Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine sees something pretty...

... it moved too fast for a photograph, but might have been a Western Tanager? There was a bird on the japanese maple, and it looked a bit like a goldfinch with a reddish head. Not as bright as some I've seen in years past, but late April early May is the right time of year

※※※

~ a favorite motif ~

This is the cast iron door knocker here at Acorn Cottage. I found it years and years before ever moving here, and carried it around in my "hopeless chest" in addition to other less weighty bits of wishful thinking. Never expected it to have a door to grace, though it has now been here for over twenty years. Acorns and oak leaves, in various configurations, have been one of the oldest of my resonant decorative motifs, (along with the running horse reguardant), long before my SCA activities where they are now part of my personal heraldry.  

Being quite close to finishing the slow Sophie scarf, rather than my initial idea of finishing off the pointy tips with pom poms as a few folks have done, it occurred to me that small knitted acorns and oak leaves might be an even better embellishment. I've used those on prior knitted projects to decorate a hat, a tea cozy, and as brooches. I was hoping I'd copied out the "recipe" for them; there are two folks ahead of me in the library line for "100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet" which is the book that contains the directions.

While I only intermittently remember to add index data to my BuJo, after failing to find any helpful blog posts, and hoping not to have to wait weeks for the library book, it occurred to me to try and cross reference between when I made various projects, and the various years of journals on the shelf. Bingo! et voila!! surprisingly I had even made a specific notation in the rudimentary index. Directions for both acorns and oak leaves are both where I can access them.

※※※

Ten years ago I was deeply into carving blocks to print on fabric, and making clothing for my Blue Cedar House SCA pals; I miss those good times we had... still, might be a fun single crafternoon one of these days to print some trim for decorating next winters long janes.

※※※

Have been trying out two of the glucose hacks today. A spoonful of vinegar in a glass of water before meals isn't a treat, but isn't horrible either. Figuring out how to start each meal with something vegetable-ish is challenging, but possible, particularly breakfast. My usual morning museli is a bit odd following some steamed veggies! Although the protein/fiber/carb balance for my museli is pretty sane. (adding whey protein and flaxseed meal to 2T soaked rolled oats)   

※※※

My left foot is intermittently painful again. Not all the time.  Dr Google suggests it might have a broken small bone, and is not the most accurate of diagnosicians. But wouldn't that hurt all the time, and wouldn't that have some sort of injury as a cause? So hard to figure out what response is appropriate. If every intermittent ache or pain sent me to medical care, I'd be living in their waiting room. OTOH, I don't want to foolishly ignore something either.  

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	accordion pouch	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	bone acorn earrings	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	stripey pinafore	shirt sleeve length	recycle bin
5	-	tax papers	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- a dark almost black blood orange that was really fragrant
- helpful Past Me wrote down the directions for tiny knitted acorns and oak leaves in an earlier BuJo and indexed the pages
- phoned Poni about getting a lift to the show at the Linfield

Time of Isolation - Day 2117

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine enjoys flowers...

The gradual shift in what is flowering made my first glance out the front door yesterday a real treat. Almost gone but not quite little grape hyacinths in dark purple, along with the ongoing paler purple faux bluebells, and the barely starting dwarf lilac. The further distant dwarf apple blossoms peeking through, and the front garden beds are full of dozens of pink violets. 

There seem to be a few more birds this year, at least there are some I don't recognise, aside from the local corvids and juncos. The grassy spaces in the front and back yard are horribly shaggy, but each time I get ready to try and attack it starts to rain.

※※※

~ apple blossoms ~

There is a random dwarf apple tree next to the driveway, and I have no idea what sort of apple it is, though it has been there for well over ten years. It was likely a giveaway, maybe leftover from some tree planting scenario. It is still not as tall as I am, and last year, for the first time, had one flower cluster but set no apples. This year there are four clusters of apple blossoms, and I will be curious to see if there is any fruit to follow. (there are plenty of bees this year)

※※※

Taking a break from my garment sewing shenanigans, and started transferring the rest of my shirt/blouse/pinafore pattern pieces to Costco cardboard before temporarily storing them away. Time to give my brain some time to mull over what I want to do next. Also, whilst perusing the fabric storage shelves, found some Spoonflower prints that Ariadne sent me when Kestrel was a baby, but never had their chance to become kiddo clothing. Will be taking photos of the various fabric designs so we can ask directly what would be the happiest options for future garments, as K has Definite Opinions. It will be fun to sew for them.

