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Time of Isolation - Day 1132
Monday, July 31, 2023
Monday media
in which our plucky heroine finds this oddly compelling...
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Time of Isolation - Day 1132
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Time of Isolation - Day 1132
Saturday, July 29, 2023
who is watching the watchers
in which our plucky heroine has grave concerns...
"Nefarious Data Collection Masking as Public Art? An A.I. Company Has Placed Mirrored Spheres Around the World in a Massive Eye-Scanning Project"...
When this article showed up in my newsfeeds, I couldn't help myself from descending to doggerel
"Nefarious Data Collection Masking as Public Art? An A.I. Company Has Placed Mirrored Spheres Around the World in a Massive Eye-Scanning Project"...
When this article showed up in my newsfeeds, I couldn't help myself from descending to doggerel
I do not like this
not one bit
it makes me want to
throw a fit
my eyes are mine
not yours to sell
I do not think
you wish us well
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not one bit
it makes me want to
throw a fit
my eyes are mine
not yours to sell
I do not think
you wish us well
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Time of Isolation - Day 1130
Friday, July 28, 2023
almost too little too late
in which our plucky heroine contemplates future harvest...
This morning early I managed to get out in the backyard and thin the apples, not wanting to have a repeat of the year when too many apples caused a big chunk of the tree to break off. It really would have been better to do this several months ago, when the apples were tiny, and I could have bagged them to prevent insect damage. But at least this way it will be easier to pick them later this autumn... The tree will get pruned again in a few weeks, to thin out the center a bit, and to continue bringing the bearing branches down to where I can easily reach them. The work I did last year has made it easier to get into the center for picking and pruning.
While tracking something else entirely down on YouTube, I ran across this little gem...
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Last night I took about an hour and a half and made up a sports bra from some vintage cotton velour. I hadn't taken into consideration that I am not quite the size I was thirty years ago when I created that pattern. Turned out wearable, but more snug than is comfortable. Since it is such a quick project to sew, I am going to add an inch or two in all directions and try again today... should be just enough to fix it!
today's gratitudes -
1. with patience, I can listen to music online that I either no longer have private access to, or that I never heard in the first place.
2. I found thehidden well-wrapped bacon in the freezer, after first finding the corned beef
3. A BLT is one of two essence of summer foods, rarely eaten but always a treat
This morning early I managed to get out in the backyard and thin the apples, not wanting to have a repeat of the year when too many apples caused a big chunk of the tree to break off. It really would have been better to do this several months ago, when the apples were tiny, and I could have bagged them to prevent insect damage. But at least this way it will be easier to pick them later this autumn... The tree will get pruned again in a few weeks, to thin out the center a bit, and to continue bringing the bearing branches down to where I can easily reach them. The work I did last year has made it easier to get into the center for picking and pruning.
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While tracking something else entirely down on YouTube, I ran across this little gem...
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Last night I took about an hour and a half and made up a sports bra from some vintage cotton velour. I hadn't taken into consideration that I am not quite the size I was thirty years ago when I created that pattern. Turned out wearable, but more snug than is comfortable. Since it is such a quick project to sew, I am going to add an inch or two in all directions and try again today... should be just enough to fix it!
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July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Pelican enamel | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | Pelican pendant setting | grapevines cut back | yard waste bin |
| 3 | indigo shibori popover | backyard mowed | recycle bin |
| 4 | stripey rayon popover | side yard mowed | yard waste bin |
| 5 | reversible rayon pinafore | grey popover mended | recycle bin |
| 6 | small sports bra | x | apple thinings |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. with patience, I can listen to music online that I either no longer have private access to, or that I never heard in the first place.
2. I found the
3. A BLT is one of two essence of summer foods, rarely eaten but always a treat
Time of Isolation - Day 1129
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
free is a very good price
in which our plucky heroine doesn't do much...
One of the benefits of getting up at 5 am is that it is really cool outside at that time, currently. Which means I can cool the house off eversomuch better than if I get up at, say, 8 am. I like this.
I adore crocosmia, have one clump in the front yard near the star magnolia, although I have yet to realise my peculiar ambition of having rose campion growing next to them. (I saw that done once decades ago in someones yard in Olympia, and it made a big impression on my limited outdoor design sense) I turned my bike around and rode back, and chose the smallest of the pots. When I got home, I planted them in a somewhat larger pot than the small flimsy one they were tucked into, watered them, and set them on the front porch guarded by a wire mesh cage against the everpresent squirrel danger.
I figure to keep an eye on them for a few weeks, and once they seem recovered from their transition, I will plant them in another spot in the yard. Then I will have two clumps of crocosmia, maybe even slightly different varieties, who knows... it will be a surprise!!
Decided to take some of my scraps of Polartec and make some travel slippers, and to take some of the pieces of cotton velour and make a few sports bras. I have all the supplies I need to do both of those sets of projects, and it will be pleasant to do a few quick and easy sewing projects that will also fill some gaps in my wardrobe. While eventually I would like to learn how to make constructed bras, that seems like a very complicated project to fit well. Sports bras, made from slightly stretchy but robust fabric, are Very Easy and take only about an hour start to finish...
today's gratitudes -
1. the crocosmia in my front yard are blooming now
2. someone set up a Little Free Plant Library in front of their house
3. Past Me stocked up on a very Useful selection of sewing elastics
One of the benefits of getting up at 5 am is that it is really cool outside at that time, currently. Which means I can cool the house off eversomuch better than if I get up at, say, 8 am. I like this.
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~ summer flowers ~
Today I rode my bike to the post office to mail out the order for the two rainbow beaded fibulae. I like getting to the post office just after they open.. (shop now avoid the rush) On the way home, while riding past what appeared to be a Little Free Plant Library, I realised that what they had "on offer" were some pots of divided crocosmia bulbs! ~ summer flowers ~
I adore crocosmia, have one clump in the front yard near the star magnolia, although I have yet to realise my peculiar ambition of having rose campion growing next to them. (I saw that done once decades ago in someones yard in Olympia, and it made a big impression on my limited outdoor design sense) I turned my bike around and rode back, and chose the smallest of the pots. When I got home, I planted them in a somewhat larger pot than the small flimsy one they were tucked into, watered them, and set them on the front porch guarded by a wire mesh cage against the everpresent squirrel danger.
I figure to keep an eye on them for a few weeks, and once they seem recovered from their transition, I will plant them in another spot in the yard. Then I will have two clumps of crocosmia, maybe even slightly different varieties, who knows... it will be a surprise!!
※※※
Decided to take some of my scraps of Polartec and make some travel slippers, and to take some of the pieces of cotton velour and make a few sports bras. I have all the supplies I need to do both of those sets of projects, and it will be pleasant to do a few quick and easy sewing projects that will also fill some gaps in my wardrobe. While eventually I would like to learn how to make constructed bras, that seems like a very complicated project to fit well. Sports bras, made from slightly stretchy but robust fabric, are Very Easy and take only about an hour start to finish...
