Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine is definitely not Arachne...

For no all sorts of discernable reasons, this week has continued to be a struggle as far as real progress and productivity, but I'd rather focus my attention on what small successes have been happening than whinge about the state of the world, the country, and my life. 

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~ done is better than perfect ~

It may not be a perfect (trellis) but it is a perfect whatever-it-is... hopefully this will give my SUGAR MAGNOLIA snap peas a bit more growing room. 

In the interest of using what is on hand, some leftover clothesline, a tall multiple arm iron shepherds hook, and some currently unused SCA gear (dayshade pole, manila tent rope, iron tent stakes) became a sort of tall cross rigging above the self-watering planter boxes. Next a scrap of thin flat wood was recut into a shuttle to use with the remainder of my hemp twine, and much looping and interweaving made a network between the flimsy metal mesh lower trellis and the clothesline cord above my head. 

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today's zoom with K included an inspiring conversation about using "not-kitchen" furniture such as dressers or cupboards in the kitchen. (they've acquired a Hoosier cabinet for part of their rebuild) This is an inspiring variation on an idea I had long ago for the kitchen here at Acorn Cottage.

My first thought twenty years ago was to remove everything from the upper cupboards down, and replace that section with an industrial kitchen sink and two counter height mechanic's tool chests... Now I am fantasizing about ways to use vintage wooden reused storage furniture instead to create what is called an "unfitted kitchen", and to also use some of my kitchen furniture already there as well.  The wooden cart and chrome rack that now live under the window could be moved, particularly if they were adapted with good casters! 

It is a pleasant daydream, anyway... and I did take a quick glance in the cupboards and drawers here (not a formal inventory) only to realise that at least half of the tools and soforth stored are things that are never used. Useful and good things, but any number of which could be passed on to others. Downsizing kitchen gear is not at the top of my list, but would be a useful thing to do eventually. (Summertime tasks are things like yard and garden work, and interior painting.)

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The Sugarcoated Sisters on the topic of aphantasia

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More than once I've bumped toes or almost tripped over two concrete pier blocks left somewhat randomly near the garden beds, and they are much too heavy for our plucky heroine to lift. Last night while drifting off to sleep, it occurred to me that using the burden cloth, it should be possible to roll them one at a time onto the canvas and drag them out of the way, across the once again shaggy side of the backyard to next to the fenceline. Early today, (before the heat became oppressive), I tried it, and it worked really well!!

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	heraldic plaque	Juliet tomato planted	recycle bin
4	spicy peanut sauce	marigolds planted	greenwaste bin
5	3 prs undies	pear branchlets weighted	recycle bin
6	pendant for Cricket	turtleneck to Eames top	x
7	2 more prs undies	trellis for peas	x
8	x	concrete blocks moved	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -

- the copy of Flow I ordered off Ebay arrived this week, and the DVD is undamaged even though the case was cracked...
- using burden cloth worked well to move concrete pier blocks to edge of yard
- Karen inspired me, via her ideas about how they are redoing their kitchen, to daydream once again about a better kitchen setup

Time of Isolation - Day 1775

wishful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine is grateful for connection...

Hard to fathom that May is almost over! Hoping to get more accomplished tomorrow, as it will be cooler, and I have a long list of to-do items for the next few weeks. I wish the world was such that I could have in person time with the folks I love, but am grateful that we have electronic connection options. I miss the days when we could gather and work on projects and tasks together, or cook meals, or preserves for the pantry. 

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~ columbine ~

Maybe I ought to do a tinybook of seasonal flowers, since I never tire of finding them to photograph... It'd be a pleasure to go back through the years of my photo archives and pick out possibilities

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Haven't gotten as much work done in the last few days, but have spend a lot of time on the phone... I found out on Sunday (via a phone call from one of her aides) that my elderly auntie had a very bad fall on Friday and was in hospital with a broken right hip and a damaged right shoulder. According to the doctors, surgery is not a possibility, so she is being discharged to a rehab facility, I still don't know where.

Since all this is taking place thousands of miles away, there is nothing effective I can do other than wait for more information. So, in the interest of keeping as much of our small family circle informed, I then phoned my sister-in-law, and also my sister. We do our best to keep connected by phone, and sometimes video.

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Ugh. Last night I had a horrible nightmare that started in analog Powells with seemingly innocuous shopping for charming trinkets, miniature animal figurines and containers for cooking spices, then couldn't find my friends and decided to take the bus back to where I'd come from, but I got on the bus and realised I'd forgotten my mask back at the bus stop and then the driver took forever to respond to my signal to stop so I could exit and try and get back to where my mask was, and let me off the bus somewhere sketchy and when I asked where to catch the bus back told me the routes didn't run that way, and I'd need to walk back... and it wasn't safe and there were sketchy boys in cars and dark woods and ravines and no residences or shops and it was nighttime and then I woke up. The transit route was part of the Dreamlands I'd not visited before (I've been to analog Powells before...) The tone of the dream was menace-impending rather than run-and-hide, and self-caused danger rather than external-imposed. The embedded outer layer of meaning is obvious to me, but I am not really up for currently teasing apart the inner layers. Indeed, when I took a nap later in the day, because 4am = not enough sleep, I woke up 20 minutes later after another nightmare.

