Today I noticed...Polka Dots never really go out of style.

Message from my daughter:

Today I noticed...When I'm mad about one thing, I tend to be mad about everything.

I've sort of been mad all day long today. It really started early last evening. 

Something didn't go as we had been promised with a group I volunteer for and now a project with high impact is stretched out for another month and everything about the project is stagnated and impeding business for the group. I did a bit of research and have come to believe that part of the problem is that someone is confused. Part of the problem is that the powers-that-be are not well informed and haven't done their homework like they should. Part of the problem is that there was rogue action in years past and we are now suffering the consequences. I'm sure that there are other factors that I am unaware of, but all of it together has become a big old batch of red tape and things cannot get done!

Then, today, I sat down to do a simple task for the Mister that snowballed into a big chunk of red tape. He got a notice in the mail weeks ago with information about renewing his driver's license. At that time, I read through it and came to the understanding that renewal would be a simple process of checking some boxes and entering a payment method to complete it online. I sat the envelope on the corner of my desk and have just been watching the calendar to take care of renewal near to his birthday - I mean, why renew and pay any sooner than necessary? Plus, in eight years, when it is time to renew again, his birthday will be a good reminder for getting it done.

I entered the URL as directed in the letter from Safety and Homeland Security. (Already things are seeming ominous, aren't they?!) I navigated according to the instructions provided. After I had input all of the required information and was ready to select submit and move on to the payment screen, a notice popped up telling me that the renewal could not be completed because the Mister is required to get an updated photo for his ID. Frustration! I read back over all of the info and nowhere did it say in the printed and mailed instructions that a new photo would be required. Even on the envelope it simply said, "Complete online registration for fastest service."

Thankfully, there was a link where more information was available. The very first option suggested going to a Kiosk. Plus, wonder of wonders, there was a Kiosk listed as being only four miles from our house! So, I immediately called the Mister and let him know the good news. He asked if I would tag along to, "handle all of that computer mess." He hopped in his pickup and came right to the basement door to pick me up. 

Within a matter of minutes we were walking into the local County Recreational Complex and approaching the mechanical Kiosk. A lady at a nearby desk asked if we were planning to renew our license and we let her know that was exactly our plan. She pointed to a different machine than the one we were honing in on and said that it would be where we would need to complete our task except that it is out of order today. She apologized and gave us instructions for the location of the nearest other Kiosk. So, a bit disgruntled, we turned and headed out the door. 

After trekking through traffic for a bit, taking about a half-hour to get only fifteen miles away, we entered the next County Recreational Complex. The lady at that front desk asked if she could help and we explained our mission. She quickly let us know that the only Kiosk they have there is one for renewing auto license plates - there is no Kiosk for renewing driver's licenses. She very helpfully gave us directions to the nearest AAA business where she knew there is a Kiosk expressly for renewing driver's licenses. (Obviously we were not the first people who had made that mistake.) So, with growing frustration, we turned and headed out the door.

After trekking through traffic for a bit, taking about twenty minutes to go only ten miles away, we entered the AAA building. The lady at the front desk asked if she could help and swiftly pointed us toward the desired machine. We followed the computerized instructions and after a couple of tries, the machine snapped the photograph. Shortly thereafter, the machine spit out a receipt with information saying that the photo does not closely match the previous one on file. So, we gave it another try. Again, same results. The last line instructed us to take the receipt to a local Driver Services Center for assistance. Heaping frustration! So, we turned and headed out the door.

After trekking through traffic for a bit, taking about a little over a half-hour to get only eleven miles away, we entered the Driver Services Center. We were instructed to go to the back corner to check in. We were fourth in line but numbers one and two made me question whether they really needed to be operating a motor vehicle anyway. Number two let the check-in lady know that he had two bills to prove residency. However, both had different addresses and the addresses were different from the one listed on his digital bank statement that he showed her on his phone. The check-in lady informed him that he needed proof of residency in only one location and needed to have the correct home address on his bank statement. She gave him a list of items he might bring back when he returned. He asked if he would be leaving with a plastic coated license card after he returned with the correct documentation and she let him know that is not how it works - driver's licenses are mailed to the address where you document your residence. He informed her that he had recently moved from Florida and that is not how things worked there.  She let him know that he is now in Tennessee and must follow Tennessee procedures. 