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Pelican enamel | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | Pelican pendant setting | grapevines cut back | yard waste bin |
| 3 | indigo shibori popover | backyard mowed | recycle bin |
| 4 | stripey rayon popover | side yard mowed | yard waste bin |
| 5 | reversible rayon pinafore | grey popover mended | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. the crocosmia in my front yard are blooming now
2. someone set up a Little Free Plant Library in front of their house
3. Past Me stocked up on a very Useful selection of sewing elastics
Time of Isolation - Day 1127
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Tuesday tidbits
in which our plucky heroine moves forward in assorted and varied directions...
current audiobook "Eight Flavors" by Sarah Lohman, in the chapter on vanilla, TIL that vanillin is found in some lignins as well as other natural sources, not just within the vanilla bean.I wonder if that is part of why the tree Child Me thought of as the "ice cream tree" (that I now know was the ponderosa pine) has a distinctive scent of sweet vanilla...
that was unexpected... The fortnightly grocery delivery did not end up on the front porch as usual (and as it has been for the last several years). Instead, it was delivered to my pothead neighbors front porch! I am just glad that I happened to be online, noticed the email confirmation, and went outside to see there was no familiar box of produce. Fortunately there is also a photo in the email, showing where the box had been left. If I hadn't seen that, the result might have been no groceries at all, but I was able to retrieve them. I also called the delivery company to let them know of the mixup. Acorn Cottage has large clearly marked house numbers visible from the street. I am guessing a different driver this time?
Today I figured out a way to begin the cosplay clothing my friend Tullia wants me to make for her. I will have her try on the innermost layer later this week and see what changes need to be made. Hopefully not too much. I also happily found a bundle of former pavillion shade sides, made from an old Ikea sheet, which are perfect for use as sewing "muslin"
today's gratitudes -
1. the missing grocery delivery got found, in an odd place but before the frozen food thawed!
2. the tiny lino blocks were hiding under a chair cushion, no idea how that happened, but now I can move forward with the F is for fun project...
3. I can mail an assortment of home canned treats - salsa and sauces and jelly, as well as some masa and the recipe for corn cakes, to my brother and his wife as a gift.
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~ 4cm x 2cm ~
I was answering a friends query about how some Roman buttons may have been made, and remembered that years ago I carved a bronze die matrix of a Scythian running dog, and used it to make decorative plaques from very thin gauge sheet silver and bronze and copper. Still have one finished piece left; created by layering the annealed sheet metal next to the matrix, and then stacking up several layers of thin leather, and hammering it hard enough to drive the metal into the die matrix. It is possible to get multiple copies of the same design, and the fineness of the detail is only limited by ones ability as a carver, and the tools available for carving.~ 4cm x 2cm ~
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current audiobook "Eight Flavors" by Sarah Lohman, in the chapter on vanilla, TIL that vanillin is found in some lignins as well as other natural sources, not just within the vanilla bean.I wonder if that is part of why the tree Child Me thought of as the "ice cream tree" (that I now know was the ponderosa pine) has a distinctive scent of sweet vanilla...
※※※
that was unexpected... The fortnightly grocery delivery did not end up on the front porch as usual (and as it has been for the last several years). Instead, it was delivered to my pothead neighbors front porch! I am just glad that I happened to be online, noticed the email confirmation, and went outside to see there was no familiar box of produce. Fortunately there is also a photo in the email, showing where the box had been left. If I hadn't seen that, the result might have been no groceries at all, but I was able to retrieve them. I also called the delivery company to let them know of the mixup. Acorn Cottage has large clearly marked house numbers visible from the street. I am guessing a different driver this time?
※※※
Today I figured out a way to begin the cosplay clothing my friend Tullia wants me to make for her. I will have her try on the innermost layer later this week and see what changes need to be made. Hopefully not too much. I also happily found a bundle of former pavillion shade sides, made from an old Ikea sheet, which are perfect for use as sewing "muslin"
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Pelican enamel | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | Pelican pendant setting | grapevines cut back | yard waste bin |
| 3 | indigo shibori popover | backyard mowed | recycle bin |
| 4 | stripey rayon popover | side yard mowed | yard waste bin |
| 5 | reversible rayon pinafore | grey popover mended | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. the missing grocery delivery got found, in an odd place but before the frozen food thawed!
2. the tiny lino blocks were hiding under a chair cushion, no idea how that happened, but now I can move forward with the F is for fun project...
3. I can mail an assortment of home canned treats - salsa and sauces and jelly, as well as some masa and the recipe for corn cakes, to my brother and his wife as a gift.
Time of Isolation - Day 1126
Monday, July 24, 2023
now with sprinkles...
in which our plucky heroine enjoys a break in the weather...
continuing to do my best to shift my sleep/wake cycle to early waking and early bedtime. Doing better with the early waking part of that plan, which means I am exhausted in midafternoon. Today was forecast to be cooler than last week, which it seems to be. While I was out on my bike, we had a touch of precipitation. Not enough to call "rain" but I was feeling droplets on my arms, and the pavement gave off that peculiar scent of water on dusty asphalt.
I've been making lists. All kinds of lists. The most interesting are of various projects I want to accomplish in the next few weeks/months. The most useful seem to be a daily to do list. So far today I went to the post office to check on postage rates, which was discouraging but now I know that if folks want me to send them tiny fibulae, it is about $6, which doesn't include any of the packaging, or the PP surcharge. The other services are significantly more spendy, I checked. When I got home I dealt with the entire countertop of Mt Dishmore, which is all now washed and stacked up to air dry. Next up is the muslin of a base layer for SR's Star Wars cosplay clothing. I managed to find some scraps of cotton sheeting to use for XP1, and will be getting that underway later today.
today's gratitudes -
1. Jason suggested that replacing the box fan switch might solve the problem with my fan. I am going to figure out how to do that, aka our plucky heroine makes exploring the fan switch into one of my August "learn something new" projects. Nothing better than an expanded skill set...
2. Trader Joes "Maple Vinaigrette" salad dressing is a new-to-me treat. Tastes one I enjoyed way back in my younger days in New England, when I would go visit Chuck and Joan out in Boxborough.
3. Today's temperature is mild enough that it allows me to take a bike ride in the evening before it gets too dark. This is a rare treat this time of year!
continuing to do my best to shift my sleep/wake cycle to early waking and early bedtime. Doing better with the early waking part of that plan, which means I am exhausted in midafternoon. Today was forecast to be cooler than last week, which it seems to be. While I was out on my bike, we had a touch of precipitation. Not enough to call "rain" but I was feeling droplets on my arms, and the pavement gave off that peculiar scent of water on dusty asphalt.
