I kept meaning to pick up my rubber bands for all the things I need to put rubber bands around, but I kept forgetting.

Today I realized that I have string and I have buttons; therefore I can make this thing to put the things in that I would have formery put inside of rubber bands.

Does anyone know what this kind of tie is called?

Displayed is the Gregg shorthand form for taken.

Also displayed is my dog, the back of the condos where I’m considering planting wild raspberry bushes, and a Brazilian mate cup (pronounced:mah-tay). I purchased it with Brazilian yerba before I understood the differences between Argentine and Brazilian mate. Brazilian mate is a lot finer, and I prefer Argentine. I had started using metal mates because I would constantly leave the yerba leaves in the natural gourd and they would never get a chance to dry out; this would encourage bacterial growth which was a hassle to clean out, but I realized that I have since acquired TWO natural gourd mates and can alternate between them, giving them time to dry.