Accomplishments

   Today has been a good day of getting things done.  Things other than what I had hoped to get done but that turned out to be okay.  First I was going to plant garden.  And we hoped to buy a few patio brick to replace the winter's crumbling of bricks. The garden needs to be tilled up yet before we can plant, too, and that remains undone.

   Our day started with Elv's boss bringing in several gallon bags of venison, four large white onions, dried red jalapeños, organic beef broth in the cutest little cardboard boxes with pour lids, and empty jars. To date I have 15 jars of venison stew meat in the process of being canned. Sure hope he enjoys it.
But I needed jar seals first, and a few groceries. But before that I had to go to the bank and cash a house cleaning check.  So Brad wanted to go with me to get his yard work check cashed.  And Frances wanted to do returns at the library, and Amy went along to coach me in my garden seed shopping. She said that it was really Jenny's job, but she'd go ahead.  "Jenny isn't here!" I testily reminded her. We bought seeds, onions sets, and red bark for the flower beds.
   Walmart didn't have the right patio bricks at all, and neither did Hardware Hank's garden center. I didn't even bother checking at ABC lumber by that time.  Which meant that I had a few dollars to spend at the local Salvation Army used shop.

   The used shop shopping was highly successful.  This is the time of year when the cabin owners come up to the big vacation land over Memorial Day weekend to clean and rejuvenate their second homes.  They take lots of perfectly good furniture, and household goodies to the used shop and buy new stuff.  It's a bonanza for the likes of the Grabers!  We found new throw pillows, bed sheets, a lovely "vintage" (don't laugh) candlestick holder, picture frames and doilies.  We left a lot of stuff there that we would have enjoyed, but enough money and time spent. We left a few things for the rest of you.
   From there we stopped by McDonalds and the girls bought 2 sundaes and 2 Caramel Frappes. Yummy iced coffee! Brad didn't spend a dime all day.  He has a 22 in mind. "I figure it might cost $150.00," he announced and has a bit more to save yet. Brad can happily not spend money, period.
   What we didn't do and should have done is shopped for Tilly, Lisl's new little girl who is about to be born.
   I almost forgot to mention the biggest accomplishment for the day. The writers group mailing is about to arrive in my snail mail box and I had nothing to contribute to it.  I have been praying about that and each time I pray I am reminded about the story I had been writing chapter by chapter. Okay, I get the point. Sat down today and the next chapter got itself on paper, I mean on the computer Word document, just like that! Too bad they all aren't that easy.  The hardest part is knowing good and well it may never be publishable. At least the writers in the group will tell me what's wrong with it and even maybe what's good about it, we hope.