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~ out and about ~
Some folks garden in a way that brings joy to all that have eyes to see, these dahlias are the very best sort of summertime fireworks... (and some folks also plant things that bring delight to our sense of smell... I love the scent of jasmine... thank you neighbor Carla!)~ out and about ~
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I've been making lists. All kinds of lists. The most interesting are of various projects I want to accomplish in the next few weeks/months. The most useful seem to be a daily to do list. So far today I went to the post office to check on postage rates, which was discouraging but now I know that if folks want me to send them tiny fibulae, it is about $6, which doesn't include any of the packaging, or the PP surcharge. The other services are significantly more spendy, I checked. When I got home I dealt with the entire countertop of Mt Dishmore, which is all now washed and stacked up to air dry. Next up is the muslin of a base layer for SR's Star Wars cosplay clothing. I managed to find some scraps of cotton sheeting to use for XP1, and will be getting that underway later today.
※※※
...wondering if I made a strong herbal tea of sage and rosemary, and mixed it with my current lavender shampoo, if it would then smell a bit more like the late lamented Natures Gate Herbal shampoo. I so very much LOVED the complex delightful scent of the that shampoo, and used it for decades, and have found nothing to take it's place. My current hairwash is a good product, but a bit one dimensional
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July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Pelican enamel | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | Pelican pendant setting | grapevines cut back | yard waste bin |
| 3 | indigo shibori popover | backyard mowed | recycle bin |
| 4 | stripey rayon popover | side yard mowed | yard waste bin |
| 5 | reversible rayon pinafore | grey popover mended | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. Jason suggested that replacing the box fan switch might solve the problem with my fan. I am going to figure out how to do that, aka our plucky heroine makes exploring the fan switch into one of my August "learn something new" projects. Nothing better than an expanded skill set...
2. Trader Joes "Maple Vinaigrette" salad dressing is a new-to-me treat. Tastes one I enjoyed way back in my younger days in New England, when I would go visit Chuck and Joan out in Boxborough.
3. Today's temperature is mild enough that it allows me to take a bike ride in the evening before it gets too dark. This is a rare treat this time of year!
Time of Isolation - Day 1125
Sunday, July 23, 2023
Sunday scraps
in which our plucky heroine has a slow day...
I began making these tiny fibulae at the start of the month, just before I injured my hand. Said hand is now recovered enough that I can continue with this project, and hopefully be able to send some on to the folks that have been patiently waiting... tomorrow I will check at the post office for the shipping costs, and a small flock of little rainbow brooches will be heading out into the world.
One of my phalanx of box fans stopped working. It just wouldn't start this morning. The outlet it plugs into works, and I tried plugging the fan into a different outlet with no joy I took off the grille and looked at the guts, but couldn't see anything like an obvious fuse, which is about the extent of my ability to troubleshoot. I plumb hate planned obsolescence. Jason suggested it might be the switch is broken, which I may try to find out if I can replace, which would be a Tool Girl challenge, but less spendy than replacing the fan itself.
I have been craving some of Sister Gigi's Corn Pancakes, and finally made some today. Most will go into the freezer for future treats, but I had a few with my dinner, topped with homemade salsa verde and a dab of sour cream. So tasty!
today's gratitudes -
1. left hand is recovered enough for making more tiny fibulae, and by tomorrow or the day after, I will have a dozen completed. (I am being careful not to overuse my hand)
2. watched Nimona, and enjoyed it
3. did a hard-for-me thing, that involved asking for help, and it turned out well.
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One of my phalanx of box fans stopped working. It just wouldn't start this morning. The outlet it plugs into works, and I tried plugging the fan into a different outlet with no joy I took off the grille and looked at the guts, but couldn't see anything like an obvious fuse, which is about the extent of my ability to troubleshoot. I plumb hate planned obsolescence. Jason suggested it might be the switch is broken, which I may try to find out if I can replace, which would be a Tool Girl challenge, but less spendy than replacing the fan itself.
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This morning I rode my bike to the Other Grocery Store, the big one that doesn't just sell food, but a little bit of everything. It has been several months since I was last there. Now they have big signs saying "you must show your receipt", and guards at both doors, in addition to their armed security guards. This timeline feels more and more like post apocalyptic
slippery slope and brings to mind some of the scenes in Octavia Butler's "Parable of the Sower".
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I have been craving some of Sister Gigi's Corn Pancakes, and finally made some today. Most will go into the freezer for future treats, but I had a few with my dinner, topped with homemade salsa verde and a dab of sour cream. So tasty!
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Pelican enamel | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | Pelican pendant setting | grapevines cut back | yard waste bin |
| 3 | indigo shibori popover | backyard mowed | recycle bin |
| 4 | stripey rayon popover | side yard mowed | yard waste bin |
| 5 | reversible rayon pinafore | grey popover mended | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. left hand is recovered enough for making more tiny fibulae, and by tomorrow or the day after, I will have a dozen completed. (I am being careful not to overuse my hand)
2. watched Nimona, and enjoyed it
3. did a hard-for-me thing, that involved asking for help, and it turned out well.
Time of Isolation - Day 1124
Saturday, July 22, 2023
Saturday snippets
in which our plucky heroine finally returns to online posts...
Not sure why I just didn't feel like writing, but don't want get so far behind that it becomes difficult to remember anything that happened over the last week
My idea of sewing the pockets on back to back, with one side just a wee bit larger than the other worked like a charm. I barely had enough fabric to cut one layer for the skirt and two layers for the bodice. Since the fabric looks equally pleasing in both sides, this let me have the clean finish on the bodice for reversibility, and also keep the pinafore very lightweight. It is too hot for me to go outside and try to photograph it as worn, so here it is hanging flat in the doorway... (trust me it does look somewhat less wide on me than it does here!)
※※※
Acupuncture on Thursday did yet more good for my back. It was wonderful to have a bit of extra time to chat with SR, who now wants me to do some cosplay sewing for her. I am looking forward to trying some new things, and to use my pattern manipulation skills. After my session with the needles and the massage, Poni and I had a lovely late lunch at XLB. She suggested we try the 5 spice cashews, which were amazing! but then everything I have eaten at XLB is just wonderful. I took the leftovers home and had a yummy dinner.
today's gratitudes -
1. when I was young, we lived in places that had excellent museums, and visited places with excellent museums, and I was able to enjoy visiting them with my family or on school trips
2. being able to sew well enough that I can help folks have things that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to acquire
3. a surprise package on my doorstep from my Mud Bay pals! Fun spray dye to play with botanical resists, (and a pair of headscarf blanks), and some sweet new tea towels for the kitchen, nice herringbone linen stamped with Dala horse silhouettes (from Ikea, obviously!)
Not sure why I just didn't feel like writing, but don't want get so far behind that it becomes difficult to remember anything that happened over the last week
※※※
~ wardrobe planning ~
My reversible travel pinafore has become a reality, through steady effort and a fair amount of mental gymnastics. I didn't end up squaring off the top edge. Figuring out how best to enhance reversibility was challenging. I finished the edges of the bodice with bias binding made from very thin black denim, which had a just right "off-black" color that looked well with both sides of the rayon. I waited to place and sew the pockets in place until I could try it on, and mark pocket placement where it's most comfortable. ~ wardrobe planning ~
My idea of sewing the pockets on back to back, with one side just a wee bit larger than the other worked like a charm. I barely had enough fabric to cut one layer for the skirt and two layers for the bodice. Since the fabric looks equally pleasing in both sides, this let me have the clean finish on the bodice for reversibility, and also keep the pinafore very lightweight. It is too hot for me to go outside and try to photograph it as worn, so here it is hanging flat in the doorway... (trust me it does look somewhat less wide on me than it does here!)
