a change of pace, or at least of venue

in which our plucky heroine stays active...

in the interest of seeking novelty, I rode my bike home from the grocery Saturday taking a different route. I found a sort of hidden book store (Arches Bookhouse) off the beaten path in a residential neighborhood, and shall need to return and have a look round inside... The other interesting things I saw were what appeared to be a printmakers garage studio, with what looked like several folks taking a class, and a large press slightly visible inside the building. And rummaging through the books on offer in a little free library, a boy with a cat on a leash. While I sometimes am frustrated by the difficulty of life without an automobile, I also know that travel at this slower speed lets me notice so many more kinds of details that make up the bright world...

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~ hydration station ~

Two bees drinking... this makes me so happy! The stump left after removing tree from front yard last month supports a large shallow dish of water, well furnished with rocks and pebbles so no insects need drown. Today is the first time I've seen the hydration station in use, and now every time I look there is drinking happening. This is just what I'd hoped for; it was heartbreaking to have to remove the big shade tree, but at least this small goodness can result.

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My gathering basket was in need of some serious scrubbing, after my leaving the plums there for three days, so I not only soaked and brushed it, but also mixed up a bleach solution in a spray bottle and used that several times, interspersed with thorough rinsing, and finally set the whole thing out to hang in the sunshine in the side yard all day. It is now sweet smelling again, and I'll be sure to do my best so my absent minded self doesn't space out. (it avoided any mold contamination, but had I waited even one more day, it would have been all over)

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"Behave yourself"... well that was a first for me, being hit with what I expect was bot censorship, and all my personal FB feed from the last several days has been removed. Not sure what triggered it, since the warning note doesn't say, just threatens "further action" if my (bad) behavior continues. (I suspect it was my recent post about the quartz mine in Spruce Pine NC, which provides a crucial material to the semiconductor industry worldwide, and is located smackdab in the middle of the current SE USA flood disaster zone.)

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	origami boxes	recycle bin
4	skirt for Opal	bleached basket	yard waste bin
5	cardigan for Opal	sharing plums	recycle bin
6	black top for Opal	x	x
7	Pokemon patches	x	x
8	4 jars strawberry rhubarb	x	x
9	8 jars plum ketchup	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. when I stopped in at Groc-Out I was surprised and delighted that they had alphabet noodles! I'd been wanting some to make creative things for the tinyworld, since I have misplaced my former container of the same, and also the little banner that said "Trick or Treat". At 59¢ a bag, I can get as wild as I want.
2. compliments from strangers - someone on the street told me he thought my mask was radically awesome, and a store clerk told me she admired my pinafore, and that she had a similar one at home!?
3. when I started really going downhill in discouragement during Crafternoon, we shifted the topic to "things that are improved or improving" and came up with: condors being reintroduced in their historical range, eagles no longer endangered after the DDT ban, and the current dam removal and extensive habitat restoration on the Klamath River (being led by indigenous tribal groups)

Time of Isolation - Day 1540

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine wants more hours in the day...

Before the kitchen became inundated with fruit flies, I started making a batch of plum ketchup tonight, substituting the somewhat overripe plums for tomato... I am thinking that a second batch could be made specifically for my no nightshade friends, as the color of this variation, being just barely more of a purple-red than tomato ketchup is more appetizing than pale orange condiment made from persimmons.

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~ acorn cap mushroom ~

since it is currently acorn cap season, here is another seasonal thing you can make to share... I found a whole drawer full of these little acorn mushroom ornaments I'd made following this tutorial back in the golden age of blogging, and will be including some as part of the tiny treats for the upcoming swap...

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this is going to be fun... I decided to sponsor a spooky season shenanigans challenge over at Tiny Rag Doll Nation, and there are already four more folks signing on! And, sometime after when I checked in early this morning, Dawn did another drawing for the second place winner in the 13 week wardrobe challenge, and it turned out to be yours truly, or rather, one of the tinyfolk wardrobes I put together... since my dolls are so much smaller than the rest of the crew there, she will create something special that will be just the right TRD size!

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If there are still some not too overripe plums on the tree, I will pick another basket full; enough to make a batch of faux hoisin sauce, and a small batch of totally no-nightshade ketchup.

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	origami boxes	recycle bin
4	skirt for Opal	-	yard waste bin
5	cardigan for Opal	-	recycle bin
6	black top for Opal	x	x
7	Pokemon patches	x	x
8	4 jars strawberry rhubarb	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Heather's homemade sourdough bread is delicious!
2. I won the second of the prize drawings for the 13 week wardrobe challenge, which means that Dawn will make my tinyfolk something beautiful and bespoke; I am hoping for a hat decorated with a hatband of tiny crocheted flowers.
3. started making a batch of plum ketchup, substituting plums for tomato... the color is great!

Time of Isolation - Day 1538

correlation ≠ causation

in which our plucky heroine sorts various things out...

though not everything... for example, there are still a number of trinkets and materials that I know are here in the house somewhere, but have yet to find what "someplace safe" they are hiding. Like my tiny "trick or treat" banner made from alphabet noodles, that formerly graced the back door, for example, or the packet of transparent red Japanese enamels...

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~ sidewalk tattoo ~

look down... and notice there at your feet, someone drew a bit of permanent decoration, a memory of the botanical world, into the pavement next to the new crosswalk ramp...

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I've been spending part of every day on the phone lately, as for one reason or another there are things that require changes to paperwork, all of which end up with my spending a lot of time listening to hold-music. Troubles with my credit card left me flummoxed yesterday, and I was concerned lest some of the other tasks might have somehow affected its function. After another three calls this morning, though, it was a much simpler problem that was fixable over the phone, and all should be well by tomorrow.

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Clearing some of the packets of former fruit from the freezer turned into four jars of strawberry rhubarb sauce. I'm thinking about attempting ketchup, as the freezer has plenty of plums for the coming year already. The ones remaining on the tree are getting a bit overripe, and there are, I believe, some tomatoes in the freezer as well. And then there is the bag full of elderberries, which need to be turned into immune support syrup for the winter. It is very satisfying and rather autumnal to spend time putting things into jars...

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Since the 13 week wardrobe challenge is over, I've decided to sponsor a "spooky season shenanigans" challenge over at Tiny Rag Doll Nation. It will give me a good reason to finish making Halloween clothing for my tinyfolk, and to set up to take some fun photos. If I cannot find my spun cotton bits and bunting from the last several years, I'll just have to make some more! Tiny cat head candy buckets, little jack o lanterns that fit over flickering tea lights, and maybe some of the vintage style wall decor...

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	origami boxes	recycle bin
4	skirt for Opal	-	yard waste bin
5	cardigan for Opal	-	recycle bin
6	black top for Opal	x	x
7	Pokemon patches	x	x
8	4 jars strawberry rhubarb	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. dots are done. I have been working on texturing the background of a scroll for OtherRaven for months now, and that part is finally finished!
2. I did one difficult chunk of online paperwork yesterday, and got a notebook started so I can keep track of all the needful things that must be done.
3. I received lots of positive loving comments when I posted about how I was continuing to struggle with isolation (and only one nastygram, which I deleted) I am grateful that I instituted comment moderation on my blog, and grateful that that is an available option...
4. Young Kestrel was most pleased with the gifts I mailed to her, and her mom shared some photos of the happy birthday girl... does my heart good to see...
5. it turned out to be simple, if time consuming, to sort out the problem with my credit card...

Time of Isolation - Day 1537

Wednesday whatnots

in which our plucky heroine navigates the upson downs...

At 4am I ended up posting this online, which in some ways was not the best idea, as reality always looks the most bleak in those wee small hours of o'dark thirty...

"So lonesome waking up in the middle of the night from an adventure dream with friends and allies, in a challenging but not alone dreamland, and now I can't go back to sleep... Sometimes I hate how small my world is now. The metaphorical spaceship voyage of the last four plus years is wearing me down".

It did do my heart good to read the various messages of love and solidarity, when I went back online later in the morning, after finally managing to get back to sleep. I am most certainly not the only one struggling in this new and less delightful world, and together we can find ways to maintain connection and find what is still worthwhile...

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~ ¾" squares ~

Kestrel's three favorite Pokemon characters, drawn small to be stitched on the front of three little tops for her dollhouse folks... Everything is wrapped up and packed and in transit to arrive for the birthday celebration

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	origami boxes	recycle bin
4	skirt for Opal	-	yard waste bin
5	cardigan for Opal	-	recycle bin
6	black top for Opal	x	x
7	Pokemon patches	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I cannot find words for how much I am enjoying meeting every Wednesday evening to play Golden Sky Stories with Mischa and Stef...
2. The temperature dropped 30 degrees between yesterday and today. Also, it rained almost all day. I am a much happier camper
3. I managed to get the laundry out on the line yesterday in the awful heat and sun to dry, and I managed to get it inside this morning before the rain started

Time of Isolation - Day 1535

Monday malaise

in which our plucky heroine is feeling rather puny...

Ever since I was a child, stress gives me the collywobbles, and my tummy takes a turn for the worse, and since there are some new challenges currently on the table, I ended up with part of the day discommoded, as it were. Some tea and broth, rice and maybe some applesauce shall hopefully set me to rights, but today was not as productive as I had hoped for. Still, I've made some lists of the what to do next items, and will be gentle with self for the rest of the evening.

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Bit by bit, various additions to the tinyfolk wardrobe tin come together into holiday outfits. I hope to have festive clothing for all four of them this year. The witchy hats I knit last October will be perfect spooky season accessories… I made Opal a black silk top and the gored skirt this year, and the crocheted camisole from Dawn makes an excellent vest. Now all she needs is some sort of autumnal footgear… I’m thinking about sponsoring a Tiny Rag Doll Nation spooky season challenge next month, if folks would be interested…

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My friend Eva shared the recipe for this Creamy Pumpkin and Red Lentil Soup, and it is so delicious and so easy that I have added it to my notebook of "make this again"... Most of the ingredients are (or can be) shelf stable pantry staples, or refrigerator condiments. I normally have Thai red chili paste, and Better Than Bouillon on hand, which is also a plus. I usually have some coconut milk, but up to now hadn't kept canned pumpkin on the storage shelf. That will change, and this time of year it sometimes is on sale, so a good time to stock up... I did pre-soak the red lentils, not that they need it, but it makes the on the stove cooking time even shorter.

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Another box suitable for wrapping tiny gifts for the Advent Swap is the masu box. If you start with a 3½" square of paper, your finished box will measure 1¼" across. The tutorial also has directions for folding a second box just larger enough to make a lid that slides over the first box:

How to fold a Masu Box
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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	origami boxes	recycle bin
4	skirt for Opal	-	yard waste bin
5	cardigan for Opal	-	recycle bin
6	black top for Opal	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I am still in my right mind, and however troublesome the decisions and things I need to cope with, at least I can do so according to my own ethics and preferences.
2. Naps, naps are good  
3. Drawing... I have been able to do so since before I have conscious memory. I remember being shown a recognisable "horse" I painted in nursery school. We each come in with gifts, I very much enjoy mine...

Time of Isolation - Day 1533

Box of boxes

in which our plucky heroine plays with folded paper...

I remember the first time I tried origami, I couldn't have been more than 6 years old, as we were still living in Connecticut. There was a gift of what seemed like a big book, with colorful diagrams and lots of paper. Ever since, on occasion, I have enjoyed turning something flat into something dimensional.

For the Advent of A Better Year in 2025 swap, one of the rules is that all the tiny gifts need to be pre-wrapped, as it would drive me bonkers to have to wrap everyone's contributions. Still, I figure that sharing tutorials in case anyone else enjoys origami might be helpful, as it is an easy way to create pretty wrappings for gifts. Also, I can test out the instructions and figure out the correct size of paper to start with, to get a finished piece that is 1¼" square...

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~ a box with an integral lid ~

This box is folded to become a cube with an attached lid. If you start with a 5¼" square, the finished box is just the right size (1¼" square), here you can see I have stuffed it with a half dozen of the flower-top boxes... This shape turns out a little too flimsy when made in ordinary origami paper; so something just a little heavier works better...

Tutorial: Origami Box with Integral Lid
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~ a flower-top box ~

This box is very flat - suitable for holding a more 2D gift, such as a small painting or print, or even a surprise fortune? I'd been wanting to try folding this design for a while, as I've been fascinated by Zhen Xian Bao for years now, but never tried making any of the several styles of components that they require.  If you start with a rectangle that is 2½" x 5" you will get a finished box that is 1¼" square...

Tutorial: Origami Flower Top Boxes
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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	-	recycle bin
4	skirt for Opal	-	yard waste bin
5	cardigan for Opal	-	recycle bin
6	black top for Opal	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Roxanne, who I met online as part of the extended family of Tiny Rag Doll enthusiasts, kindly offered to send me some small scraps of Kaffe Fassett fabric for tinyworld doll clothing and decoration. What arrived here was an entire mailer box absolutely packed with scraps of colorful quilting cotton! I shall have plenty for future dolly garment sewing, and am even considering a bright colorwash miniature patchwork quilt this winter, as an homage to the style of Kate at The Last Homely House... I'm so not a quilter, have only ever made three full size ones, but miniature quilts are much faster to make...
2. I found my missing TriMet Hop Card (transit pass). For some reason tucked into the scanner/printer?? Was a relief, since I had just reloaded the card last week.
3. The scraps of black silk made a wonderful spooky season top for Opal to wear with her pumpkin colored camisole and skirt

Time of Isolation - Day 1532

Wednesday whatnots

in which our plucky heroine has much on her mind...

Much of my spare brain activity currently consists of thinking about outdoor space and garden design, and putting various options into task and resource order. I've decided that I want the sidewalk edge of the front yard to be "semi-permeable". To have a partial barrier, but not as enclosed as a solid fence. What this might consist of (plantings? panels? open fencing? sculpture??) is not yet clear to me, but I much prefer the yards that have this effect of enclosure to those that are just flat grass. I suspect that over time I may develop a clearer concept overall and in more detail for the exterior aspect of Acorn Cottage, which will allow me to gradually make decisions and choices that will bring me more comfort and delight

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~ sky koi ~

Looking westward a few days ago, the vault of the sky is speckled and spangled with reflected sunlight. I wish I was a better photographer and could catch the nuances my human eyes see in the bright world.

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...sigh, I had been feeling somewhat better the last few days in the lower righthand quarter, and then somehow, after a pleasant midafternoon bike ride, it felt like all my clunky SI connections decided to go sideways back into the land of pain with a rattley-bang, for no particular reason, while I was sitting down writing some notes. Bodies are weird. Maybe they will find their way to a better alignment while I am sleeping?

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~ week 13 : cardigan ~

I knew as soon as I made the knitted skirt way back in week 1* that I was going to want a matching cardigan, so went ahead with Dawn Smith's Raglan Sleeved Cardigan for Tiny Rag Dolls pattern. Whatever top Opal wears with it, she always looks put together; if I ever figure out a tidy way to fasten a necklace, she needs some beads or pearls to go with... and shoes! (somehow her Birkenstocks just are not quite the right thing for this outfit)

Since out of all my tinyfolk, Opal started out with the least amount of clothes, I chose to really focus on creating a complete 13 piece wardrobe for her over the course of the 13 week challenge. I also made quite a number (not sure how many total) of "extra" garments for my own tiny rag dolls as well as for Kestrel's crew. I need to put together a mosaic photo of the mix-n-match as well as the whole wardrobe as a flat lay image...

*I don't like "straight" skirts, so I went with an A-line style instead

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.

I won the random prize drawing back in week 10, and as my TRD tinyfolk are much smaller than the AG mini dolls, Dawn offered to custom make me a crocheted top, in the color of my choice (from the colors she had available) I picked a pumpkin orange, which turned out to be a perfect match for the striped gored skirt, and the orange buttons she chose are just right. Plus, the button loops and buttons are functional!! How cool is that!! (I have someblack silk set aside to make Opal a long sleeve top to wear under the camisole, to keep her warm.)

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	-	recycle bin
4	skirt for Opal	-	yard waste bin
5	cardigan for Opal	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I just plain love the sweet crocheted top that Dawn sent me as my prize for week 10. It matches the striped gored skirt perfectly, and has functional buttons and button loops!!
2. more tinyfolk treats from friends: a bag of miniature silverware, buttons and buckles, and a big packet of colorful fabric scraps to play with for wee clothing and tiny quilts...
3. the Moody Blues bed quilt got washed and hung on the clothesline to dry, so it has that wonderful line dried scent which makes going to bed just that much nicer.
4. I figured out that I can choose to work on the neverending dots scribal project when on non-critical zoom, which has had the result of moving that scroll incrementally closer to being done.

Time of Isolation - Day 1529

detected inspected selected injected

in which our plucky heroine makes some small forward progress...

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~ spooky season plans ~

I want all of my tinyfolk to have something special to wear for Halloween, and when Ursel gave me some two-tone orange striped cotton fabric, it seemed perfect for a zigzag bias gored skirt. I adapted the flared skirt pattern to have eight gores, and marked a bias grain line in order to get the desired effect. If I make a PDF of the pattern piece, it could be shared to other fans of the Tiny Rag Doll Nation...

It was easy to sew the gore seams, and I simply backed it with my usual thin cotton lawn, following the normal directions. I didn't want to make it reversible, since there were so many internal seam allowances already making the skirt quite stiff. It then occurred to me that adding a bit of black lace edging to the hemline would make it even more appropriate for the season; it didn't take too much time to use my handy black Sharpie pen to "overdye" a bit of the same tatted lace I'd used on Opal's slip dress.

She is right pleased with her new skirt, which will coordinate with the future orange crocheted top prize when it arrives. So far I have one orange and black stripey handknit dress, one black linen pleated pinafore with an orange long sleeve top, and one orange felt pinafore decorated with an embroidered bat (that still needs a dress, probably black or grey). I have a few pointy witchy-style hats from last year. I do want to make a "tiger head" hat similar to the deer head hat I made back in September of 2020, possibly with a matching apron?

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After much effort finally managed to find a pharmacy I could get to fairly easily to get a current covid booster. Took a few hours over several days to track down somewhere that was local (ie on transit or by bicycle), accepting walk ins, and had Novavax, but now I'm up to date on my vaccinations for the time being.

I mean, I am not a web programmer, I am an artist, but I could envision a simple website that would allow one to find out what vaccines were available where, without having to go through multiple pages of enter-data documents before finding out that there were no appointments, or that the desired flavor of jab wasn't available at that site, and then having to do it all over again for each location of that particular drugstore or grocery store chain in the metropolitan area. (there were sites like that earlier in the pandammit,  but now those are gone) After much time wasted that way, I decided today to try phone calls instead. There is a special hell for whoever invented phone tree bots. After 2½ hours, I achieved success!

... in a while, I'll get the flu vaccine for this winter; I like to get them separately in case of side effects, though I will say that I've had practically none from any if the various COVID vaccines, the only thing that wrecked me was my first and only attempt at the pneumonia vaccine. Not allowed to get that one again, sadly... wish I could, as I've had pneumonia five times (in the Before Times), which is part of why I make such an effort to avoid covid.

This song is from back in 2020, when the hope was for a sterilising vaccine, that would allow for a safe return to the Before Times social behavior. We're still not there, but the vaccinations we currently have do provide some amelioration of the worst effects of the virus. I'd not ever want to return to the mass deaths and fear of the first year of the pandammit, but I do miss the feeling of "we are all in this together", before disinformation and polarisation divided people

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my sweet good neighbors dropped off some more homegrown tomatoes on my front porch! Nom nom nom!

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	-	recycle bin
4	skirt for Opal	-	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. managed to find and get a walk in Novavax jab today that was close enough to ride there on my bike
2. really pleased with the new spooky season striped gores and black lace skirt for Almandine
3. replacement correct size Yaktrax showed up today

Time of Isolation - Day 1527

fragments from week 2

in which our plucky heroine notes the ups and downs...

One of the better parts of the last week was Gersvinda and her trusty truck, and being able to bring home a Bosc pear tree from the 25% off tree sale at Portland Nursery. Her work schedule makes it challenging to spend time together, so it is a treat when the stars align. And it was her suggestion, when the closer nursery had only one scraggly espalier left, that we go a little further and check out the other site... Bingo, there weren't many pears left, but Bosc was one of the three varieties I had on the list... so... it is currently in the backyard waiting for me to decide where to plant it. I am considering near the fence and adjacent to Feral Grape (who will need to be pruned back). There is a big pear tree next door, which will be good for pollination...

Acantha, during our conversation earlier this week about garden planning and flowers and such, suggested that I pay attention to what sorts of outdoor yards and gardens that I find appealling, while I am out and about on my bicycle... Well, I never thought to do that in all my years!

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~ Mx Green Jeans ~
>

The belated last of the week 11 pants project is this pair of cargo pants for Almandine. Here she is hanging out while I type this blog post; the shelf my monitor sits on is cluttered with bits and bobs, but makes it clear as well how very tiny the tinyfolk are.

This is actually the last week of the 13 week Tiny Wardrobe Challenge, and the garment of the week is a handknit cardigan. I will probably feature the one I made for Opal, back a few months ago when the challenge started. Mostly because I want to spend more time enameling and less time playing, now that the weather has cooled down. Eventually though, I do want to try making a tiny handknit cardigan with the faux cables that Dawn shared a link to a while back...

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Time to start thinking again about items and planning for the Advent Swap. Here are two different origami containers: This simple masu-style box is a classic; folded from 3½" square paper it makes a perfect 1¼" box for packaging up treats. This twist-top storage container is a bit more tricky to make, but would be great for flat treats; start with a 5" x 2½" rectangle to make a 1¼" packet...

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I've been continuing to try and rest, and stretch, and ride my bike, all in the hope that my CrankyBack/Hip/Haunch will stop being quite so cranky. There has been some improvement - it isn't waking me up at night. I don't know if stepping up onto stairs is still problematic (as I found out last week at the transit center); Acorn Cottage is thankfully all one level. I was able to put my socks on this morning, with difficulty but without tears. Getting old is not for the weak...

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This is a lovely illusion, but since Instagram won't share it here, you will have to go see for yourself...

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	-	recycle bin
4	-	-	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. BLT made with homegrown tomato
2. Acantha is brilliant! Looking at peoples yards is a good way to figure out what I like and what I don't like, and a good way to start thinking about design of outdoor space.
3. today was cool enough that I had to put on my chore jacket in the evening.

Time of Isolation - Day 1526

15 pounds of pears

in which our plucky heroine feels grateful to Gersvinda...

Gersvinda returned my fruit picker, along with about half a bucket of tasty pears from the tree at her mother's house. As per the last few years, most of the pears are destined for the dehydrator, to make yummy dried pear slices, though I may have to make a pear tart as well. or something?

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~ plum preparation ~

Today was the first day of plum harvest. I will never not be grateful for the feral plum thicket, and the delicious fruit that recurs without any input from me. Today I realised that the best way to begin picking on a fully laden branch is to start as high up as can be reached, rather than at the bottom, as I had been doing. Since as the fruit is picked, the branch begins to rise as there is less weight, which also makes the lowest plums on the tip easier to reach. D'oh! It will be several days before I have gathered the plums I can access while standing, and then it will be time to deploy the fruit picker for several more feet of reach. Another nice thing about prune plums is how simple they are to process for freezing, all that is needful is to cut in half and pop out the pit; easiest fruit save blueberries...

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The body was no more crankypants than normal at bedtime last night but by the time I returned from my morning bike ride my right leg had become excruciatingly painful. Sort of a combination of SI joint and hip with a tinge of sciatica. I'll rub it with some salve and hope for improvement, since a shower and a nap did no good at all. I hate it feel betrayed am worried when my physiology goes sideways without warning, despite that these sorts of random occurrences have happened to me for years, and despite that this sort of thing is common to most all humans, particularly of a certain age. If it does not improve, it may be acupuncture time. I miss the pool, and being able to do water exercise.

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Despite being rather lame today, the dishes and laundry must needs be dealt with. The kitchen needs the space to prepare fruit, and it makes sense to take advantage of the warm sunny weather for line drying kitchen cloths, and bedsheets, both of which benefit from the ultraviolet sunlight.

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Gersvinda and her truck will help me get to and from the garden center that has trees on sale later this week.
2. catching up on Mt Washmore and Mt Dishmore
3. several pounds of pears!! Huzzah for mutual aid

Time of Isolation - Day 1520

a bit of mutual aid

in which our plucky heroine notices harvest season...

The trees here are getting closer, and the plums are ripe and ready for me to start putting them in the freezer. Earlier today Gersvinda texted me and asked if she could borrow my fruit picker, as the pears at her mom's house are ready. Of course I said yes! I am glad I have a Useful Tool that will help access more homegrown fruit, and I've much enjoyed the pears she has shared with me in past years. Time to clear the sideboard and make room for the dehydrator. Mmmm dried pears are like candy, and I bet they would be good in this pear tart, too.

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~ week 12 - reversible top ~

I've been using the Tiny Doll Wardrobe Challenge as a way to fill in various gaps in the garments of my four tinyfolk, and this week I decided that Almandine needed a new top. With one side from a scrap of Kaffe Fassett (I think "Millefiori", in brown) and the other a soft green silk with pale red stripes, it coordinates with all the rest of her clothing. And now that I have sussed out how to make Almandine-tail-friendly pants, she is will soon have a pair made from that green/red shot linen that was used for one of the pairs of shorts for Kestrel's dollies...

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SIL Barb phoned me today, and we had a good talk. I wish she and my brother didn't live all the way across the continent!

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. There will be another indigo workshop in October at the art store! I have enough notice to maybe prep shibori!!
2. Today I picked the 2¼ pounds of ripe plums from the Wanda prune plum outside the bedroom window. I love that tree, seeing the flowers in the spring, and watching the fruit gradually ripen over the summer.
3. Gersvinda will borrow my fruit picker for pears, and likely bring some over when she returns it!

Time of Isolation - Day 1519

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine looks forward to cooler days to come...

Despite the heat, there are already plenty of signs of the seasons turning... Various berries and fruits begin to be visible on trees and bushes. A charm of goldfinches rose ahead of my bicycle early this morning, flashing upwards into the sky.

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~ plentitude ~
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The pomegranate is the first I have seen over the fence into a local garden, though I have read that they can grow in our zone, and seeing one on the plant IRL will be helpful in my drawing them in the future According to my blog records, on the other hand, it has been ten years since last I (successfully) experimented with using poke berries to get a good red dye on wool. No one minds if you pick berries from alley weeds.

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Thursday afternoon it was 104 on my front porch, while Friday afternoon it "only" made it to about 102. This wave over the next few days is likely the last gasp of summer heat for this year. I bless the heat pump.

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes-
1. phone chat with Ursel was great body doubling for me to get back to my scribal efforts, and I made good progress on the Scythian background of interminable tiny dotted texture
2. the art store had several different options for paper for block printing, and once I cut strips I can start on the textile livestock book, my next Advent Swap item. (well some for the swap, and some just because I have pals who like tiny things)
3. homemade "Goddess Dressing" is so yummy, particularly when made with Soom tahini (thank you Jenna for turning me on to that delicious ingredient), and one recipe lasts me for about a week of everyday salad dressing. Is also delicious instead of mayo for use in tuna, egg, or noodle salads:

Tahini Goddess Salad Dressing

⅓ c oil 2¾ T tahini 2½ T cider vinegar 2 t tamari 2¼ t lemon juice ¾ t salt 1 T minced parsley 1 T minced chives 1 minced clove garlic (or ¼ t garlic granules)

Mix together the tahini and the oil first, to allow the tahini to be smoothly incorporated. Then mix in all the other ingredients. You can add some water at the end, if the dressing is thicker than you prefer.

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Time of Isolation - Day 1518

throwback Thursday - "dramatis personae"

in which our plucky heroine reintroduces the cast and tidies up some loose ends...

Back in May 2019, I first experimented with Ann Wood's Tiny Rag Doll pattern, which has brought me so much delight and the company of assorted tinyfolk in the years that followed. I am always amazed and amused at how such scraps of fabric and fluff become little personalities with definite likes and dislikes, with strong preferences for what their names will be, and with stories I am surprised to learn

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~ Nandina ~
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Nandina was the third of the tinyfolk here, after her older sister Zinnia and pal Hazel left for parts north. In June of 2020, I wanted even imaginary company in the still raw isolation of that year.

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~ Hazel and Zinnia ~

These two were the very first of the tinyfolk, and brought me a renewed pleasure in the miniature world, which had been my hobby as a girl. I'd been following the blog of the artist Ann Wood for some time, the source of all these small things and how to make them. After being drawn to make the clothespin doll bed for Rafny, I then had to make some of the tiny rag dolls, though these two soon told me that they really needed to go live with Young Kestrel instead of here at Acorn Cottage.

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~ Xanthy ~

By October, Nandina was eager for a friend her own size, and as part of the 100 day creativity challenge, Xanthy arrived at Acorn Cottage. From the start, that one had a very definite persona, and while we enjoyed her company, before too long they decided that life would be more fun up at Mud Bay, and trekked off for life with Hazel and Zinnia...

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~ Almandine ~

In the summer of 2021, after some interesting experimenting with the spun cotton technique, a fox head gradually became the fox-girl Almandine...

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~ Opal ~

Opal got her start in life as part of a diorama of Viking grave goods! For a long time after that, she sort of drifted around Tansu Terrace like, well, a nameless ghost... without clothing of her own, or even much of a facial expression. Finally, inspired by the 13 week Mini Doll Wardrobe challenge, I embroidered her face, and have been having a good time making a coordinated wardrobe mostly in shades of bluegrey, with a few bright accents such as this tiedye top

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~ Kenya ~

Kenya Ogidni former Berkeley radical (and mother to Zinnia and Nandina) now manages a cooperative gallery space at one end of Tansu Terrace. Raúl (not seen here) is the father of both her children and remains a deeply committed intersectional justice activist. They met on the picket lines for the NFAW strikes and have been together ever since.

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I will often joke about sunspots when zoom or other media connections work poorly or freeze up... but there really are sunspot storms a-happening...

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Last week I finally sorted out the elastic straps on my P100 mask... ever since I started using it, the adjustable straps were much too long, so I wrapped the ends around the adjusters to keep them from loosening, which left the ends waving out from my face like oversize cat whiskers! An additional goofy addition to the already peculiar looking though very excellent mask.

Last month when Mikki was here, I noticed that her mask had the ends of the straps neatly stitched down. Why I never before thought to do that I will never know, but I finally took needle and some button and carpet thread in hand and now the mask more tidy and easier to wear!

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. elastic mask straps are now stitched in place
2. so far, my imagination has never failed me
3. The electricity has held steady so far today, with only one very short wobble. This means that I can stay indoors, safe from heat sickness. It is over 100F on my front porch right now, but the heat should begin to moderate tomorrow...

Time of Isolation - Day 1516

good pens and bad pens

in which our plucky heroine is baffled...

Yesterday started with a dreadful mess! I was enjoying a morning zoom with my pal Leslie when I looked down to see black smears all over the place. It was ball point pen ink, so very sticky indeed, and somehow the base of the pen exploded in the pen and pencil cup next to the computer zone. I got ink not only on both my hands, but all over the trackball, the right side of the keyboard slider, and all over my pinafore front.

