not Michaelangelo

in which our plucky heroine is awake much too early...

The sun rises well before 6am. It really is time for the mylar window fill in the eastmost window. And time to finally remember to contact the awning company and ask for a copy of the installation instructions, to get a sense of how difficult it might be to add those outside the east and west windows.

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Wednesday night I filled the anchor screw holes in the kitchen ceiling with rolled and glued paper, and just before bedtime put on the first layer of spackle so it would dry overnight. The next morning I smoothed that with a damp sponge, and added a thin second coat. Once that dried, I added a bit of primer over those spots, and it is ready to paint the large central circle. I realised when up on the step ladder that the "rectangle" is not actually a missing layer of paint, but just a sort of dirty discoloration; when I used the sponge to smooth the spackle, some of the grey came away on the sponge! I cleaned the circular area, once I primed the spackle, and before painting.

After looking over the Metro Paint I have on hand, I was glad to see I had a pail full of "Mountain Snow" which is basically either white or off white, and will be just right for the task. After lunch, I brushed in the first layers of paint. First a sort of primer coat over the central rectangle and spackle spots, then carefully freehand painting along the circular line I penciled in. The ceiling already looks a lot better. I think one more coat of the white paint will be all that is needed.

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I really like that we have a municipal paint recycling facility that makes the resulting paint available and affordable. Consequently I have quite a few different color gallons, acquired at random over time, tucked into in the storage cupboard here:

"Missisippi Mud" (dark brown)
"Lambs Ear" (almost duck egg blue)
"Storm Cloud" (medium grey)
"Crater Lake" (dark blue)
"Summer Sky" (light blue)
"Pebble Path" (taupe)
"Mountain Snow" (white)

and in addition, I have two quarts of their specialty colors (which are only ever available at Swan Island): one each of Turquoise, and Black... Maybe this year I will get around to doing a bit more of the wall painting here. The kitchen walls are so much nicer than when it was just white, maybe it is time for the bigger bedroom, one wall at a time?

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~ anodyne ~

spectacular poppies are blooming all over the neighborhoood right now, in various colors from deep red through sunset to even some pink or lavender ones... Later on in the autumn, once the flower stalks are sere and brown, the pods can be salvaged for miniature bottles and flasks and flower vases.

a poppy pod vase is about 1" tall

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Stopped at the art store to hopefully get some of the round sponge brushes for the ceiling project. Found out that they are discontinuing the 10% discount for seniors and for teachers, which makes me sad. But if it lets them stay in business I don't begrudge them at all. I would rather have a local worker owned store than have to order online.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	yard waste bin
5	angora goat lino	pocket brown pinafore	yard waste bin
6	mini cushions	reframed raindrop print	recycle bin
7	copycat sunhat	partial backyard mowed	wonky kitchen light
8	OGGS setting	front yard mowed	x
9	sunscreen mitts	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. The local art store had some of the inexpensive round sponge brushes that I intend to use for painting the dotted border on the kitchen ceiling
2. University of Atlantia (SCA) is still offering free online workshops, and I've registered for two scribal art classes next month
3. Boxes of treats for the Solstice miniature swap have arrived for the folks that are participating. I've put my little goodies in the advent box ready to open the first package tomorrow.

Time of Isolation - Day 1423

patching things up

in which our plucky heroine takes it slow and steady...

Did I mention the nifty hack K told me about, for filling the holes in the ceiling where the screw anchors were located. Basically you roll up a narrow strip of heavy paper until it is just able to be jammed pressure fit into the hole, which lets you spackle over it. I'm going to add just a bit of white glue to the equation. If I make progress every day on the kitchen ceiling project, it will be completed without too much stress. I hope.

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~ true words ~

blue ox feet, with signs of the times...  

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Sent out the various business emails that were on my list, rode over to the post office to mail the finished OGGS medallion, packed up and mailed the three boxes for the Summer Solstice Advent Swap, and refilled my transit pass card with more dosh. Playing catch up with Mt Dishmore and Mt Washmore. I am doing what I can to keep up with the business of life.