※※※
Acupuncture on Thursday did yet more good for my back. It was wonderful to have a bit of extra time to chat with SR, who now wants me to do some cosplay sewing for her. I am looking forward to trying some new things, and to use my pattern manipulation skills. After my session with the needles and the massage, Poni and I had a lovely late lunch at XLB. She suggested we try the 5 spice cashews, which were amazing! but then everything I have eaten at XLB is just wonderful. I took the leftovers home and had a yummy dinner.
※※※
When chatting with my pal Leslie on Tuesday, we got into a discussion about shibori dyeing, which might be a fun technique to revisit. It seems like just yesterday, but really was more like eight years ago the time we played with indigo... There are various ways to stitch ori-nui shibori, and I know that there are more ideas I want to try.
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Pelican enamel | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | Pelican pendant setting | grapevines cut back | yard waste bin |
| 3 | indigo shibori popover | backyard mowed | recycle bin |
| 4 | stripey rayon popover | side yard mowed | yard waste bin |
| 5 | reversible rayon pinafore | grey popover mended | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. when I was young, we lived in places that had excellent museums, and visited places with excellent museums, and I was able to enjoy visiting them with my family or on school trips
2. being able to sew well enough that I can help folks have things that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to acquire
3. a surprise package on my doorstep from my Mud Bay pals! Fun spray dye to play with botanical resists, (and a pair of headscarf blanks), and some sweet new tea towels for the kitchen, nice herringbone linen stamped with Dala horse silhouettes (from Ikea, obviously!)
Time of Isolation - Day 1123
Monday, July 17, 2023
Monday musings
in which our plucky heroine cools off...
Since it doesn't seem that we will see many more cool days for a while now, it is time to deploy the bedroom AC. Last year, the "waste heat" blown out into the side yard rather cooked my small plum tree, drying much of the leaves to a crispy brown, and prematurely turning the fruit to unripe prunes. Lest that happen again, something must be done. The best option would be to move the unit to the other bedroom window, which has no trees nearby. But for now, I managed to drag a sheet of plywood from the carport and tilt it up to lean against the window awning as a deflector. It is far enough from the unit that it shouldn't overheat in any kind of dangerous fashion, and it sends the warm air out to either side, away from the tree. It certainly isn't the most elegant of solutions, but a useful kludge.
Now that the yard has been mowed, every morning is an opportunity to do a (very) modest amount of pruning. All the fruit trees need attention, as summer pruning is the best way to continue to keep them small, or to make them smaller. So far I have thinned out the side yard plum, done a bit of cutting back of the quince (still needs more!) partially deadheaded the sage, and trimmed back some of the foliage overhanging the sidewalk. Still LOTS more to do, but one benefit of getting up crazy early is that it is cool enough that I can do yard things in comparative coolness. My hand is still quite sore from my fall, so any two handed garden tasks are really not possible, like using the loppers, but I can make small cuts with the Felco pruners. Yay for that!
... after our Sewing Nomads meeting on Saturday, I was so inspired by CCL making a rayon pinafore, I thought such a thing would be very suitable for summertime. After a good rummage around in my fabric on Sunday... I realised I don't have very much rayon at all!
I was able to find one piece that was large enough to hopefully cut out pinafore pieces, if I'm careful. It is a grey/off-black tiny shibori dot print (dark on one side and lighter on the other); I might be able to make the pinafore reversible, which would be great for travel! I'll use something other than self fabric for the edge binding, for easier construction and to save fabric. If I forgo my favorite huge "teacher pockets" (which gobble up a lot of fabric) but instead make good sized patch pockets, I can stack pockets back to back for true reversibility.
Today I went looking for my favorite TNT pinafore pattern, and it seems to have disappeared, (along with my favorite blouse pattern, but that is less critical because I am not planning on making a blouse this summer) While I know they are somewhere in the house, because hello, I wouldn't have discarded them... I do not want to spend hours hunting them down. I am wondering if I can just wing it? and maybe make a gathered skirt pinafore instead, which would be a lot faster than cutting and finishing gores, as it would just entail a few straight seams rather than 8 or 9 off grain seams. I wouldn't try that style with any other and more robust fabric, but the rayon is really light and drapey, so I think it wouldn't end up too bunchy around the middle... Hmmmm....
today's gratitudes -
1. the medtech at the grocery store where I got my bivalent vaccine was wearing a mask
2. made another popover rayon top, this one in a black/white stripe, and I played around with stripe directions.
3. my poor battered left hand continues improving, albeit very slowly, because soft tissue damage is slow to heal. But I can use it for gentle tasks now, which is better than a week ago
Since it doesn't seem that we will see many more cool days for a while now, it is time to deploy the bedroom AC. Last year, the "waste heat" blown out into the side yard rather cooked my small plum tree, drying much of the leaves to a crispy brown, and prematurely turning the fruit to unripe prunes. Lest that happen again, something must be done. The best option would be to move the unit to the other bedroom window, which has no trees nearby. But for now, I managed to drag a sheet of plywood from the carport and tilt it up to lean against the window awning as a deflector. It is far enough from the unit that it shouldn't overheat in any kind of dangerous fashion, and it sends the warm air out to either side, away from the tree. It certainly isn't the most elegant of solutions, but a useful kludge.
※※※
Now that the yard has been mowed, every morning is an opportunity to do a (very) modest amount of pruning. All the fruit trees need attention, as summer pruning is the best way to continue to keep them small, or to make them smaller. So far I have thinned out the side yard plum, done a bit of cutting back of the quince (still needs more!) partially deadheaded the sage, and trimmed back some of the foliage overhanging the sidewalk. Still LOTS more to do, but one benefit of getting up crazy early is that it is cool enough that I can do yard things in comparative coolness. My hand is still quite sore from my fall, so any two handed garden tasks are really not possible, like using the loppers, but I can make small cuts with the Felco pruners. Yay for that!
※※※
... after our Sewing Nomads meeting on Saturday, I was so inspired by CCL making a rayon pinafore, I thought such a thing would be very suitable for summertime. After a good rummage around in my fabric on Sunday... I realised I don't have very much rayon at all!
I was able to find one piece that was large enough to hopefully cut out pinafore pieces, if I'm careful. It is a grey/off-black tiny shibori dot print (dark on one side and lighter on the other); I might be able to make the pinafore reversible, which would be great for travel! I'll use something other than self fabric for the edge binding, for easier construction and to save fabric. If I forgo my favorite huge "teacher pockets" (which gobble up a lot of fabric) but instead make good sized patch pockets, I can stack pockets back to back for true reversibility.