※※※

Good news is that the glucose test strips conundrum has been solved as of yesterday, as part of my quarterly medical visit (My PCP is still on indefinite medical leave alas, I hope she is doing okay) Bree, the PA, very kindly lent me a book about glucose and ten suggestions for ways to hack your metabolism, backed by legitimate scientific research, and not involving exotic and expensive chemical or supplemental interventions. Still reading through it, and there seem to be some changes that would be simple to implement

Alas and OUCH! While I felt just fine yesterday, today my left foot has developed a peculiar and intensely painful ache in the area of the long small bones. I have not fallen, or twisted my ankle or foot or done anything out of the ordinary, but the pain is "loud" enough to be distracting. There is no visible change from the usual appearance or difference from the other foot. Just making a note of it here as a way of tracking the issue, in case that turns out to be useful. Bodies are weird, and do things for reasons I don't always understand.

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	accordion pouch	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	bone acorn earrings	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	stripey pinafore	shirt sleeve length	-
5	-	tax papers	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- tax paperwork has all had fair copies made and is tidied away
- all the spring flowers in the front yard
- what appear to be 1 or 2 potential baby pears on the Bosc

Time of Isolation - Day 2112

an interesting revelation

in which our plucky heroine has a new thought...

For many years, while I never doubted that I am a maker-of-things, indeed I apparently arrived with that characteristic, it never felt like I was an artist. I spent the philosophical aspect of my higher education learning about and thinking about why our culture chooses to draw a line between art and craft, the delineation began in the Renaissance. I don't identify as an artist, my self declared occupation on my tax forms is "artisan". To my mind and in my experience with other makers of things, "artists" are folks who make their art form irregardless of input or payment from others. And there is all the cultural baggage about what kinds of making are "art", which even if we don't agree with it, still permeates our lives, and the commentary from adults when we are children. I remember being told in reference to my creative endeavors as a teen and young adult "that is all well and good for a hobby, but you (will) need to major in something for a real job when you aren't in school. 

Our plucky heroine went on to have enough varied peculiar jobs to have an appropriate resume for a back of the novel blurb, should I have turned out to be a writer of words rather than a manipulator of stuff. None of those things was a career, a real job, though I have been a working taxpayer since I was fifteen. Since 1993 I have been making SCA regalia, using my enameling and metalworking skills. And while I am fairly competent at what I do, I rarely ever spend my non-work time in that genre, unlike the metalwork "gods" I have been fortunate enough to meet or know as friends. This disconnect is part of what manifests in my mind as imposter syndrome, my not having the behavior like the other artists I know. 

Whereas there is always part of my brain that is designing, not jewelry, not regalia, but my personal clothing. When talking about my dissatisfaction with Karen last week, I came up with the idea: "Making jewelry and regalia is my day job; creating whimsical unique garments is my art form."  This counterchange of how I think about what I spend my time doing may be a solution to a mental and emotional challenge that has caused me pain for decades.

※※※

~ what a mess ~

Yesterday, when it became apparent my workshop wheelie chair(s) weren't rolling as well as formerly, it turned out that over the years the chair casters have been collecting random frelch, mostly snippets of thread that end up on the floor while sewing occurrs! This is not acceptable, and obviously my ongoing attempts to send bits and pieces into the large workshop wastebasket are ineffective. 

What to do, what to do? Aha! One of my favorite designers, Ann Wood, has a pattern tutorial for making "stitched vessels", little containers made from precious (or not so precious) scraps of fabric. I already bought this pattern last year, it is currently residing in my folder of assorted future/someday projects, and I've intended to do something about the growing pile of garment sewing cabbage*. A pair of smallish containers to be placed right next to the sewing machine and the serger will be next up on my handwork list, though for now some small teacups will have to suffice. 

