i can`t stop buying peonies from the grocery store - they are so delightful as they take their time opening into delicious fluffy blooms.  i sold the last two of my tea towels from last fall`s weaving - i`ve been asked to do some more and i`m working on them now!  :D  and finally, we have an antique shop in our neighbourhood that sells the best dishware at lovely prices.  we`ve gotten familiar with the owners, and can never resist a visit.  the time before last my mother in law bought me a set of plates from the edo period, in a price range above my own.  this time i bought two wonderful cracked dishes from another era and well within my budget (actually cheaper than buying new crap!) - this particular one was made for rinsing sake cups before drinking.  they were repaired in their own time, with actual glass poured in the cracks and rebaked.  (much sturdier than my own father`s technique of painting evaporated milk in the cracks and letting them dry.)  i think it looks fantastic!  i used it to plant the ivy a dear friend gave to me from her own daughter`s wedding bouquet last year.  she also made the quilt by hand from old yukatas, and gave it to me! how lucky am i to have such a thoughtful and talented friend.