Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine has such helpful friends!

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~ art exchange prints ~

I probably ought to have done these earlier, but I thought there were some of my earlier prints in my files. So, a few new ones for the art exchange, this time in a springtime violet color. As I didn't want to wait days for the ink to cure, instead I laid them on some parchment paper and ran them through the convection oven for several hours on extra low, so the warm dry moving air helped the linseed oil dry out overnight.

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After lunch it was time to meet with Kate... she brought over some small fancy padded envelopes for the art exchange, and we enjoyed a walk in the sunshine and much conversation about various creative endeavors such as dyeing textiles and various aspects of block printing.

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Mindy sent me a message, and Larry came by on his way home from work, and took my bike (and myself) over to the bike shop. It was no problem for him to winkle the bike into the back of their vehicle. Later that evening I heard back from the bike store, and was delighted that all they think is needed is to replace the derailleur, and straighten the mounting bracket. They are going to even out the rear wheel, which doesn't have a broken spoke, and they don't think the chain is damaged. Cost of all these repairs is very reasonable, and should be completed sometime between Monday and Thursday next

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	recycle bin
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	squirrel nest
4	dragon garland	laptop drivers	recycle bin
5	strawberry rhubarb sauce	rainbow fibulae	yard waste bin
6	running horse prints	bucket handle	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Bike is now at the bike shop, the damage was not excessive, despite how bad it seemed at the time, estimate for repairs is quite reasonable, and the work should be done by next week.
2. the convection oven works well to speed-cure prints
3. all the art exchange envelopes are packed and sealed ready for their trip to the post office and out into the world... there were eight participants (including our plucky heroine)

Time of Isolation - Day 1687

throwback Thursday

in which our plucky heroine is improbably warm...

This afternoon it warmed up to around 75F. Pleasant, although completely inappropriate! Wishing very much that it not be a precursor of summer. Last night the sky was a beautiful pale blue with many many horizontal streaks of pale pink clouds, and had I been somewhere other than surrounded by buildings, there would have been a photo!

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~ corkscrew hazel~

...really wish I wasn't allergic to these..

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After looking for a week, finally found the grey linen I'd set aside to patch my old pinafore. (hiding in plain sight with the other linen fabrics...) It isn't a great match any more, as the actual garment has faded over the years, but still the best I've on hand. I'm hoping to get another year or two of wear, to give me time to make a new grey pinafore.

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Used two worm gear clamps to connect long bamboo and long dowel, to finally reach the "tree rat" nest and break it apart. Wasn't easy, as reaching upwards with my neck bent far back (so as to be able to see what I was doing) made me dizzy. Seemed apparent from the debris that it was indeed much too early for babies in the nest, thankfully. A woman walking by thought I was knocking a bird nest down!! I explained that no, it was squirrels. She thought they lived in holes in the ground!

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Made it to the post office just before they closed, to mail a strip of rainbow plaid wool to Karen for a hatband. Then I decided to take the bus to the library (to pick up my books on hold) which means a long ride to the Hollywood Library in NE, as both the branch libraries on the peninsula are shut down.

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~ "One Thing To Try", Robert Hunter, 1975 ~

"...Take care of your people, get some of them fed
Hide the ones in trouble out under your bed
Keep an eye to the future, an ear to the past
After thinking it over notice nothing much lasts.

If you're in a hurry, I really go to go
If you're in a hurry, might have to find out slow
That it's one thing to try, another to fly,
You get there quicker just a step at a time,
It's one thing to bark and another to bite,
The show ain't over til you pack up at night.

Don't ever let it get the best of you
Plan what you can, let the rest shine through
Just so many angles you can possibly see
Got to figure on those and let the other ones be

Don't be out collecting more than you need
Got a lot of things growing, keep watching those seeds.
Share in December what you plant in May
If the harvest is empty, find some other good way..."

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The art store has quarter sheets of Canson Mi Tiens art paper in many colors, though all I was looking for was black. My idea is to make miniature dark sketchbooks, with miniature white art pencils from sewing marker leads. I've several artist folks who also love the tinyworld...

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five years ago:


ten years ago:

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	recycle bin
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	squirrel nest
4	dragon garland	laptop drivers	recycle bin
5	strawberry rhubarb sauce	rainbow fibulae	yard waste bin
6	x	bucket handle	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. (alarmingly inappropriate) today was pleasantly warm...
2. Mindy's husband Larry is going to help me get my bike to the bike mechanic...
3. The last of the packets of art for the exchange arrived today

Time of Isolation - Day 1686

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine does many small chores...