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I've been dropping in on one or two of the MakingZen 2025 free crafting video presentations this week, despite the annoyance of not being able to watch them on my laptop, but only on the phone?! I've downloaded instructions for a mushroom softie, for a sashiko "mindful mountain" biscornu, and taken notes on some additional techniques. There is a box construction video tomorrow I am hoping to see and download the instructions for. The interesting thing is being able to watch and learn from teachers in other countries, I'm grateful that they have a free (if limited access) option, as well as a spendy permanent access option, and enough folks seem to sign up for that one that they can (hopefully) compensate the teachers well...

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	heraldic plaque	Juliet tomato planted	recycle bin
4	spicy peanut sauce	marigolds planted	greenwaste bin
5	3 prs undies	pear branchlets weighted	-
6	pendant for Cricket	turtleneck to Eames top	x
7	2 more prs undies	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -

- my friend Jen Walker introduced me to the music of Richard Shindell
- managed to figure out how to watch the MakingZen videos (only possible on my mobile phone, not on laptop?!?)
- kombucha culture is working well, creating new scoby layers and converting tea syrup to probiotic drink over the course of several weeks
- a good long phone conversation with Mikki
- instructions for a sweet mushroom softie with pleated gills - looking forward to making at least one of those...
- My pal Ursel just got offered a job ♡

Time of Isolation - Day 1773

Sunday shards

in which our plucky heroine feels fragmented and fragile and somewhat flat...

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~ simply pretty ~

Cricket (northern) asked me to make a rectangular pendant, with pierced holes to attach charms to. A very specific size and shape was requested, and once the sketch was approved, it was straightforward to fabricate, and one that will hopefully match her intentions. The piercing along the lower edge is 14ga, which should allow 16ga wire attachments free movement...

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This looks like good clear information about how to prune Black Lace Elder Sambucus nigra, (particularly as mine has become quite overgrown, and much taller than I can pick the elderberries from).

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Have stitched down the ends of the elastic straps on my newer P100. There is no more need to have them remain adjustable (once acquired), though of course must needs be manufactured that way as everyone's head is sized differently. They are more comfortable (and tidier) when worn with strap ends neatly sewn down rather than flapping annoyingly about ones face

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It feels harder and harder to grasp fragments of hope... still... here are two different essays that have helpful things to say:

We can live well, even though we don’t have a higher purpose

[not a] "utopia (a no-place), but perhaps rather a pluritopia (a many-place)"

Shoving at the Thing From All Sides or: thanks, Diane di Prima

If we are fighting for a pluralistic, multicultural world, then we must fight for it in pluralistic, multicultural ways.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	heraldic plaque	Juliet tomato planted	recycle bin
4	spicy peanut sauce	marigolds planted	greenwaste bin
5	3 prs undies	pear branchlets weighted	-
6	-	turtleneck to Eames top	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes
- Moomins
- Kestrel wrote down her recipe for how to make strawberry ice cubes for me, complete with illustrations. Jen is going to send it to me
- zoom with Jen, which helps me not despair

Time of Isolation - Day 1770

if it is to be, it is up to me

in which our plucky heroine is frustrated but remains determined...

Tomorrow will be all about making more phone calls, also about getting things prepped in the workroom. Many friends will be off at either Egils or at Embers & Ambrosia, so I will instead spend the weekend focused on how much of various work projects can be moved forward or maybe even completed... Seems like taking advantage of comparatively cool weather to do enameling is sensible with 1 large and 2 small enamels on the to do list. 

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~ pretty plaid ~

Earlier this month, I was naughty and bought a few yards of this cotton flannel fabric. Why? Because in the cold weather, I love wearing flannel shirts, and it is really difficult to find flannel fabric I like. I saw a teal plaid flannel shirt in a catalog online, but since RTW is not a good match alas (for my little teapot figure), making my own is the only viable option. Plus turquoise and chocolate brown and cream plaid will look well with over half of my current and planned future garments. (teal and chocolate and indigo oh my)

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Today had a delightful phone conversation with Mikki, and discovered that we both enjoy reading aloud. I shared this Marge Piercy poem, the same one I read to the folks at Crafternoon last week. We both cried good tears.

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I make almost all my own clothing, save for compression socks (which can't be homemade) and undies. Recently it occurred to me that the nether undies would be pretty simple to make, and I've been developing a pattern, based on what already fits. However, cotton lycra strips for leg and waist bands (that I am using instead of elastic, which is not only spendy, but also  develops a nasty pilly texture over time) has been a bit of a challenge to get right. Once I figured out the technique, the only issue is solving for suitable dimensions, since the length of the bands needs to be smaller than the circumference, and those dimensions will vary according to how stretchy/resilient the band fabric is.

