not the sparkle you desire

in which our plucky heroine wakes up to scintillating scotoma...

I've gone for many years at a time without seeing any of these, but this is the second one in as many months. Fortunately only annoying and distracting, and by the time I was done with breakfast, it was mostly beyond my peripheral vision.

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~ tiny trinkets ~

The compartments in these 3D printed trinket shelves are only a bit taller than ⅛", small enough that finding suitable denizens has been quite challenging. The littlest of seashells, turquoise chip beads, some very tiny alder cones, and fragments of a crystal geode are some of what fits. It is tempting to try and create a tiny sculpture of some kind; tried to use some of the leftover Milliput, but couldn't manipulate it well at that scale. Wondering about Very Tiny mushrooms? 

I'd really like to get the file to print a few more of these shelves, but just a bit larger. My friend Sam printed these for me last year, and if he can share the instructions, the library has 3D printing...

※※※

Found an online source to get charging cables for my phone that have a right angle bend where the plug joins the wires, which will make a big difference in how easy it will be to use.

Spent over an hour on the phone trying to get some help from Century Link re the problems with my (albeit ancient) wifi modem etc. The repair tech person insisted that everything was working just fine, and that the only problem was that I hadn't signed a subscriber agreement?! (despite my having had an account for over twenty years) and that they would send it to me as a text. Only problem with that is that my account with them is for a land line, not a mobile. So called the customer service person, to try and get that sorted out. Still SNAFU'd. after almost another hour talking to them. Will try again in the morning. Dunno how "never having signed a piece of paper" would cause my wifi to suddenly stop working properly a few weeks ago, after years and years of more or less okay service.

※※※

Not exactly "Swimming Rama", but combining leftovers with some various frozen cubes made a tasty dinner: there were two cartons of extra rice from the Thai takeaway food Mikki and I had for dinner, so a bit of that, plus a frozen cube of chopped cooked power greens, one of cooked mashed yellow squash, and one of spicy thai red curry sauce... If I had thought to cook up some chicken or shrimp it would have been even better, but it was fine! 

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2026 calendars are cut up, holes punched and cords threaded... all the envelopes are counted out ready to be addressed and stamped. I keep thinking of more folks who might enjoy one, but want to get these at least in the mail before the end of January. Better late than never... 

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	new bin for  cedar shakes	orangeflower water
3	5+ jars fig mostarda	drawstring cords	large broken bin
4	page 2 resipei	workbench tidy	2 bags paper
5	-	bedside lamp	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- just as I suspected, chevre is a fantastic companion to the fig mostarda made earlier this month
- a wide variety of freezer cubes of veggies, sauces, and suchlike
- I like how this year's AlphaBeast calendar looks more than I did at first. The style has a very different look than my previous ones, but still distinctively my own. Which is sort of the point.

Time of Isolation - Day 2030

baby bears chair and other miscellany

in which our plucky heroine makes plans...

There are eversomany projects here that need done or that would be desirable. The next few days I'd like to finish the flannel shirt, and finish sampling the raincoat toggle spacing (for my personal projects) and finish the tiny bezels for the Babs brooch project... Maybe find the tarp pieces intended to bridge the gap between the porch and the walkway; getting that built will be very helpful.

※※※

~ the past brought forward ~

This small Chinese rug holds some of my very early memories. It was originally my Nana's, possibly a wedding gift a hundred years ago, and now warms the floor next to my bed, one of the few objects salvaged after my parents demise that made it here to Acorn Cottage. The colors are vivid yet subtle, and looking at it carefully to draw it today, I also was surprised to see that some of its shapes and patterns that still reverberate in my own artwork. 

This is the only sewing machine I purchased new. Prior to this Bernette 330, once I left living with my parents, I had assorted machines from yard sales or thrift stores, none good enough to put money into repairing them when they broke down. I have been using this machine for almost 40 years now, and while it isn't fancy, it is wonderfully reliable, and has sewn everything I've asked it to, from a canvas tent to lightweight lingerie. Past Me was clever enough to buy a walking foot for the machine at the same time, and that attachment is in use several times a year at the very least

The furniture in my home comes from four different places... there are a few pieces that I've had all my life, two small bookcases and two chests of drawers, all rather battered by now, but full of memory. I believe they were bought from one of those "unfinished furniture" stores back in the 50's and furbished by my dad. I have a fair amount of "Ivar" and various other solid wood pieces from IKEA. I have a table, several small shelves and most especially my wooden bedframe that were handmade by friends. 

However, at least half of the furnishings here at Acorn Cottage are vintage or salvage of some kind. When I found this chair at the local resale shop, I could tell it was something special, firstly because it was just my size. Most chairs are too tall, and the seats are too deep for my petite self. On closer examination, the graceful shaping, and the beautiful through wedges of the legs were very worthy of notice. It had at that time a label on the back of the back rung that said "Ercol", a manufacturer uncommon here that I was not familiar with. I feel lucky to have found this unexpectedly affordable gem in a shop where it was not appreciated. It is my favorite chair.

