Found the first clove seed!

I think it was Wednesday, actually. I went out in the back yard for my Wednesday morning round, pick the lilikoi from the back yard - my lilikoi get picked up on Thursdays -, do some weeding, check whether the one avocado is still on the tree (it was, I got to check again, I don't want the rodents to get it, I want it myself), and pick up whatever cloves the tree dropped (not good enough for selling but good enough for me). And there it was, a big brown clove seed with all its pulp. I don't know how soon there will be more but it looks like there will be an end to the wait that's already over a year long for some. As always, I'm not going to go strictly in order of the waiting list. Larger orders will have to wait until there is a good number of seeds coming in daily, and those who are going to have frost sooner will be notified sooner.

In other news, Team Hilo Etsy is getting a bit more active again, I ordered some new seed beads and some brass cable chain as well as some amethyst fan bead sets but neither of those have arrived yet, and work has me as busy as ever (I was going to put a smiley here but I'd have to use somebody else's script for that so: :)). I didn't make the Trash Art Show this year (haven't even looked at it yet) but I hope to be at the Hilo High School Craft Faire again, it's on Dec. 7 this year, but I haven't sent in the paperwork yet.

Still no news on tiare seeds but there are some pods getting bigger.

And an Etsy Treasury by my fellow Team Hilo Etsy team member Marsha Swanson:

'Team Hilo Etsy Part Two' by MRSButtons

More samples from the shops of Team Hilo Etsy, a collection of East Hawaii Island artists/crafters/curators.

Aloha - Love - Driftwood - ... TheWhatNaught $16.5	Turquoise & Shark Teeth Earr... stoneandbone $45
Hawaii Island Coconut Mango ... SapphireSoap $12	Men's Boxer Briefs X-Lar... 2tiedye4 $16
Black Spinel and Fine Silver... FinchandFlower $52	Hawaiian Hula Dance History ... MaiAloha $12
Czech Glass Button - 31.5mm LavaLampwork $6	Slimline Koa Hand Mirror UpcountryDesig... $70
CUSTOM FLAG BANNER - Made to... STUDIOofWHIMSY $25	LAUHALA Woven Flower Pendant... /span> SmittenForYou $12
Men's Shirt Infinite Cir... HexAppealCloth... $20	Cat's Eye Marble origina... Hokulewa $125
Hand Carved Hawaiian coconut... DesignsbyGypsy... $24	Solid Curly Koa Cutting Boar... rightanglewood... $99
Burgundy and light gold colo... hilobeads $45

Sponsored by send bulk email from excel.

Somewhat accidental adventure in plumbing ...

Given that I had to get the Federal tax return in the mail I refrained from taking any plumbing apart at home this morning. It might after all take longer than anticipated, like the last time (which will be the real part II) but as I have a bunch of other things to do outside of work I had to do something (currently working on: do at least one extra thing before work), so I decided to get my medical lab appointment out of the way, what could go wrong?

Go to the lab, go in to leave my urine sample, and the toilet doesn't flush.

Embarrassing to begin with, but I really don't want to take the lab's toilet apart, it may take longer than planned. Thinking this over, I decide to at least look at it, it really is more embarrassing to leave the toilet un-flushed and hold up traffic in the lab. Turned out, the chain had come off the lever. So, I hooked it back on, and at the second attempt it worked. My circulatory plumbing didn't work too well with the phlebotomist unfortunately, but by now there's only a bruise left.

Another Etsy treasury:

'A Taste of HAWAII' by hutsonlinda

This treasury is dedicated to the Team Hilo Etsy who is comprised of many talented crafters who are simply amazing!Hawaii is a land of Aloha and with this said, I extend to you a Taste of Hawaii...

Lava Love Artisan G... SapphireSoap $6.50	Hawaiian Shell Vint... volcanogirlcre... $10.00
Red and yellow eyel... hilobeads $20.00	Lava Flow at Night PhotographsOfH... $40.00
Vintage Button Flow... MRSButtons $25.00	Black Orchid Hawaii... TheWhatNaught $300.00
Vintage Button Eyeg... MRSButtons $30.00	Children Baby Leggi... AnnThenBaby $12.00
Asian Rice Bowls Ma... MaiAlohaVintag... $32.00	BABY BLUE SEA Recyc... LavaLadyGlass $16.99
Blue Handmade Recyc... TheWhatNaught $11.00	Waipio Dawn PhotographsOfH... $100.00
Green Silk Orchid w... HoniHoniCreati... $12.00	Green Hawaiian beac... hilobeads $7.00
Hawaiian Dolls: Kan... menehunebabies $115.00	Clothing dust cover... SewMeHawaii $15.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio

Adventures in plumbing - part 1

Maybe not part 1 as I do most of the plumbing repairs here, but for this time it is. The bathroom sink was getting slow in draining before we went to Kona and it not getting any water run through it for a few days probably did it in. So, a week later it didn't drain to speak of.

Assuming that this was a simple clog in the trap I took a plunger to it, got a bunch of debris out but it still didn't drain. Took the trap out, I know how, I put it in there the last time. There is no @#$%#$ clog in the trap. Figures, that would have been too easy. As I already have the trap out I might as well try to snake it, but there's a 90 degree angle right past the wall, so that's no go, and I don't want to force this because this same drain snake already broke once (I'm working with the shorter piece). I know where that pipe comes out because it has clogged before and my husband opened up a clean out plug about 20 years ago (it was full of sand then, and it most certainly wasn't from us). However, the clean out plug, not having been moved on 20 years won't budge under my weight (on an adjustable wrench) or a hammer on the same wrench. at this point in time the choice is to call a plumber or to try drain cleaner. As we have enzyme drain cleaner (I try to stay away from caustic stuff), after consulting with my husband, I put the drain back together and put the enzyme drain cleaner in, and some hot water until the pipe on the other side of the wall got warm.

As the enzyme drain cleaner says to wait 6 hours I then went about shipping that days orders and to work. (to be continued)

On the Hilo Beads side: If I pick another 3 1/2 pounds of Jobs Tears this weekend I'll have as much again as I did at the beginning of the week.

The title of this treasury matches my mood that day:

'I've Got The Blues Tuesday ' by marieisom

It's a rainy day on the Big Island, Hawaii. Colors are muted and the sky is gray. Using my favorite colors here to help turn those blues into beautiful!

Blue Handmade Recyc... TheWhatNaught $11.00	Men's Boxer Cot... 2tiedye4 $18.00
Blue Yellow Home De... LightheartedDr... $14.00	Hawaiian Sky Book V... MaiAlohaVintag... $8.00
Hawaiian Job's ... hilobeads $15.00	Vase Hand Painted C... redemptionart $20.00
A Glimpse of Lani DesignsByRiko $14.00	Children Baby Onesi... AnnThenBaby $15.00
Kitty Glitter origi... Hokulewa $300.00	antique bottles no.... leapinggazelle $25.00
Vintage Button Magn... MRSButtons $12.50	Canvas Acrylic Pain... FawnAnselmoArt... $28.00
Turquoise Mountain ... SapphireSoap $9.50	barrel shaped bags SewMeHawaii $20.00
Spring Blue Spiral ... stoneandbone $30.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio