Tuesday Miscellaneous

A really mixed bag today

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From Channel 3000: Humane Societies Run Out of Space, Money 

Budgets have been tight for a lot of people, us included, but I'm going to scrape up something to send to the Iowa County shelter. We adopted our two current good cats there, and saw first hand how dedicated their volunteers are to maintaining this no kill refuge. I knew they always had to rely on donations, but until I read the story linked above I didn't know just how serious the situation is right now.

Please, if you can, donate directly to your own local shelter.Giving locally means no overhead taken out for a national organization and even "in kind" donations of food or cat litter are usually welcome. And if you have room in your house and your heart, adopt a shelter pet.

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It's that season. I got a call from a polling organization this evening. First they asked if I or anyone in my family worked for a news organization or a political campaign. I said "no". Then they asked if I was registered to vote. I said "yes." Then they asked if I was 1) highly likely to vote, 2) somewhat likely to vote 3) somewhat likely not to vote or 4) highly likely not to vote in the November election.  I said I was highly likely to vote. By this time I was champing at the bit to get at the real questions. But first they asked what year I was born. I answered truthfully. Then they said "Thank you, that's all the questions we have."  I was sorry, because it sounded like a legitimate poll, and who doesn't want to have their opinion count? I assume that for their sampling they already had answers from enough people in my age demographic. But the question I want to ask them is: If you are looking for younger respondents, why are you calling a land line? 

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And it's that time of year when I realize that all of my wool socks need mending. Well, OK, that's an exaggeration. I only found two actual holes, which I have rather clumsily darned.  But several pairs have worn alarmingly thin under the heel like this one.

Some of those threads are baaaarely hanging on, and probably wouldn't make it through another washing.  So I'm working away at reinforcing it and its drawer mates with Swiss Darning (aka duplicate stitch).

For me, this is easier, neater, and more pleasant than a woven darn worked after the hole has already appeared (though not necessarily faster). Two down, about six to go.