Here’s today’s make something prompt:

Pick a small area indoors or outdoors and inspect it very carefully. Use the details you would normally overlook to inspire you.

I chose the desk in my office—an area I haven’t seen much for the past two weeks. Strictly speaking, tonight is the end of our holiday break. The kids should be going back to school tomorrow, and I should return to work. The weather has other plans. Severe cold and wind are about to pummel the many inches of snow we’ve accumulated here in the western Chicago suburbs. So the schools will be closed. And because running my consulting agency comes second to parenting, Spencer Grace will be operating a very limited schedule tomorrow.

So I felt compelled to at least check in with my workspace this evening. And as I sat at my desk, scanning the paraphernalia I’ve neglected for the past couple weeks, this little item caught my eye:

Under normal circumstances, I might have overlooked this little gizmo. Maybe I would have tucked it into a drawer, thinking casually, “Let’s be sure no one pilfers this away.” (In a family of eight, where everyone is equipped with electronic devices, power sources are in high demand.)

Remembering today’s make something prompt, I gave that do-hickey a bit more thought and attention. Enough, in fact, to compose a limerick in honor of the precious commodity that is the iDevice power adapter.

one adapter comes when you buy
assuring devices a power supply
     since we’re all toting screens
     our plugs should number umpteen
but I believe someone taught them to fly