Including another day with laundry outside drying. While it wasn't one of the sunny cold winter days, there was so little precipitation by afternoon that it seemed worth doing the next load of laundry and hanging it outside in the dampish wind. Tomorrow should be a bit sunnier, and I figure that taking advantage of Useful Weather is all to the good, and any remaining garment dampness can come indoors and live on the drying racks overnight. This never would have worked ten or twenty years ago, but as overall the climate shifts weirdly, this less rainy winter is allowing me to forgo a tumble dryer, for now at least...

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That was handy! On Saturday, the utility bill I had left hanging from the mailbox here to be picked up by the postie blew out from under the lid and into a puddle. Which I found on the front walkway not too long afterwards. Too soggy to put out to be mailed, I brought it indoors to dry it out and try and flatten it, and by today, it was in good enough shape to attempt to mail it again. This time I decided to hand carry it to the post office. But while I was walking in that direction, I saw a different postie making his deliveries, so when our paths intersected, I asked if I could simply hand the stamped bill to him instead! Much easier. And he turned out to be our former postie, who remembered me, and also told me the location of two other functional drop boxes closer to home than the post office!

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Yesterday, a Talenti tub of rhubarb and one of strawberries came out of the freezer and into a pot on the stove to thaw. Added a cup and a half of sugar, the zest of two blood oranges, and a good sprinkle of Ceylon cinnamon. By the morning, the sugar had drawn out a lot of juice from the now thawed fruit, and it was time to simmer it for a while. After breakfast, the prepared sauce had the juice of one lemon added, and was funneled into a widemouth pint jar and processed for ten minutes (there was a bit extra, which is now in the fridge for spooning over some Greek yogurt tomorrow)

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~ baby pear tree ~
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Urban Forestry sent me a query about the replacement tree, planted as a requirement of the removal permit. Photos of the new tree were sent in, and I hope my effort is acceptable.

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My desktop receipt caddy, that sits on the shelf next to the laptop had gotten terribly muddled, probably due to my less than useful tendency to just shove the paper strips in any old which way... so today they all came out and were put back into neat categories as they ought be, and I made small labels for each of the compartments. (that brown packaging paper from my Lee Valley order is handy for all sorts of things)

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	recycle bin
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	dragon garland	laptop drivers	-
5	strawberry rhubarb sauce	rainbow fibulae	-
6	x	bucket handle	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. blood oranges, both as an ingredient and as a tasty snack
2. a helpful postie
3. really good chicken soup with rice, all made from leftovers in the fridge: the broth from leg bones from former meals, a bit of rice from what I cooked for spinach rice bake, bok choi from yesterday, and the last of the chicken leg meat.

Time of Isolation - Day 1684

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine finds shopping exhausting...

Costco trip today, with Helga, who came and picked me up after my medical appointment. TP, a Tillamook (sharp) brick, 4# butter, 2 bags of pecans, and I splurged by adding a bag of frozen blueberries and some rolled oats. Total at the till was over $125, but I won't need another Costco run for months, as I usually go only two or three times a year at most. 

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Eight tiny blue plastic dragons were attached to a strand of beads with loops on each end, so they can be sent to Mud Bay for Kestrel's tinyfolk; a decorative garland for their tiny house. I'm not sure how or why there were 8 tiny blue plastic dragons here on my dining table, someone obviously sent them to me??

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Another day with howling wind and rain... very glad I had work done on the front yard trees last year, or there would likely have been arboreal mayhem. When the weather calms down, I have various ideas, like meeting with Kate to pick up the envelopes for the Art Exchange and hopefully some walking and visiting time. Like heading over to the art store to get a piece of linoleum big enough to do my planned print. Like doing some pruning and yard clean up, and putting the several missing bulbs I found into a planter pot (though I may do that sooner if I can manage to catch a sunbreak) Like re-potting tiny rhubarb, which is starting to unfurl and could use larger quarters!

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Tomorrow I plan on cooking some lemony goodness. Lemon Potatoes, and maybe some Lemon Crinkle Cookies. Also took two talenti tub out of the freezer, one of rhubarb chunks, and one of strawberries, and they will be turned into sauce, and seasoned with the blood orange I found in the produce drawer of the fridge.

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Here, have some heartfelt music for Monday...