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Tuesday called two (of the six) tree services recommended. One made an appointment for a free estimate today at around 2 -3 pm; $800 to remove the one cracked plum tree in front yard + $400 to remove two arborvitae from the back yard . (The other place I called charges $100 just for the estimate visit, so they were crossed off my list) Phoned three more to try and set up more appointments. Bleah... Have another appointment for Sunday afternoon. (Another one I phoned charges $175! for the estimation visit, also crossed off list) Three more phone calls tomorrow and hopefully some more appointments to have the yard trees looked at. I really don't like this process, but it must needs be done and timely done.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	yard waste bin
5	angora goat lino	pocket brown pinafore	yard waste bin
6	mini cushions	reframed raindrop print	recycle bin
7	copycat sunhat	partial backyard mowed	wonky kitchen light
8	OGGS setting	front yard mowed	x
9	sunscreen mitts	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I managed to get through one meeting with a tree dude, and have another meeting set up for Sunday afternoon. I will set up at least one or two more meetings. I may loathe phone calls, but I can make myself do them.
2. in the last two days I have had three zoom visits with friends, and two phone calls. Am feeling rather well connected
3. I am going to be kiddo pen pals with Young Kestrel. Starting by mailing something to her once a month. And if she writes back, I will write back the next day - it will give her a chance to practice writing, when she gets to that point. She had been telling Jen that she wished she got more mail...

Time of Isolation - Day 1422

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine is feeling a bit swamped...

Tomorrow will be busy, I have six different tree services to phone and get risk assessment consults/estimates; asking friends to recommend helpful options was in fact quite useful. Turns out that there is also information on the city website about tree service providers, as well as information about possible replacement trees...  

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~ Order of the Grey Goose Shaft ~

This medallion, started a while back, is completed and ready to be shipped to the recipient. It feels good to be back at the workbench again...

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It occurred to me that the toile of the fingerless bike gloves could be useable, if I stitch down the serged seams to be neat and flat. The double layer improved version is better, but the toile is not that far off from the final pattern, and an extra set is always useful. A few hours of hand stitching would be a peaceful evening project

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Sewing tasks for me in progress: gores for plaid flannel slip.
Sewing tasks for client upcoming: alterations on green wool cosplay Star Wars tunic, then altering pattern and making a green linen one for summer wear.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	yard waste bin
5	angora goat lino	pocket brown pinafore	yard waste bin
6	mini cushions	reframed raindrop print	recycle bin
7	copycat sunhat	partial backyard mowed	wonky kitchen light
8	OGGS setting	front yard mowed	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Chopped up cucumber mixed with yogurt and seasoned with Justice is really tasty, I like it better than tzatziki. My jar is almost empty, so I will need to order some more from Penzeys. I wish they still had their shop downtown near Powell's Books...
2. I started marking the kitchen ceiling in a four foot circle centered on the electric box. I think that the simplest option will be to use paint for improving the appearance. Maybe with some sponge texture...
3. I might be dog sitting later this summer, it will be fun to have Wellington as a guest again.

Time of Isolation - Day 1420

repairs and reconfiguration

in which our plucky heroine is feeling slightly harried...

I need to find a tree professional... I've put out a query asking if any of my local folks have either a recommendation for someone good they liked working with?, or au contraire, someone to avoid! (Just noticed today, while hacking back the grass in the front yard that the ornamental plum tree in the front yard closest to the house appears to be splitting open, and that seems dangerous and worriesome, and not something to ignore!)

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I managed to remove the dysfunctional ceiling light fixture in the kitchen. Now I have a four+ foot long spot on the ceiling that is several different colors of white with a circular gap in the center that is a dirty cream color wallboard, with the actual electric box visible, and wires dangling from it that definitely need some attention. Not pretty. Next step will be to figure out what to do about the largest spot, as I have no desire to repaint the entire kitchen... it is a puzzler for sure. Once I figure that out, I can install a different ceiling light, one that works, and that is easy to access.

Most current thought is to paint a large (different white) circle on the ceiling, just a mite bigger than the area that doesn't match, maybe with a subtle (pale grey?) border between that and the old ceiling (clouds? leafy vines?). Today Ursel helped me look online for the sort of very simple classic fixtures that are easy to install, and easy to access to replace bulbs. Why are so many of the necessary items for modern homes so butt ugly poorly designed? Pretty much the same light I put in the small bedroom, but I am thinking that a three socket fixture would give more ambient light. Maybe add task lighting over the stove, and over the wooden worktable?