My current wearable muslins use cotton lycra ribbing for the bands, and while the leg bands work really well, I've had to add a second yet shorter piece above the initial waistband to pull it in further, in order to avoid "droopy drawers". Maybe if I could access cotton lycra fabric that had more than a 5% lycra content it would work better? Still, the cost of materials for these is so very much less than RTW, since I'm still using the closeout knit from Girl Charlee, and once all the details are sorted out the pattern can be added to my set of TNT regulars.

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Gah! back to square zero... Yesterday I was brave and phoned the law office recommended to me by a friend to start dealing with inheritance/estate stuff. Left my number and information so they could call me back. Today got a call back and since my status is complicated?? and not really what they specialise in, they instead gave me two other potential law office contacts. Hope making the phone calls get easier with repetition. (At least one of the websites has sample questionnaire forms, which gives me a hint of what kind of information to have prepared, and what words to use.)

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	heraldic plaque	Juliet tomato planted	recycle bin
4	spicy peanut sauce	marigolds planted	-
5	3 prs undies	pear branchlets weighted	-
6	-	turtleneck to Eames top	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes-
- I was brave yesterday and did the thing I have been putting off for months. Unfortunately it needs to be done again, but at least I made the effort, and future phone calls should be at least slightly easier...
- This video is so silly!
- Next week there will be some free craft technique videos online; I plan on watching the one about making soft sculpture mushrooms

Time of Isolation - Day 1767

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine does her civic duty...

This morning, dropped off my filled-in ballot, all properly sealed at the closest ballot drop box as part of my morning activities. However, I felt right foolish, when, stopping at the garden store on the way home, I realised I had left the house on my bike sans bike helmet, but wearing my denim sunhat instead! Erring on the side of safety, decided that walking the rest of the way home rather than continuing to ride was a better idea.

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~ sky blue ~

Walking through the alleyway a few blocks from Acorn Cottage, these borage flowers looked like fragments of sky fallen to earth...

(must remind self to find a way to add borage to the yard here, as it is both edible and beautiful)

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Remembering how decades ago when as a student, my friends thought me odd to season my porridge with hot sauce instead of sugar, today tried using the spicy peanut sauce the same way... Perfectamente!

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Pretty sure now that it is a crow who is leaving bits and crumbs in the front yard hydration station. Found a chunk of bone added to the murky water today (I've started checking and cleaning it out every day now), and cannot imagine a squirrel, say, carrying something so large...

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Spent part of the day working on the setting for Babs' heraldic brooch, re-doing the points that will hold the rivets to attach the back and front of the setting together. Much happier with how even the shapes are now. If only it was that simple to shape the pearl cups, which is the next part that needs fabricated. ☑ heraldic enamel made, ☑ bezel made, ☑ soldered to front plate, ☑ wiggle cut engraving, ☑ points shaped, ☐ pearl cups made, ☐ back plate cut out to match front, ☐ pearl brackets made, ☐ brooch findings soldered in place, ☐ front and back riveted together, ☐ enamel set, ☐ pin stem attached... incremental progress is still progress.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	heraldic plaque	Juliet tomato planted	recycle bin
4	spicy peanut sauce	marigolds planted	-
5	-	pear branchlets weighted	-
6	-	turtleneck to Eames top	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- oatmeal porridge with spicy peanut sauce this morning
- found Flow DVD available to buy online
- a perfect Red Bartlett pear for dessert after dinner
- I got home safely despite forgetting to wear my bike helmet but instead wore my denim sunhat

Time of Isolation - Day 1765

a partner dance of floralia

in which our plucky heroine notices what is blooming...

Earlier in the year it was star magnolia and forsythia, forsythia and ornamental plum; right now, the black elderflower all bedecked in pink and the neighbor's white dogwood are holding hands and dancing in the parking strip

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~ so fluffy ~
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For a number of years, there've been idle bookmarked tutorials in the files for making decorative pompoms, with flowers or eyeballs, birds or animals or just abstract designs. And somewhere lost in the disorder here at Acorn Cottage, there are some very clever Japanese tools to wind yarn onto. Small pompoms seemed like they would be great additions to my stash of future Advent Swap gifties, so finally gave up and made some little cardboard winding tools instead. Sure enough, those worked well enough, and now there are a half-dozen plush woolen spheres for the Advent Swap collection

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The baking powder container was almost empty, so the tiny amount left was transferred to the newer one. After cutting the metal ends off, the sturdy cardboard tube reminded me of this tutorial for making a "handy thread catcher"... though a bit smaller than a Pringles canister, it should still be suitable. Experimentation will ensue, and possibly some gifts will happen.