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	recycle bin
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	dragon garland	laptop drivers	-
5	-	rainbow fibulae	-
6	x	bucket handle	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Helga is always good company, so kind and helpful. Plus she cleverly went to TJ prior to picking me up for our Costco run, so that meant that it only took a few minutes waiting at the medical building before she arrived
2. My cooking ahead meant that today I need do no cooking at all, just heating up tasty food. Which is good, since I was completely exhausted after getting up at o'dark thirty...
3. napping when tired, with Brother Cadfael audiobooks to push this timelines troubles away temporarily

Time of Isolation - Day 1683

proof of concept

in which our plucky heroine zooms along...

Sundays and Tuesdays are my most social of days, when I need to balance my time visiting in the pixel world well, and remember to eat in a timely way. Fortunately I've done well at making up meals, or parts of meals, ahead. Tonight's dinner had all the parts, being the remainder of my tiny meatloaf, some tasty mutual aid squash, and steamed bok choi.

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~ quite legible ~

I was concerned that the counterchanged dark/light would reduce the text to unreadable, so decided to do a more detailed iteration of my sketch, to test. Much to my pleasure, and as I have checked with various other folks as well that the words are easy to decipher, I can carve the block with confidence in the resulting print. Now to locate linoleum of the right size...  

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	recycle bin
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	-	laptop drivers	-
5	-	rainbow fibulae	-
6	x	bucket handle	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Helga offered me a Costco run, which is sorely needed.
2. we now have nine folks in the Spring Art Exchange (I am so softhearted, when a message came today saying that they had all their pieces ready and could they mail them tomorrow, I had to say of course!)
3. My proof of concept drawing shows that the counterchanged text is very readable.

Time of Isolation - Day 1682

savory Saturday

in which our plucky heroine continues slow but steady improvement...

In the interest of making good use of the foodstuff on hand, have been gradually cooking up various items and turning them into either immediate meals, or into prepped meals or ingredients in the freezer. One of the larger of the mutual aid squash was baked last week, but not quite as delectable as I had imagined - turns out it only needed to be more fully cooked! I steamed the chunks for another half hour or more, until they could be mashed really well, and divided the puree into silicone freezer cubes, save my lunch portion, which I drizzled with some of the quince syrup! So yummo!!

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~ venerable stork scissors ~

I'm not sure how young I was when I was gifted these little embroidery scissors, but was still living at home with my parents... I am guessing maybe 14 or 15? In my early 20's when I was working at the leather shop in Harvard Square, I made them this small decorated case of calfskin skiver, and it has kept them safe and sound all these decades. Perhaps at some point I shall pass them on to one of my youngest friends, if they remain interested in handcrafts...

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Wednesday night placed an order online for two Bigg Grip bucket handles, and a garden kneeler from Lee Valley. Today (Saturday) there was a large box on my front porch. Cannot fault their speedy service, color me impressed!! I was already impressed with the very helpful interaction I had with online text customer service person Christopher, who did their best to answer my questions, and even emailed me afterwards with more information that might be useful. I need to remember to write to Lee Valley to commend the good help I received.

The aftermarket bucket handles seem excellent, easy to apply to the wire bail, and while robust, are not too large for my wee paws. The garden kneeler/seat is a good size, is easy to fold and unfold, and will work well for seated tasks. For kneeling tasks some additional padding for tender knees will be good.

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Currently thinking about if I want my next block print to be just black and white counterchanged, or if I want to add color

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The package from Lee Valley was packed so thoroughly padded with brown paper that I have probably more than enough for multiple paper mache projects... cardboard taped into shapes and covered with layers of brown paper and glue makes sturdy containers and shelves. I have been wishing for some small dividers/shelves to organise my kitchen storage containers, not finding something of a suitable size online, and don't have the right sort of thin but sturdy lumber to make something out of wood. But I do have cardboard, and now plenty of midweight brown paper, and glue... 

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	recycle bin
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	-	laptop drivers	-
5	-	rainbow fibulae	-
6	x	bucket handle	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. vanilla rose quince syrup - so red, so fragrant, so delicious drizzled over some Greek yogurt, or stirred into mashed winter squash
2. Lee Valley is an excellent business, and a source of Very Useful tools and supplies, with thoughtful customer service people to answer queries. 12 out of 10, highly recommended.
3. Lots of medium-weight brown paper

Time of Isolation - Day 1681

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine is full of designs...

and today I trust that my cold is really fully on the mend, as my energy is beginning to return. Since it was the last day for a while without rain, I chose to head over to Ikea for a most self-indulgent treat, a whimsical glowing Dala horse lamp. Which turned out to be a fairly frugal indulgence, since it was marked down to $7.99! It will make a good nightlight for the hallway here at Acorn Cottage

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~ believe ~

The random carousel that is my designerly brain tossed this image to me earlier this week as I was drifting off to sleep. I had to immediately leap out of bed and do a quick sketch, lest the concept be lost before the next day. This idea will become number 4 in my "Making Art For A Change" series...

