Report for Tuesday

Beautiful vintage book cover image from HERE.

I'm listening to Little Women, read aloud on Spotify [Bauer Audio Books]. I love it.

LOVE.

Catchup for Tuesday here. I was too tired to post last night--winter hibernation, just want to get out of clothes, slip into nightie and get between soft L.L. Bean flannel sheets and read. However, last night, I ended up checking Instagram instead of reading.

I drove Punch, V and F to the 6th grade science fair at school. Participation was optional, but earned extra credit. Punch, V and F didn't do projects, but we all loved going. Just one hour, 7 to 8 pm.

I enjoyed the sixth grade projects. The budding scientists tested hypotheses such as:

• "Weary Roses," by Owen and Cooper--comparing how cut roses thrive in plain water, water with sugar, water with sugar and lemon, and water with that powdered flower-food packet. I think the last did the best.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Butter Content.....the Tollhouse recipe was baked with different quantities of butter...samples available.
• Whole Wheat Flour vs. White Flour Choc Chip Cookies...I think the finding, which I too have found, is that the ones made with the higher-fiber flour were harder...samples available. 
• What Melts Faster? Milk, semisweet or dark chocolate?
• Which helps you run faster?  Cleats or turf shoes? Nolan did that one...
• Which creates more static electricity, horse hair or human hair? Maya and Marin did this...they ride horses...their answer was horse hair, which is thicker.

Although Punchy didn't do one, we talked on the way home about Nolan's project....we think maybe the turf shoes were faster but we didn't check the finding. We talked about the horse hair project. The cafeteria was really buzzing with pride and energy.....I think kids are into science projects now, thanks to the internet......earnest tests, silly tests, funny tests, etc....

TCOY

1. Joe's 8 am yoga class. I felt it. I have been absent from my mat.
2. Hot bath with salts.
3. Salad.
4. Good dental care.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

I must say it felt good to use my earnings to pay family bills also, which I don't put here on my daily spending list. This included a payment to Public Service Electric & Gas and another to Dan's brother, Mike. We repaid $1,000 Mike had generously loaned us when we were between freelance paychecks so Punch could join Dan on that fall trip he took to San Francisco for the NY Times Magazine assignment. It was a great journey for them both. [Sis also lends us money sometimes and is always very generous to our family--treating us to elegant dinners, chartered boat rides and much more.] I made an extra Nordstrom credit card payment, too, paying down that lavender wool coat as quickly as I can.

• Montclair Bread Co., $9 including tip.
• Bloomfield parking meter, when I took Punch to dentist, $1.
• Place I went in to get change for meter, bought 2 small [1-ounce] bags chips, $2.
• Kings, half-gallon organic whole milk, bottled drink for Punch, Sharon's mango sorbet for girls, dark chocolate, etc., $22.67.

total daily spend: $34.67.

ongoing monthly spend as of Jan. 7: $891.23.

avg daily spend: $127.32.