※※※

Finished up the stripey pinafore that is intended to be overdyed chocolate brown/black instead of off-white/black. Very pleased with the various width black linen bias edge binding and overlay. I used a second strip of bias to cover the places along the bottom edge of the skirt gores where it had been necessary to piece the fabric, and once I completed that, it reminds me very much of some Elizabethan skirt decoration.

My overdyeing turned out to be not quite as successful as hoped for. Apparently Procion MX #119 "Chocolate Brown" can be just a bit tricksy. The resulting color reads more like a dark grey than any sort of chocolate. It isn't perzactly brown at all, nor black, nor grey, but one of those betwixt-colors that I love but cannot name. And, since I didn't actually strain the dye (not having a suitable strainer) there are a few fairly subtle splotches here and there where the magenta in the dye mixture left speckles. Thankfully not alarmingly vivid given the overall darkcolor, but I notice them, sigh and alas. Once the pinafore is dry, it will get a careful looksee, (note from next morning, the magenta is in fact difficult to see if one isn't looking for it) and hopefully it will be friends with the rest of my wardrobe, despite being a peculiar dark rather than the hoped for chocolate brown.

※※※

adorable Totoro ongiri bento

※※※

Although Parkrose Hardware was having a 50% off sale, my plan to get over there and buy some Gamma lids ran headlong into the reality of spending multiple hours getting there and back. It is over an hour and a half each way on transit, with three transfers. Plus their full price is significantly higher than full price at TAP Plastics, so even the large discount turned out to be a little over $2 per lid. So, instead, time for a bit more housey chores to get done this weekend

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	accordion pouch	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	bone acorn earrings	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	stripey pinafore	shirt sleeve length	-
5	-	tax papers	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- my friend Claire is on vigil for the Order of the Laurel
- new stripey pinafore pleases me despite not being brown
- vocation avocation revelation

Time of Isolation - Day 2110

* "cabbage" is a collective noun for fabric scraps... 
some historical context in this post

taxman

in which our plucky heroine has a dining table awash in papers...

but managed to ride to the post office early this morning and get each of the four Envelopes of Payment hand-canceled and photographed so as to prove they were posted today. I'll be organising the receipts and paperwork copies into an envelope labeled 2025, and very much look forward to getting my table back again!

※※※

~ hold it! ~

Last week a recent tutorial post from @bookhou caught my eye and I couldn't wait to try making this little accordion pouch/bag. It is the perfect size to hold my transit pass and card case, and let me use a special scrap of embroidered fabric so I can enjoy it every day!

 . 
※※※

Not sure when I'd run across information about a new podcast "In Your Spare Time". Various different writers and folks will be reading each of the blog posts that Ursula LeGuin wrote starting in 2010. There are 130 posts, so as a once a week podcast, there will be over two years of things to enjoy. I am planning on enjoying the ride...

※※※

My sleep schedule is entirely out of whack. Am now in some sort of only sleep for about five hours or so at night, then can't get back to sleep, and end up tired all day and taking afternoon naps. Shall have to research how best to improve this; suspect that starting off by setting some kind of regular "bedtime" might be where to begin...

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	accordion pouch	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	bone acorn earrings	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	-	shirt sleeve length	-
5	-	tax papers	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- 4 envelopes of payment safely posted and documented
- Wrote another verse for my filk, now there are three. It might be done. Two wasn't enough, but three might be enough to go on with...
- Managed to fit all my errands, and my grocery shopping between the stormy weather. Now safe at home listening to the rain and thinking about a short nap.

Time of Isolation - Day 2106

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine woke up to intermittent rain, and wind, and the sort of blustery weather appropriate to the season.

An early morning message let me know that our usual Tuesday morning zoom was derailed as Turquoise had car trouble... this circumstance allowed me to shift admin tasks earlier in the day, and deal with acquiring the various money orders needed for tax purposes. A long loop by bus and tram took care of that, and eventually brought me home again around lunchtime. 