※※※

The switch to my bedside lamp stopped working on Monday.  I headed out yesterday to the hardware store in hope that they might have a replacement switch. Fortunately, they did. In the process of taking the lamp all the way apart to replace the broken switch, I noticed that the harp framework that holds the shade to the light socket was falling to pieces, with three of the four welds broken.

While I have a lot of skills, welding steel isn't one of them. But I do have a useful assortment of chemical bonding agents aka glue. It seemed like a good job for "Milliput", a very superior sort of epoxy putty, and that proved to be the case. After mixing up a tiny batch, I used it to sandwich the broken pieces together in the correct position, and after a few hours the putty set stone hard, and once the lamp was reassambled, it was back in service.

※※※

Our winter weather is being odd. Nowhere near as much rain as would be ideal, and not as cold as previous years, though still plenty cold enough for wooly cardigans and layered leggings. And, as we head towards February, the patch of snowdrops in the front yard are blooming, and I saw two honeybees busy there.

※※※

Today I happened to see a newspaper, a NYT business section lying on the table at the floral counter of the grocery store. The headline was something like "Gold tops $5000/oz". Of course I had to look more closely, for while I don't use gold, I have been using silver in my metalwork for many years. Probably not so much going forward, since silver too has skyrocketed in price. A few months ago it was under $30/oz, but it is now over $100/oz! I don't ever keep metal on hand, but only purchase just enough for a project if a client commissions me and pays a deposit, because silver has always been volatile in price, but in all my many years, I have never seen fluctuations or prices like this. I suspect I shall have to learn a new way to work, for the most part without silver. This will create serious technical challenges, as enamel behaves differently and changes colors depending on the substrate. 

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	new bin for  cedar shakes	orangeflower water
3	5+ jars fig mostarda	drawstring cords	large broken bin
4	page 2 resipei	workbench tidy	2 bags paper
5	-	bedside lamp	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

Monday's gratitudes -
- a beautiful Chinese rug that graces my bedside floor
- a very tasty Thai dinner
- Mikki is patient and kind

Tuesday's gratitudes - 
- finding out what is probably causing my tech trouble, and incidentally also finding out it is NOT my laptop
- early bedtime
- unexpectedly saw Helga at the grocery store, and she was able to give me my eye drops from Costco.

Wednesday's gratitudes -
- one major admin task is finally completed
- got over 8 hours of sleep due to early bedtime last night
- found some tiny alder cones for the miniature trinket shelves

Time of Isolation - Day 2029

keep on keeping on

in which our plucky heroine struggles...

it is hard to feel as if my isolated handcrafty life has any relevance in this world of deepening horror, but I am determined to not let despair swallow me. If we give up, they win.

※※※

~ daily drawings ~

day 23 - Shrek's Ears miniature live succulent; just the right scale for a specimen plant in the tinyworld... it is now about two inches tall, having doubled in size since my pal Karen gave it to me. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the tiny ceramic condiment dish to turn it into a planter. 

day 24 - a lampwork necklace of beads made for me by Ariadne in various assorted designs: smaller beads in turquoise and cream, some with trailed feathering or dots and several larger focal beads with raised and flat dotted patterns, more elaborate feathering, and one very long thin oval with multiple feathered stripes. 

day 25 - small but pleasing, this Japanese (sewing) tape measure feels good in the hand, and sees almost daily use here

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Only a little sewing progress this weekend, but I did notice that while I didn't actually mirror the sleeve pieces, they are only about ⅛" off from each other, I suspect that I might be the only one to notice, once the shirt is done. Looking forward to making a sample sleeve placket next.

※※※

While sorting out and putting away "Richard Scarrys Great Big Bucket O Beads"(TM) which I had unpacked all over the worktable seeking possible tiny bits for a not yet finished tinyworld project, I saw these teardrop shaped beads that were an interesting turquoise/light brown irridescent glass... which reminded me that of my pair of earrings made from some vintage acorn charms that combined a textured metal bead cap with a round bright green glass bead. I never wore them, as while I have an assortment of acorn and oak leaf earrings, in this case the shape only vaguely resembled an acorn, and bright green is not one of my wardrobe colors... 

However, these teardrop beads are a great coordinate for the teal and chocolate brown colors of the current wardrobe sewing I'm doing, and the shape was much more acorn evocative. It took longer for me to unearth some headpins than it did to disassemble and reassemble the earrings. I suspect they will be in regular rotation as an accessory now.

※※※

I'm not sure what to do about my tech troubles, as it is unclear what the cause(s?) are. Video chat with my friends has become, in the last few years, a vital tool to maintain my sanity. And recently, as in the last several weeks or so, it has gone from occasional glitches of video or audio, to being almost unuseable, particularly the video transmission, in both directions.

At first it was just Zoom, but now it is also other platforms I've been trying as alternatives. The occasional glitches one becomes used to, when a message pops up that says "your internet is unstable", but now I can't share my video from the laptop at all, though I can see other people most of the time. Sometimes I can share video from my phone, as long as I don't use the wifi.