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Many years ago, Hutch shared this recipe with me, immortalised in the recipe box as "Wonderful Spicy Peanut Sauce". He served it over cold poached chicken and rice, with shredded lettuce, as a summertime meal. I once made it for Konrad and Margaret, who proclaimed it was enough to make old boots taste good (though why one would want to eat old boots??)

Having an assortment of dressings and condiments in the fridge has been feeling more useful nowadays, and this mostly uses pantry staples:

Stir together 1½T peanut butter, 2½T oil (or coconut milk) until well blended. Stir in 2T each of tamari and sugar (brown sugar is extra good here) 2t white wine vinegar (or ACV), ½t cayenne pepper, and 1T minced green onions and minced cilantro

Easy peasy! One of my little fido jars is now relegated to savory/spice condiment duty, since it once was used for holding lactofermented red onion, and the rubber seal gasket seems to be permanently allium scented. It is just about the right size for holding this sauce, or some goddess tahini salad dressing, and eventually there will be some sort of tiny ladle, to match

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Noticed that some yardwork is less exhausting and painful this week. Perhaps setting the bar shortly after my bike accident was inaccurate, or perhaps "there is life in the old dame yet". (Past Me in the longago lived in Cambridge Mass Our Fair City, and saw Rosalie Sorrels live at Passims in Harvard Square; she sang Mehitabels Theme among other songs...)

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	heraldic plaque	Juliet tomato planted	recycle bin
4	-	marigolds planted	-
5	-	pear branchlets weighted	-
6	-	turtleneck to Eames top	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- wonderful spicy peanut sauce, courtesy of my longago friend Hutch
- not just homeostasis, but strengthening
- fluffy floral pompoms (also fluffy eyeball pompoms)

Time of Isolation - Day 1763

Thursday thoughts and throwbacks

in which our plucky heroine finds rain in the forecast has arrived...

which rather precludes much of any yardwork today, though I managed a wee bit of pruning first thing in the day, continuing to gradually cut back places where fruit tree branches are too dense in the center for good air circulation. The ongoing string trimming and mulch placement will have to wait for a less drizzly day, as will getting the rhubarb planted, and the vital thinning of the apple tree fruitlets, which are thumb tip sized already...

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~ positively Seussian ~

This plant always makes me smile when it shows up in someones yard! It is Buddleja Globosa, (but not the invasive sort of buddleja like the purple one that is even more common around here)

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Various preparatory drawing of studio projects today, including the pendant findings that (northern) Cricket wants me to make. An additional drawing of the revised diapering pattern will be one of the tasks tomorrow.  The two silver pieces from Laeriel and Wolfegar arrived safely, so that project will be underway starting this weekend. It will be a good thing to get back to the workshop again after so much time. Still need to order wider serrated bezel wire, maybe, need to check the necessary depth for the elaborate setting. 

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Looking backwards on or around May 15th: in 2020 our plucky heroine was recovering from a sidewalk faceplant and thinking about/figuring out ways to grow garden food at home, early in the pandammit. In 2015 it was all about getting ready for a new young hens to arrive, which turned out to be the wonderful Black Australorps: Boneclaw Mother, Nanny Og, and Granny Weatherwax. In 2010, there was a lot of thinking about garment sewing and wardrobe planning, as well as memorial collage artwork. 

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	heraldic plaque	Juliet tomato planted	recycle bin
4	-	marigolds planted	-
5	-	pear branchlets weighted	-
6	-	turtleneck to Eames top	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Pamela's gluten-free pancake mix
- found the missing hardware bit for the small Fido jar (hiding at the bottom of the dishpan, boy howdy it is a good thing to have a kitchen sink strainer)
- Past Me blogged or linked to assorted tasty recipes. I want to gather all the ingredients and revisit Beetnik Eggs

Time of Isolation - Day 1760

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine makes random progress...

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~ a thing with feathers ~

The final details on the heraldic panel painting are finished. When it occurred to me to image search "bird wing feathers" there were plenty of examples of how to combine and layer the motifs to get a stylised, yet effective design for the Pegasus wing. Always a good day when you learn something new, and K seems quite pleased with the completed panel.

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Yesterday afternoon was the scheduled in person Urban Foraging walk, led by someone from the "Always Masked PDX" group. There were two other folks there in addition to the presenter, but by the time we were through the introductory talk, the dark clouds were no longer to the west, but were overhead and it was absolutely dumping rain, with no signs of stopping. It was a unanimous decision to try again next month, when the weather will hopefully be more cooperative. I'm proud to have stepped outside my comfort zone to attend something new, with people I have never met, even if it was rather washed out by precipitation. I plan to attend next month.

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Have been gradually modifying all my knit tops (that weren't already so) to be turtleneck knit tops, as if it is cold enough to want a second layer, keeping my neck and upper chest warm is a good idea. Tonight finished up the last of them, the pinky/peach color top with the Eames motifs on the sleeves and center neck edge. There was, of course, no more of the base fabric, as any scraps of those Uniqlo tee shirts were long gone. Instead, some scraps of a soft light grey knit fabric were pieced together and set in place; since the stencil motif and some of the printed sleeve motifs, as well as the decorative hand stitching was all in grey, it should look at least semi-intentional.