Thankfully, number three had all the correct documentation and all was in order. She gave him a number and instructed him to listen to be called to a station. Then, came our turn. She quickly looked through our paperwork and gave the Mister a number and instructions to listen to be called to a station. We took a seat and waited. 

In ten or fifteen minutes the number was called. The Mister handed over the documentation needed. He posed for a picture. He signed three or four more forms. He swiped his bank card to make the payment and was given a couple of sheets of documentation that he had renewed his driver's license. The fellow behind the counter told him to look for his new license within the next thirty to thirty-one days. 

The Mister took me out for lunch at the local Mexican restaurant. As we were traveling home, I knew that I needed to change my attitude. I began to look for reasons to be thankful even though we had spent three hours trying to complete what should have been a simple task. I told the Mister that I am thankful for the privilege of driving, the fact that we own fairly reliable vehicles, and that I am retired and was able to spend half the day with him renewing his driver's license. 

I am also thankful that his license will be valid for the next eight years. 

Today I noticed...Sometimes it is easier than it might look!

I have been reading and watching tutorials. I have made note of the different ways folks go about making a square Dopp Kit type bag. You know, the kind that is sort of square-ish. They have a zipper across the center of the top and usually have a handle or loops or something near the ends of the zipper. It is a pretty typical bag for a guy.

I have seen all sorts of sizes and all sorts of methods for putting one together. Today, I finally took the leap and gave it a try. I used some scraps left from a project completed earlier this week. I wanted it to be pretty simple, yet, still be personalized. 

I had noticed several zip pouches and bags that had the busiest part of the pattern on one end and I wanted to try for that look. I had just the right scraps from a couple of bandanas left from the tote I finished yesterday. So, I dove in and used those. I lined it with the same bandana fabric that I had used for the tote as well. It is a pink background with boots and hats and horse shoes on it in browns and hot-pinks. 

I had the zipper work done and decided at the last minute that I would personalize it with one of the granddaughter's name. I used pink thread for the embroidery to match the zipper and the bag lining. I set it a bit off-center as well to continue onward with that decor on one end concept. I sort of wish I had just centered it on the bag but I still like it that way as well. 

One thing I would definitely do differently for the next attempt is that I would make the loops on each end lots shorter. I didn't have the perfect piece of ribbon to stitch on as a zipper pull. So, I stitched some chocolate brown rick rack onto a piece of pink twill tape and attached that as the pull  It really set the zipper off and finished it well.

Just like my finishing up a tote bag yesterday, completing this cute boxy rectangular bag really encouraged me to want to give another one of them a try. I have ideas about how I will adapt the steps with different measurements and create different sizes of this type bag.

Sometimes when I am uncertain about how to do something, I drag my feet and overthink things. I think that is what I did with this design. I'm glad I finally just dove in and gave it a try. It was far easier than it looked!

Today I noticed...A finished product really encourages me to try something else.

I've been playing with my new sewing machine and learning to make different items. It is such fun to create something from a few pieces of fabric. Then, having the opportunity to personalize what I create and really make it one of a kind is also rewarding. 

I just finished my third bandana tote bag. I saw an advertisement for one and then saw a blog post tutorial and decided that I wanted to make one for myself. 

My First Bandana Tote Bag

I'm really partial to a red purse. So, the traditional red bandana seemed to call my name. I lined it with a navy bandana. I also added a handy zip pocket and a recessed zip top closure. I'm probably going to remove the closure because I'm finding that I rarely want to close it up and that sort of gets in the way. All in all, though, I am really happy with my tote bag.

I decided that creating personalized bags would make good gifts. So, I've started down the path of making the girls in our family a tote bag. I've done a bit of tweaking on my method and I'm still not perfectly satisfied with how I want it. The bag below has traditional red bandanas as the lining.