I did three postcard size block prints back in 2020 and 2021 as the start of the series. My idea was to have folks contribute to a particular cause, and in exchange, I would mail them an art postcard. A sort of triangular good works... they get a bit of original sart and can deduct the donation, a good organisation gets some extra money, and I get to help facilitate more donation than I could on my own, by sharing my creativity

Back then I had folks donate to "Don't Shoot Portland" which was a black led group working for social justice, while PDX was in the middle of being occupied by police and paramilitary disruption because of the protests happening

Nowadays, there are so very many directions that are being damaged both on purpose and from inherent change to the planet I am a bit at a loss to suggest just one group... I have some time to think about it though

.
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I was surprised to find out that John D. MacDonald, known for the Travis McGee series, as well as other writings, wrote a book "The House Guests" about the two cats he lived with! I had no idea, and when it turned up in my Libby app in the "if you liked James Herriot we recommend these other books..." I was curious. Turns out that I have no cognitive issues with reading at all, I just get bored and DNF if the writing is poor. MacDonald is an excellent wordsmith and storyteller (I already knew this), and though I would not normally have put "cat biographies" as one of my preferred reading genres, it was a most enjoyable book.

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I'm wanting to rearrange various storage aspects here, but being stymied by lack of infrastructure, which has been a sore point for nigh on the last twenty years, ever since I moved here. Part of the solution is to discard or give away what is not being used, but for things that are in regular use, needs must to somehow rearrange current spaces and create some small cabinets or shelves to better use the easy-to-reach spaces towards the back of the countertops. Were I taller, the upper cabinets would be more accessible. As is, I can barely reach the back of the very lowest shelf, or the front of the next, so am forever folding and unfolding the stepladder.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	recycle bin
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	-	laptop drivers	-
5	-	rainbow fibulae	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Whilst zooming with Ursel, we somehow stumbled upon the whimsical Dala horse translucent light from Ikea
2. the self checkout attendant at Ikea was not helpful at all, but the customer service clerk was a gem... able to track down my venerable "Ikea Family" card, (issued before I had a mobile phone) and thereby saved me more than half the cost of my purchase (two Dala horses - one for me and one for a friend)
3. creative designing brain is conjuring up various possibilities for artwork as well as for small home improvements.
4. - Stef's surgery went well today, huzzah!!

Time of Isolation - Day 1680

Tuesday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine may have turned the corner...

It has been at least five days since I noticed I probably have a cold, and there are very slight signs of improvement today. I had enough energy to stay awake most of the day with only an afternoon nap, and streaming eyes and nose are much reduced.

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~ moss world ~

Currently limited in my range to merely walking round and about, the always delightful moss worlds never disappoint.

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In fragments of time between tasks, I intend to make some tiny pencils. And since I also have some tiny white pencil leads, I want to try and make some "art pencils", and sketchbooks using black paper to go along with them...Won't that be fun!!

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I don't know how I caught this (hopefully only a dreaded rhinovirus) whatever that is tromping all over me (it is rather classic, with streaming eyes and runny nose). I am wondering about the old notion about getting chilled. Last Wednesday when my bike broke, I had to walk several miles to get it home again, and it was clear and bitterly cold that day, before Friday when the weather shifted and we got snow instead. Still, if this is only a cold, and all goes well, it should be gone by the end of the week. I had a home medical self care book years ago, and it pointed out that healing from an ordinary cold takes as much energy as working 20 hours a week at a part time job. No wonder I am tired...

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	-
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	-	laptop drivers	-
5	-	rainbow fibulae	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. able to walk...
2. able to talk...
3. able to stay in contact with folks...

Time of Isolation - Day 1677

Weekend whatnots

in which our plucky heroine is a bit under the weather...

intended to do more today, but instead it is likely that my sleep wake imbalance is about to be shifted towards the side of rest.