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Sewing tasks completed: hand stitching the fingerless bicycle gloves. Sewing tasks begun: altering the plaid flannel petticoat skirt. It was too narrow as a cylinder for comfort when bike riding, so I am cutting a wide strip from the middle of the skirt, turning that into triangles for lower skirt gores. I will splice in a wide strip of a different fabric to the skirt, then add slits in the lower edge and fill with the flannel gores. This will give the petticoat skirt a trumpet shape and make walking and bike riding easier. Next time, be sure that the lower edge of any hemline is generously twirly.

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~ dogwood ~

It was late enough in the evening when I rode my bike today that many of the flowers were starting to close for the day, but these dogwood blossoms shone milky clear. Long long years ago I rode a bay pony named Bells through trails in the dark woods south of Boston, and the native dogwood shone in just the same way...

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Found the missing red envelope today, with the postage and addresses for two of the solstice swap participants. Got an email message that the final package is on the way here. Probably won't try this particular activity again, as most folks are much too busy in the run up to summertime. I'm hoping that the wintertime swap will be as successful this year as last year...

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	yard waste bin
5	angora goat lino	pocket brown pinafore	yard waste bin
6	mini cushions	reframed raindrop print	recycle bin
7	copycat sunhat	partial backyard mowed	wonky kitchen light
8	x	front yard mowed	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I wanted something crunchy for dinner. Since crispy fried baby cephalopods were not on the menu, I decided that an iceberg salad would have to do. Fortunately, that salad is something I can make at home!
2. Managed to get the whole front yard trimmed back today
3. Ursel helped me find the source for the simple ceiling fixtures, and also had some good ideas about decorating the ceiling ie subtle border design
4. regained access to additional streaming, so I can watch Bluey, and Northern Exposure

Time of Isolation - Day 1419

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine makes a point to notice small sprinkles of beauty...

saw a flash of red and yellow, a Western Tanager (I think) as nothing else around here looks like that...I was riding my bike, and the bird flew off into some shrubbery...

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~ indigo accents ~

I've been gradually making various brooches for hat decoration, and now that the sun hat project has been completed and arrived at destination, I can take a bit of time to make a new denim summer sunhat for myself as well...

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Made some saffron rice, after finding some old dried out currants in the pantry and realising all the ingredients were on hand. It has been years since I last made this, and it is just as yummy as I remembered. Bonus for the Tansu Terrace crew is that the little "pods" that hold the saffron inside the spice jar look just like little clear kitchen storage bowls. I think that as I gradually use them over time, I will send some to Young Kestrel for her doll house

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	yard waste bin
5	angora goat lino	pocket brown pinafore	yard waste bin
6	mini cushions	reframed raindrop print	recycle bin
7	copycat sunhat	partial backyard mowed	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. having the Sewlarium nearby makes things like matching thread for projects easier, as it is a pleasant walk instead of a bus transfer journey. Today I found out that he also has a selection of embroidery floss as well
2. my life allows naps. Even though I wish I didn't want to nap, and wonder if it is a symptom of something, I still end up falling asleep at around three every afternoon. I have taken to setting an alarm though, to maintain some kind of "normal" sleep/wake cycle
3. The sun hat I made for Maeva arrived safely and fits her well. She is pleased, which means that I am also pleased.

Time of Isolation - Day 1418

cobwebs and dust

in which our plucky heroine naps all afternoon...

Aside from a trip for a minor medical procedure, it has been another day of reduced cope. Trying to treat myself gently. I had meant to spend some of the day doing yardwork, but ended up falling asleep instead. The next not-rainy day I will finish up the string trimming in the backyard, and start on the front again...

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~ hidden in plain sight ~

So, the ceiling light fixture in the kitchen is wonky. It takes four 4" light tubes, and had been (partially) converted from florescent to LED a while back. It has been intermittently not turning on at the wall switch. I had to bend parts of the metal housing to remove the diffuser, in order to check on the light tubes. Why are fixtures made so as to be purposefully difficult to access? Since March, it has been mostly working, but yesterday it went dark again.