※※※

~ deconstruct reconstruct ~

Long ago I was gifted with a bracelet of acorn-ish charms made from round green glass beads with the textured bead caps seen above. Neither bracelets or bright green are really part of my wardrobe, but back in January, after finding some teardrop shaped turquoise/taupe glass beads, took apart a few of the charms to use the bead caps as part of new acorn earrings. Those so quickly joined the ranks of my favorites, that curiosity sought through the beads and bits for what else might turn into another pair of acorns. While there were no more beads of a suitable shape, there was an unused-for-years bone clasp, each half of which was just the right size and shape. Rather than let it languish in the storage drawer of bone and antler bits, it has a new destiny!

※※※

Since heading out to get to the post office as early as possible had meant no time for breakfast, and seeing the Max tram just pass by heading south meant a wait of at least fifteen minutes, it seemed like a good idea to get something sustaining from a local coffee shop. Savory cheddar bacon scone was my choice, and a rare treat and a delicious nibble while waiting for the next transit tram to arrive.

※※※

Almost done making fair copies of all my admin paperwork, and tomorrow will be another trip to the post office to get each of the envelopes hand cancelled by the postal clerks to prove day of mailing. This year the USPS no longer guarantees that simply dropping envelopes in their post boxes has any relation to when they will be stamped as actually mailed. The weather tomorrow will be equally blustery as today, but the forecast thunderstorms are not till mid to late afternoon, so the excursion should be manageable.

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	dual fold wallet	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	bone acorn earrings	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	-	shirt sleeve length	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- cheddar bacon scone from Posie's Cafe
- sewing "kits" to allow for incremental sewing breaks = intermittent reinforcement
- made all my admin errands happen while managing to escape the worst of the hard rain
- the halves of the vintage bone clasp turned out to be the perfect size and shape for a new pair of acorn earrings

Time of Isolation - Day 2105

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine has ongoing insomnia...

I'm tired of being an adult. There is gorram little about it to enjoy, despite the lie all children are told that "when you grow up you can do whatever you want". By the time I was a teen, I was already adding the caveat "if you want to enough and are willing to pay the price". I will, however, admit to one evening last week choosing to have ice cream for dinner instead of a proper meal...

※※※

~ so lovely ~

Everything about the quince is a delight. It is a small tree just outside the south window in the living room. It is one of the first fruit trees here to leaf out, and the flowers are about three times as large as its other pome relatives (apples, pears, and plums). Later in the year those flowers will become the huge golden fragrant fruits quince is renowned for, that get turned into preserves, and jelly, and are added to applesauce, all destined for jars on the store cupboard shelves here at Acorn Cottage, and eventually special sweet treats.

※※※

There is a tangle with my admin paperwork beyond my ability to solve. Things I thought were done correctly weren't. After about a day and a half of not coping at all, it occurred to me that this sort of situation is perzactly what asking for an extension to file tax forms is intended to deal with. Since the extension is only for the forms and not for the payment (still due on the 15th), I've been spending the last two days figuring out what the amounts due would be if there was no tangle, and will send that amount in on Wednesday. Then I'll arrange for some professional assistance (after April 15) and get everything properly sorted. As earlier mentioned, adulting is no fun at all.

※※※

I've been giving self short breaks from admin paperwork to continue with assorted sewing related activity, that being as close as I can get to some sort of "treat". Since I'd already made a sewing kit for the next up pinafore, it has been possible to get the entire bodice sewn together in the last two days. Am quite tempted to make up sewing kits for the rest of my wardrobe refurbishment: 3 more pinafores (one blue/black, one indigo, and one teal); 3 more long janes (one teal, one indigo, and one brown) and the PNW landscape print blouse.

※※※

Another oops! Recently and sadly remembered/realised that it has been days and days since any of the 100 day drawing project activity. There are 29 more drawings waiting to happen. Shall start up again on Thursday. Have been thinking that it would be interesting to find a way to pin all 100 up at once, though I suspect that there isn't any wall space large enough here in Acorn Cottage to make that happen...

