Distractions

 I got my 'sushi maker' today, and am really excited to try it out. I've been googling different recipes for different kinds of sushi and kimbap. It looks pretty straight forward, and I have three recipes to try initially. I need to get to the store and pick up the ingredients. I'll start with that, and see how it goes. I also want to pickle some ginger. 

It sounds silly, but it feels good to be excited about something in these trying days. 

I received my second package in the mail and I knew as soon as I picked it up, I was not going to be happy. In my ongoing quest to avoid Amazon, I shop directly from manufacturers if I can. I shop on Walmart as well. This package came from Walmart's 'MarketPlace' and it was supposed to be a quarter pound of hematite. The package did not weigh 1/4 pound. Sure enough, I opened it, and there was one lone piece of hematite in there, nicely packaged in a cotton lined box. Interestingly enough, they paid for shipping on .25 pounds though. 

Anyhoo...

I've never had to make a return through the Walmart system before. I started the process, was sent an e-mail with a barcode, instructed to take the package to Walmart. They scanned the e-mail, took my package, and that was that. 

So...two orders. Two unsatisfactory packages. Two very easy returns. So...I can't complain. 

Well...I can complain...just not about my Christmas orders. (I mean, Dr OZ???? Really????) 

Ahem. In any case, it's been a quiet day here. We bought another large Christmas gift today. One by one, we're ticking items off that list. 

I told my sister what I want for Christmas. Two tractor scoops of cow manure. I told Tim what I wanted. 4-6 raised beds. We have untreated lumber from Levi's sawmill. The next four years are going to be a big economic question mark. It's going to be important to be as self sufficient as possible. That is my belief, and it would be nice to be wrong about it. 

Anyway, over at Jennifer's blog  she posted that a seed catalog arrived today. It is only November, but honestly, the idea of planting a garden next spring was so irresistible that I had to order 3 of my own. 

If it sounds like I'm distracting myself, well...I am.

Feel free to add your own suggestions for your favorite distractions in the comments.