My Second Bandana Tote Bag

Yesterday I finished another gift tote bag. It really made me smile in spite of the fact that I had to pick out the stitching for the lining because I had made a mistake putting it together and the fact that the bandanas I used were a little off-square and I had to wrangle with them a bit to make it work. 

My Third Bandana Tote Bag

The finished tote bag is just so cute and eye-catching. The brown one above is lined with bandanas that have boots and hats intermingled with the paisley print and has a pink background.

I love how the different prints coordinate and really do make each bag unique. At this point I have completed the three using slightly different techniques for each one. I think I am honing in on exactly what steps and methods work best to create just the bag I like! 

Even though I had a couple of hurdles to jump with this particular bag that I finished up today, when I hung it up on the closet door, I really felt encouraged to make another one. It is exciting to see how each one turns out and anticipate how the recipient might enjoy it. I don't know if I will start another bag tomorrow or will delve into a smaller project. One thing is certain, I'm looking forward to giving some sort of stitching project a try!

Today I noticed...Sometimes just a little talk helps to alleviate a lot of stress.

The Mister has been a bit snappy for the past week. No matter what he was thinking or talking about, he seemed to have a negative outlook and attitude about it. Then, he started loosing sleep. He would retire to bed when he was sleepy but would toss and turn and eventually get back up and return to the den, his recliner, and the television.

I happened to be awake and sitting in the den the other night and I asked what his worries were. So, he began spilling the beans. He was concerned about the task of getting his hay harvested. His friends had been calling to chat and would ask him about his hay crop and that seemed to add to the pressure. The whole process was out of his control because Mother Nature kept sending rain to prevent hay work. 

He was stressing about some work that is in process at the local cemetery where he serves as manager. The whole process is slowly making it through the red tape of local town government. Yet, there are people consistently asking him about it and wanting to know when the work will be completed. Those folks probably mean well, but it seems to add to his stress level. 

The Mister listed a couple of other issues that were weighing heavy on his mind. I just sat and listened. Yet, I could tell that with every word that he spoke, he seemed to look a bit more relaxed. Finally, he paused and we sat for a moment in silence. Then, I asked him a couple or three questions like, "So, what is the worst thing that might happen if you don't get the hay harvested this week?" He listed a couple of possibilities. One was that the hay would not be fit for the cows to eat and it might have to just be bush hogged instead. I reminded him that his son, Stephen had said he could buy hay, if necessary and that we only have a handful of animals to over-winter. The barn is already half full of hay. So, that would probably all work out. He sat and pondered a bit.

We chatted on back and forth like that for a few more minutes and the entire time I could visibly observe his whole body sort of relaxing. I think he had been keeping all these worries bottled up inside. I think he was mulling over all of the what-ifs that could happen. That was sort of casting gloom on his sunshine and most of it was way beyond his control. So, instead of just airing his concerns and letting somebody reassure him that it was not nearly as big of an obstacle as he was making it out to be, he was snapping over the little things that cropped up. 

I know that I do the same thing at times. Then, when I voice my ideas and hurdles aloud to the Mister, he ALWAYS sees things clearly and makes me realize that it is a molehill instead of a mountain. Why do we allow ourselves to get wrapped up in knots like that? 

Today I noticed...Time really does get away without us realizing it.

I sort of felt like my own meme as I was on my way to a dental appointment. I saw a van that was advertising some business and said it was established sometime during the 1970s. As I sat at the stoplight, I thought, "That really isn't something to brag about." 

Then, it hit me. I was a teen during the 1970s. I don't recall which year it was of the 70s that the business was established. Let's just say it was 1976. 

Well, that was fifty years ago.

FIFTY YEARS!

That was more than half my life ago.

Today I noticed...Sometimes it is the small things that are the most rewarding.

I've been working on the bigger project of stitching personalized towels for one of the grandson's baseball team. I've enjoyed watching these boys grow and gel as a team for six or seven years now and loved watching my son, Bryan, grow as a coach as well. So, I wanted to do a little something for them to celebrate their big state win and earning the opportunity to go to the league's World Series. 

I remembered that, when Bryan was a kid, they traded pins with the other teams. So, I asked if that was still a 'thing.' When I found out it was, I decided to personalize a towel for them to attach their pins to after they'd swapped. 

