Signing Off

Well hello. I could explain away my frequent blogging breaks by saying it's been a full couple of days, but every day, every week is full, as I'm sure it is for most of you. In truth I think I'm ready to take a permanent blogging break. It's been 300+ posts over the last couple of years and, yes, I'm running out of steam but also recently I've become mindful of my children's privacy. They're getting older and it's one thing blogging in anonymity but with an open-to-the-public shop I find myself feeling increasingly bashful.

It's time to sign-off. Returning might be in the cards one day. We'll see. Thank you for visiting, for your comments and for hanging around. Happy Mother's Day.

Be well,

Nicole

*I'll be over at my shop blog for now, posting on crafts, events, and new stuff.

sprung

It's here.

After that weird summer weather the other week beat a hasty retreat and forced me, grudgingly, to wear a winter jacket and socks again it was a treat to have a seasonally normal day. Blue skies. Warm sun. Cool enough to warrant a windbreaker. Warm enough to remove it after an hour spent tussling with crab grass and dandelions. As much as I've made my peace with winter, who doesn't welcome spring with open arms and windows? Stella and her gang found this nest on the lawn this morning; some poor bird's home blew out of the tree in all that wind the other day. We put it back as best we could. Thankfully we didn't find any eggs. I hope that means the nest's inhabitants have moved on to bigger, sturdier digs.

But it's not all bracing alpine breezes and rosy-cheeked kids over here, I'm afraid. There is a mystery smell - a bad smell - in the house. We've been sniffing like bloodhounds all weekend; walking around the kitchen with flared nostrils and furrowed brows. It's a recurring phenomenon, and one that is almost always related to the diaper bag, a dank wash cloth at the bottom of the hamper or a Tupperware container of grapes left to ferment in the hall closet. This time I am sure the smell is coming from the kitchen sink. So far I've poured boiling water, the juice of three lemons, an entire box of baking soda and, when white vinegar could not be found, half a bottle of apple cider vinegar (not recommended). Yet the fishy smell lingers. I haven't used cleaning products stronger than Murphy's Oil Soap and Method for ages, but sometimes I suspect they're not quite up to the task. I found myself loitering in the cleanser aisle today, visiting my old friends Vim, Ajax and Pine Sol. Sure, I saw the skull and crossbones but I read the labels anyway, hoping it wasn't that bad. In the end I couldn't do it. I think it's because we drink tap water and it's unfathomable to me that toxic cleaners flushed and rinsed down the drain don't somehow make it back into my water glass. I googled "stinky sink" and came across many suggestions of bleach, even a bi-monthly dose of Drain-O, good heavens, but nothing I could use or hadn't already tried. I sure hope the good weather/open windows weather continues.