Comparing packing tape on Amazon (reading reviews) today. Right now I'm using Scotch, and it's so heavy duty as to be overkill. I've used others that were too light, and there were some that were a good weight but not the name brand of Scotch so were cheaper. Reading reviews it seems like the smell of the tape is an issue. Hmmm. I remember smelling tape before but not being particularly affected by it. Put this in the category of occasionally revisiting decisions about products that are regularly in use.

Another product review that I'm acting on is to finally purchase a small bottle of gear oil for lubricating the paper shredders here. I have one to list on eBay and as I did research on this particular brand I found a reviewer making sense - don't buy a household shredder and complain when you can't use it all day long every day. And lubricate it.

This morning I made a pass through the front yard to pick up litter that has drifted down the street and lodged in the shrubs. I need to make an effort to improve the look of the stretch of garden along the curb (where the trash collects). And I still need to re-contour parts of the lawn where the new sewer line went in the the piled up dirt wasn't completely leveled.

The gardening friend who I swapped seeds with said he's planning to start his tomatoes in pots next week. I made the case that they can get awfully leggy that way by the time the weather is right for planting. He said he always puts them way-deep in the ground and swears by how well the roots get established (the stem will root when in contact with soil) so I'll give that a try. Over the next few days I'll see if I can weatherproof the greenhouse enough to put the pots out there, otherwise they'll be in my very crowded sunroom windows. I could start them in tiny pots and repot them for the greenhouse later, on the way to planting in the garden.

I know some of you are shoveling snow and dragging firewood. I'm seeing Instagram posts of friends dressed in jackets indoors because they've been asked to keep the thermostat low to use less energy. Stay safe and warm - your spring will be all the sweeter and dramatic after such a rugged winter.