Today I went looking for my favorite TNT pinafore pattern, and it seems to have disappeared, (along with my favorite blouse pattern, but that is less critical because I am not planning on making a blouse this summer) While I know they are somewhere in the house, because hello, I wouldn't have discarded them... I do not want to spend hours hunting them down. I am wondering if I can just wing it? and maybe make a gathered skirt pinafore instead, which would be a lot faster than cutting and finishing gores, as it would just entail a few straight seams rather than 8 or 9 off grain seams. I wouldn't try that style with any other and more robust fabric, but the rayon is really light and drapey, so I think it wouldn't end up too bunchy around the middle... Hmmmm....
※※※
Not only are two of my favorite patterns missing, but the Anker battery charging brick, and my travel toiletries bag. I just don't understand how things can disappear in such a small house!
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Pelican enamel | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | Pelican pendant setting | grapevines cut back | yard waste bin |
| 3 | indigo shibori popover | backyard mowed | recycle bin |
| 4 | stripey rayon popover | side yard mowed | - |
| 5 | - | grey popover mended | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. the medtech at the grocery store where I got my bivalent vaccine was wearing a mask
2. made another popover rayon top, this one in a black/white stripe, and I played around with stripe directions.
3. my poor battered left hand continues improving, albeit very slowly, because soft tissue damage is slow to heal. But I can use it for gentle tasks now, which is better than a week ago
Time of Isolation - Day 1120
drone light show
drone light show
Saturday, July 15, 2023
time it was...
in which our plucky heroine copes attempts to cope with the hot weather...
Another morning which started out extra early - up at just after 6 to turn on the fans, then go out riding my bike... this time I rode through the park. Indeed, the linden trees are flowering, and between those and the jasmine in Carla's yard, there is some lovely sweetness in the air. I also was noticing the scent of woodsmoke cookery (probably from one of our local barbeque restaurants), which sent my memory back to wandering the eight in the early morning at OCF, as various food booths began ramping up for breakfasts. My first visit to the Fair was in 1985, and a year or two later I began volunteering as security staff, which I did for the better part of ten or so years. Every summer I'd turn my schedule topsy turvy for the four days, working a midnight to six AM shift at Main Gate, and trying to sleep for the better part of the afternoon. My mind is packed with so many strong memories of those good years. All that time OCF was the hub that my year wheeled around. Another time I will miss forever...
※※※
I cut out and sewed together another popover top, using the remains of the faux shibori indigo rayon fabric. There was enough that I made it a bit more of a tunic length, so it can be a sleep shirt as well, which will be handy when I travel. I have two more lengths to play with, and am currently almost done cutting out the black/white stripey rayon, intending to play with the directions of the stripes.
I've made an appointment for my second bivalent COVID booster, with the intention that I will then be far enough past it by the time hopefully later this autumn that new improved vaccines are released. That said, I will never feel good about getting vaccinated in a grocery store. Never. It just always feels sketchy to me. Plus it involves spending more time inside a store than I want to. It felt safer getting vaccinated in a parking lot, or in an auditorium, or even in a medical facility as at least there were emergency personnel on hand.
today's gratitudes -
1. while rummaging in a futile attempt to find travel kit, I instead turned up my missing Great Big Sea CD's Whoot!! Their music just makes me so happy, and I remember the delightful concert I went to with my pal Dayna!
2. I was feeling annoyed that I couldn't find my inflatable travel neck pillow. Then I realised that it would be unuseable because I would have to remove my P100 in order to inflate it on the plane, so I could stop trying to find it, and figure out a different option. Just like how I couldn't find my travel toiletries bag, but remembered that we now have to put our things into a quart size ziploc for inspection anyway, so why need to put things into a pretty case anymore
3. Sister Gigi sent me the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook, and she even had it signed by the author for me. What fun! I am looking forward to both reading it and to trying out some of the recipes...
Another morning which started out extra early - up at just after 6 to turn on the fans, then go out riding my bike... this time I rode through the park. Indeed, the linden trees are flowering, and between those and the jasmine in Carla's yard, there is some lovely sweetness in the air. I also was noticing the scent of woodsmoke cookery (probably from one of our local barbeque restaurants), which sent my memory back to wandering the eight in the early morning at OCF, as various food booths began ramping up for breakfasts. My first visit to the Fair was in 1985, and a year or two later I began volunteering as security staff, which I did for the better part of ten or so years. Every summer I'd turn my schedule topsy turvy for the four days, working a midnight to six AM shift at Main Gate, and trying to sleep for the better part of the afternoon. My mind is packed with so many strong memories of those good years. All that time OCF was the hub that my year wheeled around. Another time I will miss forever...
※※※
I cut out and sewed together another popover top, using the remains of the faux shibori indigo rayon fabric. There was enough that I made it a bit more of a tunic length, so it can be a sleep shirt as well, which will be handy when I travel. I have two more lengths to play with, and am currently almost done cutting out the black/white stripey rayon, intending to play with the directions of the stripes.
※※※
I need to find someone to help me move the window AC from the side window, which faces the small plum tree, to the back window which just faces the backyard. Last year the waste heat from the AC turned half the plum tree and its plums to crispy, and I don't want to have that happen again. But I can't move the AC unit by myself, and it has become hot enough in the afternoon and evening that I do want to use it. Today it was over 95F on my front porch in the shade.
※※※
I've made an appointment for my second bivalent COVID booster, with the intention that I will then be far enough past it by the time hopefully later this autumn that new improved vaccines are released. That said, I will never feel good about getting vaccinated in a grocery store. Never. It just always feels sketchy to me. Plus it involves spending more time inside a store than I want to. It felt safer getting vaccinated in a parking lot, or in an auditorium, or even in a medical facility as at least there were emergency personnel on hand.
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Pelican enamel | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | Pelican pendant setting | grapevines cut back | yard waste bin |
| 3 | indigo shibori popover | backyard mowed | recycle bin |
| 4 | - | side yard mowed | - |
| 5 | - | grey popover mended | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. while rummaging in a futile attempt to find travel kit, I instead turned up my missing Great Big Sea CD's Whoot!! Their music just makes me so happy, and I remember the delightful concert I went to with my pal Dayna!
2. I was feeling annoyed that I couldn't find my inflatable travel neck pillow. Then I realised that it would be unuseable because I would have to remove my P100 in order to inflate it on the plane, so I could stop trying to find it, and figure out a different option. Just like how I couldn't find my travel toiletries bag, but remembered that we now have to put our things into a quart size ziploc for inspection anyway, so why need to put things into a pretty case anymore
3. Sister Gigi sent me the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook, and she even had it signed by the author for me. What fun! I am looking forward to both reading it and to trying out some of the recipes...
Time of Isolation - Day 1118
Thursday, July 13, 2023
make and mend
in which our plucky heroine has taken up afternoon napping...