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Somebody not-human has been dunking some bread or something into the hydration station in the front yard... the last few days when I check it, which I do every day to refill/clean/etc, there were crumbs in the water, which was all murky! I'm suspecting maybe one of the local corbies, rather than raccoons, as whoever it is is a daytime creature... there was one day when I put it out fresh and clean in the morning, and by late afternoon it was already in need of more attention!

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	heraldic plaque	Juliet tomato planted	recycle bin
4	-	marigolds planted	-
5	-	pear branchlets weighted	-
6	-	turtleneck to Eames top	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- reused the marinade from Korean-style ribs to flavor chicken thighs, which became part of a tasty dinner, along with green salad and yams
- found some scraps of light grey knit fabric to add a turtleneck to my Eames knit top, now all my knit tops are modified for more warmth.
- being able to watch youTube videos of Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler, the musicians look like they are having so much fun, and his guitar playing is epic
- my miniature Shreks Ears plant is surviving/thriving in the east facing bedroom window. The reddish color on the leaves is, according to the internets, a sign it is happy and getting enough sunlight.

Time of Isolation - Day 1758

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine blinks ...

"everything can change in the blink of an eye, so let the good times roll before we say goodbye..."*

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~ weighted branchlet ~

It is apparent to me that pears just want to grow straight up. The pear tree behind Rosehaven, when I lived on a hillside in Seattle, was tall enough to support a pulley clothesline out the second floor upstairs window. The pear tree in my next door neighbor's yard here is so tall that they have no access to the fruit.  Not only is our plucky heroine a devoted disciple of the "Grow A Little Fruit Tree" creed, but have been learning ways to modify the growth of young trees in various ways, not just by pruning.

In the photo above you can see how the weighted branchlet is not quite horizontal, while if you look closely in the background there are two unweighted branchlets growing vertically. By adding a weight to a new branch it stabilises closer to horizontal, which will encourage the eventual formation of fruiting buds rather than just vegetal growth. The new growth on the Bosc pear is still very tender, but attaching a soft rubber band to a hardware store nut makes a weight that can be looped over the branch without damage. It looks a bit odd, but once the branch growth sets, it can then be removed easily.

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I keep wanting to take a nap for a few hours in the middle of the afternoon, somewhere between 2:30 to around 4pm... is this normal? is this a sign of aging? of stress? or?? Once it gets to be actual summer, instead of sunny over 80°F (27°C) ostensibly "springtime", I will definitely turn crepuscular and nap away the hottest sunniest part of the days.

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Much productive communication back and forth with Laeriel and we have settled on a plan for her medallion. There is a voided quatrefoil stamp in my collection of tools, just about ⅛" wide, and by placing that in the center of the cross hatched background, we can reference her motif without all the faffing about with a green central enamel with gold outlines, and just use a clear transparent blue overall for the background. Her husband Wolfegar will be creating an etched backing plate for the setting, so this will be a collaborative piece of regalia. I am much relieved at the design change, as it will be much simpler to fabricate, and better show the diapered pattern.

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Internet Archive has an assortment of Grateful Dead concert recordings, and listening to Providence Civic Center/1974 while out for an evening bike ride was a real treat, if not as much of a treat as actually being there. (I don't actually remember which concert and what year Charlotte and I drove down from Boston to see them there, back in our younger days...)

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	-	Juliet tomato planted	recycle bin
4	-	marigolds planted	-
5	-	pear branchlets weighted	-
6	-	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- nuts and bands: figured out a simply way to modify branchlet growth
- Internet Archive's collection of Grateful Dead concert recordings
- today's gratitudes - - nuts and bands: figured out a simply way to modify branchlet growth - Internet Archive's collection of Grateful Dead concert recordings - Past me got to hear a lot of great live music back in the 20th century...

Time of Isolation - Day 1754

* from: "The Bug", Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler

throwback Thursday

in which our plucky heroine has a day of upsandowns...

Starting to enjoy the early morning walkabout, and have noticed that by seven, there are many more folks out and about than even half an hour earlier, so my intention of as early as feasible is being reinforced! It also seems that my mental state is subtly improved by this small change in routine? Hard to tell, but is will be interesting to find out how a month of this activity affects me...

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~ Polygonatum multiflorum ~

This was happily growing across half a shady alleyway planting strip, all a tangle of green foliage and strands of doubled white floral bells... turns out to be a European/Asian native plant: "Solomons Seal" (my ever curious self loves being able to look up "what is this" online, in the reference library that never sleeps)

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Fell asleep last night only to be awakened just before midnight by the sounds of some very angry man yelling and cursing in the street, repeatedly and loud enough to hear through closed windows. It was a challenge after that to calm enough to return to dreamland...(fortunately I did manage)

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Gradual progress with placing salvaged cardboard around the yard to help block grass, then covering with wood chips. It occurred to me that saving some of the bigger pieces of cardboard to place underneath the mulch around the new trees will be a big help in keeping grass and morning glory from growing up through. Of course that will require raking away current mulch in order to place cardboard barriers, but live and learn...