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~ isn't this wonderful! ~

A letter, sent in 1913, from artist Alfred Frueh to his fiancee Giuliette Fanciulli, which unfolds into a miniature art gallery...
(more images and more info here; from the Smithsonian Archive of American Art)

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Since the tiny hearts (for February's share of the Advent Swap preparation) are completed, the chosen item for March will be tiny books with buttons for covers. After a good rummage in the button basket, there were enough mother-of-pearl buttons to make a set of at least six. Now to figure out contents for the little books... maybe botanical?

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Ugh!I am coming down with a cold? or ?? Nose is stuffy and I feel generally "off". Had a headache Friday. Napped Saturday afternoon, then took one of the expired covid tests Saturday night - it was negative. Early to bed, and will be activating all my self care modes: hot broth to drink, Emergen-C, ColdCalm tablets, etc... It isn't flu, which as I recall usually comes on like a load of bricks, but a gradual malaise. I shall continue to monitor all my health metrics, and treat self very gently...

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Flow - directed by Gints Zilbalodis... I just watched Flow last night, and recommend it without reservation to those who would enjoy an exquisitely detailed animation, in a wordless film (there is instrumental music, but no dialog) I liked it so much I want to watch it again. If I can find the DVD for sale (somewhere other than Big A or Big W), I will add it to my small collection

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While looking at the two sets of finished objects for the future Advent Swap, I realised that the final two steps for the fibulae were never completed: very thin beading wire needs wound between each of the rainbow beads, and the currently blunt pin points need to be forged to a point and sharpened! Well, better to figure that out now mid-February than sometime in October.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	-
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	-	laptop drivers	-
5	-	rainbow fibulae	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. noticed that the fibulae from January were not all the way finished, and worked on that (better now than in October)
2. found out that Flow is available on one of the platforms I can access, so I was able to watch it! Superb animation!!
3. zoom with Jen and Bill, plus Kestrel liked the valentines for her dolls
4. leftover chicken from the fridge can be added to a cup full of hot bouillon to make impromptu chicken soup, and the heat transferred after a few minutes means everything is pleasantly warm, not too hot and not too cold.
5. The snap attaching pliers work really well
6. Several years ago I was gifted with a festoon of color changing LED spheres, which still delight me. I usually set them to slowly shift through the spectrum they have available

Time of Isolation - Day 1676

tragedy narrowly averted

in which our plucky heroine appreciates informal tech support...

In the tragedy narrowly averted category, this morning my laptop, having updated itself last night, was completely unusable, its monitor becoming covered with warning windows that multiplied every few seconds. Clicking on the "more information" button only sent me to a Microsoft page for which I am definitely not the target demographic. Fortunately, I was talking to my friend Karen on the phone, and she suggested their housemate John might be able to help. He was able to figure out possible explanations, and over the phone, over the course of several hours, talked me through various next steps which finally resolved the problem.

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~  these are not-valentines ~

This months contribution to future Advent Swap is completed. Last night the rest of the metallic thread was glued to the edges of the hearts. Some very thin red wire of unknown provenance was bent into suitable eye pins, then I used a push pin to "drill" a slightly larger hole in the center top and attached the eye pins to the hearts with tacky glue. I might add cord loops for hanging.

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Managed to get outside and spend a bit of time scraping away the snow between the house and the sidewalk, (good neighbor Pete cleared a long strip of the sidewalk earlier)  and by the end of the day those places were clear and only damp. The street and the uncleared parts of the sidewalk are full of slush.  If the weather continues to warm, as forecast, in a few days at most the snow will be a memory.

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(we were there that night...)

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Found a half jar full of chunks of nectarine in the freezer, and decided to turn it into faux cheesecake, substituting for canned pineapple. "softened two envelopes of gelatin in the pineapple juice from an 8oz can, put aside a few chunks for garnish, and plonked the rest into a bowl, along with a cup of cottage cheese, and about ⅓ c sour cream that I happened to have in the fridge (I suspect that Greek yogurt would work just as well). After I put the electric teakettle on to boil, I used my stick blender to reduce the fruit and dairy mixture to a puree. Added the boiling water to the now softened gelatin [to equal a cup full] and mixed that with a fork until the gelatin was completely melted, then added the gelatin to the puree and mixed thoroughly. I poured the whole thing into one of my rectangular glass baking dishes, stuck the reserved pineapple chunks across the top, and put it in the fridge to solidify."

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	-
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	-	laptop drivers	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. John was able to talk me through all the steps in getting my laptop working again this morning.
2. Two different folks offered help getting my bike to the mechanic once the weather is less fraught
3. an old recipe still good
4. definitely saw a charm of goldfinches today in the Japanese maple

Time of Isolation - Day 1674

chickadees and juncos and sparrows oh my...

in which our plucky heroine watches the birds...