The new three level step ladder gets me closer to the ceiling, so I took another careful look to check if there was anything obviously damaged... nope. Still could not figure out how the large fixture was held to the ceiling, either. Grrr... Then I noticed that the center sheet metal shield had some small flanges in several locations, and a bit of gentle pressure was able to detach that piece, and finally all the guts of the light were exposed, as well as some cobwebs and dust. There are some screw heads that are obviously anchors, and a wide assortment of wires, connectors sockets and bits. I am not going to do anything more until full daylight returns.

Unsure if simply replacing the light tubes will be enough, or if the whole fixture needs replaced. More thought and experimentation is needed...

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	yard waste bin
5	angora goat lino	pocket brown pinafore	yard waste bin
6	mini cushions	reframed raindrop print	recycle bin
7	copycat sunhat	partial backyard mowed	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. a bit of studio work to finish up tomorrow and take to the post office
2. in the use-what-you-have category, I have been amusing myself with covering various cardboard bits with a papier-mache layer consisting of crumpled brown paper and diluted white glue. I now have a tidy three compartment reciept holder for the desk zone, and my miniature 1:12 bookcases are all now a matching set in a soft walnut toned brown.
3. I found some beef burgers in the freezer, and one of those made a quick and easy dinner. I've not really been wanting to eat, which is my usual reaction to stress, so things that are nutritious and simple to fix are helpful.

Time of Isolation - Day 1417

keep on keeping on

in which our plucky heroine does her best to cope...

Tuesday I wrote a eulogy:

Mom's determination and bravery facing all of fortune's turns, and various joyful or challenging choices that life brought her way, have always been an example. Her tender heart, her eye for the whimsical and weird oddities in this world, her ongoing expression of creativity through art and especially through writing, have always been an inspiration. Her years of caring for her family in all the places we found ourselves, of drying our tears and encouraging our growth, these are only some of the ways she made our world better. For myself, I would scarcely be the person I have become without her clever fingers that taught me at an early age so many of the handwork skills that have brought so much enjoyment into my life, without her believing in my worth and ability before I ever did, for the challenging and the cherishing... without her, our story is ever missing a vital voice, and all we can do is our best, to take her myriad gifts forward into the future.

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The neighbor cross the street asked if she could harvest some of the pretty pink elderflower blossoms to make floral syrup - of course I said yes! A day or two later she brought me a small jar of the prettiest syrup to share...

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Who knew?  How the Pre-Raphaelites Became Obsessed with the Wombat

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in the sewing room: I have been making progress handstitching a new pair of long fingerless bike-riding gloves, after my initial toile of the AC pattern was proved useful, particularly with a bit more arm length and a bit less finger zone width. Also, the Star Wars cosplay tunic I made for SR earlier this year has returned here for alterations, and I will be making up a lighter weight tunic for summertime wear (linen instead of wool)

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Began an initial scanning through the three envelopes of Mom's writing, and found some autobigraphical fragments from my father mixed in there as well. There is a family timeline of location (and a few events) year by year, which is something I personally have wished for.

too far out on the mass/gravity continuum

in which our plucky heroine tries a science experiment...

So a while ago I noticed some online memes about how "old people can't skip" (complete with mocking video content), and was appalled to find out that indeed, it seemed my skipping ability had disappeared!

Well, it turns out skipping, while missing, is not forgotten... not sure what possessed me, but while at the grocery store, I tried again, holding onto the shopping cart. Turns out that supporting just a bit of my weight on the cart handles was all it took for skipping to return. So I have a new health goal.

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~ a big box ~

Yesterday I spent several rather challenging hours reconfiguring the box the furnace filters were shipped in. I needed a box that was large enough for the sunhat without my needing to fold up the brim. Said box was too big to fit in the bike baskets, but bungee cord was my friend! After riding to the post office (a bit more slowly than usual, for caution sake) the package is now in the ungentle hands of the system and should arrive at destination in two days...

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Grateful Dead Live at Radio City Music Hall 10/31/1980... I was there. Charlotte and I made the 4 hour trip from Boston to see the show...

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Yesterday Vesta came by to visit and we ended up walking around the neighborhood and chatting for around two hours. It was wonderful to see her in person. Plus some squooshy Vesta hugs!

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Today I made the phone calls to the few friends of Mom still in the bright world, to let them know when and where the funeral will be. I've also been a bit surprised (and a bit tearful) by the number of comments coming in here on the blog; I'd no idea so many folks stop by my little online home...

