10-1/2 things to do with a lemon

A lemon in Chicago, that is

Note to previous visitors/anyone with a feed: one of Blogger's shortcomings is the difficulty of changing layouts when you are working with their templates unless you go into the html. The previews show something close, but not quite reality, so I no longer bother using them.

I use this blog as a kind of experiment to see what you get for free and how easy it is for non-techies to use, and I have had real problems moving photos around and getting text into the right places. I lived with an unhappy result on this post for a few days, then couldn't stand it any longer, so I deleted the photos, replaced them all, centering them in order to avoid messing up the text. I was reminded that two would not upload because the file names were over 12 characters, information I've never seen, but experience has proven it true.

You can cross out words that you've edited, so people who've seen an earlier version of the post see what you've edited, but I can't work out any clear way of letting people know you've cleaned up your layout. Open to suggestions.

A blog shouldn't be this much work for neophytes!


The brief but illuminating life of a lemon in Chicago

1. Reflections are always sweet, never sour

A few months ago I was in Arizona, visiting a friend, when a neighbor made us fresh lemonade. We praised it so much that the next day lemons, just-plucked from a nearby tree, were delivered to the door.

2. hat rack

3. loft softener

4. room brightener

Soon after, I flew to Chicago to visit my sister, who had just moved into a new home. She and her husband were downsizing, and it was important to find a gift that would not add clutter. Something ephemeral, but eminently practical. Something that would last, but take up no space.

5. clothes freshener

6. find-the-lemon, a party game

7. warm, fuzzy: heart of gold

Here it is: the perfect lemon gift.

It brightened her home, but only briefly. She can always find it again, by coming here.

And between its brief shelf life and its longer online life, it gave enormous pleasure, for it was, after all, a freshly picked Arizona lemon.

8. Flavorer

9. Condiment

10. Refrigrator choir member

Dear Reader, we ate it.