...when I woke up this morning the previously forecast snow had begun, the dry drifty sort that shows all the twisting eddies of wind, and it was cold enough that it was staying where it touched the ground. All the dried seedhead nests of Queen Annes Lace each cupped a white snow-blossom. I ate breakfast at the table next to the front window looking out at the now thoroughly dusted yard and porch, and there were what seemed to be far more birds visible than usual. Just the everyday little birds from the neighborhood, but I don't often see them on the porch.

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There is most of a jar of rich bone broth in the fridge, made a few days ago from the stash of chicken leg bones from the freezer. And there are onions in the pantry. There will be onion soup to eat later today, not quite "French" onion soup, as there is no Gruyere cheese (and no baguette to toast the cheese on and float atop the soup) but is suspect it will be delightfully hearty all the same, maybe with some toasted crumbs and melted Tillamook sharp cheddar...

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Yesterday evening I finished hand stitching a turtleneck collar to an older Alabama Chanin style knit top that for some reason I made with a scoop neck?! Today I am wearing it, and it is very cozy indeed, the allover spotty pattern acts rather like a thermal undershirt, and the double layer ribbed collar is warm!

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~ heart in hand ~

The tiny spun cotton hearts are almost completed. Four of them already have a single strand of DMC metallic floss edging glued in place. The tutorial suggests using gel super glue, but it is not as easy to use as the video makes it appear (understatement). The final effect is pretty, though.

All that remains to do before I add these to the box of future Advent Swap treats is to add metallic trim to the rest of the hearts, and glue an eye pin finding to the top center, so they can have a loop of cord for an ornament hanger.

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"when in doubt, add onions" I have this (Kitchen Motto #2) as the cloisonne enamel switchplate that was one of my very first enameling projects many years ago. For those who wonder, Kitchen Motto #1 is "never argue with a woman with a knife in her hands..."

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	-
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. in amongst the birds I see everyday, I am pretty sure I saw a goldfinch this afternoon sitting in the Japanese maple next to my porch!
2. "when in doubt, add onions"
3. Microplane kitchen file for the win!

Time of Isolation - Day 1673

not entirely woeful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine is less than pleased...

Today my bike broke. Made a horrible sound and wheels stopped. The rear derailleur body was broken into two pieces and part of it was jammed into the rear wheel!I managed to get it apart from the wheel, otherwise I'd have had to just leave the bike there abandoned by the side of the road, as the rear wheel would not turn at all until I disentangled the metal chunks and chain from the wheel spokes. Instead I walked it home, slowly, as the rear wheel is also damaged. I was about two miles from home when this happened. Now tis necessary to find someone with a truck (or a large van) to get it and myself to the bike mechanic.

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~ paint it red ~

further progress on the spun cotton hearts... Two layers of alizarin crimson gouache, and a coat of matte Mod Podge has made a big difference.

The caption brought to mind the advice given by Neva Hansen, my 2D design professor back in the 70's : "If you can't make it good, make it big; if you can't make it big, make it red..."

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I think it would be fun to make tiny books with button covers... and the artist has a blog with good tutorials. I myself prefer to read and see photos or drawings rather than watch video, but some folks prefer visa versa...

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Made some yamitsuki to have with dinner (meatloaf) again, this time without any garlic. I'd like to try some slow roasted garlic next, as that would probably give the garlic flavor without the bite. Need to try roasting garlic in parchement paper instead of foil...

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	-
3	heart ornament	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. flannel pillowcases are a small constant wintertime comfort 2. the strand of origami butterflies that Ursel sent as part of Advent Swap hang in the south window, and make me smile every time I see them when I draw open the curtains
3. I was able to find some Soothing Touch lip balm locally, and while it wasn't my favorite "vanilla rose" variety, it was, at least the "unscented" one. (better no scent than a dreadful one)

Time of Isolation - Day 1672

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine adds a few extra layers...

The end of the week forecast is still for wintery mix and snow. I've rescheduled my medical appointment with my primary care physician, as riding my bike in the snow seems rather less than a good idea. 

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~ heartfelt ornament ~

It's a crocheted lace heart that was one of my treats from the Advent Swap, now carefully stitched to two layers of wool felt, the white layer with pinked edges and the red layer cut into scalloped edges with multiple pierced dots. I don't remember what project I bought the half-size hole punch for, but it works really well to create "dots" cut from the nice dense felt.