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As a child in Los Angeles, I saw many vivid mosaics on the fronts of banks, and while I loved their beauty, I also took them for granted as being part of how the made world existed, it was decades before the internet allowed me to seek out any information about their design and creation... It turns out that Millard Sheets studio created many of these architectural mosaics It would a treat to someday travel to see such beauty with my own eyes...

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	-	Juliet tomato planted	-
4	-	marigolds planted	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- being able to access online information about the natural world
- napping when tired
- architectural conversation tonight with my pal Ursel sparked memories of mosaics seen in my childhood. Beauty that resonates still in corridors of mind

Time of Isolation - Day 1753

be the marigold...

in which our plucky heroine rides her bike all over the place...

This morning I awoke with a continued yearning to plant marigolds around the Juliet tomato. (Yesterday a look-see at the garden store on the corner was unsuccessful, all their marigold seeds and six-packs were sold out, and I'd no desire to buy spendy large potted specimens) Little did I know that my least favorite store would be the one to gratify my desire. After riding all the way to GrocOut and Safeway with no luck, remembered that the large Freddies has an auxiliary garden area in their outer parking lot. It was about as long a ride in the opposite direction from Acorn Cottage, but at last success was mine - a whole table with many marigolds in various colors to choose from, and a pleasant garden clerk to ring me up.

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~ just because... ~

Not only are they supposedly good companions to tomato plants, but every morning when looking out into the backyard, there will be extra spots of bright cheer. And don't we all want to be that? Be the marigold you wish to see in the world seems like a Useful Contradiction to Despair

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Activity in the artistry: Finished inking the initial drawing for Laeriels medallion, and messaged it off to her for additional consultation - I'm hoping that we can figure out choices for the details soon, as it is just a little more than six weeks to her elevation. Had an inquiry from Northern Cricket about a small commission for earring component pieces. Still need to finish the setting for Bab's brooch (just do it). Once I look up the basic directions that wing feathers are located, I can finish the painted Pegasus and that project will be completed.

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The librarian at the Hollywood library told me that they will be opening an auxiliary temporary space in St Johns, in the office building across the street from the (closed for renovations til at least 2026) library there. This will be a much closer spot to pick up and return books, as it is close enough to ride my bike. I've missed being able to reserve and read hardcopy, as there is a wider collection than what is available online, and some sorts of books do not lend themself to the e-format.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	-	Juliet tomato planted	-
4	-	marigolds planted	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- have had a few small work inquiries in the last week
- getting used to getting up earlier, and enjoying getting outside first thing
- found marigolds without having to trek to the big garden center

Time of Isolation - Day 1752

Tuesday tenacity

in which our plucky heroine persists in doing incremental yardwork...

For those curious about how the improved sidewalk edging turned out, it looks quite nice. If grasses start sneaking through under the bricks, it should be possible to just run the string trimmer along that edge and zip them away.
If enough additional bricks could be found (doubtful but possible), another course could be laid atop to allow for deeper mulching, but any additional bricks found in the yard are more or less earmarked to edge more mulch zones...

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~ wall 'o water ~

Although this photo reminds me a bit of Georgia O'Keefe, it is actually looking down from the top of the protective water surrounding the new Juliet tomato plant. The theory is that the cylinder consisting of water tubes moderates the temperature around the plant, protecting it from cold by absorbing excess heat by day to then release it as the air cools at night. There was just one of these, unused and stashed away, from years ago when I successfully managed to grow an eggplant; hopefully there will be equal success this year with small tomatoes.

Juliet is a small tomato, barely bigger than a cherry tomato, but very much unlike... you can imagine a flavorful little Roma style tomato instead, meaty and dense rather than seedy and juicy. Once we are into summer rather than this changeable late spring season, the Wall 'O Water will be removed and a proper tomato cage put in place instead. Going to look around for some small marigold starts to plant around the base, and am hopeful that the large planter will prove a suitable size, since it is almost 2 feet across at the top, and 17 inches deep. The pot sits just to the side of the new Fuyu persimmon tree planted in the backyard, and they are visible from the bedroom window

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Managed to complete a sketch (still needs to be inked in) for a future possible Laurel medallion for Laeriel: a fairly complex setting with some challenging design choices for the enamel. We will need to continue our consultation soon, to allow for enough time before the event...

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~ XP1 vs XP2 ~

Last year I made myself some "sun protection/bike riding mitts" from white cotton jersey; I used the pattern for decorative mitts from one of the Alabama Chanin books, but sans any fancy decoration. This concept worked well, as it kept my forearms and most of my hands covered, but the actual design had seams in places that were less than comfy when holding the handlebars, and the palm area bunched up into annoying wrinkles when in use...