I am not sure why this is becoming a thing, other than perhaps as a counterpart to the waking up at first light. But if that means I can continue to keep the house fairly cool during these heat advisory alerts, I will put up with the falling asleep at around 3pm...
Today we managed to get the zoom room to work, and I was able to have a bit more than a half hour video visit with Mom... She was more conversationally engaged than the last time we chatted which gave me good feelings. She was happy to hear that I will be visiting her in the future. Also when I phoned in a bit earlier to try and connect with Bethany, the person who answered the phone (not Bethany) said she knew who my mom was, and that they all liked her.
Finally sorted out the paperwork issues for my medical supplies. Only took two weeks of my making almost daily phone calls to the pharmacy and my PCP clinic. The pharmacy manager now knows me by name. Fortunately we manage to laugh about the dreadful and ridiculous topsy turvy issues to sort things like this out, and fortunately the prescription that was bollixed was not one that was mission critical, just somewhat challenging to do without.
today's gratitudes -
1. persistence and humor in the face of gummint paperwork
2. the Pelican is off on its journey to July Coronation - I don't go to the event, but my handicraft does
3. ice cubes, and a chest freezer to keep them frozen and keep making more
I am not sure why this is becoming a thing, other than perhaps as a counterpart to the waking up at first light. But if that means I can continue to keep the house fairly cool during these heat advisory alerts, I will put up with the falling asleep at around 3pm...
※※※
~ Pelican regalia ~
I spent all my functional two-handed time yesterday building the setting and setting the enamel. By the time it was complete, I was done, at least done with all the tasks that needed both my hands. I am really happy with how this one turned out, and so was C when she came to pick it up this morning...~ Pelican regalia ~
※※※
Today we managed to get the zoom room to work, and I was able to have a bit more than a half hour video visit with Mom... She was more conversationally engaged than the last time we chatted which gave me good feelings. She was happy to hear that I will be visiting her in the future. Also when I phoned in a bit earlier to try and connect with Bethany, the person who answered the phone (not Bethany) said she knew who my mom was, and that they all liked her.
※※※
Back in 2015 I made a grey popover summer dress, which I loved dearly and wore often. Eight years is a good long lifespan for a rayon garment, and earlier this year the fabric under my daypack strap zone became completely abraded. There was plenty of fabric still left in the lower half of the dress that large patches could be cut to replace the outer edges of the upper half to down below the worn away bits, and my hope and intention is to get a bit more wear from it as a popover top (to be worn under or over a pinafore)
※※※
Finally sorted out the paperwork issues for my medical supplies. Only took two weeks of my making almost daily phone calls to the pharmacy and my PCP clinic. The pharmacy manager now knows me by name. Fortunately we manage to laugh about the dreadful and ridiculous topsy turvy issues to sort things like this out, and fortunately the prescription that was bollixed was not one that was mission critical, just somewhat challenging to do without.
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Pelican enamel | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | Pelican setting | grapevines cut back | yard waste bin |
| 3 | - | backyard mowed | recycle bin |
| 4 | - | side yard mowed | - |
| 5 | - | grey popover mended | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. persistence and humor in the face of gummint paperwork
2. the Pelican is off on its journey to July Coronation - I don't go to the event, but my handicraft does
3. ice cubes, and a chest freezer to keep them frozen and keep making more
Time of Isolation - Day 1116
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Tuesday tidbits
in which our plucky heroine maintains forward momentum...
My hand is improved enough that I can manage to use it for delicate work, though not yet for anything requiring strength. Some house chores are getting done.
I made a wonderful (if incidentally vegetarian) lasagna a few days ago - used up spinach I had steamed (chopped small) and some rehydrated dried shitaki (also chopped small and then sauteed with onion) as inner layers, along with cheese and my homemade tomato sauce. I usually add some cooked chopped meat or sausage, but all the meat is buried some ways down in the freezer, and I didn't want to try and rummage around with one hand. The mushrooms served the same function albeit with a different flavor profile, and I will definitely remember to try this combination again!
So very happy that my pal Tamra came over here on Monday in the middle of the day to cut back my shaggy yard. She did yeoman service in making the backyard passable again, which was not an easy task. The yard is not flat, and parts had been neglected since early spring. Now I have access to do needed pruning, and cut back the things that the string trimmer couldn't tackle, and prune back the apple tree, and hack away at the Feral Rosebushes so they don't hack away at me, and suchlike. She also cut the grass in the south side yard, I can now get to the quince and the plum to keep them pruned back as well. I will have to think of something really nice to do for her, since she did such a nice thing for me!
Sometimes I feel like my writing here is becoming very boring, but this blog is after all a somewhat attenuated record of my everyday life, which is purposely not terribly exciting. I am continuing to do most of the various things in my life, albeit slowly.
It sort of alarms me when my "things made" column is empty, so completing the current enamel was a bit of a relief. I'm thinking that one of the four other enamels waiting for me to build their settings mightbe better need to be redone, as the background is looking like it might crack, which would be a disaster were it to happen once it leaves my studio. It would be another two or three days work to redo the enamel, but that time is well worth it compared to harming my good name.
today's gratitudes -
1. cool mornings, and waking up early so I can enjoy them
2. My pal Tamra who went way above and beyond to mow my yard
3. pruning the sage plant is a way to enjoy the delightful scent... it isn't finished yet though, because I don't want to remove the parts that are still flowering, because bumblebees!
My hand is improved enough that I can manage to use it for delicate work, though not yet for anything requiring strength. Some house chores are getting done.
I made a wonderful (if incidentally vegetarian) lasagna a few days ago - used up spinach I had steamed (chopped small) and some rehydrated dried shitaki (also chopped small and then sauteed with onion) as inner layers, along with cheese and my homemade tomato sauce. I usually add some cooked chopped meat or sausage, but all the meat is buried some ways down in the freezer, and I didn't want to try and rummage around with one hand. The mushrooms served the same function albeit with a different flavor profile, and I will definitely remember to try this combination again!
※※※
~ outdoor views ~
This is the underside of a lovage seed head... The plant itself is pretty architectural, the blossom stalks are taller than I am. I planted it for the taste of the leaves, which occasionally are used in soups and stews etc. It is a stronger version of the celery flavor, and since it is perennial, I will probably have it forever, which form of "celery self sufficiency" was my intention. (While the seeds can be pickled, and were so in Roman times, the one time I tried it I didn't end up using them. Maybe next year I will try again and see if they would work well similar to capers?)~ outdoor views ~
※※※
So very happy that my pal Tamra came over here on Monday in the middle of the day to cut back my shaggy yard. She did yeoman service in making the backyard passable again, which was not an easy task. The yard is not flat, and parts had been neglected since early spring. Now I have access to do needed pruning, and cut back the things that the string trimmer couldn't tackle, and prune back the apple tree, and hack away at the Feral Rosebushes so they don't hack away at me, and suchlike. She also cut the grass in the south side yard, I can now get to the quince and the plum to keep them pruned back as well. I will have to think of something really nice to do for her, since she did such a nice thing for me!