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In the interest of furbishment, am adding a turtleneck collar to another one of my long sleeve Alabama Chanin style tops. In general, I don't know why I ever made any long sleeve knit tops without a high collar of some sort, since if it is cold enough to wear those, keeping the neck extra warm is always wanted. This one that I began in 2012 and finished in January 2013, has rarely been worn, I suspect for just this reason. My plan is to cut out the collar from some nice ribbed black cotton lycra, and hand stitch it into the open scooped neckline; a pleasant small project that will let me get more use from the top I put in so many hours of decorative stitching on the bodice and sleeves.

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Reading through my blog posts from 2012 made me wistful. Back then there was a lot more conversational interaction in the comments sections, even though it was post LJ there were still a lot of people writing in blogs, and sharing what they were doing with one another in that way, before the various short form (anti)social media really took over.

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Just about time to turn in for the night, and I remembered that all the laundry is still out on the clothesline. Tomorrow will be the last dry day for a while; it can just stay out there and freeze overnight. Tomorrow midday will be soon enough to bring it in.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	-
3	heart ornament	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Past Me bought a very nice hole punch pliers tool that cuts a hole half the diameter of a standard one
2. The combination of social time and game time on Tuesday nights.
3. mysterious postcards with encouraging messages

Time of Isolation - Day 1671

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine makes a warm cup of tea...

The air today felt colder than usual, and this afternoon on the way home from the post office, it started snowing. Not that it is cold enough for the snow to stick, but it was dropping in small clumps that hit my face, and the wind seemed to howl up my sleeves. Would that I had worn an extra flannel shirt, or wrapped one of the wool scarves around my neck before leaving the house! Tea when home was needful!!

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~ small but vivid ~

With great self indulgence, I took a few hours off this morning to take transit over to PDX-FLAG. When I saw their current display online last night, an Instagram video yesterday with the whole Free Little Art Gallery filled with Keith Haring-esque paintings, I just had to schedule an art swap into my week. Kenya really wanted one for the tinyworld; and fortunately there were quite a few still there this morning, so I left one of my little art pieces in exchange, as requested.

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My earlobe seems to be recovered from the infection, which is good, since tomorrow is the last day of antibiotics. I tried wearing a small earring for briefly today, with no trouble... 

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This trial vaccine against H5N1 in birds is a bit of good news, hopefully to be further developed... Selfishly, it may eventually make it more feasible to keep backyard poultry safely again...

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes  -
1. There were still plenty of paintings to swap for at PDX-FLAG this morning! Kenya (and I) are both pleased...
2. earlobe seems to be recovered
3. The lemon potatoes recipe is also a keeper, being both rich and tangy. I substituted dried thyme for dried oregano (as a matter of personal preference)

Time of Isolation - Day 1670

progress here is always incremental

in which our plucky heroine perseveres...

One of the things I did today was to transfer my rudimentary measurements of the front and back yard here at Acorn Cottage onto graph paper. (once I figured out that one of the composition books had quad-rule instead of wide-rule, since the actual pads of graph paper have gone walkabout) If nothing else so far, it makes it apparent the difference in size between the front and back yard!

My goal is to begin to think more clearly about how best to use and care for the outdoor spaces here. There are some things I really really like (my assorted fruit trees) and other things that could be very much improved. (less lawn, more mulch, more food growing, better laundry drying.. and someday, if it is ever possible to do it safely again, backyard hens, sigh)

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~ be free, little hearts... ~

The second layer of spun cotton applied to the hearts today, and once that was dry, they were cut away from the remaining armature. Then more cotton applied to the cut surface; the pins are to provide a bit of a handhold while continuing to work on them. Am using some of the 100% cotton balls originally from the dollar store, which once unrolled can be torn into small bits of fiber that work really well for this process. Next step, paint!

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Somehow I misplaced a whole folder of computer bookmarks yesterday?!? Not sure how, didn't know that was possible. Surely did not simply delete them, but since I have a very cluttered bookmark section, it will take some time to find them. Fortunately it was a folder of "shopping suggestions" so not at the moment mission critical. Time to declutter online...

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Rather than purchasing various pipes and tools etc to dislodge the current squirrel nest, it has occurred to me that using some multiple worm gear clamps to attach long sticks together to created a very extended pokey-tool would probably work just fine. All that would be needed were six or eight clamps, I already have many long sticks of bamboo and other possible things (pole pruner, fruit picker, etc). Time for a trip to the hardware store, after looking over the stick stock and figuring out what size clamps will work best. 

