nice while it lasted

I was hopeful until 3.

At 3 I began my performance review. At 3:01 I saw a mouse put his head out from under my bookcase. Can you imagine sitting through your performance review while thinking about a mouse? 

The mouse no longer resides here. 

I have two white bleeding heart plants despite the wall catastrophe. Today I saw a white flower on one. I promised not to make my blip page an homage to crows, I never promised not to make it an homage to my garden. 

My wild blue phlox arrived today so as soon as I was done with my drive to the park I planted them. I've wanted phlox for ages. Now I have violet-blue phlox.

NPR has an article that says the crisis is changing Romanians' view of themselves. They viewed themselves as ungenerous toward outsiders, but they've been embracing refugees from Ukraine. Of course, it is easier given shared cultural heritage and long histories of pain as a result of Russia. 

There is a Ukrainian tradition of intricate decorations of eggs, called pysanky. Now people are sharing this art to raise money for Ukraine. People are attending workshops and exhibitions of pysanky. It is done with wax and dipping eggs in dye, repeatedly. 

There is a cafe in Lancaster NY, called Early Bird Bakery and Cafe, that is selling yellow and blue cookies for Ukraine. A teen set up a campaign with them to sell them in her school and added bracelets and pins and raised $6,000 for Save the Children in Ukraine. 

The US is poised to dramatically expand the scope of weapons for Ukraine with a new aid package worth $750 million.