www.inkthinkerblog.com — We bought the palm tree a few months ago to balance out the living room. It started dying immediately. We re-potted it. It kept dying. We tried plant food. It kept dying. We tried watering it more, then less, then the same. It kept dying. We dragged it in front of the sliding door in the afternoons for extra sunlight. It kept dying. On Saturday, we figured out why.

It turns out that Isabel, the cutie pie pictured below, has been peeing in my $80 palm tree since we brought it home. We busted her on Saturday. At first, it seems she did it only every now and then. Based on the length of time we had to run water through the pot to get the cat-pee smell out this weekend, though, it appears that Isabel stepped up her efforts around the time Pickles the pug moved in. We think it started out of curiosity, and got worse because of sibling rivalry.

To prevent recidivism, we’ve moved the plant, thoroughly cleaned and disinfected the spot it used to inhabit, scrubbed the outside of the pot with Clorox to kill any lingering aroma, and covered the dirt with large lava stones so there’s nothing for her to dig in (which actually looks really nice, thank goodness). So far, so good.

The good news is that we’ve solved not only the mystery of the plant, but also the mystery of that strange smell that comes and goes in the living room. But now I need something else to balance out that wall…
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www.kristenkingfreelancing.com
Finalist in 2006 Writer’s Digest Best Writer’s Website Contest

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

www.inkthinkerblog.com — I’m not sure whether I’m going to this because I have a lot going on this Thursday, but I wanted to let you know that NWU is sponsoring a free session on blogging this Thursday at 1 p.m. at 1757 N Street NW. Alice Marshall will talk about effective and ineffective blogging and how you can use your blog as a self-promotion tool. She’ll also discuss the cultural impact of blogs.

Admission is free, and you don’t have to be an NWU member to attend. Please RSVP to Rick Holton. Get more info here.

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www.kristenkingfreelancing.com
Finalist in 2006 Writer’s Digest Best Writer’s Website Contest

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

www.inkthinkerblog.com — This weekend I made some alterations to my website. Although it seemed to be getting the job done, the home page just didn’t feel quite right. It was too formal or something. It didn’t give enough of an idea of my personality. The same thing was happening with the about page. I moved some stuff around, did a little rewriting, and posted new pics. I also tried to draw more attention to ::inkthinker:: in the hopes of giving folks another venue to get to know me, and added a News and Notes section to the home page for announcements. Feedback is welcome, and definitely appreciated!

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www.kristenkingfreelancing.com
Finalist in 2006 Writer’s Digest Best Writer’s Website Contest

Contents Copyright © 2006-2014 Kristen King

www.inkthinkerblog.com —

Thanks to Freecycle, my local hospital, and the Chancellor Recycling center, my more than 100 magazines (and several dozen of my hubby’s mags) are no more! I’ve also gotten rid of the (ugly) porcelain doll I received as a gift, a suitcase we never use, a rolling duffel bag, a demitasse set that’s missing two saucers, and an ugly sugar dish/cream pitcher combo. Woohoo!

I haven’t yet completed the reorganization of the office, but I’m optimistic that I’ll get through it before too long. I’ll be sure to post pictures!

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www.kristenkingfreelancing.com
Finalist in 2006 Writer’s Digest Best Writer’s Website Contest