Janet's Blog

There is much to said for toilet paper. I, for one, am grateful it exists.  During the pandemic, many of us were reminded that something as common as toilet paper was not something we should take for granted. As much as we were dumbfounded by the quickly emerging Covid 19 crisis, I think many of us were flabbergasted at the resulting toilet paper shortage. Actually, there was no real shortage, there was just not enough available for home use. While most people holed up at home, cases and cases of commercial toilet paper were left unused in the empty schools and offices thoughout our country. I am sure that more than a few people had to get a little creative to compensate. In centuries past, before toilet paper was invented as an aid to hemorrhoid care in the mid 1800s, people used whatever was available--rocks, seashells, straw, leaves--until most agrarian areas settled on the ubiquitous corn cobs, which were said to work quite well.  Ancient Romans used a sponge soaked in sal...

It had been years--decades, really--since I last worked on a paint by number project. I hadn't planned to do one now, but I wanted inexpensive turtle artwork, in just the right colors, for my updated primary bathroom. I checked on Amazon, and found that the artwork I liked the best was more than $200. I didn't want to spend that much on a bathroom turtle, no matter how much I liked it, but the less expensive options were too small for my space, or too subdued, or just plain ugly. Then, I came across a paint by number option that I truly loved. I thought about it for a few days. I could have painted my own turtle without much difficulty but, during the holiday season, that would have required more brain power than I had left after shopping, making travel plans, and organizing a myriad of activities, including our 50th anniversary celebration. So, I decided to try this paint by number. Almost done I ordered the kit from Amazon, and waited impatiently for it to arrive. I opened it...