The upper mitt in the photo is the initial attempt, it is a flat pattern made from two identical pieces, stitched on each edge, so one seam goes down the side of the palm and thumb, and the other two seams go down the sides of the arm... The lower mitt in the photo is a partially finished second attempt. My thought was that if I could avoid having a seam along the inner edge of the palm, and of the thumb, but transform that area into a simple fold, the whole mitt would be more comfortable to wear, with only one seam that crosses the thumb palm intersection)

I took one of the first mitts and literally drew on it to locate the base of my thumb, then cut apart the pieces and traced them onto some paper. There was a bit of "wave hands make magic happen" in my smoothing out some of the curves into seamlines that could match up (well actually there was a lot of holding bits of paper next to my hand and thumb, and thinking about where adding or subtracting bits might help, but starting from something that mostly fit, but changing the seamlines as I did is straightforward flat pattern manipulation)

The pattern pieces may look rather peculiar, and are much less sparing of fabric, but these shapes create a more anatomical mitt. It also looks slightly like some traditional glove patterns. Of course, anyone trying something similar would need to fit their own hand/thumb/arm proportions. I think am certain that this will be a Very Useful item for my lifestyle, though I've never seen anything like it for sale. As a skin cancer survivor, I want to have as little exposed skin as possible, and being able to avoid applying sunscreen to my hands means I won't get sunscreen in my eyes!

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear	recycle bin
3	-	Juliet tomato planted	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- sun barrier mitt pattern XP2 seems to be successful: fits well and feels comfortable. (need to make up a second one so I can try them out while actually riding my bike)
- managed to use the afternoon zoom body double time to get the pencil sketching done for Laeriel's medallion design
- laundry washed and line dried, including duvet cover, because today was very hot and sunny

Time of Isolation - Day 1751

thick as a brick, and other Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine makes progress in various directions...

Spent quite some time today furthering the front borderline between the mulch and the sidewalk today, and have almost completed the re-do. All the first mulch attempt has been raked back, the weedy edges scraped back to where I could locate the actual concrete, new doubled layer of cardboard set in place and weighted down along the edge with some of the used brick. This makes a much tidier looking edge, and allows an even amount of mulch to be built up that is "thick as a brick".

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~ so pink and pretty ~

We've had enough warmth as the season keeps turning that the black lace elder (Sambucus nigra) has started flowering. This will be the second year it has really been covered in blossoms, so I'm hoping for a good crop of berries for making elderberry syrup to use this winter.

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Fifty-five years ago today the massacre at Kent State occurred... I've been remembering about that, and thinking about how little times have changed in some ways, and listening to the music of those years.

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Cleared out one of the large planter pots in the backyard, which now has the Juliet tomato in it, surrounded by a Wall-O-Water to moderate the evening chill. Still need to find some mesh to encircle that, lest the squirrels dig their way into the still visible potting soil, but it was getting towards dusk, and I was very tired.

Earlier in the afternoon, I gave the central front yard another round with the string trimmer, and had enough energy to get some of the long grass around the base of the fig trees this time as well. Also, two old Ikea wastebaskets got holes drilled in their base, a few half bricks tossed into the bottom and are now filled with water to serve as drip waterers for the pear tree babies

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About halfway through with xp2 iteration of the cotton jersey fingerless gloves, which will provide sun protection for my hands and forearms. Xp1, based on the Alabama Chanin pattern was a good length, but the seams were in an annoying position for while holding bike handlebars. I've rearranged the location of the seams, which makes for very odd looking pattern pieces, but a more anatomical construction, with one seam running down the outside of the thumb then down the arm, one running down the outside of the littlest finger and then down the arm, and one seam running around the base of the thumb. There are, with this construction, no seams running along the inner edge of the thumb and forefinger at all, which makes a much more comfortable glove. 

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	-	planted Seckel pear	recycle bin
3	-	Juliet tomato planted	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- had everything needed to plant the tomato start: large planter, potting soil, garden lime, wall-o-water... and there are several "tomato cages" to choose from for later in the year.
- despite being dog-tired, I got a lot of outdoor yard stuff done today.
- my xp2 sample fingerless sun-protecting bike glove modification seems to be doing perzactly what I hoped it would (sewing it is slow going as it is mostly hand stitching) I'll know more when it is all stitched up
- I had the fortitude to get myself out of bed, dressed, and outside to get outdoor light into my eyeballs again first thing this morning.

Time of Isolation - Day 1749

triangulation

in which our plucky heroine takes a long journey on transit to a part of the city I've not been to before...

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~ pollinator pals ~

As mentioned on May 1st, the newest addition to the pear posse is the baby Seckel pear from The Portland Fruit Tree Project sale. An early start this morning on the multiple transit transfers to get to outer NE turned out just right, and the bus driver kindly let me off the bus close to the community garden; the bus stops out there are quite far apart. The only person there that early was the church caretaker, who showed me where the garden beds and orchard were, before it was time to actually pick up the tree.

