Things you do only rarely can be fun. Recently I started baking a little bit, and a pineapple-honey coffeecake turned out really well. I think I’ll get some silicone muffin cups to bake in because they’re so easy to clean up afterwards. Those paper liners seem to cement themselves to the muffins.

Next I’m trying either some sauteed cabbage with ginger and cream (terrible for your cholesterol), or vegetable egg rolls and spring rolls. One of these things could be a side dish to take with me on the holidays. The marshmallow fudge I made last year went over pretty well. It is so weird to have anything I cooked praised. When I used to make split pea soup -- and gave jars to my sisters, I am pretty certain they threw it out.

Another thing I am suddenly doing is starting seeds indoors. A couple of celery ends that I put in water grew surprisingly leafy, which was a nice surprise because I have a black thumb and can kill even cactus. Anyway, I put them into a pot with soil. Also planted some carrot seeds. By coincidence, my friend Mike just told me he’s sending me a present of a plastic terrarium box with a grow light. That will be perfect for something like spinach or purslane, which I'll soon have seeds for.

Speaking of nice things in the mail, months ago Mike sent me an Echo Dot and smart bulbs, so I can set up some lights that I could turn on remotely. With the Smart Plug I should be able to turn on lights from far away. In summer, I could turn on a fan without being home, as long as the plug is within range of the wifi. I still have to set this up.