I'm still learning and wanting to create new things with my new sewing/embroidery machine. So, I decided I'd make a couple bag tags for my daughter-in-law and me. I've been browsing online for different ideas and landed on a couple of cute designs that I could combine and adapt.

I'm not quite like Abby Lee was when she first saw my machine start stitching. I don't gasp and my eyes don't enlarge but I'm not far from that each time I attempt something new! Today's project of bag tags was just the ticket for a fun, quick project.

Tennessee Bag Tags

Power T Bag Tag

I don't know whether the fun for me is to see whether I can combine a couple of designs and make it be unique or whether it is just the awe and amazement that my machine can create something so stinking cute with just the touch of a couple of buttons.

Today I noticed...I hit a milestone.

When I sat at the computer this morning, I noticed that I had posted over 1400 times on this blog. I hit that 1400 milestone on Friday of last week. When I first started writing and posting to this online space, I intended for it to be a way to share what goes on in my life and share with my family. I'm not sure if any of them really read it anymore but it has turned into sort of a journal that chronicles my life and thoughts. 

When I started writing it, I had just turned down a book deal offered by Heinemann Publishing. They approached me at an educators conference and asked me if I would be interested in writing a book. At the time, I thought they were asking me and the gals who had collaborated with me to put on the workshop I led at the conference. Later, as I talked to her, the rep told me that the company was just interested in me sharing my voice as an educator. 

I worked and wrote and started all over a couple of times. Then, I decided that I really didn't feel like I had anything to share that other educators had not already shared. So, I contacted the rep and told her that. She was quick to let me know that there was nobody who had the same voice and exact same ideas as mine but she understood that my priority was in my classroom. 

I have never regretted that decision. I could always share the ideas that I used and still have in regard to teaching and guiding student learning. I just don't know that I feel that what I have to share about educating children is earth shattering nor is it new and fresh. 

Yet, here I have been writing along all these years. Sometimes I wrote about education. Sometimes I have written about life in general and that all seems to work for me. Thank you for stopping by and taking in what I have to share!

Today I noticed...Sometimes it is best to just jump into a project when the helper is ready.

I suggested to the Mister that since it was a rainy day, we could update our spreadsheets relating to the cemetery today. He's penciled in info on his and I've added info digitally on mine. So, they no longer were matching. He wasn't ready to work on that this morning. So, after we finished breakfast, I did my exercises and headed downstairs, thinking I would work on a sewing project I have an idea for...

He chatted with a friend, answered a couple of calls about business, went and paid a helper, and completed a couple of other errands. Then, he came in for lunch and sliced, battered and fried up a bit of zucchini. Then, he took a short nap before he was called to meet a potential customer wanting a cemetery lot. So, he trekked down there for a bit.

In the meantime, I researched a bit about my project and the dimensions of the fabric that it would take. I had browsed online for inspiration from products similar to what I am wanting to make. I had gathered supplies to give the project a practice run and was just about ready to select my thread and get started, when the Mister came into the office with his notebook ready to collaborate on updating the spreadsheets.

I dropped everything and jumped into the updates! 

Funny how that happens. My project will keep till another day...

Today I noticed...Some things are worth having multiples.

A flamingo umbrella is evidently something that I really believe is worth keeping in multiples. I proved it this past year when I noticed them advertised and ordered myself one. Then, when it was delivered, I turned around and ordered almost a dozen more. 

When I learned that one of the youngest grands had an accident and her flamingo umbrella was a fatality, I ordered one to be sent to her so that she would have a replacement. I considered getting myself another one so that I could have one in the house and one in the truck but I decided that I was just being greedy and didn't. Now, I really wish I had stockpiled several more, though.

Last week one of our granddaughters represented her high school at Girls State. It was a leap outside her comfort zone. She is not one who has done a lot of sleepovers with friends. She is not one who has attended a week away at camp. She is not one who walks into a room with a mission to know everybody there before she leaves. You might even say she is a bit introverted in some ways. So, when I learned that she was off to Girls State, I was a bit surprised. 

