I often buy Edy's fruit popsicles or other high-priced dessert on a stick in favor of ice cream. Although I adore ice cream on a stick, too. A holdover from my grandmother spoiling me.

But when they're priced at close to $5 a box, it begins to get irksome.

So I used some Amazon gift cards to buy a setof 6 BPA-free popiscle molds. then I had some fun browsing recipes for popsicles using yogurt, juices, coconut water and fruit, of course. At least now I can control the sugar content and be sure I'm not eating crappola.

I should get the package tomorrow, along with some "reinforcing fibers" which will allow me to make a larger hypertufa trough that won't crack and can be left out all winter.

My friend R. came over this afternoon with his dog, to catch up. we were going to sit outside with a couple of beers in the shade but he arrived just in time for a massive thunderstorm, so i moved everything into the shelter of the garage and we watched the thunder and lightening show from there.

He visited a chihuahua at the shelter and was thinking of getting him as a companion for his other dog.

I went to a condo open house today to check out a unit at the large, village-like complex i like. It's the only one i can picture myself living at. Well, that one and the associated one which has the same name but which is actually an independent complex. The unit i saw today was totally new inside,with new kitchen, baths, carpeting, paint.

Just 4 rooms: kitchen, big enough for a DR table, a super large living room with fireplace (one part could be a formal dining room), 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. Pull-down storage. Detached garage. Slate patio.

The ktichen had dark wood cabinets with stainless frigidare appliances, nice hardware and bathroom cabinetry matched. Everything new, tastefully done.

Nothing was wrong with it at all except the outdoor patio was not so private and i know this complex has tons of units with much more privacy, which is very important to me. It was fun to look though. $184,900.

They are so affordable now. You could easily find an updated 2 bedroom, 1,400 sf unit for $150 to $180,000, which I could pay cash for if I sold my house.

Taxes in the $3,000 range and common charges high: $500 a month for a 2-bedroom. That's becus the complex has 1,000 acres. Like a little village, plus they have a state of the art new fitness center, garden plots, about a hundred different clubs, library, crafts center, 4 pools, tennis, golf course, lots of large ponds with fountains, etc.

The thought of getting the house ready for sale and moving is just so completely enervating. But I've been looking around thinking about what i would sell or give away and i'm trying to declutter a little at a time.

Like, i have 4 2-drawer file cabinets. 2 of them are stuffed with writing samples of my work over the years; i have tons of extras so i can leave them with a job prospect/interviewer,but they don't often need to keep them. I also have 2 files for personal stuff, but i'm sure i could condense and get rid of 2 file cabinets.

I posted an old rocking chair on craig's list for $25.

It's still raining here. We really needed the rain. It was very dry. the garden will be thankful, although i've already gotten that white powdery mildew on the squashes.

I need to mow but it's been so blasted hot. I work up a sweat just picking a few vegetables.

Oh, yes. The pickles. I'm going to try my hand at turning some excess cucumbers into pickles tomorrow. I have a recipe. It looks pretty easy.