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	yard waste bin
5	angora goat lino	pocket brown pinafore	yard waste bin
6	mini cushions	reframed raindrop print	x
7	copycat sunhat	partial backyard mowed	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. today almost 10K steps, a mixture of riding my bike and walking and yardwork. I am tired but not exhausted.
2. P100 for yardwork makes it so much easier to breathe
3. I may be old, but I got to see so much great live music...

Time of Isolation - Day 1414

shes gone

in which our plucky heroine says goodbye...

3/4/34 - 5/18/24

Beloved intrepid Mom of our plucky heroine, who always had my back, and taught me ever so much more than I can say...

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine does her best under the circumstances...

I've been mostly keeping up with the daily sort of chores, trying to find assorted lost paperwork, and nibbling away at various unfinished projects.
Also working out a pattern for bicycling mitts adapted from a pattern in one of the Alabama Chanin books; I'm trying to keep my lower arms and hands covered against sunlight, and this option seemed easier than constantly reapplying sunscreen. Plus it will be an opportunity for small decoration!

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The sun hat for Maeva is finished... it was quite the project, duplicating Kestrel's sun hat made adult size, including the details of elastic drawstring headband, and snap on/off chin strap. (I now have some handy snap setting pliers to add to my tool collection) Now all that is needed is a box to ship it to her; since none of the boxes at the post office are large enough. Since I've not yet recycled the box my furnace filters were shipped in, that will be a good start, and it should go in the mail on Monday.

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I remain exhausted, while I am able to go to sleep at a reasonable hour, (using the cognitive shuffle hack really helps), I have been waking up at around sunrise each morning and not being able to get back to sleep. This is not ideal, and I think that it may be time to put the reflective mylar back in the east facing bedroom window for the summer....

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My lower legs are still more swollen than they ought to be. I bought some asparagus today, in the hope it will help. I've been walking and riding my bike every day, and trying to remember to drink plenty of water.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	yard waste bin
5	angora goat lino	pocket brown pinafore	-
6	mini cushions	reframed raindrop print	x
7	copycat sunhat	partial backyard mowed	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I managed to figure out how to wind on new line onto the
"bobbin" of the string trimmer, and have about a third of the back yard trimmed. Incremental progress and all... I'm going to go do a bit more later this evening, when it is cooler again and the sun is in the other direction.
2. positive reinforcement seems to be working. I decided that each time I came back inside after a segment of string trimming the yard, I could have a spoonful of ice cream. I loathe mowing, and I love ice cream.
3. my good neighbors so sweetly left me a bouquet of garden flowers in a mason jar on my front porch today
4. I remembered this time to wear my P100 in addition to my normal yardwork gear of leggings and sunhat and new XP long mitts, and this time I am not sneezing my fool head off, unlike yesterday!!

Time of Isolation - Day 1411

treading water

in which our plucky heroine is still sad...

Mom is still alive, still failing, but gratefully she is in no pain. Hospice allows the use of morphine, which means that for the first time in years she is probably not in pain. I am not there, a purposeful choice, but one that my family does not understand.

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~ tinyprint Tuesday ~

Third of the planned eight in my "textile livestock" miniature print series... the Angora goat, source of mohair. (⅞" square block linocut)

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My keyboard stopped working. I finally remembered that it has a battery compartment, and realised that said batteries were original, and had lasted for years! After checking in several local shops, none of which carried rechargable batteries (which I found disturbing), I returned home with the smallest pack of AAA I could find. Now my interface is functional again. But when did rechargables become so difficult to find?

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Almost finished with the sunhat for Maeva project. It still needs the chin strap loops attached to the inner lining, between the inner crown and brim, needs the inner and outer layers secured to each other, the edge binding added to the brim, and reinforcing stitchery in circles between the edge and the crown. Oh, and I need to make the chin strap. Today I will learn how to apply the plastic Kam snaps, which will allow the chin strap to be detachable. Fortunately the kit I ordered has 10 sets of 25 different colors of snaps, so I can choose the least likely color to practice with.

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As part of my mourning journey, I am going to finally tackle turning the files of Mom's writings into a book, or books. I will never not feel bad that I did not do this years ago, when she first asked me about doing this for her - she wanted me to illustrate her writings, and I felt completely inadequate to the task. I was a fool, and it is too late for her to see the results.