It would be very useful to have some sort of a diagnostic flow chart to use to figure out what to change or what to do, as there are multiple systems and bits of hardware, and the problem could be in any of them. Is it in the Very Old Modem? The router?? If it wasn't an intermittent problem I would wonder about my internet connection, but it worked just fine up until earlier this month... Maybe somewhere in the wires that connect everything? Are there too much junk files inside the laptop? Does something need to be updated that I have not done so? The laptop itself is fairly new, so itself shouldn't be a problem. I am looking to find "the end of the string" so I can begin to untangle this difficulty.

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	new bin for  cedar shakes	orangeflower water
3	5+ jars fig mostarda	drawstring cords	large broken bin
4	page 2 resipei	workbench tidy	2 bags paper
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

Friday's gratitudes -
- a simple dinner: stir frying some baby bok choi with green onions, and throwing a few (frozen) shrimp in at the end. Having already made Thai peanut sauce and already cooked purple barley in the fridge made it an easy complete and tasty meal
- I am really enjoying the 15 minutes drawing 100 day project, it is like daily gratitude in a different mode
- Karen brought me a different wall mount land line phone, that is grey and white instead of green (so it looks like it belongs in my kitchen), and that has a clever way of keeping the handset from falling off. I like it a lot more than the previous phone
Saturday's gratitudes -
- a house full of all sorts of bits and bobs suitable for creative reuse, and the tools and knowledge to do so
- half-size oil filled radiators... one under the computer desk, and one in the bathroom 
- refurbished acorn earrings
Sunday's gratitudes -
- sunny and dry (if cold) so I was able to ride to the store and get another dozen half pint jars
- the store clerk kindly scanned her magic card for the shopper discount (I've misplaced the card I had fifteen years ago, and rarely shop there, so never bothered to replace it, as almost never are the sale prices on what I might want to purchase.
- mmmmm... blood orange marmalade! There was a 2#bag of organic blood oranges in the produce box this week, and while I did eat a few out of hand, most were turned into preserves. I still remember the very first time I tasted a blood orange, on a trip Mr Dawson and I took to West Kingdom 12th Night many years ago.

Time of Isolation - Day 2036

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine embodies incremental progress...

which sometimes is expressed with multiple projects. Sewing for refurbishing my own wardrobe, and sewing pillow shams on commission. Finishing up some heraldic metalwork and enamel regalia orders. Planning to work in February on an abalone inlay horse brooch for Year of the Fire Horse (and meant to replace my beloved brooch that was lost) Adding knitwear storage shelves to the bedroom. Yes, I am polycraftual...

※※※

~ slow and steady ~

The neckline of the flannel shirt is completed.The shoulder yoke lining is Liberty lawn, as is the bias binding that finishes the inner edge of the collar seam. The symmetry in this shirt front pleases me greatly, including the unintentional very fortuitous location of the plaid stripes in the button bands.

Once I made the button bands and attached them to the bias fronts of the shirt, my next step was to cut out a bias strip from the Liberty lawn long enough to finish the inner neck edge. It occurs to me that the way I sew my collars in place is not standard and rather peculiar. I don't know where I first got the idea but I have been finishing inner collar edges this way for quite a few years. Depending on what fabric is used for the bias strip it can either blend in or be an accent. I find it easier to get a result I like with this technique rather than the more common turned facing.

The one remaining "challenge" for this project is the next step, the tower placket. Last night I re-read the directions, and think that making a sample later today before tackling the actual sleeves is a very good idea. The notes for the placket suggest that once one is familiar with the process it goes very quickly. 

Yet to do: plackets, armscye seams, cuffs, side seams, waist seam (attaching peplum). Oh, and buttons and buttonholes. Need to decide which of the two sets of dark teal buttons is for the flannel shirt and which for the print blouse. Just might also prepare the peplum for the print blouse as well, while the serger is threaded with teal thread... 

※※※

Throwback Thursday - one of my blog posts from January 2019, that still rings true today:

"Some friends and I were having an online discussion earlier today, about the inevitable planetary disaster that we are all in the middle of. My own ending comment was "I feel helpless to shift anything on a macro scale, and soaking in that feeling doesn't activate anything for me save a desire to die sooner. Instead, I do what I can to live lightly and thoughtfully, and bring tiny modicums of brightness and beauty where I am able. Will that turn around the train wreck we are living inside of... surely not. Will that help me to be able to lie down at the end of my life and say I did what I could, the best I could manage... hopefully just a bit."

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~ day 20 and 21 ~

This is one of my two favorite little ceramic cups. This one is unglazed red clay, with the decoration created by painting the background of the Laurel wreath design with the same black glaze that lines the cup. It was made by my pottery pals at Reannag Teine, and is often my choice for starting the day, as filled with homemade kombucha it is the right size for taking my vitamins.

I wear hats. Almost all the time, especially when outdoors. If it is sunny summertime, keeping the sun from my eyes and scalp, and if it is cold winter, keeping the sun from my eyes and keeping me warm. (well, and if it is raining, doing the obvious and keeping the water from my spex and off my head) 

This wide brimmed shape is my preference, and I have two almost identical, this dark denim hat, and one in some grey canvas that matches my chore jacket. They only differ in the assortment of brooches pinned to their hatbands, which offer a significant "canvas" for decorations, and an optional home for various small handwork projects. 

