1. Having a motivation to clean house. Last night, after a fruitless craft show (7 vendors total, and we packed up an hour and a half early ’cause there were no shoppers. I sold ONE card!), and then some “me” time with Chinese and a movie (M:I 3), I found out that my aunt, uncle, and 2 cousins were coming after all and they might be staying with us! So at 9:00 I set out on a frenetic cleaning spree, which included 2 loads of laundry, 2 bathrooms, a front entry, kitchen floor, tidying in the living room, vacuuming the upstairs hallway and stairs, and making my sister’s recently vacated bedroom “guest-able” (vaccuming thoroughly; washing windows, doors, desk; Febreeze-ing mattresses; setting up a “bed”; and the most time-consuming of all: ripping down all of the pictures, posters, curling ribbon (yup), and other random mementos that had been stuck to the wall for years upon years, some for as many as 8 or 9 I guess, since the room was mine!).

The guests finally arrived at midnight, as I was shutting off the vaccum cleaner. I went on to tidy up the kitchen before collapsing exhausted. How very nice to wake up this morning to clean bathrooms and a tidy house!

2. Culberts, our local bakery. I haven’t tried even a fraction of their wares, but their cream puffs are worth a long trip for or worth getting up early for. Their carrot muffins are a regular breakfast staple for me, and they’re as good 2 days old as they are fresh. Mmmm. It’s also convenient that they’re only a few doors down from the bookstore where I work!

3. Scottish accents. I just sold a card and a bookmark to a woman with a Scottish accent. That burr is so rich, I love it!