7QT - my heart will go on

- 1 -

Last weekend my doorbell rang, which has only happened once before. So I went downstairs and there was no one there. Fifteen minutes later it rang again. I didn't bother to go down, but instead ran to the window to see if I could see anyone (I don't actually have a view of my door, but I can see a bit of the surrounding area). Mainly I was checking to see if I could see any neighbor kids sprinting away or something. This happened maybe four or five times.

THEN.

One morning I hear some sort of elevator version of My Heart Will Go On? I didn't know where it was coming from, but the second time it happened I realized that it was the doorbell! So strange (in a fantastical way). I am guessing this is the doorbell's way of letting me know it's batteries are dying?

- 2 -

On Wednesday I got to go to the regular folk dance session (not just the newbie course I usually go to) because they were learning a kadrilj (quadrille) that no one knew. This is the most Pride and Prejudice-like dance that I have ever done and it was Awesome!

- 3 -

I've been making hummus a lot lately. Most people eat it as a 'dip' but for me it is dinner. One batch of hummus, plus some pita, and a few small tomatoes, maybe an avocado if I really want to live it up. And in all this hummus making, I somehow always fail to remember that the immersion blender never further chops the coursely chopped garlic. Makes for some pretty potent bites.

- 4 -

I usually start my 'quick takes' early in the week and add a take as it comes to mind. I'm just going to go ahead and say that I wrote all of take #2 on Tuesday. Before I ever even went to the dance. But I really had no reason to believe there would be any bit of un-truth in it.

- 5 -

- 6 -

I heard it, and kind of saw it, and gathered the evidence! What's all this about?

I have this plant that I am plant-sitting. And I really love it. The best part is that it populates by firing seeds off. I've been waiting around to see this happen. The other day I thought I got one. I picked up some paper and some sort of seed-shaped thing fell out. So I gathered it up, intending to put it in dirt at some point to see if it grew. This is not the first time I've collected small things that could potentially be the seeds of this plant. But just now, I heard the seed 'pop!' and then across the room I heard a small 'tink' and looked over to see a seed sitting on a chair that is at least 5 feet from the plant. The good news is that it looks identical to the one from the other day.

So hopefully by April when my plant-sitting duties are over, I'll have my own little baby plant (or two) growing happily!

- 7 -

I just found out about this experiment in which bugs were sent to space.

7QT: the cross-stitched dog version

I didn't partake in the quick takes last week, but I guess I missed it, so I'm back again this week to join the party. 

- 1 -

I moved offices this week. The old space I was in was working fine, but wasn't entirely ideal. So far my new space is treating me really well. There is a very large plant that I think could be called a tree. And also there is this:



This is my favorite part of the whole office. Meet my newest love, the cross-stitched dog. Partly I just love imagining that it was made by the person who previously occupied this office (male, Chinese, physicist).

- 2 -

And the person who made this was clearly very dedicated to their project. I only ever attempted cross-stitch when I was a kid, and the furthest I got was to finish the pink part of two kitten ears. And this dog is pretty sizeable. It must have taken hours upon hours to craft!

- 3 -

That is my plant in that photo (not the tree). It is the one a co-worker is letting me have while she is away for half of the year. She left shortly after I arrived, so she thought I might want a plant since I didn't have any yet, which was a thing I really appreciated. My favorite thing is to rotate the plant so that the newest leaf is facing the window, and then it grows straight up like that for a week or so before it starts to get horizontal like a normal leaf.

- 4 -

Also, this plant is a kind that spits its seeds out as a means of re-populating. I've yet to be hit in the face by a flying seed, but I am just waiting for the day. I did find three seeds on my desk so far, so I collected them up and plan to plant them so that I can hopefully have my own baby plant one day.

- 5 -

I figured you'd want a second photo.

- 6 -

I don't know how you follow something like that, so now I'll talk about the weather. I used to like looking at weather forecasts a lot. For the past few weeks I just stopped doing that. I am already dressing at my warmest, so it is not like I'll add any extra layers. And my warmest coat can handle precipitation, so that really isn't a concern either. Plus it is kind of fun to just wake up and see what kind of weather we are handed that day. I don't know for sure, but I think it dropped at least 10 degrees in the past day. This morning it was -20 C (which is just below 0 in F).

- 7 -

The tradeoff is perfectly clear blue skies! And I also saw the sunrise on my walk to the office. The cold weather is completely worth the banishing of the dreary grey skies.