An initial glance made me realise that there is more material there than first thought, as the folders contain writing (essays and poems) going back to when she and Dad were courting. And of course, everything is in hardcopy only. I will need to transcribe it all into digital form, one page at a time; I will probably organise it by decade? It still feels overwhelming, and beyond my ability to do well, but I am the only one in the family who can do it. I wish I had the confidence that was mine as a girl, the idea of illustrating Mom's work is daunting

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	yard waste bin
5	angora goat lino	pocket brown pinafore	-
6	mini cushions	reframed raindrop print	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. new Japanese .5mm carving gouge works really well
2. the weather has moderated, so my legs are a bit less painfully swollen. I need to get out and walk more, to see if that will help turn this around.
3. I found another jar of pickled beets in the pantry, which greatly improves salad. Might have to look up the recipe I used and make some more for future summer meals

Time of Isolation - Day 1409

Not the best Thursday

in which our plucky heroine gets a not quite the worst phone call...

My SIL phoned this morning to let us know that Aged Mother has suddenly started doing much worse overnight (probable diagnosis aspiration pneumonia). Sister and I saw mom on Zoom just yesterday as is our usual on Wednesday, and she was about how she has been for many weeks, not very verbal, but obviously aware during the time she was not dozing off.

Now she is struggling to breathe, with low pulse ox numbers, waiting for antibiotics to be delivered, and on occasional morphine to ameliorate the fear that accompanies not being able to breathe fully. I am glad that hospice has been already part of the care team, and grateful that there are resources so that we can have someone there to sit with her all night, while my brother and SIL are at home.

It is hard to be so far away; what can't be cured must be endured... I don't know if this is the end of the long goodbye or not; the goodbye I have been saying to Mom for a number of years now, as she descends into dementia. It has progressed to where it is affecting her body as well as her mind. I miss both my parents every day; in the Before Times, we talked on the phone several times a week. Dad died just two years ago on May 12th

I'd been looking back through my own archives here, thinking about what I want to write about for Mother's Day this Sunday, and thinking about her stories and how she shaped the woman I have turned out to be. It may turn out to be a eulogy, it may not, we cannot know the future, but I suspect that her tale is ending soon...

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saw this while out walking yesterday... I thought it might be for "excellent" but now I am pretty sure is is "E for Endure"

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This essay: The Age of The Wendigo, raises some important points and questions. I found it worth reading and food for thought...

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. good memories of family adventures, the traveling and the learning opportunities over many years, the thought and effort that Mom and Dad made to share information, humane values, and the world at large with us to the extent that they could manage.
2. good fortune, to be able to have good care for mom when home care became no longer possible...
3. good family communication, despite our differences we are on the same page in this respect, for how we are able to do the best we can for Mom, now that Dad is no longer in the bright world to look out for her and look after her.

Time of Isolation - Day 1403

Use what you have

in which our plucky heroine was stymied by the weather report, which was for cloudy turning to mixed. It was wrong, and my most recent load of laundry (pinned to the clothesline) is being run through the "Eugene rinse cycle", having been repeatedly rained on between short bouts of sunshine and wind. I'd thought about washing sheets and the duvet cover, but I think I will wait a few more days...

Instead, I may run up a new duvet cover, so as to have two, which makes swapping out the laundry easier. It might be a good use for my piece of vintage Marimekko Unikko motif fabric that is almost big enough for the top, and some red paisley flannel that could be the underside, and all I would need is some fabric to border the iconic red poppies. Maybe just plain black linen? I will have to examine the contents of the resource shelves...

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The last set of items I will be contributing for next month's Solstice Swap - miniature bowls made from acorn caps. After trimming off the stems where they originally attached to the branches, and sanding a flat base so they didn't wobble, I then painted the outsides with gesso, lined them with floral origami paper, and added a coating of nail polish for shine...

