It's Colder - Equinox and Informed Delivery

Thanks to those who responded to my query for suggestions and recipes for my green cherry tomatoes. It's 44 F right now, so freezing is coming soon and I don't want to waste my lovely tomatoes just because "Winter Is Coming"! Brrrrrr. I was so cold while sleeping this morning that I folded my quilt double. It's a large quilt, but it still didn't cover completely. Guess I'll have to look for a second blanket for these colder nights. 

The very idea of standing outdoors while waiting for the
gym doors to be unlocked sucks. The pool water, however,
will probably feel nice and toasty, so it'll be worth it. 

I have a recommendation for those of my friends in the USA. Unfortunately I think this service is specific to the United States Post Office, but you might want to check your own mail service to see if they offer something similar. The service is called "Informed Delivery" and here's a bit of why I like it so much. 

The USPS may not always get it right, but their
"Informed Delivery" option is fabulous! 

A week or two ago my town's emailed police report featured a story about how my PD was able to break a mail theft ring. Apparently the crooks stole mail from a large area and were well planned with routes and a variety of "helpful" notes. Within the text of the report, the police recommended residents sign up for "Informed Delivery" with the Post Office. I signed up immediately and I've really liked having it. 

Informed Delivery will give you actual scanned B/W images
of the mail that you should expect to have delivered to you
every day. It's rather fabulous. 

We all get days where there is no mail in our box. On days like that, since I usually do have mail, I always have wondered whether my mail has been stolen. Our delivery boxes are at streetside and realistically, almost anyone could open and take. Now I get an email every day with images of the front of each piece of mail that went through the automatic sorting system. I don't get notified about every piece of mail - pieces that don't go through the sorting machinery don't scan - but I do get most of my mail in each daily report. I know what to look for when I collect my mail later that day. 

Not every day will have mail delivery. Sometimes we don't
get any mail in our mailbox. It's good to know that it's
intentional, not that it was stolen. 

It's easy to sign up (you have to set up with a pin number and some security questions, so be prepared to do that), and you'll need to have an email that you can check easily during the day (I use the email from my phone, so it's at hand easily), but it's worth the effort. Chickie managed to mess up her first attempt and had to wait 72 hours before trying again, but she's enrolled now and equally happy. It's a relief to know that an empty mail box is just that - a no mail day. 

It's time to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox. Let's
indulge in the colors of Autumn and the glories of
Nature's last fling before the winter's chill. 

So, on this positive and chilly note, I'm leaving you for the rest of the weekend. Have a glorious weekend, celebrate the Autumnal Equinox tonight (the Equinox will occur at 8:54 pm Central Daylight Time in my household), and celebrate the first day of Autumn tomorrow. I'll be back on Monday.