In chatting with her mother, I learned that she had forgotten to pack a refillable water bottle. While my grandmother heart tugged, I told myself that she would survive. After all, I survived as a young girl without toting around a mug or jug to keep myself hydrated and she could as well. The next day I learned that she had fallen and injured her ankle and my aching ankle and aching heart wanted to go to the college campus and check on her. Later, I learned that she had also forgotten to pack a raincoat or umbrella.  Well, that was the last straw. At that point I was determined to take care of business. 

I dressed that morning and trekked down to the local grocery store. I had one folding umbrella in my truck but I thought I should check to see if there was a disposable poncho available. Nope. So, I went across the street to the drug store and looked. Again, no poncho. They did have a nice pink umbrella. So, I decided that I would deliver my flamingo umbrella that was in the truck to Lydia and keep the pink one in the truck to take its place. Plus, I picked up a small and a large refillable water bottle. I mean, if I am making the trip, I may as well take that as well.

As I waited in line, I searched online for a replacement flamingo umbrella. I was sad to learn that my original source had sold out. However, I did find another and placed an order. After all, one can never have enough cute umbrellas. They are good for dashing in and out of places when running errands. They are good for the softball and baseball parks. They are good for football season to watch the band perform. They are good to provide shade on a hot day and to avoid the raindrops there when a pop up shower erupts. Eventually, I got checked out and was on my merry way to drop off the necessary items for the grand.

I had been instructed by Lydia's mother that I would only be able to drop off the items at her assigned dorm of residence for the week. So, I found a paper bag under the seat and labeled it. When I went into the dorm lobby, I noticed that it could have been a ghost town. Nobody to be found. So, I went back to the truck and got a piece of cardstock and labeled it as well. I tied that to the handle of the umbrella and left the bag and umbrella sitting on the front desk where it would easily be noticed. I'm sure Lydia's high school self smiled all over and proclaimed that she had a wonderful grandmother to all who entered the lobby of the dorm. I guess I think labels for identification are things worth having in multiples as well!

(By the way, I'm on the lookout for more of those inexpensive and cute umbrellas so that I can build up my flock!)

Today I noticed...Some things seem to be shrinking.

I opened a new container of my regular makeup today an noticed that it is visibly smaller than the container I just emptied. I even went to the trash can and dug out the old container to compare and satisfy my brain that it was indeed smaller. Yep. It was. I set the new container atop the old one and could see about a quarter of an inch of the old one all around the new one. I couldn't read the weight amount on the old container because I had worn it away with use but I'm sure the new one holds less than the old one did.

Then, I was restocking the snack jar in the pantry and noticed that the Little Debbie cakes are smaller than they used to be as well. I know we need to be cutting our snack consumption back and we should look at portion control and all that but I'm thinking that the price of those snacks did not go down.

I pulled out a package of frozen breaded shrimp to prepare dinner and noticed that I had an older box that was half empty and a new unopened box. They look the same except that the old box said it held sixteen ounces and the new box said it held fourteen ounces. 

My cereal box is smaller and holds fewer ounces of cereal. My laundry detergent bottle holds less but claims to wash the same number of loads. 

I'd love for number on my scale to shrink. I'd like the amount charged on various bills to shrink as well. I'm just not sure that the things which should be shrinking are the things that are.

Today I noticed...Sometimes the wrong people have a lot of confidence.

One of my volunteer opportunities has been to sit on the Board of Trustees at a local cemetery non-profit in our community. Like many places around us, the location of the cemetery has stayed the same but the territory surrounding it has changed immensely. What used to be a hay field is now a shopping center anchored by a major grocery store and surrounded by different restaurants, commercial business such as walk-in hairstyle places, deli sandwich, pizza, and smoothie take-outs, financial institutions, a Pilates studio, a dental office, and more. What used to be a cow pasture is populated by houses with postage stamp yards and connected by concrete sidewalks. Time keeps ticking, people keep moving, and things keep changing.

