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at Red Cross

at Red Cross

I was at Red Cross to give whole blood, but the phlebotomist let me know that I would be an ideal candidate for platelet donation. Maybe next time, I said, knowing that it involves the immobilisation of both arms for two hours. In the recovery area, this bald poster child added her persuasion. So yeah, next time🩸.

sewing day

ironing board

Sewing one‘s own clothes is usually more expensive than buying fast fashion*, but there are ways to keep the costs down, like harvesting fabric from thrifted items. When Goodwill hunting, I look for large sections of cloth, unbroken by seams, preferably in natural fibres like linen. Maxi dresses, robes, and sheets are good sources. Or, if your name is Maria (my middle name is a variant), there’s always curtains.

*Leaving aside the environmental and human costs of fast fashion.

Pieris rapae

Pieris rapae

Our most common garden butterfly is one that does not delight me. The cabbage white has a natural range across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It was accidentally introduced to Canada around 1860 and spread rapidly throughout North America. Estimates show that a single female of this species might, in a few generations, be the progenitor of millions.

That’s a lot of caterpillars eating my brassicas 😖