I took a stroll through online office supplies this weekend. I am doing enough work at the museum where, like in Special Collections at the university, you are only allowed to use pencils in public areas. I have a handful of old institutional mechanical pencils from the supply cupboard at the library that have seen better days. I've ordered a four pack of Pentel pencils with a super-sized twist eraser and extra leads. I offer this in case anyone else is deciding they need to upgrade their pencils (I'll be walking around in the museum and want a simple functioning mechanical pencil). I could use wood pencils, but they invariably break their tips in my handbag.

I'm also replacing the FIDO key I've had in my pocket for over five years - it's part of a two-factor authentication process that I've been meaning to upgrade. This year when I set up a tablet my Google account wanted the key but there was no USB port it would fit into as most tablets now have the smaller phone USB and type-C ports. The new key has that plus and NFC so I can just wave it past the phone or tablet. I might be able to reset to old FIDO key and use it as a spare.

To declutter I rounded up all of the old plastic mechanical pencils here, tossing those that are defunct. There is a pantry cupboard next to the municipal aid fridge (where I take my spare produce) - and I can donate working pens and pencils that can be used by a school kid, etc. Around the house I have cups and boxes with pens and pencils - Oh! I just found my father's old Papermate mechanical pencil that twists to extend the lead. Heck. The eraser is puny and probably dried up, but for sentimental reasons I could have stuck with this one. :-/

I'll bag the okra and peppers and donate extras to the fridge and take a container with all of these writing implements. My mother used to tell a story about early times when she was a social worker, that there was a family she visited where the kids were having trouble doing homework because there were so few pencils or pens in the home. She dredged her purse and offered some and on her way home she stopped by the grocery store and bought dozens and put them in every room in our house. I seem to have inherited Mom's penchant for writing implements everywhere. They join the books, flashlights, and radios.