found out some of my ancestors were Spanish royalty! They settled in France in the late 1000s and 1100s and eventually migrated to England.

I never knew I had Spanish ancestry. I knew there was French in my background because one of my aunts used to be really into genealogy before she died and found out about the French ancestors, but she probably didn’t go back any farther to find out they originally came from Spain. This is only one line of the family tree though — so far, I was able to go back the farthest on that line because the record-keeping was so good. Maybe they kept better records for the royals though.  This is the most interesting finding so far.

Ancestry.com is addictive af. It’s keeping me up late when I should be sleeping!

This is a fabulous distraction from all the politics and news I’ve been so obsessed with.  I think it’s a healthier obsession — even though I’m still following the news too.

A new distraction.

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daniel_winebrenner  elizabeth_hoover

I decided to sign up for an Ancestry.com account last night.  Something interesting to take my mind off politics and the news.    It’s not free, but you do get a 30 day trial.  Well, last night I sat down and started filling in my family tree.  It’s a little tricky to navigate at first, but I started to catch on after about an hour of playing with it.

I didn’t have any information about anyone beyond my maternal and paternal grandparents, but I’d keep getting “clues” and found myself going back further and further and coming upon some really interesting information about my ancestors.  No, I didn’t find out I’m the descendant of pirates, exotic nationalities, nobility, or any well known historical figures (yet!) but I was able to work parts of the family tree (mainly on my dad’s side) back as far as 1711, with my paternal grandmother’s ancestors having come on a ship from Germany in the late 1700s.   As you work your tree, you come across interesting artifacts — old censuses, death certificates, photos of gravestones, even photographs!

On my paternal grandfather’s side, I found out his ancestors settled in the Labrador and Newfoundland regions of Canada (I do remember my father talking about it once).  I can’t even imagine living in such a cold, desolate climate.   I’d be suicidal!

I haven’t worked out my maternal grandfather’s side yet, but my maternal grandmother’s ancestors were from Ireland — I can’t seem to get across the ocean right now though.

Pictured above is my 3rd great-grandfather, Daniel Samuel Winebrenner, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1820 and migrated to Indiana later, and his wife, Elizabeth Hoover Winebrenner.   I wonder what the story is behind her right eye.  Life was hard in those days.  She died at only age 63.  I wonder how old she is in the photo.

It’s so weird to think of some descendant of mine looking me up in a few hundred years!

Another mom who supports her son being a furry.

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mexnyman
My son dressed as “Mex,” about 2 years ago.

I just received an email from a woman who read my blog post from almost two years ago,  “My Son is Furry–Got a Problem with That?”   Here is that article for those of you who didn’t see it.

https://luckyottershaven.com/2014/09/20/my-son-is-furry-got-a-problem-with-that/

Here is the letter I received today.   All identifying information has been excluded.

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My son’s fox/otter fursona.

*****

I was browsing websites looking for Furry bumper stickers and came across your blog.

I have a 21 year old son who is gay and a furry.  So it seems we have quite a lot in common. I have known my son was gay before he actually told me which was about age 13. It was around the age of 15 he started talking about furries. I was fascinated and we started watching Furry convention videos. I was hooked. I tried to be very supportive regarding this to my son. This was a group of people that he could finally relate to and thank God not judge him. He is a very sensitive and highly intelligent person. He just never fit in with his peers. Middle school was the worst and after one year of high school it still wasn’t getting any better for him, so we opted for an online school.

I am very close with my son and he always tells me how awesome I am and he tells his friends that. I am close to a couple of his friends and they are also furries.   I have never met and talked with another parent who supports her gay and Furry son. I would love to have an email friend that I could relate to.

Thanks for taking time to read this and hope to hear from you.
Best,
Proud Mom of a Furry


My son’s latest dance performance at Megaplex 2016, Orlando, FL

My reply:

Thank you for sharing this with me!   It is a coincidence isn’t it?  My son is almost 25 now and his fursona is a fox/otter — he’s the one responsible for getting me to love otters so much I named my blog after them and also use it as my user name too.  (I’m not furry though, lol)   Now he has a second character, a black and white stoat named “Mex.”   Mex is a dancer in the competitions at the conventions and has placed  2nd or 3rd in several of them.  He has yet to win, but I’m sure that’s coming.   My son began dancing about 4 years ago. He never took a lesson; he is entirely self taught.  

Some people think it’s strange that I actually love furries and the furry fandom.  I think it’s a harmless hobby and allows these kids and young adults to socialize and have fun.    I think they’re so entertaining and funny–and very friendly too.  You probably read my article about my feelings about my son being a furry, which is why you wrote.   He has developed so much more self confidence and improved his social skills immensely since he began attending the conventions (his first one was in late 2010).  

My son was a lot like yours.  He was pretty much an outcast at school and middle school as especially bad for him.   He is very creative and intelligent (I think most furries are–many of them work in scientific, computer, or medical fields or in the performing or visual arts) and most have some kind of art or performing avocation.  