※※※

This afternoon seemed like a good time to bike to the hardware store and see about picking up some shelf brackets, now that I've the appropriate shelving to create storage for my handknit pullovers and cardigans. Alas, their inventory has been sadly diminished in the last few years, and the only "intermediate" size of shelf brackets they have any more are fancy ones, not the basic (and therefore inexpensive) style. I shouldn't complain too much as at least there is still a hardware store within biking distance. Wishing I had checked the brackets at the lumberyard, or else thought to measure the board purchased; should have remembered that of course a 1 x 10 is not actually 10" wide (and hence my 10" shelf brackets overhang by about an inch) 

There may be some clever solution to this dilemma, will continue to give it some thought. As I began mulling over while riding my bike home, after dropping the bills at the post office and picking up two lemons to add to the blood oranges for marmalade making. The sun was going down, and the temperature dropping, when tapping on my helmet and sleeves was not rain, but tiny lumps of sleet! There hadn't been any such thing in the forecast for today...

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	new bin for  cedar shakes	orangeflower water
3	5+ jars fig mostarda	drawstring cords	large broken bin
4	page 2 resipei	workbench tidy	2 bags paper
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -  
- my neighbors bird feeders, in the side yard between our houses
- I rethreaded the serger with no difficulty, and reset the tension to a smoother result for the next sewing project. 
- an assortment of soup cubes in the freezer... today's choice was carrot coriander, along with some leftover lamb roast and some of the new kasha, it made a good dinner.

Time of Isolation - Day 2033

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine returns to everyday life...

Somehow, the day afterwards seems to drag. My friends are far away once again, in the same way that in the Before Times, the day after one returns from a lovely holiday can seem most banal. Still there were tasks useful done, and sparks of beauty found.

※※※

~ day 20 ~

I have two of these plaster Japanese Akita dog figurines, this one is about 4" tall, and white with golden accents and a red collar. (the smaller one I have is about half the size, and red) In 2023, this same dog was my subject of a reduction linocut print.

※※※

An additional benefit of sorting/decluttering is finding things that have been missing or "lost". Since I have tinyfolk and their tiny world here, some of those things are very small indeed, and easy to overlook. I was very happy to find Opal's missing Birkenstock sandals, which are about the size of my fingernail. They were quite complicated to make, as shown in this blog post from 2024
In addition, while sorting through much of the paper clutter hoping to find where I'd written down Kate's address for the valentine postcard exchange, I remembered where it was, and could add it to the list for next month.

※※※

Most of the birds I see every day in my yard are crows, juncos or chickadees, and sometimes hummingbirds. This morning I saw a small bird, with a reddish head and chest. According to the internets it was likely a house finch, also a very common local bird, just not one I had noticed here before.

※※※

Many years ago, while travelling, we stopped at Rumiano's retail store in Crescent City, and bought part of a wheel of their dry jack cheese. Amazingly, I still have a very little bit of that cheese left; stored in the freezer it has been doled out over the years, thawed and grated to use as an ingredient. It is a long aged jack cheese, similar in texture to parmesan with it's own unique strong flavor. Why this is in my mind?.. While B & K were here, Beth shared some of their "cheesy buns" with me, a gluten-free roll made with tapioca and flax meal, egg, and a mixture of cheddar and strong dry cheese. (they use Romano) It occurred to me that some of my Rumiano's dry jack could also/instead work really well to flavor the recipe, and I am planning to give it a try...

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	new bin for  cedar shakes	orangeflower water
3	5+ jars fig mostarda	drawstring cords	large broken bin
4	page 2 resipei	workbench tidy	2 bags paper
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- cold dry wind makes laundry line dry faster
- finding more lost things (Opal's sandals, and Kate's address)
- the button bands on the plaid flannel shirt project do interesting things where they intersect the bias bodice fronts.

Time of Isolation - Day 2031

it's log...

in which our plucky heroine knows all good things must end...

at least for the moment. My visitors had to pack up to go home in the middle of the day, and return to their everyday life. It was lovely having guests, particularly my dear friends with whom I've been sharing a story for so many decades now.

※※※

~ day 19 ~

This "stump" is about hip height on me, and 12" in diameter. It was a kind and thoughtful gift from my dear friend and former studio colleague Bill, who knew I'd always wanted one ever since I moved away and set up my own workspace.

Why a stump? It is an alternate work surface for tasks that are improved with a stable high-mass non-resilient surface, (for example, stamping designs or using drive punches on leather or metal. A bouncy surface like an ordinary table, makes such tasks a lot harder...

 
※※※

Given how long it took to clear out the space to (temporarily) store Ikea BEKVAM, and how long it took to tidy my workbench, it may realistically take me a month or more per room for sorting, tidying and decluttering, since I am unlikely to be able to allocate anything like whole days at a time. This is Useful Information, and I can use pixel-world body-double time to help me continue progress.

BEKVAM, a wooden Ikea kitchen cart with shelves, is a gift from B&K to be used in my future/someday kitchen reconstruction, that for now, is living in the corner of my living room. At some point it will need it's tabletop cut narrower, and the legs fitted with proper full rotational casters, but for now, it will be useful out of the way storage, in a former clutter haven. 

※※※

 

~ a vast improvement ~
.
before and after

The other declutter/tidy task I really wanted to work on while I had in person companionship was returning my workbench to an orderly state of being. It seems as if it shouldn't take that long, since the surface area is fairly small, but it was several hours in before the results in the "after" photo. This is not only much more appealing and functional as a work space, but my friends also had several useful suggestions for additional/alternate storage for some of my tools. I now have clear decks to begin some work that needs doing, and a few simple changes to implement next.

I'm going to make some storage "pockets" for my metalworking files and rasps that can hang on the wall next to the workbench, add a small pinboard or bulletin board to the back of the workbench for notes about current project(s), and turn the vintage sewing machine drawers I bought years ago into a kind of narrow-but-tall rolling tool chest.

※※※ 

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	new bin for  cedar shakes	orangeflower water
3	5+ jars fig mostarda	drawstring cords	large broken bin
4	page 2 resipei	workbench tidy	2 bags paper
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- my workbench restored to tidy pleasant useability makes me want to go do some metalwork and enameling, which I have been avoiding for ages
- I might be able to use BEKVAM's lower shelves as temporary canned goods storage space, which would clear counter spaces in the kitchen! 
- listening to various tributes to Bob Weir and his legacy
- several chances over the last few days to walk around the neighborhood with company of Beth and Karen; I miss being able to walk with friends, as most of my most local pals have moved away...

Time of Isolation - Day 2030

Wonderful weekend whatnots

in which our plucky heroine enjoys in-person time with friends...

While Friday was a bit scrambled, as my friend M had vehicular difficulty and didn't end up staying here overnight after all. On Saturday my dear pals B and K arrived for the long weekend. We ended up cooking lamb roast for dinner that evening, and then staying up late talking and doing handwork.

※※※

~ day 16, 17, and 18~

These are the warmest mittens, as they are at least a quarter of an inch thick or more and completely block the wind. I wear these when I am riding my bike in the winter. My dear friend Ariadne made them for me, using the naalbinding technique. Naalbinding pre-dates knitting, and was commonly used in the Viking Age, for obvious reasons.

This small handmade pouch started with a sample block print of a design I made for a friend, inspired by Bujold's "World of the Five Gods" series. The design so charmed me that I wanted to make the sample into some object of everyday use, in a way that characters in the books sometimes have done. 
The pouch has a square base with a full lining, and double drawstring closure, simpler to sew than to describe how to sew. The felt beads are both decorative and provide handles to open and close the bag. Lastly, I over-stitched the background of the block printed portion with small cross stitches, to add both texture and additional stability.

Much larger than it looks in this drawing, my maslin pan is one of the best kitchen purchases I've ever made. It seemed like a huge indulgence to get a special pan designed to make cooking fruit preserves easier. It turns out that it is a great pan for all sorts of cooking: soups, stews, and suchlike, as well as preserve making. When putting up fruit in various ways, I sometimes start cooking it in the maslin pan, then when it is closer to the desired result, I transfer the almost-jam to a smaller pot, and use the maslin pan for water bath processing the jars for stable shelf storage.

※※※

Yesterday spent time transferring page one of Kestrel's "resipei" artwork to linen for embroidery. Page two is already finished, and I am looking forward to the relaxing time stitching more of her words and pictures. I love kid art, (particularly from this kiddo) and the finished stitchery will have pride of place in my kitchen.

※※※

A plan to convert my venerable Muji A7 binder into a hardcopy recipe book sadly has been delayed as my initial order of filler paper and dividers went astray. I ordered it from an eBay seller, and for some reason (that remains unclear to me despite hours on the phone to both eBay and UPS customer service) the package was not delivered to Acorn Cottage, but to some unknown Wells Fargo bank "front desk" and signed for by someone named "Dani"?!? If all goes well, I'll get a refund, and try and track down something similar. It will be very handy to have a small kitchen notebook with all my favorite most often used recipes in a legible and convenient form. "Soup, Savory, Sweet, and Shelf-stable"

※※※

Today we had minor but very pleasant adventures in the form of shopping excursions, much facilitated by the automobile. Started out by heading over to Mr Plywood for a piece of 1 x 10 lumber to make shelves in the bedroom to hold my wool handknit cardigans and pullovers, an improvement long desired. From there, we decided to walk the few blocks to the international market for various grocery and confectionary items unavailable in my neighborhood or their town, like a new bottle of orangeflower water to replace the one that broke last week. 

Since that shop did not have kasha (roasted buckwhat groats), which I'd been seeking for quite some time, I wanted to try one of the Russian grocery stores in outer SE. Now I've a 3 kilo bag of kasha in the pantry, and K found some interesting cheese, and zefir (a marshmallow made with apples). After heading back home, we ordered takeaway sushi, which made our dinner extra special (along with the cucumber salad and green salads that B made to go with). Our visits aren't just like the Before Times, but embraced a similar "flavor" both literally and figuratively...