So, when a developer recently purchased a couple of houses and lots that border the cemetery, he began clearing out trees and scrub bushes that were growing on his side of the property line. Several people were up in arms and wanted to know what we as a Board of Trustees were doing and how could we allow the massacre of so many trees. Some even stated that they purchased their grave lots based upon the location of the neighboring trees. They wanted to know why we allowed the trees to be cleared away. We explained that the new property owner next door really had legal rights to clear the trees off his own property. We even shared that the new property owner next door had contacted us to let us know that he had plans to create a buffer with a berm and some evergreens and suggested that patience and grace be extended to give the new property owner time to take the border from raw dirt to a more aesthetically planted appearance.

This past week, however, the Board of Trustees was asked what sort of business the new property owner planned to establish on the neighboring property that he owns. We let them know that we were unsure of his plans. One person had gotten wind that there might be a gas station there. Another had heard that it would soon be home to a quick-stop market. Yet another thought a pharmacy or fast food business would be there. They asked the Board how they could find out and/or what the Board could do to prevent a commercial eye-sore from being established on the neighboring property. We listened to their concerns but assured them that we as a cemetery Board of Trustees really had no power or control over what a neighbor does with his own property. We reminded them that the neighboring property is located within the historic district of our small town and any new business would have to be approved by that governing board. 

I think what surprised me most is that one family was concerned about the sort of business that might be established near their own loved one's grave but had no concern about what might be right around the corner and near somebody else's loved one's grave. They seemed to expect us to join them and take on city hall, so to speak, at one moment because it might impact them directly. Yet, they had no expectation when the impact was for someone else. They were confident that the neighbor needed to be and could be stopped from developing his own real estate if his plans did not suit their inclinations.

Today I noticed...Supporting another person's success will never ruin yours.

Success seems to look different to different people. I think that's alright.

I'm sure that what I feel as a successful venture may seem like peanuts to somebody else. Yet, I am free to feel and celebrate that success as I'd like. 

Why don't we look for the success of others and cheer for that? 

Why can't we be glad for them and, if possible, support them as they are working toward that goal?

Chances are that their goal marking success is not going to be the same as mine anyway. 

Reach out and help lift someone up!

Today I noticed...Shopping Carts

 What one does with a shopping cart when the shopping is done tells a lot about a person.

Did you know that there is all sort of research about shopping carts being returned. There have been studies about whether a person returns the shopping cart or pushes it to the cart corral or whether there is an incentive for returning a shopping cart or not makes a difference or what other factors might feed into why or when a person returns a shopping cart. There is even an established shopping cart theory. Who knew?!

Something I was reading referenced The Shopping Cart Theory. Then, I noticed that there were some other links offered regarding the psychology around the return of shopping carts. There's even a YouTube channel devoted to the concept. (Is there just a YouTube video for anything and everything?) A research and teaching fellow even shared her hours of research findings and categorizing of excuses. 

What prompted me to even scan through the links shared above is what I observed while sitting in our local grocery store parking lot when I went to pick up my prescription the other day and had to wait for it. Most of the people I saw either returned their cart inside to the front of the store or left it in the corral provided there in the parking lot. A few, however, did not.

One young woman wrestled with one cart loaded with groceries and another filled with three very small children. She loaded the groceries into the back of her SUV, dragged the cart of children behind her as she returned the empty cart to the corral, returned to her car wrestling with her children and got them squared away in their car safety seats, then, left the empty cart propped up on the closest curb. She let out a huge sigh, climbed into the driver's seat and drove away. 

A guy who had a couple of boxes of baked goods, a case of water, and a couple of six-packs of soft drinks rushed to his vehicle, loaded his wares into the trunk of his car, and shoved the cart across the empty spaces nearby. Then, he proceeded to climb into the driver's seat, back out of the space, narrowly missing another shopper with a cart and sped away.

A third patron emptied the cart, pushed it over to rest against the bumper of a car nearby, climbed into his vehicle and drove away.

Then, I saw a young person - probably a teenager - pause and help a woman with a cane load a couple of bags of groceries and a plant into the back seat of her car before pushing her cart into the store.

I only spent about fifteen minutes observing the shopping cart rodeo in the parking lot of our local grocery store but I really did think that each person I saw told me a little bit about themselves during that short timeframe. It made me think about the way I want to behave the next time I'm in the parking lot and what I will do when I see a loose cart there. 

