abberation

in which our plucky heroine makes a colorful choice...

I pretty much wear neutral colors, black and greys, indigo and chocolate brown, and have for years. The most "exciting" color in my closet has been a recent foray into teal/turquoise as an accent color. But for some reason I needed to make this gauzy rainbow linen cowl scarf, and it needs to have embellished edges now that I have found the appropriate yarn...

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~ no such thing as too much rainbow ~

I've been beavering away on the tiny tassels, and am about a third of the way through. They are a perfect sort of handwork for zoom calls, or for watching media. I made it through three episodes of "Call The Midwife" last night, and many tiny tassels were the result

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really tasty faux-sagna tonight and as usual it made a double portion to put in the freezer for a different meal later on. I am getting better and better at "cooking ahead". This started last week when I wanted to use up some freezer tomatoes, and turned them into a pot of red sauce, with veggies, mushrooms, herbs, and some italian sweet sausage. That made half a dozen sauce cubes, some of which were layered into the casserole tonight, along with cottage cheese, rice paper, and some of yesterdays roasted zucchini sliced up small. The whole thing was topped with some cheddar and parmesan and baked until the top was bubbly. It was most warming on a very chilly night. 

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Since we now have been assigned our Sekrit Pals for Dagmar's Sekrit Santa Swap this year, I had best put in some time tonight updating my wish lists and linking them to my Elfster account. It is always a bit challenging, since what I wish for the most is not really more "things" but rather assistance with chores that are beyond my singular ability. Well, and there are other, less tangible things I wish for are not possible to be given as gifts..

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	mailed advent boxes	recycle bin
6	quince jelly	long jane hems	x
7	Sidewalk Joy books	renew worm bin	x
8	tiny hearth fire	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I made some very delicious faux lasagna for dinner tonight
2. the rainbow tassels are working out well to decorate my scarf
3. long ago Jen made me some naalbound mittens, and they are the best thing ever when it is really cold outside, being both windproof and insulative ♡

Time of Isolation - Day 1599

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine attempts to share a video...

I don't have any idea how to edit a video, so it is all point the phone at it and hope... Took several attempts to get something not TOO wobbly, and not too long in duration, and even so it is a comparatively huge file. Not like my still photos, which as a matter of course I process and compress to make the file size small while still retaining reasonable quality. But video is the only way to share the effect of the moving light of the "fire"...

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~ warmth in winter ~

I've been entertaining myself by working on a little hearthfire for the shadowbox...cardboard and twigs and some sharpie colored-in tissue paper all glued together, made to fit around a cannibalised LED tea light. I made some andiron-ish things from two big beads glued to two wall anchors turned upside down. Painted with matte black gesso... they look rather like something from The Borrowers...

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This morning during my zoom-chat with Karen I began to work on the rainbow tassel borders to my rainbow linen gauze cowl scarf. It's going to take a while to complete, as there is rather a lot of hand stitching per tassel, so once I figured out how long a piece of yarn was needed for each one, I then cut appropriate lengths of assorted colorways from the singular multicolored marled skein. I think it will really be a great embellishment!

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	mailed advent boxes	recycle bin
6	quince jelly	long jane hems	x
7	Sidewalk Joy books	renew worm bin	x
8	tiny hearth fire	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
1. turkey day leftovers are so delicious!
2. a surprise porch visit from Vesta!!
3. my attempt at an LED hearthfire looks even better than I had hoped for, and really adds to the shadowbox diorama

Time of Isolation - Day 1598

a start on the shadowbox

in which our plucky heroine is cooking and crafting...

This will be the fifth Thanksgiving* holiday I have spent far from friends and family; so I spend the day attempting to focus on what I am grateful for and making myself a slightly fancier meal than my everyday cuisine. I miss the Before Times...

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~ redecoration ~

I've started changing out the shadowbox diorama on my advent calendar... Instead of last years "woodland" theme complete with my Playmobil badgers, this year I'm going with a "cozy library" theme, making use of some of the furnishings from Caer Cardboard. Visible are my entire collection of miniature books, (almost all of which have readable interior pages), as well as the "miss thistle society" fireplace made from painted egg carton cardboard. I've had the tiny Dala horses since I was a young thing, the artworks are from various Free Little Art Gallery sites, and I made the moth orchid a few years ago from a kit. I made the strand of bunting from golden origami paper, and I want to try making an LED tea light into a fire for the fireplace. December will be here in the blink of an eye!

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I've started cooking my small if somewhat elaborate meal... The turkey thigh came out of the freezer on Monday, thawed all day in the fridge on Tuesday, and Wednesday it was boned, brined (1c buttermilk: ½T salt) and went back in the fridge... Next it is rolled up with a bit of homemade stuffing inside (which provides another opportunity for the homegrown, as I add sage, thyme, marjoram and rosemary, all from the yard), tied into a neat bundle, and then roasted in the oven at 350°F for about an hour and a half, until it reaches and internal temperature of 165°F. I first made turkey roulade in 2020, and it is a nice festive treat, just big enough for one meal, and often sometimes a bit left over for the next days lunch.

The rest of my meal takes less faffing about to make. I'm going to make a little green salad to showcase my final (of four) homegrown tomato, steam some green beans and reheat a sweet potato slab I baked last week. I think I am also going to make a Very Small quince crisp in a custard cup for dessert, to further acknowledge my gratitude for the homegrown

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Interesting food for thought: Science and Storytelling

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this just makes me smile...
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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	mailed advent boxes	recycle bin
6	quince jelly	long jane hems	x
7	Sidewalk Joy books	renew worm bin	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
1. As weird as the weather is being, yesterday was dry and cold, and I was able to get in a few miles of bike riding
2. As the posted boxes of Advent Swap goodness continue to arrive in folks mailboxes, I keep seeing the folks who got "surprise" boxes sharing the joy on their social media... which makes me all kinds of happy, to have helped facilitate adding brightness to the world, even in such a small way
3. Enough is really as good as a feast... I cooked more than enough, because leftovers are wonderful, but only ate part of today's cookery. There is enough roulade for at least two more meals, and half a custard cup of quince crisp is just right. Homegrown goodness in the meal today: tomato, herbs, and quince

Time of Isolation - Day 1597

*There are valid issues with with what is basically taught and presented as a celebration of colonialism, and one thing to be thankful for is more information, and that alternative ways to honor the indigenous side of the story are available

tragedy narrowly averted

in which our plucky heroine took quick action...

I've been processing all the pounds of quinces, putting the peeled chunks into the freezer and simmering cores and skins for "quince juice" for jelly. Which I was in the middle of finishing up tonight. Somehow, after filling and capping three jars, and putting them into the waterbath to be processed, I managed to overturn the remaining Very Hot (219°F/104°C) pan full of jelly onto my hand.

Fortunately I ignored the gooey mess pouring down the front of the stove and across the floor, and instead immediately stuck my hand under the cold water tap, and simply stood there running Very Cold water all across it. Probably for about fifteen minutes, as my hand became cold, then completely numb. So instead of what could have been a very bad scenario indeed, my hand looks only slightly sunburned.

I learned this trick as a young person when after I accidentally touched the tip of a hot soldering iron, and by instinct, immediately used cold running water and avoided a bad blister and was left with only some whitish patches on the very surface of my skin. The cold water needs to be running, as it most effectively draws the heat right out of the burned area

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~ November sunset ~

sometimes I am in the right place at the right time...

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Well that is a fun little treat, a Sidewalk Joy PDX miniature book template. I'm looking forward to putting it together (following the instructions here) to add to the Tansu Terrace book collection. Plus I found out that I can get color copies made at the UPS store for 65¢.

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~ "tragedy narrowly averted" ~

I was there that night, with Charlotte and Bob (it was, as I recall, a four hour drive each way)

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	mailed advent boxes	recycle bin
6	quince jelly	long jane hems	x
7	x	renew worm bin	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I managed to get my hand under running cold water fast enough to ameliorate almost all the injury of Very Hot quince jelly - my hand looks very slightly sunburnt is all, and doesn't hurt.
2. I've been enjoying listening to fragments of the 10/31/80 Radio City Music Hall Grateful Dead concert. I remember the whole trip there and back again that night. It was a different world...
3. miniature Sidewalk Joy PDX book

Time of Isolation - Day 1596

international frivolity and other snippets

in which our plucky heroine is a bit at loose ends, as it were...

This year's Advent of a Better Year Swap is done and dusted, at least my part of it. Now all that remains is the actual daily dopamine portion, 31 days of opening gifts, which I intend to enjoy to the fullest. Currently mulling over what sort of shadowbox decorations I may put together for this year...

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~ "no such thing as too much rainbow" ~

Back in June of 2023, I took the remnant of the rainbow striped gauze and made a cowl scarf. The multicolor marled yarn I ordered has arrived, and I can start on making tiny rainbow tassels to embellish the edges. This wool yarn is so soft it will be delightfully not-scratchy! This may be the last of the international frivolity for the forseeable future, as the linen gauze came from Lithuania, and the wool yarn from Denmark

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I am mending one of my pairs of long janes... for some reason, the hemline trim was added as an extension to the edge, rather than an overlay, and consequently kept getting caught in the bike chain. I've cut the entire thing off, trimmed of the mangled bits (and trimmed the other one to match, and am now reapplying the trim properly. This means I need to get the larger hemline gathered in to fit, which I am doing with a series of small tucks along the edge, which will create a very slightly poofy effect on the bottom of the long janes. Not my usual choice at all, but inoffensive and I have hope that this fix will get me another few years of wear.

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I saw an unfamiliar raptor in the hedge around Karla's yard, but it flew away before I could manage a photo. It was not a Red Tail, so after much looking up of online images, I suspect it was a Cooper's Hawk? I know that there are birds of prey around, but I rarely see them in the neighborhood!

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I don't know why Google is now requiring me to not just sign in each time in order to post on my blog (which is normal), but also to verify each time with a random code on the mobile phone. This is new, and rather extremely annoying. Is there some kind of setting that causes this, or turns it off? I have tried searching online, with no useful data to be found??.

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	mailed advent boxes	recycle bin
6	x	long jane hems	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Had a pleasant conversation at the farmer's market today, with a woman I spoke to once, a number of years ago... She remembered me because of my quirky clothing, and I remembered her because of her very clever wheeled market basket cart.
2. the rainbow yarn I ordered is wonderfully soft and thin, perfect for edge tassels!
3. Maple syrup...

Time of Isolation - Day 1594

Friday fragments and Thursday throwbacks

in which our plucky heroine is feeling impatient...

on behalf of the person who, on the afternoon of Wednesday the 20th, spent quite a bit of dosh to send their package of Advent Swap goodies here guaranteed next day delivery. It finally arrived, not on Thursday at all, but instead at almost noon on Friday the 22nd! Needless to say, I then quickly set about doing the final distribution of treats, taped up all the boxes and it was time to post them. Took two trips back and forth on my bicycle to the post office, but it was mostly clear and sunny, and getting everything sent off in plenty of time felt really good. (It also takes a fair amount of time to send out 24 different tracking numbers to 24 different folks...)

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~ almost there ~

Advent Swap boxes ready for the big trip to the post office... The Advent of a Better Year in 2025 Swap is a secular activity where you open one random gift every day in December, and intended to add a touch of bright whimsy and a reminder of connection to your day. We are all in this together, and you are not alone... (I coordinated a better year advent swap last year, and it was so much fun for everyone that folks wanted to do it again, and I intend to keep on facilitating it for as many years as possible)

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So very early in the morning I headed out for what I call my quarterly "farrier appointment" which, were I a horse, would involve getting my hooves trimmed...

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~ This time of year in the past ~

in 2021: like I am this year, I was making quince jelly, and like I never shall again in this life, I was chatting with my mom on the phone...

In 2016: I was making a modern (non-SCA) custom enamel pendant

in 2011: I was celebrating the holiday with friends, and in the middle of diagnostics that led to my first cancer surgery...

in 2007: (the year when I started this blog), I was getting ready for a holiday gift sale, and making sweet biscornu pincushions and shrinky-dink decorative pins

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	mailed advent boxes	recycle bin
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Advent boxes are all mailed out, using a numbered list worked really well, and today was Not Rainy
2. Karen did body-double and I sent out four messages I had been avoiding
3. I got an inquiry about a potential custom enamel
4. the Fiskars papercutter works really well for making scrap paper into origami squares, and I can fit it on my keyboard shelf, if I put the keyboard aside temporarily. (which makes cutting out origami paper a zoom friendly activity)
5. I have my big worktable back, now that it is not covered with Advent Swap boxes!

Time of Isolation - Day 1593

Wednesday whatnots

in which our plucky heroine is determined to persist...

I intend to behave as if there is a future. This includes planting the flower bulbs and garlic starts that Acantha sent me, as future savor and future beauty are a thing to look forward to. This week in Anni's box of goodies for the Advent Swap, she included several paperwhite narcissus bulbs, which add sweetly scented indoor beauty in the dark season of the year. It has been a long time since I forced some indoors, but this year I will. There is a clever trick to keep them from getting all etiolated, which is to add a certain percentage of alcohol to the water they are grown in. I learned about that years ago, and it worked like a charm.

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~ turning ~

the colors of autumn... as the leaves fall and thoughts turn to preserving harvest bounty. There were pounds of quinces on the tree this year, which will become jelly, and membrillo (quince paste), and maybe a jar or two of quincemeat for holiday tartlets... I've collected some quince recipes and hints here in this blog post

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making great progress on the Advent Swap... two of the remaining three participants boxes are here, so only one is still in the postal system. I've addressed and stamped all of the outgoing boxes; my next step is the Grand Mix-n-Match, when all the gifties get redistributed... (then the boxes will be sealed up ready to take to the post office, but first I will probably take some photos...)

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This summer I attempted to grow a Juliet tomato plant, which is a favorite, but accidentally killed it by transplanting into a pot with no drainage (bad plant mother, no mini Roma tomato for you) Then I found an Oregon Spring start, which is small and very tasty, and figured to make an attempt even though it was already well into summer. I got three tomatoes by the end of the season, only partly turning from pure green to dull yellowish, but left on a cool windowsill, they have gradually ripened, and I have one left. Debating if I should eat it now, or save it till next week for Thanksgiving? I'd say that fresh tasty tomato in deep November is something to be grateful for!

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. was a clear day, which meant several bike rides were possible, one to the grocery store in the morning, and one to the post office in the afternoon to get stamps for advent boxes.
2. speaking of which, we made it to 31 participants, if we count the doubles and the extra gift boxes, which do count!
3. the skein of Danish rainbow yarn intended to decorate my rainbow linen cowl scarf has made it across the great water, and is currently in a post office in Los Angeles
4. several homegrown tomatoes in November

Time of Isolation - Day 1591

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine feels somewhat less wobbly...

And as a way of warming the kitchen I've started pre-baking the quinces... 20+ minutes in the oven at 350°F and they are much easier to peel and cut into pieces. Then they can be frozen or cooked further as desired, and the cores and peels added when making quince or other jelly.

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~ hopeful ~

Garlic, iris, hyacinth, and tulips... planting bulbs is a statement that there will be a future. These are a statement of not just bare survival but also of beauty in the world. Thank you Acantha for sharing this hopeful gift, and when they bloom, or come to full growth, I will think of you!

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This is a fascinating article about the garnet and gold metalwork found in the Sutton Hoo archaeological site.

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~ getting ready ~

This is the second year I have coordinated the (secular) "Advent of a Better Year" swap, where everybody gets 31 tiny wrapped gifts, one for each day in December. Everyone gets a random assortment from all the other participants.

There are 20 sets on the table currently, five more sets I've not yet made a box for, there's a package of goodies for the swap out for delivery today and one tomorrow, someone driving up tonight with their set, and I am still waiting to hear from one more person, but I've turned my worktable into Advent Swap Central so that once all the goodies arrive (hopefully in the next day or two) I can do the mix-n-match, and seal up all the boxes and take them to the post office...

*Notice: next year our plucky heroine is moving the deadline for tiny treats to arrive here back two weeks, from October 31 to October 15, to better allow for "shipping and handling" time.

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. a great porch visit with Ashe this weekend, when they drove down here to drop off Advent Swap goodies from their family
2. learned a new origami box fold
3. I don't know how they end up there, but there were three! spiders in my bathtub this morning! Fortunately for them, I keep a spider catching cup and a postcard in the bathroom, so I can remove them safely and without harm to either of us
4. Acantha sent me flower bulbs as well as garlic to plant

Time of Isolation - Day 1589

origami boxes - a compendium

in which our plucky heroine saves useful information...

As wrapping presents has never been a strong point of mine, I find various kinds of origami boxes very helpful, particularly when wrapping small gifts for things like the Advent Swap...

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*masu box: 3½" square for a 1¼" box

and divider for masu box (same size square)

star top flat box: 2½" x 5" rectangle for a 1¼" flat box

*triangles top flat box: 4" square for a 1½" flat box

cube with integral lid box: 5¼" square for a 1¼" cube

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gifty wishlist 2024 edition

in which our plucky heroine changes things up a bit, but still offers notes about useful and desirable gifts...

Really I've not given much thought about a wishlist for 2024 at all, so it will take a while to fill out and find things both useful, delightful, or both (and that are actually available!)

I've participated in Duchess Daegmar's Sekrit Santa gift exchange for a number of years now; I decided after skipping it last year that there was something missing in the winter holiday season without it... so back into participating! ...

Most of what would make a real difference in my life are not things, but the gift of experiences, time, and the sharing of resources... because time spent together (though it is so challenging to find and agree on safe ways to do so) is the best gift of all, whether helping with household tasks or out adventuring in the wide world.

It seemed a good idea to provide both general guidelines to what I like and do not like, as well as a modest annotated list of assorted Useful and Delightful things:

Random important wishlist notes:

My favorite colors in general: The kind of blue that you get from indigo: nightsky and dark denim. The greyish color of natural linen. Taupe. Grey. Soft dull turquoise. The dark black brown of some kinds of undyed sheep wool. Bittersweet chocolate brown.

In general, food is not a Fjorlief treat. Our plucky heroine does not particularly like is not thrilled by chocolate, and is very allergic to cherries and to hazelnut. I particularly do not enjoy most sorts of scented things, and am very allergic to cedar.

I love handmade gifts, particularly those of the wooden, ironwork, glass or textile sort. My SCA life is mostly as a Norse/Slavic style person, so period style lampwork beads are always useful. I mostly do not collect things, in particular I don't collect acorn kitsch, even though the house is named Acorn Cottage...

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Annotated wishlist of assorted delights, in no particular order at all :

 
Moha! ginger grater

"Bike Pretty" helmet and hat cover...

My Anglophile tendencies often are directed at haberdashery such as these charming buttons (22mm mixed blue)  or beautifully designed crafting materials such as these exquisite papers , which would be wonderful for papercraft!

either of these beautiful feather brooches to decorate hats would be an excellent addition to my wardrobe: Thing 1 or Thing 2

I would love any of these Wake The Dead CD's

some interesting origami paper: the Blue Collage designs

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some rather more challenging and spendy things, in no particular order at all:

 

It is difficult to find wind chimes that are not aesthetically offensive, and that actually sound good... I think these might tick both those boxes "Bells of Paradise"

It would be helpful, once space is cleared in the carport, to acquire or build some sort of small footprint shed/cupboard to store the garden tools in, which are currently loosely stacked against the house wall. Of course that is predicated on actually clearing the carport.

It would be a very good and necessary addition to the infrastructure here to acquire an extension ladder, or at least a substantial regular ladder. One that is long enough to reach the gutters, and the attic hatchways... must needs do a bit more research as to what would be best... two different friends have mentioned that the recombinant style ladders have worked well

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Overall, there are several areas of life here at Acorn Cottage that would greatly benefit from helpful attention, in the someday when we can all be in the same places again, help from those with stronger backs and possibly vehicular transport.

As mentioned, the carport would be a happier place if it was reorganised and some of what is there and not needed went away. The backyard really needs yardwork done to make it less overgrown and possibly more level, which would make putting in raised garden beds easier. (The several years that Blue Cedar House helped with the yardwork here were the best that the outside of the house ever looked).

I have some but not all of the bits needed to make a new chicken house, which is necessary before acquiring new hens; still need to acquire some small lumber, 1x2s and 1x3s mostly. Weeding, always weeding, the side yard in particular. Clear out the gutters, ugh. And in the next year or two, the house needs exterior painted, and the roof will need replaced.

I will be adding to this list as I think of possible things that would be both useful and beautiful additions to my home and life.

so mysterious

in which our plucky heroine ...

So far, no one has owned up to leaving pears in my milk box. It is baffling, but good. And today a small package arrived in the post, which was very definitely not the skein of yarn I have on order (much to my confusion), as it was instead a small hard cylinder! It turned out to be a gift from a friend, a lovely pair of earrings I (and quite a few others) had admired online. They are in an almost Byzantine style, with intaglio laurel wreaths, and the setting decorated with pearls, and would be suitable for various different SCA time periods, or, of course, the current era.

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~ the doors to the Advent Swap are slowly closing ~

(one of last years dragons...)

As it was last year, so it is again, as folks cluster around the closing date for the swap, and I softheartedly agree to later and later time frames for their packets to arrive here. I so want everyone to be able to participate, so there are at least five more due in over the weekend and into Monday.  Maybe next year I will "close the door" on October 15 instead of the 31st, and see if pushing the date earlier is any help... Still, we are getting an assortment of new folks this year. Several are choosing to do a doubled swap, with one for themself, and one for some friend or family they want to have a special treat...

The other thing that was new this year is that several folks wanted to sponsor a sort of scholarship to send a box to someone who was unable to participate this year. We all know that this has been a difficult year for many of our friends, some with their health taking a hit, and others losing friends and family members; it brings my heart joy that folks are thinking that this Advent of a Better Year might bring a bit of brightness to someone who least expects a mysterious gift!

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Next year, in addition to coordinating the Advent Swap, it would be interesting to make a more traditional sort of advent calendar, maybe creating two different block prints, one with little doors, and one with what is hidden behind them...

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. a surprise gift from a sweet friend
2. the worrisome noise my bicycle was making turned out to be caused by an out of place bungee cord hook, and not the rear wheel bearings dying
3. the post office had enough of the small flat rate boxes, and I was able to snag them earlier today when out for a bike ride

Time of Isolation - Day 1586

Thursday throwbacks and other thoughts

in which our plucky heroine finds respite in action...

even if that action consists of a walk around the neighborhood, some pruning to try and fill the greenwaste wheelie bin, and several bike rides. When I was a girl, I often would sing as I rode my bicycle, but have not done so for many decades. On my final ride of the day, after dark, cycling combined with singing raised my mood as much as it tired my old legs out.

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~ bright against the dark ~

there is always beauty, somewhere... the trick is to be always paying attention. Just like there is always kindness and joy.

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back in November of 2018 I was decorating a linen cowl scarf with tassels... and have enjoyed wearing it ever since. When I made a rainbow linen cowl scarf, I couldn't figure out how to add edge detailing without buying far too much yarn. Recently I realised that the magic word was "marled" and after some online searching, I found this multicolor wool sock yarn:

(the three faces of a single skein)
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this has been a touchstone for many years, and will be as long as I am still in the bright world...

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Fifteen years ago I made my acorn and oak leaf winter hat, experimented with quince jelly, thought about making Danielle Barlow's Quince Marmalade, and was getting ready for the Dark Days Challenge...

Ten years ago it snowed on November 13th, and I decided that making "long janes" would be a good idea. Quinces were about to become good things for the pantry.

Five years ago I was working on a mixed fabric "cloud collar" knit top:

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I cleverly saved the little carved sticks I used to make the tassels on my grey linen cowl, so will be able to make use of them when my rainbow yarn arrives which is intended to decorate my rainbow linen cowl... ("no such thing as too much rainbow")
2. had enough energy to partially prune the grapevine, and remove uppity plum starts from part of the yard.
3. decided to give my jars of lime curd to two of my neighbors as a surprise gift, which made me feel happy!

Time of Isolation - Day 1585

off kilter

in which our plucky heroine struggles to regain balance...

with so much in flux, questionable decisions made long ago, and childhood nightmares in the waking world, it is being a real challenge right now to find any counterweight.

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~ life will find a way~

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I'd intended to get a lot done Monday but I'd been stricken with dreadful collywobbles of the innards. Either something I ate, or (possibly) a changed medication dosage has wreaked havoc. It doesn't help that I've also reached the level of stress where eating at all is unappealing. This has happened twice before in my life, both at times of great loss, and the nightmares and insomnia aren't improving things.

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in the "old dog new tricks" news: all six (red cabbage/apple, bok choi stems, carrots w ginger/garlic, habanada peppers, red onion, and beet kvass) of the lacto-ferment jars started on 11/9 are actively generating bubbles... This is hopeful. My goal is to keep trying various options to figure out what I like and then do more of that...

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I had my passport application photo taken, and the picture looks like a mug shot; it is by far the worst image of me I've ever seen, far worse than any DMV drivers license ones. It doesn't help that you aren't allowed to wear eyeglasses, must remove earrings, and of course not able to wear my usual head scarf either since it counts as a "hat". I'm glad though that I decided to just go ahead and get the photo as soon as I found out that the local UPS shop could do it. Because it is one more incremental step that can be crossed off of Stuff I Need To Do

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	-	-
5	lime curd	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. my fermentation experiments are going well.
2. it was a pleasant surprise to see the smiling face of my dear friend Mr Dawson, in a photo on Instagram
3. homemade lime curd

Time of Isolation - Day 1584

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine manages to get at least something accomplished...

I set aside the day in part to have fun with fermentation, since my first experiments were at least partially successful... There are now half a dozen pint jars sitting on the countertop: beet kvass, steamed carrots with ginger/garlic, red onion, bok choi stems, red cabbage/opal apple, and habanada peppers.

I am trying for a balance where I like the flavors and the texture, which is why I steamed the carrots. Our plucky heroine does not enjoy hard crunchy carrot sticks, even tangy and tasty ones, so I was glad to read in several places that one can ferment cooked or roasted vegetables, as long as a starter culture is added.

The brine I used today is 3T whey (strained from live culture yogurt) : 1C H20 : 1½t NaCl, which after talking with Maeva I was pleased she thought that sounded like a good one. She is far more experienced in the way of the ferment than I am

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~ grey above gold below ~

Today the sky is overcast grey, with impending rain probably arriving tomorrow. Still, an early bike ride to the grocery store has me passing the park, which is dotted with corbies on the side that isn't the dog park. Too early for the playground to be full of children, there is something about the gold leaves across the ground that just lifts my heart. I couldn't resist riding up to the xylophone and spending a minute just sending the plangent sounds out into the bright world.

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As of today we have 14 entries in the Advent Swap, so almost halfway there. The more entrants, the fewer "duplicates" in the assortments, but irregardless, everyone gets 31 treats. My mailbox and postie have been getting a workout in the last week. These bright spots have been a great antidote to the larger situation, and when I start to get all "why am I focusing on such a frivolous activity", I remember that joy and connection are actually radical actions to pursue in a world that tries hard to keep us all isolated and scared.

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fragments of this have been drifting through my head lately:

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T²FLAG (Tiny Temporary Free Little Art Gallery) as an idea, though I am not yet sure how to make it reality. It is too late in the year to attempt to make a concrete base*, as the overnight temperatures continue to be on the borderline, so I am wondering if there is some other way to anchor some sort of T²FLAG in the front yard. Maybe using garden stakes, or concrete blocks?? Food for thought anyway, as Kenya is very eager to be a gallery owner, and it occurs to me that festive ornaments would be a fun thing!

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. 14 folks so far in the Advent Swap.
2. got to see most of the Mud Bay crew on their way home, now with the addition of Calypso the large puppy, who was dyed "not a coyote" pink, and who is full of teenage puppy drama. (said puppy seems to be a GSD/husky cross, and was living with folks on a ten acre parcel, so she is also needing to get used to life on a leash, and assorted other "manners", but my northern friends are some of the most excellent folks I know for dogs.
3. an excellent zoom this afternoon about storing food, which I came away from both feeling like I have done some thoughtful things in the last 20 years, and also with several new to me ideas about options...

Time of Isolation - Day 1580

* here is some information about using Quikrete to anchor posts

Thursday throwbacks and Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine is happy to see friends...

Today Cathy, Jen, and Kestrel stopped by Acorn Cottage on their way south to adopt a dog, bringing assorted goodies with them, but more importantly their beloved selves.

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~ the final bit of spooky season ~

This went well, I think, for miniature spooky season, though I didn't quite manage to get it done on time. A vintage style, 2" wide, graphic cat head, overpainted with gouache and mica paints, then coated with clear nail polish for durability, makes a good wall or window decoration for next year

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This is a very apropos bit of allegorical storytelling, and it did bring tears to my eyes, though tears are always pretty close to the surface nowadays.

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~ an old touchstone revisited ~

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Looking back 5 years ago, I was finishing up my experimental collage cardigan, made from a wide assortment of stencilled and block printed fabrics, both translucent and opaque, knits and wovens.

10 years ago I was finishing my Fox Paws scarf and busy with house related things with help from Blue Cedar House friends

Solitary Foxen

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. the dopamine of Advent Swap packages arriving here, we now have 14 sets of tiny treats... almost halfway there
2. senior flu vaccine found locally and acquired
3. Baked at 400F for about 25 minutes, 2 buttermilk brined chicken breasts (1C to 1/2T) made dinner, and a portion for tomorrow, and bones and bits for broth.
4. figured out a thyroid pill hack, possibly solving a long standing aggravation... If instead of putting those in my daily meds case, I put the singular pill bottle on the nightstand, and drop the next days pill into the upturned cap, I can take it when first awake, or even if I get up accidentally at o'dark-thirty. And by setting it out the night before, it won't be confusing as to have I taken it or not. (Having to take a pill every morning when barely awake, since there must then needs be an hour wait before breakfast is possible, has been annoying me for over 15 years.)

Time of Isolation - Day 1579

wishful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine plans to do some comfort baking this week...

Because anything that involves apples and quinces will make the kitchen smell yummy. Might have to mix up a batch of lemon crinkles too, or experiment with using lime instead, since I bought some "sweet limes". I did my bit to be a good citizen, and the results are out of my hands; I figure kitchen shenanigans are a good focal antidote in the next few days. Once I'm a bit more rested. There were too many audible explosions late last night, could have been not-4th-of-July fireworks, or discharging firearms, but sleep was elusive at best.

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~ a glimmer of beauty ~

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This time I turned on my current audiobook and stayed in the kitchen, and turned the rest of the mutual aid apples (small but so flavorful) into several jars of applesauce. Which will join their fellow shelf stable jars of homegrown fruit goodness in the pantry. The replacement saucepan worked very well...

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~ tiny foxen ~

hand colored linocut prints on 1¼" backing squares, destined to become holiday ornaments

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FRODO:I can’t do this, Sam.

SAM:I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?

But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.

FRODO: What are we holding on to, Sam?

SAM:That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	-	harvest persimmons	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. the weather today was a perfect autumn day, with a cloudless blue sky, and crisp fallen leaves everywhere.
2. online research leads me to believe that one can ferment cooked veggies, it just requires adding a "starter" culture, which I have been doing anyway.
3. we have songs, and stories, and artwork that remain as buoys and signposts.

Time of Isolation - Day 1577

moody Monday

in which our plucky heroine grasps calm with both hands...

These modern times are particularly and specifically fraught right now. I am planning on filling my kitchen with the scents of cozy comfort... turning the very last of the apples into applesauce, par-baking some of my quinces so I can cut/peel them more easily for jelly and membrillo, and baking some of the squash to make a savory casserole for breakfasts for the rest of the week. Going to go outside dodging between the wind and the rain to make sure I get a daily dose of whatever nature and sky I can find in my neighborhood.

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~ return to The Unknown ~

I love beautifully done animation... Hard to wrap my brain around it being 10 years already, but this short film is a true glimmer! Aardman stop motion combined with one of my favorite stories and voices is just delightful. (hmmm, and now I am also imagining making Nandina and Opal Halloween costumes for next year as Wirt and Greg...)

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The wind was so strong this morning that it woke me up before dawn. When I went out on my bike later in the day, I saw chunks of various tree branches down here and there (glad that I had the work done on my front yard trees when I did!) There was enough gaps in the weather that I was able to get to the bank, which is a longish trip on transit, and run a few errands on the way home. Sadly I missed my pal Helga, who was stopping by to drop off her Advent Swap packages, but we arranged to meet again later this week!

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~ a topical song ~

Elle Cordova has shared so many quirky whimsical and topical songs, in a way that reminds me of the Tom Leher songs I listened to as a young person. Their creativity impresses me greatly, and always brightens my day when their posts cross my various feeds

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	-	harvest persimmons	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Heather's french onion sourdough bread made the perfect slice of toast to go with scrambled eggs for brunch. I decided to cut the (thawed) loaf into slices before returning it to the freezer, which will then allow me many more such excellent meals and not have to thaw the entire loaf again...
2. the repotted spider plants are looking a lot happier now.
3. Helga is going to pick up some big bags of OG potting soil for me from Grocery Outlet. (they are too big for me to carry on the back of my bike).
4. pink and white cyclamen in my front yard, all from the housewarming gift from Kat 20 years ago! They started as only a few in the walkway garden bed, but now they are also scattered here and there all over the front yard lawn, and bring me great pleasure as the season shifts towards darkness

Time of Isolation - Day 1575