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	new bin for  cedar shakes	orangeflower water
3	5+ jars fig mostarda	drawstring cords	large broken bin
4	-	-	2 bags paper
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the braided nylon cord I ordered arrived safely, and worked perfectly to repair my rat and crow drawstring bag.
- sushi dinner takeout, such a special treat
- Karen makes homemade toffee, and the contrast between the very thin layer of unsweetened chocolate and the very sweet sugar and pecan topping is wonderful.
- with companionship, yesterday I was able to tidy about a 2.5cuft chunk of the living room, with much of it going directly to recycle, and today sorted through about two grocery sacks full of random papers, of which more than half also went to the recycling bin.
- Mr Plywood. I just love everything about that place, particularly how the men who work there are always courteous and helpful. And how they always have what I need for projects. Plus today when I was checking out after buying the lumber for my shelves, and I told them how I loved their store, they gave me a sticker that said "I love Mr Plywood", with an image of his very rectangular retro line drawing self

 

Time of Isolation - Day 2029

appealing rather than appalling

in which our plucky heroine is almost ready...

My first intention of the day was to steadily if intermittently make progress on getting the guest futon suitable for hosting guest(s) ... considering how untidy that room started out, my goal was to clear space on both sides of the bed as well as the multitude of textile scraps, yardage, cardboard, and yarn from the surface. Now with fresh bedding, and space to move around the room, it looks appealing rather than appalling!

.
※※※

~ day 15 ~

This lovely handmade ceramic pitcher was a gift from Achaxe quite a few years ago. It is sturdy and well balanced, and I use it as a flower vase. The glaze is darkest inside, a blue almost black. The exterior is mostly varying colors of indigo blue, with the carved leaves at the base being mostly shades of greyish neutrals.

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I've tried making a new to me condiment "Fig Mostarda", using the frozen figs harvested last year from the trees in the front yard. It is sweet and savory, a little sour and a little spicy. I think it will be very nice with goat cheese (or riblets, if ever they were available), or other rich and savory things. I did add an extra glug of vinegar, and about another ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne, as it seemed to want more intensity to balance the sweetness.

※※※

Some strange bird flew into my porch, and was roosting on the back of the chair. I wonder if it could have been some small raptor as it was bigger than a songbird, more the size of but definitely not a corvid. As soon as I opened the curtain it flew away, faster than I could get any identifying data other than "mid size bird, sitting upright, variegated coloring"... looking up raptors found in Oregon, it may have been a Coopers or a Sharp Shinned Hawk??

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	new bin for  cedar shakes	orangeflower water
3	5+ jars fig mostarda	-	large broken bin
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- tidied and decluttered the futon bed, with most of the stuff getting put back on shelves or into boxes, and a good two grocery sacks to discard. Now it looks a lot nicer in there
- Fig Mostarda, a new to me condiment, that is going into the keeper recipe book. I actually like it better than the fig/lemon marmalade I was going to make.
- mysterious bird visitation to the front porch, possibly a raptor

Time of Isolation - Day 2027

workaday Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine is determined...

...to prepare for an actual, rare, timebound occasion of weekend guests, today has been full of getting-things-done.

After morning medications and stepping outside for daylight on eyeballs time, but before breakfast, it occurred to me that one side benefit of condensing sewing and fabric clutter would be to free up a half height rubbermaid tote. This would allow me to shift the precious spare cedar shakes into a more appropriate size container and to discard the partially shattered much too large one currently in use. Which I promptly did. Good thing tomorrow is trash-out day, as now the garbage wheelie bin is completely full.

※※※

~ several days of drawings ~

day 12 - this pair of classic stork "embroidery scissors" were a gift to me when I was still a schoolgirl. They are stamped ITALY inside the body. Later, when I was in my twenties and working at the leather shop, I made them a little case of tooled calfskin, with a sunrise and lotus flower on one side, and a design of a sitting cat on the reverse. With all the objects that have been lost over the years, these have been with me for more than half a century!

day 13 - Apparently snips and their cases are a favorite of mine. These are little Chinese snips, very similar in style to ancient medieval and viking age scissors. I formerly bought these by the dozen, stitched up little leather sheaths for them, and sold them. Still have one or two left from those days, and they are handy to carry around in my daypack with my embroidery, or to keep at the desk, or next to the sewing machine to snip threads

day 14 - This is a very cleverly designed ratcheting screw driver. It has been in my tool collection for years, and is my favorite full size screw driver, but I've no memory of when I first acquired it. The little flower shaped part where the handle joins the shaft rotates, allowing access to three interior compartments one at a time, that are sized just right to hold the assorted tips. The fourth lobe is the forward/reverse toggle. It will be interesting to see what proportion of my Objects of Affection are tools...

※※※

Last night I started making the candied orange peel I promised Mischa. It is a slow process, but not difficult. Several repeated blanching of the peel, then simmer in simple syrup until the peels are saturated. Then, depending on desired results, one can immediately use them, or roll in granulated sugar and dry them further, or even go on to dip in chocolate for a special confection.

※※※

I know I've mentioned WAWAK previously, as I am one of the myriads of sewing enthusiasts (or professionals) who depend on their excellent catalog of supplies, extremely reasonable prices and wonderfully fast shipping. I placed an order on Monday that arrived here this afternoon. This at their regular flat rate shipping, not any sort of special speedy spendy rate. I now have the right color zippers for the next sewing commission, as well as several packets of sewing machine needles, a few spools of thread, and spool of 2" elastic for long jane waistbands. Figured that since I needed to order the zipper(s) might as well go ahead and add in various items that had been running low.