My son, like yours, was so shy and unsure of himself, lacking in confidence and socially awkward.  He told me later on that he was very depressed during his middle and high school years.  In 2009 he came out to me as gay but I think I already knew.  I never had a problem with that.   I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being gay and never have.  Many of the greatest friends I ever had were gay.

He was embarrassed to tell me he was a furry but when he finally did I just looked at him with a blank stare because I had no idea what that meant.  He explained and I looked it up on Wikipedia.   Sadly, furries have gotten a bad reputation and it’s become associated with depraved sex and perversions, but the reality is, that is not the case.   I found out the furry fandom is an outgrowth of the science fiction conventions and has been around since the 1980s.   I don’t know why they get so much hate and why people fear them so much that there have been actual hate crimes and bomb threats at a few of the hotels that hold the conventions.  It’s just a hobby and a passion for dressing up and socializing (and performing) in costume.  Furry allows shy and creative young adults like my son to become more outgoing because they are in costume and take on a persona that fits their chosen animal.   My son’s life is so much better since he became a furry, and every time he performs in another dance comp, I always watch and root for him (most of them are live streaming now). 

I’m glad you’re another mom who supports her son being a furry. You sound like you have a very warm and loving relationship with him.   My son will be tickled pink when I tell him that another mom supports her son being furry.

I also want to write a blog post including this letter and my reply but I will not identify you by name or your son’s fursona either.   I want to do that because I think it’s important that the truth about furries come out because so many parents of children who are furries completely misunderstand what it’s about and think it’s some kind of sex cult, which it is not.   It got it’s unfortunate reputation mostly from an episode of CSI that featured a furry who was a serial murderer.   It’s time for the truth to come out–that this is a harmless (if rather expensive!) hobby.  

It’s arts and crafts Saturday!

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When I’m not blogging (which takes up most of my spare time these days) or reading, I make suncatchers from stones, pieces of colored glass and agate, buttons, small mirrors, jewel tone tiles, and other small objects.

Last spring a neighbor was throwing away a glass window hanging that had been painted to resemble stained glass but the design had worn off. I rescued it and used some of the same materials I use on my suncatchers to make a unique window hanging. I’d forgotten about it, but was cleaning my house today and found it stashed behind some boxes. I’d wanted to get some photos of it with the sun behind it, but the standing lamp in my bedroom served just fine.

Here are a few pictures I took. I’ll be selling some of my suncatchers this spring and summer at a nearby resort (I have to meet with the owner in a few weeks; she buys early–they open in April). But I won’t sell this.

I do take commissions for custom designed suncatchers. Here’s one I made for my upstairs neighbor to give to a dolphin-loving relative as a Christmas gift. They generally range from $15-$30, depending on materials used and how much detail is used. Email me if you’re interested in having one made.

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Closer detail and a different light source.

My “lucky” bamboo plant

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I don’t have a green thumb. At all.  I love plants, but usually, no matter how well I care for them, or how closely I follow the instructions on the little plastic card they come with, my plants still shrivel up and die.

The fact I also have cats doesn’t help either. Plants and cats in a house do not usually mix.

But my lucky bamboo plant is different.  And my 4 cats are indifferent.  I guess bamboo doesn’t have a smell or something.

I purchased this little bamboo plant as a tiny 3 inch seedling about a year ago.    As you can see from the photos below, the pretty little grass-green ceramic planter it came in is now far too small for it.  It needs a new home soon.

bamboo1 bamboo2

Still, the bamboo continues to thrive. Its leaves are glossy and bright green, and it keeps throwing off new shoots. Maybe the muted light from the fake stained glass in the kitchen window (really a clear plastic decal from Home Depot I cut to size and stuck on the glass to cover the ugly hardened sap stains from the poplar tree that used to drip its effusions before it was finally chopped down) helps. Like people with sensitive eyes or allergies to the sun, bamboo doesn’t like bright, in your face sunlight. Or maybe it’s the tiny Laughing Buddha who’s sitting there in front of the planter, throwing off little sparks of positive energy, that’s keeping the plant so hale and hardy.

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Another view of the bamboo without all the background distractions.

2 images of my Laughing Buddha (turn him upside down and around and he grins instead of laughs!)
laughingbuddha2 laughingbuddha1

Unlike my other plants, there is no soil in the little planter the bamboo lives in. Instead, there are squishy round spheres that look like clear marbles, but adding water to them makes them expand and diffuses water through the plant’s tissues–so it always gets just the right amount of water. It’s like a self-feeder for cats, only it’s for plants. Since I will have to rehome my bamboo soon, I purchased this jar of “Water Gems,” the name of the little squishy spheres that keep my plant healthy and thriving. when I repot it (I hope I can find something as cute as the pot it came in), these will go into the new planter.

watergems

In case you’re wondering, the glass, mirror and tile baubles hanging from the window sash are a couple of the suncatchers I made for awhile. The one on the right is broken but it’s still pretty there in the kitchen window.