(no subject)

[moonwise]

T. J. Maxx/Home Goods is a dangerous place. Every time I walk in there, I walk out with something I didn't intend to purchase. Last night I went in looking for a light shawl for touring cathedrals, and I walked out with a flat-pack umbrella, a cute white blouse, and a black blouse with fluttery sleeves. No wonder the dry cleaning lady knows me by name. XD We got our patio set from Home Goods, and the other week, husband brought home a lime-green porch umbrella that had been marked down from $300 to $100. Fantastic!

The garden is looking very nice this time of year. We bought a goldfinch feeder and filled it with thistle seed, and the locals have found it to be to their liking. There are at least two male and two female goldfinches who have been making use of the feeder, and every morning, we see them flit in, have a drink at the birdbath, and then have their breakfast. The deer have so far been unable to knock this feeder down, after destroying three others. I've been disappointed at the lack of butterflies after planting two butterfly bushes, butterfly weed, bee balm, and black-eyed susans (all butterfly favorites) but we've been rewarded with some customers in the past week or so. It's nice to have a garden that the locals like to visit!

Half day tomorrow before we leave. Yikes!

Comments

[arafel.livejournal.com]

the danger that comes with having disposable income

And the satisfaction of knowing that you got those patent-leather thigh-high boots at a discount. If you didn't buy them, think of all the money you wouldn't have saved!

[morgi.livejournal.com]

Have fun! Take lots of pictures--I'd love to see Italy someday. I haven't even made it to Canada yet. :P

[arafel.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised you haven't been to Canada, given that you lived in Maine for so long! Oh well, all things in time. :)

[morgi.livejournal.com]

I even have relatives in Nova Scotia! And distant relatives in Quèbec!

Someday I want to go visit some of LJ friends up there.

[keelieinblack.livejournal.com]

I can't count the number of times my mother and I have walked into T. J. Maxx looking for one tiny thing, and walked out with a floor lamp or a suitcase or three new pairs of pajamas. (Or, on one memorable occasion, a bookcase.)

I hope you have a wonderful trip! Be careful, and have some exciting-but-not-too-exciting adventures. :D

[arafel.livejournal.com]

There's so much good stuff, how could you not go home with half the store? :D

[jaina.livejournal.com]

Target's like that for me. SO EVIL.

I hope your concerns for the trip turn out to be for naught and it's an awesome, awesome time. I want to hear all about it when you get back. :)

[arafel.livejournal.com]

I'll be sure to post a recap and some photos. :)

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you will have a wonderful time!

As for the goldfinches, for some reason, no matter how much thistle we put out, we can't seem to get goldfinches for more than a day and then they disappear and don't come back for months. Ah, well. I love them when they are migrating. Beautiful birds.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

That's odd - once the finches discovered our feeder, they have since been regulars. I'd say that perhaps you didn't see your goldfinches, but our guys are snacking all the time. Maybe they were uncomfortable with the feeder location?

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

That's probably the case. There aren't many trees near the feeder and not many bushes either. We have plenty of other birds but I love goldfinches.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

Possibly - our goldfinch feeder is hung on a tree branch, and they seem to like it there. Is your feeder specific to goldfinches?

[archaeologist-d.livejournal.com]

No, it's for all kinds of birds. We have a mixture of seeds, including thistle. They seemed to like it for a little while and then didn't come back. We don't have any trees near our house. The feeder is on a pole because we have tons of squirrels and this helps keep them away.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

Maybe you can try getting a goldfinch-only feeder. I bought a more expensive model, but the first plastic one that the deer knocked down was bought at Home Depot for $5.00. You can also buy bags of nyjer (thistle) seed. My MIL has two bird feeders, and the goldfinches never visit the general feeder, only the one that's for them.