Friday Orts and a Blurb

This week's blurbs open with a fancy photo collage made of fancy photos snapped this morning at (guess what time?) 7:04. It is the latest sign that the Apocalypse is near--even though I don't have documentation of the big clock on the west wall, every one of the four clocks in the kitchen showed exactly the same time, and that time was correct according to iPhone Central Standard  Time. 

People, this is HUGE. 

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An observant reader (Hi, C.!) noticed in the blog illustration yesterday that apparently the House on the Corner was listed at an astonishingly economical $1,969. While I'd like to take credit for being the thriftiest of thrifty house shoppers, let me explain it to you, C.: That was the 1927 assemble-it-yourself price, and we paid significantly more than that when we purchased  it (assembled) in 1987. 

Sheesh.

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Boys, you will want to not read this, but my friends who have had The Talk with their children will find Momastery's recounting of that experience hysterical. She titles it "Sex Is Tricky" and I started laughing when I saw the illustration. 

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The blurb of the day is for knitters who (much like myself) have spent themselves nearly into bankruptcy buying thingamajigs and gizmos to enable their obsession sanity-preserving hobby. It's a good thing our house only cost $1,969 because I am a complete pushover when it comes to stitch holders, row markers, counters, and other knitting aids. And if you buy the accessories especially made for knitters, they aren't cheap. 

However, perhaps the best investment I ever made in pursuit of this sport were these hair clips.

Thanks for the photo, WalMart

I use them for everything. I mark rows, "pin" seams when I'm setting in sleeves, clamp them around a set of double-pointed needles when I'm alternating sizes, clamp loose yarn to keep it from unraveling--they are the wonder drug of knitting accessories. They don't catch on the yarn (hey, they're made for hair) and come in three colors.

Best of all, they're $3.98 for a package of 30 at WalMart so if you break or lose one, no big deal. 

I love my local yarn shop and try to buy everything I can there, but this is one case that I don't regret making the exception to my shopping local habits. 

Knitters, you're welcome.