Today I noticed...Good Things

Last night as I was scrolling, one of those blurbs of wisdom that often pop up caught my attention and I paused.

I paused and read it again.

Then, I made a mental note.

So, today I'm only looking for good things.

Today I noticed... A Violet Transformation

Earlier this month I posted about the promise of one of my violets. I've been enjoying the blooms for a few days as I sit at my desk and do volunteer work. 

A little over a month ago, I spent some time with another of my violets to repot it. It had produced an offshoot or baby plant that had sort of taken over. The parent plant had developed this woody ort of stem and the leaves were curling up. I was sort of afraid that I was going to lose it. The original plant is one that was a baby produced by a plant that my son and daughter-in-law have. They got it in a dish garden sent to them when my Daddy died. So, I was glad t get a baby from that plant for sentimental reasons. Plus, it has the most beautiful deep bluish purple blooms. Below is a photo of what my plant(s) looked like in late February.

You can see the parent plant on the right and how it was developing that tall stem and the leaves were starting to curl. By mid-March, it looked like the photo below. So, I ordered a couple of flower pots to use as a new home. The pots I ordered were advertised as African Violet self-watering ceramic pots. 

When I began to take the plant(s) out of the pot, the parent plant broke away. So, I wound up leaving the baby in the original pot that my son and daughter-in-law gave me. I just added a little African Violet soil to fill the pot, watered it and set it back in the kitchen in front of a west-facing window. Below is how that looked.

Then, I took what I had left and went to work. I broke the top of the parent plant's woody stem off and planted a piece that was a couple of inches long into the new self-watering pot. The leaves were curled and it looked pretty sad but I had hopes that it would develop a root system and bounce back. Below is a photo of the sad little violet parent in its new pot.

I still had a long piece of that woody stem-like piece and a few leaves. I snapped the leaves off and put them into a glass of water to see if I could propagate a new plant like that. Then, I buried the remainder of the plant in the other self-watering plant filled with some African Violet soil. The photos below shows what I had left

leaves in water on the left and the stem I buried on the right

I've seen no action from the buried piece. It still just looks like a pot of dirt. I think I will wait a couple of weeks before I take action, but I probably will dig it up and throw that piece away. A couple of the leaves in water got all limp and pitiful looking and I tossed them out. The remaining leaves have not developed a root system either and will probably get tossed as well. Today, I noticed that the parent plant in the new self-watering pot seems to have revived. 

similar view of the top of the sad, parent plant that was shown above

side view showing stems and leaves stretched upward

The leaves have uncurled and the stems and leaves seem to be stretched out and reaching for the heavens. It looks like a healthy plant! All I have done is add a bit of water into the bottom of the pot from time to time and left it alone. It is sitting on a table in front of an east-facing window alongside the parent plant of the violet I've had for years (the parent of the first plant shown in this post).

What an amazing transformation! I am so happy to have saved the original plant. 

Today I noticed...A post labeled as Success Tips.

Early voting starts today in our area. Get out there and try to make a difference.

Today I noticed...The promise of a violet's blooms makes me happy.

This is a violet baby. I separated it from the parent that came in a dish garden that was sent to my Granny's funeral. There were other plants in the basket with it and after a while they needed their own space. The parent violet had beautiful pink blooms - one of my Granny's favorite colors. So, I always refer to it as my Granny violet. 

I separated the baby from the parent a couple of years ago and neither plant has bloomed since. I left the parent plant in front of the same window in our bedroom where the photo above was made. The baby plant came downstairs and is set on the front of my desk. I've watered it religiously and monitored it's growth. Each time I see it and the parent plant, I think of my Granny.

My Granny was a woman with a green thumb. She could grow most anything and her plants generally thrived. When I was a young woman, Granny had loads of African violet plants. She even set up a grow space with fluorescent lights in the basement of their home at one time. She had all sorts with different leaf shapes and bloom colors and styles. Some were frilly and looked like they had ruffled leaves. Some were pale pink, some were lavender, some were so dark purple that they were almost black. I loved seeing all the different kinds. She would tell visitors all about the different plants and often would gift them with one. I remember keeping some in the windows of our basement apartment when I was wrapping up my Bachelor's degree from The University of Tennessee. 