※※※

I have been having all sorts of problems with video chat in the last several weeks. Today, Zoom which is so erratic and dreadful on the laptop,worked without any difficulty on my mobile phone?!! This was a big relief, and also suggests where the difficulty may be. Perhaps one of the various "updates" caused issues? Maybe one of the too many apps? I am wondering about doing a total reset on my laptop?? Also Norton keeps telling me I have too much junk, maybe laptop needs some kind of declutter? I miss the old "defrag" from earlier versions of Windows

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	new bin for  cedar shakes	orangeflower water
3	-	-	large broken bin
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- zoom seemed to work without difficulty on my mobile phone?! 
- the newly emptied half height tote was just the right size for holding the cedar shakes.
- remembered to begin the candied orange peel for Mischa
- the wonder that is WAWAK, speedy shipping, very good quality supplies, and more than reasonable prices. In these enshittified times, it is a treat to remember and experience again the best of how it used to be...

Time of Isolation - Day 2026

such a long long time to be gone and a short time to be there...

in which our plucky heroine scents mortality on the winds of change...

Bob Weir died yesterday. He was 78. Our plucky heroine is starting to feel the weight of years passing as the legends of my youth continue leaving the bright world, closer and closer to my own age...

"Faring thee well now
Let your life proceed by its own design
Nothing to tell now
Let the words be yours, I'm done with mine"

※※※

Still having all sorts of technical difficulty with various video chat platforms that were previously trouble-free. And not sure what to do about it. The Pixel World is a great help in maintaining sanity. So far we've managed to find one platform (Teams) that doesn't immediately degrade into unintelligible sound, or silence, but I would very much like to be able to access Discord again, as I like their interface a LOT better. Sadly though, their "helpful problem solving" essays are not at all helpful, being written in a way I can neither understand or implement.

※※※

~ day 11 ~

Years ago, after seeing these beautiful lights and lanterns ever since my first time at the Oregon Country Fair, I decided to splurge and get one for my own. My line drawing in no way can capture the charm of this night light, which is next to the mirror above the sink in the bathroom here. I see it every day, and it has brought me joy ever since I brought it home. The central medallion is a multicolor translucent design, set into a framework of pierced copper, the light behind it illuminates the artwork and sparkles through the tiny holes in the metal. Artist-made objects inhere personality

~ day 10 ~

I was just too tired yesterday evening, so postponed my drawing til this morning. (Going forward, drawing will happen at the start of the day, not as the last thing, which is more appropriate as well. Begin as you mean to go on and all that...) This ceramic soap holder, which looks a bit like Brutalist architecture writ small, was a gift from my friends Randall and Leah. It sits on the edge of the kitchen sink, and by draining off the excess water, keeps my bar of soap from turning into a puddle of soap slime. Very Useful!

※※※

Bob Weir died yesterday. He was 78. Our plucky heroine is starting to feel the winds of years passing as the legends of my youth continue leaving the bright world, closer and closer to my own age...

"Faring thee well now
Let your life proceed by its own design
Nothing to tell now
Let the words be yours, I'm done with mine"

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	-	orangeflower water
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- I got to see the Grateful Dead live, many times.
- Beth very determinedly and patiently managed to get all four of us onto Teams and able to have a bit of Crafternoon today. It took a long time.
- the eggplant parm came out really tasty

Time of Isolation - Day 2023

so much time on transit

in which our plucky heroine spent hours on the bus...

Finding a 22" long zipper in beige or tan was more of a challenge than expected, and required an excursion to the posh fabric store Josephine's Dry Goods, in residential SE, as that was the closest possible source. Fortunately, the resipei embroidery is very suited to being stitched while riding the bus. And when I got there, they didn't have two of the same color, so I bought two that were close but not identical. Foolish me didn't think to ask about that over the phone.

When I got home and could take a look at the emailed receipt, it turns out they are buying their zippers from WAWAK. Which is what I should have done in the first place, given the extremely good prices and selections that WAWAK offers. I'll go ahead and order more in the three most likely colors, since they are less than $1 each. 

※※※

~ day 9 ~

I've had this little Japanese inlaid wooden box since I was a girl. It is about 6 inches tall.

※※※

Rather than going directly home after buying the zippers, instead rode the bus all the way to Grocery Outlet, to pick up suitable cheese (different from my regular sharp cheddar) to top the eggplant parm I want to make tomorrow. Had to look up a few recipes to get an idea of what the usual ingredients were, and decided on some mozzarella. 

※※※

Tomorrow I am going to draw two Objects Of My Affection, as tonight I am just too tired to draw at all (sad). It is much better when I draw at the start of my day, not wait until before bedtime!

※※※

Friday the calendar master pages were finished, now off to the copy store, then they need be cut to size, have punched holes and added string, and will be ready to either mail out or hand off to my local pals. Am quite happy with the slightly rustic hand drawn effect of doing all the words and numbers by hand rather than using digital fonts. That said, I will be scanning in the finished pages to also save as PDFs, so I can email them as files for my out of country pals to print out.

