All kinds of freebies

This week, my mood improved. 

It's hard to stay grumpy, in the month of May.

On Sunday, I went to Seal beach.

I drove making mostly left turns only, so the wheel wouldn't squeak.

Seal Beach is at the end of a freeway, so that meant fewer turns.

I got there too late to take pictures, so I visited the seashell store.

On Tuesday, I took the Red car to get smog checked, because it was due this month.

By some miracle, it passed!

They are very specific about how much smog can be emitted at certain RPM.

I think I have good results from my smog place, because the technician is familiar with older cars.

If you don't drive it just right, it could make a difference.

I was grateful for the break. I don't have to do this for another 2 years.

Now I can focus on the Green car.

Wednesday I went to AAA and got a "Moving Permit" for the Green car.

The Green car's tags expired last year, because I didn't smog test it. 

Now, I'm legally able to drive it to and from a mechanic's.

I plan to start get on it, very soon.

At the church office, they were having some problems with this bamboo in the garden.

It was sending runners under the grass, and it was popping up in random places.

It eventually made its way under the sidewalk.

Bamboo really does grow more than 1 foot a day.

It's even under a shed.

This week, the volunteer gardeners began to dig it up.

Yesterday, (Wednesday) I came to the office to find it almost all gone.

I was able to scrounge some random pieces for crafts.

It's a very nice, naturally black bamboo.

I could make all kinds of things.

A few people suggested, just sticking it in a large vase.

I could make a wind chime from the shorter bits, or carve a flute.

Once, I even made a dip pen from a skinny dollar tree bamboo.

As if my day wasn't already full of free stuff, one of my co-workers gave me this container of beads. 

His wife was de-cluttering and was no longer making beaded things. It was very thoughtful! 

I promised to make her something with the beads. 

I hope I follow through, because I never make anybody anything!

I spent the rest of the evening, sorting things out.

Besides the things already sorted out into containers, there were all these loose pearls.

I was able to sort out all of these Swarovski beads, too!

I couldn't help thinking about the choices that this crafter made.

It was interesting to see the similarities and differences.