Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff -- Laboring, I Guess

It's vacation, right? So why did we just spend the day working? I painted the trim on the chicken coop (still no eggs, but we're getting close), and repainted the garage doors (again), thanks to hail damage. 
     Picked beans. And basil. Made pesto, and froze it for those coming-up-soon chilly days. 
    Washed clothes. Picked up. Did some biz stuff. 
    At least we slept in this morning, and had a nice leisurely breakfast. 

Stuff noticed while trolling around the Internet this week:
 And you thought you worked hard! Ron Akana will retire Sept. 8 from his work as an airline steward -- after 63 years. "I know I'll miss it, but the time has come. Aching bones and joints," he says. (Guess so, considering he's 84.)

A lion cuddles up to his human buddy. I don't know whether to be thrilled or terrified. (Except the lion acts a little like our dog Charley...)
      This lion video always gives me a lump in the throat...a lion reunites with the guys who raised him from a cub.

A boy finds a waxy yellow 'rock' on the seashore. Turns out it's ambergris, worth more than $30,000! (Ambergris is a vital ingredient in perfume and other products -- and extremely rare. Why? Because basically it's whale vomit, hardened up.)

25 ways to give...and not just money, either. (Thanks, Donna Freedman and Get Rich Slowly.) One of the charities mentioned caught my eye: Christmas At Sea, offered by the Seaman's Church Institute. You can donate knitted or crocheted hats, scarfs and other items for merchant mariners at Christmastime. Patterns are even provided.

A very strange way to see Leo deCaprio over...and over...and over...

50 People you wish you knew.

Remember my connecting about Zeek Rewards going down in flames? Well, the 'Empower Alliance' is trying to grab disgruntled Zeek customers in the sneakiest way imaginable...by advertising their system as the place to invest in now. Don't fall for it!
     By the way, the count is now up to TWO MILLION PEOPLE bilked by Zeek's Ponzi scheme. Sickening. And the receiver currently in charge says "it's going to be a long time" before people see any money. 

A whole series on Extreme Frugality...from Gourmet Magazine. (All sorts of subjects, from zero-spending to bartering. The guy's got a thing for chickens I can relate to, as well..)

Eating well in lean times. Happy at Home's got some good ideas here...and not just on food, either. My latest post for Mid-Life Finance, on squirreling away food for the winter (like pesto!),  may be of help, too.

Animals and people hugging each other....awww. It takes all kinds.

Don't forget -- get your vote in on the latest giveaway. It's wonderful book on baby-related projects by Jennifer Sampou. And it ends soon. 

Have a great week.