Granny died twelve years ago during the month of April and I still miss her twinkling blue eyes, smiles, and southern drawl. So, when I came downstairs today and sat down to do a little work, I was excited to notice that this violet has pushed up several buds that will bloom soon. That makes me so happy! 

Today I noticed...Wise words seem to come to us just when we need them most.

I tend to gather what I call wise words. Sometimes this might be a pithy little statement. Sometimes it is a meaningful or inspirational quote. Sometimes it is just an observation that rings so true.

Since I have been tackling some projects that I've procrastinated about getting into, I am struggling at times, lately. Often, my project doesn't seem to turn out precisely like I have envisioned. Sometimes I call it a fail and move on to something different. Sometimes I give it another try. Sometimes I add a simple update or revision. Of course all of this takes time. 

I don't consider myself a patient person at all. Oh, as a teacher, I was often told that I am so patient but that was a different mindset for a different situation. At the least, I'm rarely patient with myself. So, when  I was in the midst of a project, the wise words framed above happened to pop up in front of me online somehow. 

The statement is one I often would tell teachers when I worked with them. Yet, somehow it is one that is more difficult to apply to self. I hope you are patient with others and especially patient with yourself. All things tend to work out better when one is focusing on progress and not perfection I have noticed.

Today I noticed...GPS and Google Maps are sometimes wrong.

We have had some delivery drivers using our driveway as if it was a major thoroughfare. They will zip up the hill, whip around the house, and go toward one of our neighbors' house. Then, they will stop because the driveway is so rough, they fear they will tear up their vehicle or get stuck or something like that. 

Of course, when I am outside, I can inform the driver but often I am not home and informing that one driver does not help the multitude of drivers that are out and about making deliveries. So, I went onto Maps to see what I could learn.

I saw that there are several mistakes relating to our little corner of the world. So, I clicked on the menu button found in the upper left corner of my computer screen. It looks like three lines stacked atop one another.

That opened a sidebar menu which allowed me some options. 

I selected Edit the Map. This gave me a new menu with lots of options to send product feedback.

Then, I began using the trial and error method to try to suggest edits for different things that looked wrong on their map. First, they had one of our barns labeled with our neighbor's address. (I drew a red rectangle around it.) Our barn should not be 7605 on any map. It is a part of our address. Actually, 7605 should be marking that brown roofed structure that my arrow is pointing toward on the image below. So, I selected Wrong information and suggested they fix wrong info about a place already in Google Maps.

That was a fairly easy suggestion. a bit of the map opened and I drug the pin that was hovering over our barn down to the neighbor's house. It may take some time for the edit to show up on Google Maps but I am hopeful that they will fix it.

Then, I noticed that there is a blue marker indicating where I am on their map. It was inaccurate as well. It should be located at the end of our driveway. (The red rectangle is around the blue marker in the image below and should be near where the red arrow is below it.)

So, I clicked on the blue marker and a pop-up box gave me the option to choose Street View. I could see that my address is labeled incorrectly on their map. It showed me at 7590 instead of 7601. So, I selected Wrong Pin Location or Address and suggested that they fix an address and where it appears on the map.

Next, I searched for directions from where the blue marker was showing up to my own address. I noticed that our driveway is marked as a Restricted usage road.  That is why the delivery drivers' GPS would send them up our driveway to get to a neighbor.

So, back to the Send Product Feedback menu to add another suggestion. This time I selected Add or fix a road and entered information in the space provided to let them know that this is not a road at all. It is a private driveway that leads to our house and our barns. 

All these suggestions took a little bit of time but, in my experience, the map will soon be corrected. I have made suggestions to Google Maps before and they are generally accepted and changed to be correct within a matter of days.

So, if you notice GPS sending you or delivery drivers to a location that is incorrect, take a few minutes and provide them feedback. They will probably make the corrections and you will have less frustrations in the long run.