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Yesterday, as I was locking up the house prior to an afternoon walk around the neighborhood, a young woman with waist length bright magenta hair (and no mask) rolled up the driveway on a hoverboard? and cheerfully hailed me. I was perplexed, since she didn't look at all familiar, and I motioned her to please come no closer, because no mask... Turned out she was going door to door trying to sell "pest extermination... you know, like ants and spiders..." I replied that we didn't have a problem like that here at Acorn Cottage, so she rolled away on down the sidewalk like some sort of colorful animated toy. (I imagine that if she was being paid by the hour, rather than per sale, there are worse ways to work than to spend a sunny afternoon rolling around a neighborhood trying to sell things

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I ate the frog today, if only semi successfully... the success was on my part, for making all the gorram phone calls, the semi was that the automatic phone trees did not give any options to go forward, such as "my concern is not addressed in either of these two options you are asking me to choose between". I spent hours today at this task
2. I was able to pick out a piece of scrap leather from that resource box that was exactly what my friend Tullia needed for her project. And she was able to loosen my lower back up enough that it turned the constant pain down more than 50%
3. Dogwood is blooming, all over the place, white and pink and yellow. Brings back memories of riding through the woods in Milton, many years ago, where the white dogwood would shine like lanterns along the dark trails

Time of Isolation - Day 1402

my "two cents worth"...

in which our plucky heroine has a very small weekend indeed...

while I did manage to get out of the house for part of each day for walking and biking (trying to pick the least rainy times), I mostly spent the weekend making miniatures, and chatting online with various friends. Tomorrow morning it is back to my regularly scheduled work and chores

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~ an embroidered footstool ~

When I saw the Ann Wood tutorial for a tiny footstool, I knew I wanted to include it in the items being made for next months Summer Solstice miniature swap. It was a fairly straightforward project, and I had everything necessary here already. The new-to-me thing I really liked was her suggestion to put a penny inside along with the stuffing, to give the little piece some substance. I figured if one penny was good, two would be even better! I really like the added weight, it makes the footstool feel more like a real piece of furniture. Embroidery is optional, but it adds whimsy...

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~ an art gallery excursion in May ~

Between the rainstorms, I rode my bike over to check out the new exhibit for May over at Tiny Art in St Johns. Kenya Ogidni wanted to tag along, so I tucked her into my pinafore pocket for safe travel. She is thinking that it would be an awesome thing if we had our own neighborhood "little art gallery" and wishes I would get with the program already. But then she already runs her own gallery on Tansu Terrace, (or at least she will once I build it for her)

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Lately I've been watching "The Great Pottery Throwdown", for while I am not now and have never been a ceramic artist, I love watching skilled folks do creative things, and there are not that many art challenges on the streaming platforms currently available for my access. Apparently more folks want to see cooking than any other creative activity, but then more folks do cook, so it is probably more relatable. I do like the pace and "kindness" of the British shows in general (at one point I managed to find YouTube access to The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge about making dollhouse miniatures, which was, of course, great fun for me to watch, but alas no longer available.)

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  ...

I rarely buy miniature kits, but couldn't resist a set to make 14 Beatrix Potter books. They're only about ½" x ¾", with text and illustrations inside. I'm keeping these four, and sharing the rest with the swap folks and with dear Young Kestrel for her dollies library...

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	tiny footstools	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	acorn bowls	clean large paper lantern	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. managed to catch bicycle time between downpours
2. three friends came to Crafternoon in the Pixel World
3. I can have early bedtime tonight

Time of Isolation - Day 1400

some scribal shenanigans

in which our plucky heroine had a go at something new...

~ Celtic style Pelican Scroll ~

This is the custom Pelican scroll that I worked on last month, for the 48 hour scribal challenge I've been mentioning. It was a bit of a stretch for me, both to return to scribal activity after quite a sabbatical, and to attempt a very different style than my beloved Gothic artwork. The challenge image for this year was "March Hare" and the challenge color was "heraldic Azure"...

I was inspired by Insular and Anglo-Saxon artwork and artifacts from the 9th to the middle of the 11th century. I decided that the best way to incorporate the "March Hare" theme would be to add interlaced running hares to the side borders of the scroll, and incorporated heraldic "Azure" by being sure to include plenty of blue gouache in the borders and backgrounds of the decoration, the hares will also either be blue, or on a blue background, when painted.

The scroll is made on a Bristol board backing, painted with Holbein gouache paint and calligraphed with Calli ink. I added a small amount of metallic golden Finetec mica paint as accents. These are all modern materials.

