"Listen my children and you shall hear ..."

How many of you had to memorize the midnight ride of Paul Revere? Well, it's the 18th of April and very year it comes to me like a ghost of the past. How can I remember this when what I did with my shoes eludes me? I would nearly book bet that your dad or grandfather could (and would) quote some poem they remembered from their school days, but wondered where they had left their reading glasses. I only remember certain parts of what he used to spout on occasion. "You're a better man than I [am], Gunga Din!" and various other numerous poems and prose. He knew them from beginning to end. [You know I have to be grinning at the memory - Dad sitting in his favorite living room chair, his white shirt sleeves rolled half way up, his dress slacks dotted with paint smears, and his feet bare - he's reciting something with gusto. My dad should have been an actor, not an artist!] I only have a few pictures of my dad. My ex said my family pictures were ruined, but some of the 'ruined' pictures are still around. He took them for spite. Jerk. I do have many memories and I can still see him in my mind's eye. Too bad that I can't print them to share with my other kids.

My electric pressure cooker comes today. I'm kind of excited. I hope it works good! I want to make Red Mike and Violets! [Corned beef and cabbage] I'm anxious to take a gander at the cookbook that comes with it.

I finished that collection of The Twilight Zone and have ordered the Doc Martin series to watch before bed. It's due in today, too. I had been streaming Lark Rise to Candleford, an episode each day. Guess that's where my GBs went. Maybe, I don't know how that streaming thing works. I saw 8 episodes before it didn't really want to work. Yesterday, I watched an episode and it was fine, no jerking or stopping or circling. 

I seem to have diarrhea of the keys this morning. Have a good, day, night, whatever.

Plants -  I have a question about my lavender. Does anyone know what is going on here? What are these teeny, tiny white bugs/spiders/mites? I have tried picking them off, but they just show up elsewhere. Any suggestions? The plant is not doing very well.

 My chocolate mint is growing marvelously - maybe. I heard that mint was invasive and I will have to agree. It is sending out runners like crazy. Do the runners eventually grow roots along the run so a person could make more plants? If not, I am going to nip them in the bud (runner) or they would take over the planter. If some take root, I'll let them and plant them outside where the ants are.
    A couple of the tiny tomatoes were transplanted and still are very tiny, though they are getting to look more like tomato plants.

Birds - No occupants for my window bird house. It had started out looking so promising. I had two looks and then nothing. Ruth hasn't had any better luck with hers.
    I have ordered a window mounted hummingbird feeder. I was quite surprised on Friday, when a hummer came to the window, looking in! I do want to try it and hope I can figure out a way to keep the various wasps from bugging it. Normally the hummers don't come until around the third week in April, but like the dogwood blossoms, they are coming sooner and sooner. Nobody can convince me that global warming isn't happening!
    The cowbirds are out in full force, gobbling up the seed in the feeder like nobody's business. I shouldn't feel such dislike for them, the dirty rotten scum birds. Such parasites!

Anyone have one of those little electric pressure cookers? I have seen their commercials on TV and I think to myself about how many meals we had the next day because somebody forgot to thaw out the meat or we started too late and ended up eating sandwiches. So, I ordered one from the web site. I figured they would want me to buy this or that for it and didn't want to be hit with that over the phone. I was right! They say free extras but you are slammed with high shipping/handling. I just ordered the cooker and did end up paying for the liner - although I thought the liner should have been part of the package to begin with. The shipping/handling for the cooker must be where they make the money ... I hope it truly is as useful as they say. I know I enjoyed my Swivel Sweeper and considered it a bargain!

I didn't mean to write a book. Have a most lovely day and a wonderful week ahead!