※※※
~ regalia - it is what I make ~
I've been working every day on this current Pelican medallion, which must needs completed before the event this weekend. Grateful that my bruised hand is continuing to recover enough that I can work. Today I am beginning to build the pendant setting for this piece, slowly and carefully. Another few hours and it will be completed, the enamel set, and the whole thing polished and packed for travel...~ regalia - it is what I make ~
※※※
Sometimes I feel like my writing here is becoming very boring, but this blog is after all a somewhat attenuated record of my everyday life, which is purposely not terribly exciting. I am continuing to do most of the various things in my life, albeit slowly.
It sort of alarms me when my "things made" column is empty, so completing the current enamel was a bit of a relief. I'm thinking that one of the four other enamels waiting for me to build their settings might
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Pelican enamel | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | - | grapevines cut back | - |
| 3 | - | backyard mowed | - |
| 4 | - | side yard mowed | - |
| 5 | - | - | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. cool mornings, and waking up early so I can enjoy them
2. My pal Tamra who went way above and beyond to mow my yard
3. pruning the sage plant is a way to enjoy the delightful scent... it isn't finished yet though, because I don't want to remove the parts that are still flowering, because bumblebees!
Time of Isolation - Day 1114
Sunday, July 9, 2023
weekend whatnots
in which our plucky heroine returns to the workroom...
despite the heat, which I've been somewhat able to ameliorate by waking up really really early to run the window fans. Several get set up to pull the cooler early morning air into the house, and the exhaust fans and another one get set up to pull the warm house air outside. It works fairly well as long as the outdoors cools down to around 60F or below at night... I still prefer enameling in the wintertime though!
I just found out that the new site chosen to replace our closed city neighborhood pool is significantly further away from Acorn Cottage, and will require a much longer walk to get to any nearby transit as well. I could possibly ride my bike there, but since the new aquatic center is not scheduled to be completed before 2030, (assuming the funding issue is solved) those concerns may be sadly moot.
today's gratitudes -
1. cool grey mornings several days this last week
2. skin cancer checkup at Dermatology was clear again, so I am now on a once a year schedule instead of once every sixmonth, yay!
3. some useful suggestions from my Crafternoon pals
despite the heat, which I've been somewhat able to ameliorate by waking up really really early to run the window fans. Several get set up to pull the cooler early morning air into the house, and the exhaust fans and another one get set up to pull the warm house air outside. It works fairly well as long as the outdoors cools down to around 60F or below at night... I still prefer enameling in the wintertime though!
※※※
I've been busy working on the current Pelican medallion, which is shown here with the first few layers partially fused, and hope to have the enameling done in the next day or two. As I build up the layers of colored enamel, and add counter-enamel to the backing, it will fuse smoothly and eventually be ready to grind and polish to finished contours. Then I can build the pendant setting and hand it off to be transported to the new recipient... (I really like the new opaque blue enamel for backgrounds.)
※※※
I just found out that the new site chosen to replace our closed city neighborhood pool is significantly further away from Acorn Cottage, and will require a much longer walk to get to any nearby transit as well. I could possibly ride my bike there, but since the new aquatic center is not scheduled to be completed before 2030, (assuming the funding issue is solved) those concerns may be sadly moot.
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | - | many apples thinned | recycle bin |
| 2 | - | grapevines cut back | - |
| 3 | - | - | - |
| 4 | - | - | - |
| 5 | - | - | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. cool grey mornings several days this last week
2. skin cancer checkup at Dermatology was clear again, so I am now on a once a year schedule instead of once every sixmonth, yay!
3. some useful suggestions from my Crafternoon pals
Time of Isolation - Day 1112
Thursday, July 6, 2023
it's hot and I'm tired
in which our plucky heroine remains fairly feeble...
It is deep summer. The weather is hot, the sky cloudless. The air is hazy, as smoke from various (mostly Canadian) fires drifts our way, though that will change as the weather patterns of high and low pressure move about. I have been waking up Very Early and running the box fans to keep the house temperature moderate, which has been successful so far, in spite of the Heat Advisory alert we are under.
Today Poni came over to drive me to my acupuncture appointment. I will definitely need more acupuncture/massage to sort of the derangement of my mid and lower back. (it isn't just my SI joint but also one of my ribs! which is pulling everything out of alignment, and explains why I have pain in my mid back as well as my tailbone) We were able to make a speedy stop at Costco, where I was quite pleased to acquire a bag of pecans, and a bag of frozen blueberries (can you say happier breakfasts!). Afterwards we also stopped at Ranch Market 99 and got some takeout dim sum, which made a happy lunch meal as well!
today's gratitudes -
1.takeout chinese food yum yum
2. unexpected very speedy Costco trip
3. a restful nap
It is deep summer. The weather is hot, the sky cloudless. The air is hazy, as smoke from various (mostly Canadian) fires drifts our way, though that will change as the weather patterns of high and low pressure move about. I have been waking up Very Early and running the box fans to keep the house temperature moderate, which has been successful so far, in spite of the Heat Advisory alert we are under.
※※※
~ out and about ~
since we are in the middle of a heat advisory, and I woke up just before dawn, an early morning walk seemed like the best of ideas. The sun was up, but not yet UP, so it was light out, and pleasantly cool. I decided to walk in a very different direction than my usual ramble, and just after I turned around to head home again, I saw this bumblebee still fast asleep...~ out and about ~
※※※
Today Poni came over to drive me to my acupuncture appointment. I will definitely need more acupuncture/massage to sort of the derangement of my mid and lower back. (it isn't just my SI joint but also one of my ribs! which is pulling everything out of alignment, and explains why I have pain in my mid back as well as my tailbone) We were able to make a speedy stop at Costco, where I was quite pleased to acquire a bag of pecans, and a bag of frozen blueberries (can you say happier breakfasts!). Afterwards we also stopped at Ranch Market 99 and got some takeout dim sum, which made a happy lunch meal as well!
※※※
I have posted a FB request for help with my shaggy lawn. I started to weed whack it in June and before I was halfway through, I hurt my back, which is still not functional, and then on Monday I fell badly and banged up my left hand. My doctor says "absolutely not" to my using any power tools until I am healed. I need just a few hours of yard help (and it could be done in smaller chunks of time, maybe by several folks ... (I don't care if it gets raked, but it does need cut back down) I was going to hire the neighbor boy to help me, but he is away traveling in Europe until sometime in August, and I would really like it cut back sooner than that.
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July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | - | - | recycle bin |
| 2 | - | - | - |
| 3 | - | - | - |
| 4 | - | - | - |
| 5 | - | - | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1.takeout chinese food yum yum
2. unexpected very speedy Costco trip
3. a restful nap
Time of Isolation - Day 1110
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
give it a rest already...
in which our plucky heroine imitates the Red Queen...
...for the last few days it has been one medusoid damnthing after another, and I keep somehow doing my best to sort out the tangles, only to have new ones arise.
