Trees are very expensive here. The nearby garden center/nursery sells them for anything from $100 to about $250. If I get a tree I go over on xmas eve and ask if they have anything I can have for $10 since it will be on the curb in two days, and they always let me have one. I usually end up with a $200 tree but it isn't up for even a week before it's out and my sinuses clear up again. I don't have a truck to bring home a tree now.

I had a list for this weekend but the house has had other ideas. I worked on the faucet off and on yesterday and am now back with the original setup so I can have water (and I keep mopping up my counters). I'm going to return a new faucet (oops - got one for a three hole sink but mine has four holes) and maybe try another new one, but most likely go to a plumbing supply house tomorrow with the cartridge and see if they have a replacement. Thing is, this cartridge is going to end up costing about 1/2 of what a new faucet will cost. If I can keep this one going for a while that;s good, but if it is too much bother, I'll shop again for a new inexpensive faucet.

I decided to look around the house for more ant activity and have found it in two closets used for storage. I've put ant bait and spritzed some diatomacious earth for now, but this evening I'll take the vacuum in, move boxes, vacuum and spritz more DE along with the bait and see if I can't remove that scourge from the house. I may have to spend $3 more to buy another bottle of ant bait. :)

I steam juiced 2 batches of tomatoes last night. One batch is going to be canned sauce, another batch (with less than perfect tomatoes that were trimmed before putting in the juicer) was put in the freezer. I have a gallon of tomato juice that I'll just drink now instead of canning or freezing.

The gate thing in the garage is my next project. I have been invited to Susie's house for the birthday party of her 1-year-old grandson but I may make only a brief appearance. We didn't have much luck doing our weekend activity because it was a rainy (yesterday) and now busy day today. But that is good - so maybe we'll do something next weekend and skip this one entirely.

SRS