What has worked well for me on this scroll is that I was able to create a pleasing composition in a style I never attempted before. I was also able to figure out a new variation on Roman Rustic calligraphy appropriate to the period, based on the Stone of Odda. In addition I was also particularly inspired by some of the minor imagery in the Book of Kells, and by various Anglo Saxon garnet jewelry.

In the future, I will return to my former practice of seeking out specific pages of manuscripts to use as my exemplars, and writing down where I found my ideas. In this case, I did not do so, and I sorely regret my lack of good documentation. I think this piece would have benefited by being made on Perg rather than Bristol, and will attempt that in the future.

The new to me thing I did was to use pictures of an existing artifact, The Odda Stone, as a source for the calligraphic hand on this scroll. The carved stone, which dates from the middle of the 11th C, has an inscription in Latin lettering. Since that hand is similar to Roman Rustic, which I recently learned, I was able to adapt my writing to this new variation. The other new thing I learned in my reading was that the Book of Kells used line-fillers. Those small graphics have always been a favorite of mine, and I did not know that they were used so early on. Therefore I added those to this scroll as well, where needed.

Sources I looked at for inspiration:
"Odda Stone" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Odda_Stone.jpg)

The Book of Kells"; Bernard Meehan; Thames and Hudson; 1994
 

"The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Art"; ed. Janet Backhouse, DH Turner, Leslie Webster; British Museum Publications Ltd; 1984

  .... 
A celtic style Pelican, and the heraldry of the recipient
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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	10 tiny books	more front yard mowed	recycle bin
3	-	replace cloudlight bulb	dead rosemary
4	-	clean large paper lantern	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. The KAMsnaps setting tool is sized such that even my wee paws will be able to use it. This is very much not always so!!
2. The new house stepladder arrived today, and it makes a huge difference in what I can reach, for obvious reasons. While it doesn't feel quite as secure as my lower one, the extra foot of height means I can easily reach the ceiling in the main part of the house, and actually, if not quite so easily, reach the ceiling in the workroom
3. I was able to cut away the dead portions of the rosemary, which fortunately was only about half the entire shrub.

Time of Isolation - Day 1398

midweek miscellany

in which our plucky heroine is keeping busy...

I've almost managed to get the whole front lawn almost hacked back with the string trimmer, hacked being the operant word. While it more resembles the kind of haircut a child gives their dolly, it does keep the yard from being alarmingly overgrown. Next I will need to tackle the backyard, which is even more shaggy. I don't have the stamina to do the whole thing in one or even two days, but as is my watchword, incremental progress is still progress...

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~ hooray hooray ~

Yesterday these dwarf lilacs were all just buds, and much to my delight, they were all in flower just in time for May 1st! I have been enjoying picking a tiny sample of the flowers of the week, to share during the video visit with Mom; then all week long I enjoy the flowers here at Acorn Cottage, and also that I am hopefully bringing her a bit of connection.

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Overall I am quite pleased with the Beatrix Potter books kit. Not only are the instructions excellent, but the proportions of the cover to the book block are Just Right, so the whole thing fits together well without needing any extra trimming of either part. They are also small enough to fit on the shelves of the HoM fretwork wall shelf!

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Yesterday I was able to see the feedback rubrics and comments from the two judges of the scroll I submitted to the An Tir Backlog 6th 48 Hour Scribal Challenge. There was nothing in the comments that surprised me either for good or ill, which lets me know that my self assessment was not far off the mark. I was pleased that they had good things to say about my going with a less common hand than Uncial for the writing, since that was one of the ways I was "stretching" myself, to look at an actual artifact and try and copy that style.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny books	half front yard mowed	yard waste bin
2	-	-	recycle bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I have lovely flowers in my yard that were from various gifts that friends shared with me... Thank you Elfrida, and Kateryne, and Sharon, and Bill, and Karen-and-Beth, and...
2. The miniature Beatrix Potter books are so very very cute, and I've put together enough to add some to the swappety stuff. 4 for the swap, 4 for me, and the remaining 6 for Kestrel...
3. The beetroot that gave the marmalade such a good color, met it's final destiny sliced into my salad tonight. It wasn't actually as sweet and orange-y as I thought it might have become, but reminded me that I do very much like beet in salad, and that there are a few jars of sweet pickled beets in the pantry, that need used up...

Time of Isolation - Day 1397