Fortunately I was able to clean most of it up, though it required not only scrubbing my hands with dishes soap but also with denatured alcohol! I was able to get it off the trackball (very carefully) using some paper towels and careful application of the alcohol solvent while keeping all liquid away from the interface parts. Cleaning the actual sphere took quite some doing, but thankfully it all still works!

I tossed the entire pencil container in the bin, and my pinafore cannot be salvaged either. It was my oldest one reserved for garden or messy jobs, so it might will go in the bin as well. It would be dreadful to have that ink spread over other things in the washing like the pink in The Cat In The Hat Comes Back"

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~ a special request ~

Despite it being September, Kestrel let me know that all her tinyfolk wanted shorts, and one pair needed to have yellow polkadots! There will be another two pairs, one brightly colored and one either brown or green/red, so all her dollies will have still more new clothing, as well as the birthday surprise Pokemon tops that I plan on making. Thanks to the magic of Sharpie art pens, the white dots became yellow. The two finished pairs are being modeled by Kenya...

The second pair is made from my last scraps of Kaffe Fassett quilting cotton with big colorful spots. I think these fill the bill of Young Kestrel’s request for “something bright colored” for her little friend Zinnia. (Zinnia is Nandina’s older sister, and Kenya is their mother) Kenya is patient with my looking for a good spot to take photos; when I out riding my bike I found a tree with huge mossy burls on the trunk and realised it would be perfect. I will be making one more pair for Kestrel’s dollies from a bit of green/red shot linen to be stitched in my spare time this week. (It also occurred to me that the new method I have for tinyfolk pants or shorts construction will make it easy for me to make Almandine a pair to accommodate her fox tail)

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It is time for me to return to my raincoat project, before the seasonal rains return... I think I have finally figured out how to negotiate the place where the lining and the facing side of the coat intersect with the exterior. Since I have pretty much had zero instructional help due to the peculiar fabric I am using, the construction details have been more of a challenge than I imagined. I am just going to go forward as best as can be managed at this point since it would be dreadful to NOT have a raincoat after getting this close. If it isn't as excellent as I would like, it will at least be wearable (and fit me better than any RTW garment, and have massively deep pockets in just the right place, and be long enough that my pinafores should stay mostly dry)

I have four steps left to complete and it will be done: The toggle fastenings, setting up the intersection of the facing and the lining prior to edgebinding, attaching the lining to the hemline (or not), and edgebinding the entire coat

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	-	oldest pinafore
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I get to meet most every week with my newest set of friends, Mischa and Stef, and every week I get to know them a bit better...
2. Turned and fully lined construction solves the problem of how to make pants for Almandine the Fox-girl.
3. the long conversation yesterday with Karen sparked additional synaptical interconnections in my brain, and I may have solved one of the difficult four remaining parts of the raincoat project!

Time of Isolation - Day 1515

once again for those in the back row...

in which our plucky heroine repeats what bears repeating ...

"Though we have our own terrible difficulties to find a way to coexist with and to move forward from, hard times, disease and disaster are more the norm of human existence than many perhaps realise. Every increment of help and hope have been hard won, whether by activism or by activity, and it doesn't do to forget that, lest those gains be lost..."

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I can't even get halfway through this song without tears
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Saturday night I saw Young Kestrel on zoom and her tinyfolk put in a request for shorts! one pair in bright colors for zinnia, one pair with yellow polkadots for Xanthy, and either more of the red/green shot linen for Hazel, or if not, brown... Since pants or shorts are the garment of the week, this is apropos.

I didn't think I had any polkadot fabric, but remembered the grey dotted with white quilt cotton I bought to use to edgebind my horses blouse, which also worked well for Opal clothing. And I have a box of Sharpie markers. Including yellow. Now I can I can rest easy knowing there is a solution to the yellow polkadot dilemna that does not involve shopping

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Girl Charlee, my go to online fabric shop for cotton lycra knits, is going out of business, and all their remaining stock is on deep discount. I am very sad about this, as they were quite reliable with excellent quality. Am considering picking up some fabric to have on hand for some of the lingerie sewing experiments I've been meaning to do. At only a few dollars a yard, experimentation will not feel extravagant...

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. my Madrona Tribe pals, who introduced me to the music of Vixy and Tony
2. Finally the last of the logs are gone. No one in my circle wanted them. Putting them up on FB Marketplace for free meant many inquiries, most of which never showed up, but there were a few gone the first week, and Saturday someone came for the final half dozen, which will eventually become campfires for roasting marshmallows...
3. strawberry-rhubarb seasoned with cinnamon and orange

Time of Isolation - Day 1513