Something about Money

People here handle their money differently than in the US.  I’m not talking about how they spend or save it.  I’m talking about how they physically handle the coins and bills.  In the US, people are rather careless with the money they carry.  They wad up their dollar bills and stuff them into wallets and pockets. One dollar bills are frequently faded and wrinkled and sometimes even torn. The bills don’t have to face the same direction and if coins fall on the floor, they aren’t always picked up. Who hasn’t found a penny on the ground?  It’s even considered good luck to find a penny. 

I never find coins on the ground here.  If anyone (usually me) drops coins at the grocery store or on the bus, everyone around scrambles to pick up the coins and return them.  When you give money to a store cashier, you put it in a little tray, not directly into the hand of the cashier.  When you get bills in your change from a cashier, she counts it one direction, turns it over and counts it the other direction, then pinches each bill to make sure two aren’t stuck together.  All cashiers do this.  The bills are always flat and unwrinkled, like they must get ironed at the bank before coming to the store.  There is definitely something different about the money here.

Dragonfly Finish

As it turned out, all of the cross stitches were already done on this little dragonfly, so it didn't take much to finish it.  I had to finish the beads, cut out the pieces and attach the top wings.  The kit was to be a pin, but I think it will be a better Christmas tree ornament.  Here it is my first ornament finish of 2013.