Eventually the folks from the program arrived, and I was able to pick out one of the Seckel pear trees to bring home. It was about the same size as the Baby Shipova from One Green World, so after wrapping the pot in a canvas bag, secured it to the little hand truck which made taking it on and off the bus, and trundling down the sidewalk, much easier than had it needed to be hand carried! A bit more than three hours after leaving Acorn Cottage, it was time to dig a planting hole in the front yard near the other two young trees...

They are each a bit less than two feet away from each other, forming a triangular planting group, that will if all goes well, be pruned to create a cluster of fruiting pear trees in the front yard. Following the instructions in "Grow A Little Fruit Tree, they will be kept short enough to pick from while standing on the ground. Someday, it will be such a treat to be able to pick pears in the front yard, and they will also provide a beautiful transient floral display.

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Long ago, maybe 40 years or so, before luggage had wheels, my then boyfriend Mark gave me a folding luggage hand truck. It is made from steel tubing with handy bungee cords that wrap around bags or bundles to secure them to the frame. Though that relationship didn't last, the trusty wheeled transport has served me well for many years, and is likely to keep trundling on long after I am gone. It safely carried an Ikea flat pack home on transit, though the box was heavy enough that I had to ask the driver to use the lift/ramp. I've taken it camping, and on transcontinental trips, and even to Europe. It is handy for any task where it is easier to let the wheels do the work, and whenever I use it, I never fail to think of Mark and be grateful!

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Not too sweet, not too tart...The kombucha started several weeks ago is just about ready to be strained and bottled up, which means I'll need to make up a new batch of sweetened tea "syrup", and need to wash one of the (currently dusty) Grolsch bottles  so I can store the fermented drink in the fridge. It has been a long time since I last made kombucha, but I look forward to adding a tonic shot glass daily as part of improving my health

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	-	planted Seckel pear	recycle bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- my venerable folding luggage hand truck, a gift from Mark something close to forty years ago and still sturdy and functional
- zooming on the phone while walking my bike home.
- after trying three stores, finally found PG Tips at the 4th place I looked.

Time of Isolation - Day 1748

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine wakes up early...

This morning the sky was lemon yellow at 5:30am.  My plan for the month of May is outdoor daylight first thing, and preferably a walk as well. Cool outside in the early morning is pleasant, and I noticed that while tulips are ending, iris is beginning to flower...

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~ partially painted Pegasus ~

This week has, in part, been all about completing the heraldic painting project for Kateline and Dean. I've seriously underestimated the time something like this takes, which I will remember for future commissions. Have almost completed the final quarter, the demi-Pegasus. It is hard to see that what looks like grey in the photo is actually metallic silver paint, as my thought was that combining white with silver details and silver with white details would be effective. It really does show up well when the light hits it. The fern turned out quite well; my choice to outline all the foliage in black before filling it in with green really makes the leaves stand out. They remind me of the sort of botanical images one sees in some manuscripts.

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Helga came by this morning, bringing me bath tissue rolls from Costco that she kindly picked up for me. We had a bit of a chat about the various fruit trees, gardening, and overall health challenges. When looking at the persimmon in the parking strip, she was the first to spot the tiny future fruit, no bigger than my little fingernail, and as green as the new growth. We also noticed that the mystery apple next to the driveway, that bloomed for the first time ever this year, has a cluster of proto-apples.

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Sigh, did not manage to do string trimming today, it was too hot, and I was tired from getting up at daybreak. Might be able to do better tomorrow, as it is supposed to be cool and grey. I am going to log both morning daylight and daily string trimming in my BuJo, since I accidentally created an extra column on the page I record my daily health metrics. I know that ticky-boxes are a helpful tool, and my intent is to go on as I've begun.

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Our plucky heroine is much worried about the possibility that there will not be any effective safe COVID vaccines available this autumn, as there is much misinformation being promulgated from on high at the present.  My continued health depends on a combination of vaccination, isolation, and masking with a P100 mask when around people, since there is no external effort to create safer public spaces for less transmission of viruses. This is not the sort of timeline I'd hoped to spend my remaining years in; I don't even like reading dystopian fiction. (including this comment here as part of my own historical record of these unprecedented times... recent re-reading of my blog posts from the last five years has been most interesting, as a reminder of the many changes that have occurred both personal and social.)

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Month SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	-	-	recycle bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the heraldic painting project is coming along nicely
- found a bit of scrap wire grating to use to start a trellis for the baby peas.
- faith is the ground, stubborn is the crop. I've faith in my determination to give my best effort, and my stubborness as a child is actually a strength.
- when attaching the trellis grating, I broke off two of the pea shoots and ate them, yum! I will be slightly thinning the peas, and eating the rest of the thinnings, pea shoots are delicious.

Time of Isolation - Day 1747