Yesterday, we were supposed to visit some Japanese gardens but cancelled our plans due to expected rain. Of course, the day was bright and sunny. Today, I planned to do yardwork, and it was rainy and chilly. Go figure.

When i invited H. to the asian gardens, she was very interested. The only weekend day they're open is Saturday, so that's when we'd need to plan our visit. Since H. spends most every Saturday shopping with her friend N., I wasn't too surprised when she asked me if it was ok if she invited N. to join us. I told her it was fine, though privately my enthusiasm for the outing just went down a notch. I met N. once before and she's nice enough, but i sensed it would change the caliber of the trip, actually requiring me to be social and "Chatty Kathy" when i'm not that way at all. The thought of just going to these gardens by myself was looking more and more interesting. I really just want to wander the grounds and take in the design with my camera and bring home some ideas for my own gardens.

N. is a big shopper; she's married and i guess has money to burn. but my friend H. is living on Social Security in a house that's falling apart. I really can't speak for N., and i hate to say this about H., but she's the kind of person who doesn't really have many hobbies. the only thing she does with her time is, you guessed it, shop, drive around wasting gas, and that's it, unless i get her to walk with me, which is happening less and less. She really shouldn't be shopping at all, becus you know how exposing yourself to nice things makes you end up buying something. I'm not a big social person and sometimes spending more than an hour or so with certain kinds of people, usually the ones that talk a lot and require a running dialogue, simply WEAR ME OUT.

But with the weather forecast we all agreed not to go yesterday. Instead, i went to get my oil changed and snow tires off at the car dealer. I was miffed to have to sit there 2 hours just for that, while it was 70 degrees outside. I was a woman with things to do! I wandered the lot looking at all the shiny new Hondas and came away with the general impression that Honda, which has always been known for reliability and fuel economy, was slipping in the latter department. I know they revised the mileage ratings a year or so ago, but still, only 26 mpg?

Yesterday's mission was to dispose of some large hemlock branches that sat for the past year where they fell, north of the house. I took care of the branches, then decided to pull out (with gloves) all the bramble that was taking root there and getting in my blueberry patch. The stuff has very long root systems. I didn't want animals to step on the sharp prickers, remembering that the neighbor's neglected cat had a slight limp. i decided to cut up the bramble branches with a pair of clippers into 5 or 6" pieces so i could fit them neatly into plastic bags for disposal at the transfer station.

That little chore took me 3 hours, and by the end of it i was so sore, just from standing, bending, standing, bending. So i've got 2 bags of the stuff for the dump, along with a small pile of 3 foot wide branches and a tarp full of just brush. It's stuff that's accumulated for 13 years, and it's high time it gets cleaned out. At one time i figured it would all eventually decompose, but that process is a very slow one, and in the meantime i've created quite the haven for ticks. So getting rid of brush from the perimeters of the yard is on the To Do list this year.

Last night I watched "Talk to Her," a foreign film via Netflix. Very good, very different, with some sad and one hilarous part, too.

This a.m. i went to the giant flea market about 20 minutes from here, gassing up the car at the cheap station on the way. Damn. Within the first 5 minutes there i found myself reaching into my pocket for $12 for a framed piece of marquetry, which i have a soft spot for since my grandfather was a marquetry master. This piece looked like a view of some Swiss alpine village. The frame was garbage, and when i got it home i realized there was no way to separate the frame from the art which i wanted to reframe. Well, i guess i could take a hammer to it and carefully try to separate the 2. I also spent $10 on a "berry bucket," a small wood bucket with iron handle and painted a distressed green. That and the $2 for admission made the grand total to $24. Damn again. I suppose i shouldn't be pointing fingers at H. when i'm doing the same thing.

I arrived home to a chilly house (59 degrees) as i only have an eighth of an oil tank left and hope to save it for any future chilly nights. I don't want to refill til late summer as i'm counting on cheaper rates then, though who knows, really.

For lunch i made curried quinoa with chickpeas, shredded carrot, garlic, scallion, raisins and toasted pinenuts. then i dozed off for maybe a half hour. Oh, sweet luxury.

I also ordered some new wallpaper for the downstairs bathroom. It was difficult deciding on just one pattern, but i settled on a distressed marble look in the tan family. The color scheme in this bathroom has been blue and white, but this particular blue is not one i like, sort of like a royal blue. So with the new wallpaper, which will match the yellowish tones in the vanity sink (i think), i will repaint the cabinet and woodwork/trim.

I cancelled my subscription to the NYT, saving myself, afte rthe low intro rate had expired. $11 a month. Any time i can eliminate a recurring expense is a very satisfying experience. I will miss curling up in bed with the Sunday Times, but that was something of a fantasy, cus i rarely had time to read it all at once. I ended up force-reading it in bits and pieces, feeling "pressured" to do so since i'd paid for it. Now with the warmer weather is the time to eliminate it. I noticed that while i can access my account online, they won't let you cancel online. That's becus they want a phone rep to try to talk you out of cancelling, and that's exactly what he did. He suggested i just do a 4-month vacation hold, which i actually was tempted to do, but dollars and sense reigned and i stuck to my guns.

Netflix, on the other hand, i have no plans to cancel. I wish they had a plan that offered more than 2 movies a month but NOT "unlimited" numbers, as that, again, would make poor neurotic me feel "pressured" to watch them and return them as quickly as possible to "get my $'s worth." Anyone out there know what, for them, is the maximum number of movies you can watch in one month if you watch and return them as soon as you get them? I'd be curious. I'm guessing about 4 or 5.

Now i'm debating in my head whether i should try to do more yardwork or if i should bake something with sour cream and canned pineapple, 2 items i want to use up.

Mom called to tell me about her troubles separating an avocado pit from the avocado. And to offer me some salad dressing from Costco that she liked, but i am wedded to Paul Newman's balsamic vinegar for life.