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We had our first frost last night, which reminded me of the days when I used to do the No Heat Challenge. Ha! As I get older, I appreciate creature comforts more. Though the heat is still OFF; just threw 2 blankets on the bed.
This week I reviewed Kiva loans from Kazakhstan, Ghana and Philippines.
I was just thinking about what photo I would post today when Nature decided for me! Saw this beautiful bobcat pass through my yard just now.

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It's been a bit since I've last blogged. It has taken me some time to read other's posts because of it. Life has been busy. Between trying to get things done outside and then an "assignment," I've been staying busy. Perhaps not out of trouble, but busy.
With a garden comes the clean up. First pulled up the last of the onions, and then the tomato plants. We tilled it up and put fertilizer on it so things can rest over winter. We are enlarging the garden some since we felt like...
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I remembered to take a photo while I was prepping dinner. Not very aesthetic or exciting but here tis! This is a recipe called Pasta Della California from the cookbook Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowicz. I don't know when we started topping it with chopped up vegan chikn nuggets, but that was part of it (not pictured).
It contains lime juice and zest, garlic, chili flakes, salt, veggie broth, white wine, broccoli, arugula and avocado. Usually I do it with linguine but had to...
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Took my father to physical therapy yesterday and then one of our favorite cafes for lunch. I'm not even sure of everything that was in these, but they were soooo good: tostadas topped with potato, feta cheese, avocado, diced red peppers, a fried egg, black bean spread, oh my. Not a low calorie meal, that's for sure!

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I've been wanting to get more active on the blogs again for, like, years, but the things I need and love to do have just expanded and filled every nook and cranny of my life, it seems. So blogging at the level I used to just seemed daunting. This photo game feels like a low-stakes (in terms of time and mental effort) way to hang out with y'all more, so I'm going to try. If I happen to take a photo and if I happen to remember to post it, I shall.
This was the only pic I took today....
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Photo Day 3  well a neighbor sent me this so i will post and detour from trip photos.
It's a bobcat in my neighborhood.  Wow gotta be careful with our dog.  I'm enjoying these quick little photo posts
 


 
 
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Oct 7

I hadn't really thought about it until I started typing, but it seems to be a big 'car buying' year in my office.
Our newest employee bought this car.  I get the sense she can afford it.  This post isn't about Americans and their car debt.  
This car sits outside my window, and so I just see people constantly stopping to salivate over the car.  Seriously, the way people check it out!
I do not *get* it.  I always say I feel like I am from...
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Oct 6

I hadn't ventured outside this month.  I am really thrown off kilter re: vacation (catching up at work), MH's travels (covering at home), MH coming home sick (which means more covering at home), etc.  But I did make it outside for a walk in the middle of the work day.
This is an area between my work building and the work building where MM(22) interned a few summers ago.  I presume it's the in-between office that puts out bowls of water in the summer and...
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This was last night's dinner: a quick stir fry with snow peas from my garden, broccoli florets, mushrooms and cashews over jasmine rice. I'm so happy a few others are doing the Photo Challenge! Makes it more fun!
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We are finally getting some much needed rain today. Not driving rain, just a nice light to medium rain.
We're expecting a possible first frost Thursday night, which may signal the end of my herbicide treatment of tree of heaven seedlings. I'm just anxious to do...
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Photo Day 2  Japanese Fluffy pancakes are delicious and we happened to eat some.  It has fresh peaches and jelly.  So delicious.

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OK, with this photo I'm caught up with the daily photo challenge. It shows the new chandeleir ("sputnik" design) my handyman installed this morning. I like modern stuff. I liked the one I had before, which was more traditional, but, well, after 16 years living with it, time for a change. 
 

Aside from that, the only meaningful things I did today was write a two-sided handout for a presentation my invasive plants group is putting on at the senior center this week....
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Opsie. Skipped another day. I'm just busy.
View from my doorway...
 

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I wanted to post a photo a day so I'm going to post photos of our travels throughout the year.  So this summer our big trip was to Japan.  We started our trip in Tokyo and we stayed at Tokyo Shibuya Excel Hotel. It is directly attached to the train station and overlooked the famous pedestrian Shibuya Crossing.  We arrived at 5 pm then had to clear customs and take an hour ride in from Narita Airport.We had a lot of awesome adventures this year and i'll be hard to only pick one.

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I really like the idea of a daily photo challenge... but I can't imagine my life being interesting enough to be able to post a photo daily.  Still though, I do have a picture to share today, along with some questions.

The following is my poor example of the Mother-in-law's tongue plant.  I woke up one day, and a couple of leaves simply fell over.  Is this normal?  Or is it dying?  I should trim the leaves, right?  It happened just a couple of days ago.
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Oct 5

I really love this corn salsa, but no one else in my household cares for it.  I will give half to my coworker.
I took a picture because it is so colorful.
MH would say I was bougie, buying lemons and limes.  Versus just using whatever juice he has in the fridge.  It was $1.28 for the lime and lemon.
There has never been a time in our lives where we couldn't afford the extra $1.28.  I always say we are backwards because we started out with the dual...
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MM(22) Aug 2025 'Gifted College Fund': $16,075 (+$5K ROTH)
MM(22) Sep 2025 'Gifted College Fund': $14,897 (+$5K ROTH)
Rent is paid through 10/31.
Paying *all* of MM's college expenses out of this account.  Still no idea if it will be enough to stretch through the end of the school year.  
MM(22) told me he is due some money for utilities.  To be reimbursed from past year roommates.  But they are shuffling the deposits around and he will have...
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In the past year, I realized my house plants were threatening to take over this small space, so I have winnowed down my collection of cacti and succulents considerably. I think I now have 8 now, plus 2 pothos. But I still have this pencil cactus, which loves its spot in my sunny bathroom. I may bring a little Ikea stool down from the attic for her.

This week I reviewed Kiva loans from Tonga, Rwanda, Phillipines and Indonesia.
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Opsie, I took the photo yesterday but forgot to post. It's mistflower. It's nice to see such a vividly colored flower in bloom this time of year.
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Oct 3


I've got two photos today.  The clouds were beautiful again today, against the blue sky.
& this squirrel was very busy.  He posed briefly on a log and I tried to take a picture, but he was too busy to pose for long.  I noticed when I looked closer that he was carrying food in his mouth and burying it in the dirt.  I noticed him run past my window several times in the morning, sometimes catching glimpse of some bright colored food in his mouth.
I've...
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This is what I did today. Been pulling it for weeks. Rather exhausting as it also includes carrying the stuff on a pitchfork about 300 feet from where it's growing. Next stop: dump.

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