I have been waiting for my hand to be recovered enough from the fall on Monday, ie less swollen, that I can return to my studio work. I should be able to begin again probably either this evening or tomorrow morning, and can begin on the blue pelican medallion. Fortunately the wires are already shaped. One could wish that there was not a red alert head advisory, but I will have to just cope, using hydration and evaporative cooling.
Not being able to do handwork is challenging my equanimity, as is not being able to ride my bicycle, those being my two accessible forms of stress relief and mental health maintenance... I can envision a day that is a counterbalance to the now, and if it ever shows up, I will welcome it with gratitude. (that those counterbalance days live mostly in the Before Times is another story entirely, that I have found any equilibrium in the last three years is still surprising to me)
Unfortunately, my outgoing flight has a very similar problem, since the MAX Red Line to the airport here is undergoing renovation until at least October; I will need to start the long journey day by getting up around 4AM, spend two hours on workaround transit, two hours sitting around at the airport, and then over five hours in the air. I so miss how just a few years ago that taking the train was a spendy but possible option, and I was able to enjoy several cross country trips that were a true vacation rather than an endurance and obstacle course!
today's gratitudes -
1. during my art zoom with Leslie, she came up with the idea that the next few weeks of my recovery could be a kind of sabbatical, where I did research and sketching (which only needs one hand) in service to future artistry. Having an art pal is such a treat
2. my insomnia that has me waking up at 4:30 before dawn is allowing me to run the fans while it is actually coolish outside, which is keeping the house slightly cooler.
3. the medusoid damnthings have not crushed me.
...for the last few days it has been one medusoid damnthing after another, and I keep somehow doing my best to sort out the tangles, only to have new ones arise.
※※※
I have been waiting for my hand to be recovered enough from the fall on Monday, ie less swollen, that I can return to my studio work. I should be able to begin again probably either this evening or tomorrow morning, and can begin on the blue pelican medallion. Fortunately the wires are already shaped. One could wish that there was not a red alert head advisory, but I will have to just cope, using hydration and evaporative cooling.
※※※
Not being able to do handwork is challenging my equanimity, as is not being able to ride my bicycle, those being my two accessible forms of stress relief and mental health maintenance... I can envision a day that is a counterbalance to the now, and if it ever shows up, I will welcome it with gratitude. (that those counterbalance days live mostly in the Before Times is another story entirely, that I have found any equilibrium in the last three years is still surprising to me)
※※※
I have begun planning my trip back East to see my mother. So, I guess it is time to get another booster vaccine to try and increase my viral resistance before traveling. And to try and track down my travel gear, and decide on how little I can manage with, since these days checking baggage is an extra fee, and with my arm and hand all wonky, I don't think I will be able to lift a full if small carry-on into the overhead bins. My first attempt to make an airline reservation did not take into account the travel time from where my brother lives to the airport, or into account the needing to be at the airport two hours ahead of departure. I was fortunately able to change my return ticket to a flight that would not require asking my brother to get up in the wee small hours of the night. Unfortunately, my outgoing flight has a very similar problem, since the MAX Red Line to the airport here is undergoing renovation until at least October; I will need to start the long journey day by getting up around 4AM, spend two hours on workaround transit, two hours sitting around at the airport, and then over five hours in the air. I so miss how just a few years ago that taking the train was a spendy but possible option, and I was able to enjoy several cross country trips that were a true vacation rather than an endurance and obstacle course!
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | - | - | - |
| 2 | - | - | - |
| 3 | - | - | - |
| 4 | - | - | - |
| 5 | - | - | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. during my art zoom with Leslie, she came up with the idea that the next few weeks of my recovery could be a kind of sabbatical, where I did research and sketching (which only needs one hand) in service to future artistry. Having an art pal is such a treat
2. my insomnia that has me waking up at 4:30 before dawn is allowing me to run the fans while it is actually coolish outside, which is keeping the house slightly cooler.
3. the medusoid damnthings have not crushed me.
Time of Isolation - Day 1109
Monday, July 3, 2023
gravity is a harsh mistress
in which our plucky heroine fall down go boom...
I was on my way home from an appointment this morning when an irregularity in the street pavement caught my foot and I went right down flat in the crosswalk. Painful mortifying hollering great big nauseating ouch... I landed mostly on my left hand first of all, and I suspect that my P100 kept my face from being second of all. An elderly man helped me back up, and found my phone that flew out of my pocket, and walked me over to the MAX stop - all I could think of to do was to go to the doctors office, which was only a stop away.
Although I wasn't really thinking clearly, this course of action turned out okay, as there was a gap in the schedule they fit me in with less than an hour wait. Four xrays later I was sent home with a couple of cold packs, and told that the radiologist would review the images. The doc I say said it was possible but unlikely that there was a crack in the bone, and to just take it easy, take tylenol, and keep it elevated and iced several times a day. Not my best morning ever.
Banged up wrist is going to play hob with my work week. I intend to keep working, but to take it very slowly. The enamel Pelican is the highest priority, and I will be starting on that today. This week I will also be building the settings for the other regalia pieces. Everything else can be put on hold, all the textile and handcraft and I was specifically told to avoid anything with vibrations, so no using the string trimmer at all.
I was on my way home from an appointment this morning when an irregularity in the street pavement caught my foot and I went right down flat in the crosswalk. Painful mortifying hollering great big nauseating ouch... I landed mostly on my left hand first of all, and I suspect that my P100 kept my face from being second of all. An elderly man helped me back up, and found my phone that flew out of my pocket, and walked me over to the MAX stop - all I could think of to do was to go to the doctors office, which was only a stop away.
Although I wasn't really thinking clearly, this course of action turned out okay, as there was a gap in the schedule they fit me in with less than an hour wait. Four xrays later I was sent home with a couple of cold packs, and told that the radiologist would review the images. The doc I say said it was possible but unlikely that there was a crack in the bone, and to just take it easy, take tylenol, and keep it elevated and iced several times a day. Not my best morning ever.
※※※
Banged up wrist is going to play hob with my work week. I intend to keep working, but to take it very slowly. The enamel Pelican is the highest priority, and I will be starting on that today. This week I will also be building the settings for the other regalia pieces. Everything else can be put on hold, all the textile and handcraft and I was specifically told to avoid anything with vibrations, so no using the string trimmer at all.
※※※
It has been years since I made beaded fibulae, but it occurred to me Saturday night that it might be time to start up again... now with rainbow beads! I made these type of tiny ancient style pins when I was doing a lot of SCA merchanting in the before the Before Times, since it was good to have some impulse purchase items on the table along with the various pieces of regalia.
※※※
July SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | - | - | - |
| 2 | - | - | - |
| 3 | - | - | - |
| 4 | - | - | - |
| 5 | - | - | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. I probably didn't break my wrist
2. I got to the Office of Aging on time with my paperwork
3. Help and humor from a stranger... who told me that I fell down really gracefully!
Time of Isolation - Day 1107
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