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	-	orangeflower water
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Very Helpful clerk at the copy shop, did several adjustments to  my master copies so they would print out as well as possible
- a tiny indulgence, on the way home from Josephines Dry Goods, I walked the seven blocks to Fifty Licks, and bought myself a mini scoop of my favorite "Lemon Coconut Saffron" sorbet
- made a really tasty tomato sauce for Sunday's eggplant parm, using half of the remaining freezer tomatoes, assorted veggies, herbs, and dried mushrooms. Yesterday I sliced and oven roasted the two eggplant that came in the produce box this week, so all I will need to do tomorrow is layer the ingredients and bake it

Time of Isolation - Day 2022

double trouble

in which our plucky heroine gets entangled...

two factor authentication is a good idea in theory, but in practice it makes me want to tear my hair out. Particularly when attempting to sign in to one site it then wants to send a code to an email account, and when I try and sign in to the email account it wants to send a code to my phone, which then wants me to find a code somewhere in my email and round and round. Grrrrr. If I liked playing with strings, I would have been born a cat

※※※

~ mossworld ~

They never get old, I never tire of looking at them. This is from Monday, walking back to the bus stop after my eye appointment. The early morning light was still very golden...

※※※

sewing progress report: lines 5 - 8 on the resipei embroidery are complete and am working on the last underline and then the drawing of the ice cubes. Still finding it very relaxing. 

Finished the collar for the flannel shirt, after carefully trimming back the undercollar ⅛" on either short end before sewing the upper and under collar together. This pulls the outer layer just a bit which keeps the underlayer underneath. It has been edge stitched, and the raw edge basted, ready for when it will be needed. Also temporarily basted twill tape to the center front of the bodice pieces, to keep the bias edges from stretching out of shape before the whole thing gets assembled.

※※※

~ day 8 ~

This little camera was a birthday gift from my parents, over 20 years ago. I remember how pleased they were and how happy I was. It still works really well, particularly for macro photos.it is also really really small, about the size of the palm of my hand, and my hands are about the size of a midsized child

※※※

Spent time in the sewing/guest space today, picking up a few of the larger more obvious items to put away. Fortunately most of what is in this room actually belongs in this room, and will be returned to the storage shelves, at least temporarily. That is what they are for after all. It was a surprise and a treat that the pattern for my long janes showed up folded in amidst some jersey fabric. Particularly since I had been dreading going through the process of taking a pattern from the extant garment, as I knew there was a pattern somewhere... As this is the time of year long janes are needed, and most of the pairs I have are getting rather "worn to a ravelling", at least two or three pairs are on my ASAP sewing list.

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	-	-	orangeflower water
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Ursel is now on Discord and we can chat there
- I recreated most of the (missing) Advent Swap list
- sitting at the now mostly cleared off dining table feels really lovely. My hope is to extend that sensation throughout Acorn Cottage.
- chatting with Turquoise online reminded me of how fortunate I am, in being able to sit and look out at the various birds in the yard and the sun on the plants. Feeling very appreciative.

Time of Isolation - Day 2020

wishful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine has lots of wishes...

most of all that this was not the timeline we were in, or as it has been said "where am I going and why am I in this handbasket"...

※※※

Just figured out that instead of the kitchen timer, I can use "work through the next x-number-of-songs in the set" as my way of keeping self on task! I've been listening to recordings of Grateful Dead concerts via Internet Archive, and they have notated how long each song runs in that particular recording. The Internet Archive (also home of the Wayback Machine) has all sorts of very interesting things to listen to; Dead shows make up only a tiny fragment of their audio collection.

※※※

~ day seven ~

This is my stainless steel chain mail pot scrubber, that moonlights as a paintbrush drying clamp (or is it the other way around)... It normally hangs from one of the drying hooks over my kitchen sink, and one day it occurred to me that I could weave the handle of my just washed paintbrush through the gaps in the mail, and the brush could hang there point down until dry, which is the best way to keep brushes in good condition.  This was a  Useful Gift from Britta's husband Karl, from back when he was making chain mail, and I was renting their spare room. Boy howdy is this thing difficult to draw! I tried to give a sort of impression of the way the links catch the light. Makes me really appreciate the skill that goes into scientific and archaeological drawings. 

※※※

Today I cleaned up under the pantry shelves, where yesterday a bottle of orangeflower water fell from an upper shelf to the concrete floor and shattered. The little vacuum did most of the work, fortunately most of the broken glass landed on some cardboard, and at least the broken jar contained something that had a pleasant, though in this concentration rather intense, scent.

※※※

To balance between what is happening in this country and the bandwidth to continue daily life; we need both to dig in our heels and stop the slide towards fascism and be the sand in their gears, and find what joy exists and build whatever better world for all beings that may still be possible within the ashes of the current debacle.

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	-	-	orangeflower water
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Just figured out that instead of the kitchen timer, I can use "work through the next x-number-of-songs in the set" as my way of keeping self on task!
- began a massive declutter project
- the Internet Archive

Time of Isolation - Day 2019