Today the Internet taught me:: A Fresh Start

I've been wanting to get back into writing but was hesitant because I didn't want any pressuring guidelines for myself. Today one of my friends asked something along the lines of, "What did we do without the Internet?" That's saying a lot coming from her! She lives out in the sticks without a computer and either visits the library to use one, or navigates around a little bit from home with her smart phone. I don't really like thinking about what my day would be like without the Internet because I use it so frequently.

From this conversation, I had the idea to catalog the things that the Internet teaches me, which will also allow me to talk about current things I'm interested in.

So. Day One.

The Internet taught me how to propagate Vinca vine. My father-in-law gave me a cutting, so I dipped it in cinnamon, put it in some water in an adorably retro cola bottle I have, and am crossing my fingers. :) BTW, the Internet also said the cinnamon is more of a fungicide than a rooting hormone. Hmm. Now I'm wondering if sprinkling some cinnamon on the soil of my potted Shamrock would help it stay mold-free.

The Internet also reminded me what a cookie press is. My friend, Geramie, just got a great deal on a vintage one at a thrift store, and she was asking for recipes. So the Internet also allowed me to ask all my Facebook friends for some on her behalf. :) I'm excited to see what recipes turn up.

The Internet also provided me with this recipe for Seasoned Rice, which I'm sort of following. I'm going to dump in a can of chili beans and one of pork and beans as well to make sure we're getting our protein. Yay for living on the Dave Ramsey "Beans and Rice" diet. ;) We've eaten especially well this week, though, because Tom and Geramie gave us a ton of produce from their garden. There's just nothing like vine-ripened veggies!

I also started a project for my craft room/office today. I'm making drop cloth curtains so that I can comfortably be in there at night. Thanks Mom and Dad for making me all paranoid about windows by jumping up outside and surprising me as a child. :P I'm hoping for something like these.

On a completely different topic, a computer programmer friend told about a nightmare he had where he tripped on a cable and crashed the server (sounds pretty bad to me!), which reminded me of the computer-related nightmares my grandpa has talked about. He worked with computers in a bank in the 1960s and 1970s, I think, back when computing machines relied on data stored by punching small holes in cards. His nightmares involved him accidentally dropping and scattering large boxes of these cards. Wikipedia has a cool article that helped me to understand why this was such a nightmare for my grandpa. :)

AND the Internet facilitated the purchase of three art prints for my living room! I've been missing the Midwest, so I scoured the Internet for pieces that reminded me of home. They arrived today and are beautiful. The warm fuzzies just explode every time I look that them! So now I need to get some [very, very inexpensive] frames... easier said than done, but I suspect the Internet will help me with that as well, if thrift stores can't.