Good Sunday, Everyone.  We have blue skies at least for now.  Whether we will see the sun depends on if it comes up before the next batch of clouds comes in.  We got a dusting of snow yesterday most of which has blown off the pavements.  I may have to sweep some of the patio but I may just wait to see what comes in.  The weather people say we should get a bit more snow tomorrow night and tuesday.  Just to remind us that Spring isn't here yet.

I can't say this any more bluntly.  This is totally bullshit.  Our own workers get furloughed, our own long term unemployed get their benefits cut, and these bastards want the funds going to Israel excepted from the sequester???
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Hello, all, on what looks like a transitional Monday.  We had a beautiful sunny day yesterday.  But very late tonight we should start getting snow and will all day tomorrow--at least as it stands now.  I have my starter trays ready to put seeds in.  Will do that later.  The first starts are about ready to transplant.  We are still about 9 weeks away from being able to put plants in outside.  But I was surprised yesterday when I saw the morning sun reflecting off the fence.  It only happens in the morning because our building is on a corner and the street provides enough space that the next building's shadow doesn't shade the corner of the fence.  In three weeks, about the spring equinox, the house shadow should fall just at the top of the fence all day and, thereafter, the patio will get increasing amounts of light.  I am so looking forward to that.

We recently talked about the Walgreens program, which we rejected several times, for a customer card because they are moving to exclusive sales for their 'preferred customers.'  However, this story and this one, make us talk more and reconsider any notion of signing up.  I am getting very sick of the nanny mentality.

An observation on irritating politics and more irritating media:  I am sick of hearing the Repthuglicans complaining that Obama won't give them anything after they so generously agreed to 'raise' taxes.  All they did was agree to make the Bush tax cuts permanent for most Americans (those making less than $400k approximately).  That was a fraud to begin with.  Bush wanted tax cuts and agreed to a sunset provision which ended the cuts in 2011 because he wanted to pretend to deal with the deficits those cuts would generate.  That worked like a charm because the Repthuglicans could argue that the restoration of the tax rates to the previous level were a draconian tax increase and got two one year extensions on the strength of that argument.  Let me call this whole mess exactly what it is: bullshit.  Obama gave them 90% of what they wanted and they are whining because they didn't get 100%.  What also pisses me off is Obama placing Social Security and Medicare on the table and getting nothing substantial for it.  Craptastic!!!  Maha has basically the same analysis of the situation, though more politely stated.

Just got my second set of seeds started.  Baby leaf spinach, petite rouge lettuce, stevia, beard tongue foxglove, wild bergamot and purple hyssop.  Now to see what comes up!