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes  -
1. Dinner was excellent, and tomorrow will be even better, as meatloaf is always better on the second day. (I'm planning on making Smitten Kitchen's Lemon Potatoes, and some more yamitsuki cabbage to go with)
2. figured out a probable way to create extra long pokey-tools using worm gear clamps
3. tiny spun cotton hearts are looking good so far

Time of Isolation - Day 1669

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine indulges in heartfelt creativity ...

Now that Wellington has gone home, I find myself looking towards the chair that he usually inhabits with a sense of loss. Companionship, however briefly found, is a sad thing to lose.

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~ tiny valentines ~

This afternoon I made three 1" sq handpainted valentines, and matching envelopes made from laminated origami paper. For the tiny folk that live with Kestrel in Olympia, from the tiny folks that live here, these will be sent out in Monday's post.

The owl says "OWL always want you for my valentine!"... The bee says "please BEE my valentine?"... The fish says "you are my o-FISH-ial valentine pal!"

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A week and a half ago, after finding this tutorial to make spun cotton hearts, I glued up their armatures from Q-tips. Tonight I mixed white glue with water and began to adhere the first layer of cotton. It really is pleasing how quickly even a thin layer of fiber turns them into heart shapes. Rather than bake them in the oven, I will just let them dry naturally overnight and see how they look.

These will, once all the layers and decoration are completed, become a set of ornaments for the Advent Swap at the end of the year. So far I have six rainbow fibulae for January, and these hearts will be for February. If steady progress happens, I will be prepared by October with enough for two complete sets of tiny gifts.

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This afternoon I started a new audiobook "Remarkably Bright Creatures"... Only on the second chapter so far; hopefully it will continue enjoyable and I will be able to add it to my list of books for this year.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Clover wonder clips for sewing (instead of pins)
2. free tutorials on YouTube for all sorts of makerie
3. I enjoy doing "spun cotton" as a sort of easy inexpensive sculptural activity, and making things for the future Advent Swap is a way to tell myself I believe there will be at least that much future!

Time of Isolation - Day 1668

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine misses the Before Times so much it hurts...

This timeline is such that were it a book, the editor would send it back saying "too unrealistic even for fiction"

In counterpoint, as far as a small delight, I am making tiny tiny valentines to be sent from my tinyfolk to Young Kestrel's tinyfolk. I've folded paper into square "cards" and have created a template for miniature envelopes, all of which will fit in a regular envelope and sent off in the post on Monday

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~ keep it covered up ~

This simple project has been on my mind for quite some time, and finally took form in the last week. Acorn Cottage seems to generate quite a bit of dust, and snacks (or lunch) happens in the computer zone, as does assorted handwork during zoom time... Having a dust-cover for both keyboards keeps them more protected, and the black color eliminates any unwanted reflection on the screen. The lower dust-cover (for the wireless ergonomic keyboard) has had the edges neatly bound in scraps from my "leftover bias" bin, and the upper dust-cover for the actual laptop still needs either bound or simply hemmed.

※※※

Wellington decided to stand in the hallway next to the bedroom door and start barking?!? just before 7. He's never done this before, and I couldn't figure out why. No one outside, nothing in the house making unusual sounds... I guess Timmie really has fallen down the well...

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Had a good phone chat with the B's this afternoon. Wish that they did not live all the way on the other side of the country.

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As a number of folks I know have also been doing, I signed in to the three credit bureaus and placed a freeze on my data, and also went to the SSA and downloaded my history from there. This all entailed signing up with a different access account for each site, each one with different parameters. I was very glad my pal Ursel kept me company on our regular zoom while I went through all the hoops; having a body double makes such tasks easier to cope with. Now I can rest a little easier knowing that despite whatever comes from the recent data breaches, it will be that much harder for anyone to steal my identity.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	-	black keyboard covers	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. The grated purple carrots may have begun fermentation, there seem to be Very Tiny bubbles forming, barely visible through the dark liquid. Fingers crossed...
2. Grocery Outlet had organic pasture raised ground beef for 4.99 a pound! I plan on making a small meatloaf with part of the package, and turning the rest into a rich tomato pasta sauce
3. Experimental Moroccan Chicken turned out really delicious! Recipe is a keeper and will be shared
4. Hmmm apparently I earned a 79¢ rebate for using less electricity during the Peak Time Rebate yesterday... considering that I did nothing at all different than usual, it is a little confusing. 

Time of Isolation - Day 1667