Wednesday--April 26

Sunny right now but I don't know for how long. The weather report calls for afternoon thunderstorms. But I got the container I keep potting mix in for the upstairs plant nursery cleaned out, washed out, bleached out, and dried. In the middle of last season I got on a miserly streak and decided to use the spare and/or used garden soil mixed with vermiculite in starting my seedlings. I have had pretty miserable results. Seeds that should be thriving aren't and too many simply didn't sprout at all. Since I didn't have that problem when I used fresh potting mix, I have gone back to that. We stopped by one of our garden shops but all I found was some dwarf dianthus. None of the herbs I wanted. It seems they sold out. Everyone has got the gardening bug. As the clerk noted the traditional start to our planting season is Mothers' Day which is still three weeks away. We might still get a freeze and a few days ago I thought I had lost my basils (sweet and lime) to the cold overnight temps. They came back. If we get another episode I can quickly cover what I have outside or bring the smaller pots inside.

Saw this interesting article. I have seen several stories on the "retail apocalypse." And we have been the recipients of all kinds of advertising when we get on the 'net. Usually if we research an item, whether out of curiosity or a real desire to buy, we get offers on that item almost everywhere we go. And knowing for sure what is a good price? Our crystal balls are broken--they simply don't work on this. All we can do is decide what we want, or rather what we need, and what we are willing to pay. Also we don't go on line to purchase unless we simply can't find the item locally. And by locally I mean within about 50 miles. Oh, by the way, I don't kid myself that we have anything resembling a true "free market" or that we ever have had.

They are finding the weirdest things in processed foods now. Today 140k lbs. of ready to eat meat products has been recalled because it might contain bits of magnet. A couple of days ago it was frozen hash browns with a seasoning of golf ball pieces.

Found this on Americablog and it pisses me off. I think the article summed it up: ACA for them but not for us. They already have a six figure salary for less than part time work. Don't we all wish we had that kind of gig.