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	dual fold wallet	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	-	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	-	shirt sleeve length	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- managed to get up, dressed, and out the door for a walk around the block first thing a few times in the last week, which has been a goal of mine for months, nay years.
- decided that the best option for dealing with admin issues is to file for tax extensions this year. Stress level decreased down to dull roar from complete overwhelm.
- Helga sweetly took me to Costco today
- local transit tax only requires Schedule C's included so that one set of forms and payment can be sent in and crossed of the to do list.

Time of Isolation - Day 2104

paint it black

in which our plucky heroine makes steady if scant and erratic progress...

The most exciting and positive thing for Wednesday was dealing with the oak gall ink project. The container had been forgotten in the workroom, and was much evaporated, with a tiny mold colony growing in one corner, ugh. Some internet research actually stated that mold did oak gall ink no harm (and sometimes increased darkness??) Rather than discard the ink project entirely, the mold was carefully removed with a small stick; it came out neatly all in one tiny clump. Next, the very thickened proto-ink was reconstituted with distilled water, a few drops of clove oil added to forestall further decomposition, and then transferred to a sealed glass clamp top bottle. Am looking forward to finding out if it actually behaves like ink!

※※※

~ line items ~

Simple embroidery to decorate the sleeve extension on the stripey shirt, half done (still need to do the matching embroidery for the other sleeve) and well begun. Once the other band is embroidered, I will cut the sleeves just past the armscye and insert the sleeve extensions, correcting the length to be more comfortable.  

※※※

Not much in the way of wardrobe sewing or knitting projects today, but rather more in the way of seeking and looking through paperwork preparatory to tax tasks. Tomorrow I'll hopefully be able to get the rest of the needed papers in order, and take a trip to the library to print out the not-Federal forms also needed. I'd have done that today, but there was minor confusion with when zoom needed to happen. Thursday addenda: forms acquired from library (yay!), and an error discovered in paperwork from last year, so Friday will be rather more problematic than I would have hoped, as it must needs sorted out. 

I did, however, while rummaging for paperwork, find a piece of lightweight black linen just large enough to cut out bias strips for edge binding the stripey pinafore, which is next on my sewing list. That one will definitely be overdyed in teal/turquoise. 

I also figured out a different way to combine wardrobe components - if I wear my huipil/popover tops over one of my pinafores, it gives the effect as if I was wearing it over a skirt! In the summer it is all about wearing popover dresses by themselves, but during the bridge season it will be fun to have an additional choice, and huipil tops can be made from leftover fabric from larger projects. Right now I've only three, but they fold up small, being basically just rectangles. 

※※※

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all..." 

One would think that after 70+ years, I'd have learned to converse in realtime with other human people. One would think wrongly. Despite my rather bodacious vocabulary, it is all the other aspects of verbal interaction that have been a challenge lifelong. There were whole chunks of my childhood where it was easier to just not talk; I always won "who can be quiet the longest" on the car trips. In the last decade or so I often try to remember that my best strategy is to only offer conversational comments about things that have been going well, or positive observations. When I ignore this hard won knowledge, it never goes well, and leads to hours (or days) of downward spiraling. I really should add putting together that notebook of "Anti-Weasel Serum" to my list of small hardcopy books of helpful info, along with "Useful Recipes" and "Origami Box Instructions"

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	-	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	-	electric bill found	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

Wednesday's gratitudes -
- when the weasels dig in, I eventually remember I have anti-weasel serum.
- new Penric and Desdemona novella
- the pharmacy tech is really trying hard to sort out my paperwork

today's gratitudes - 
- it is warm enough now to retire the rice bags til next winter
- moved all the marmalade into the pantry, incremental decluttering
- midday phone chat with Mikki
- most of a day before the return of the weasels
- the linear embroidery for the sleeve bands looks good

Time of Isolation - Day 2100

taxtime Tuesday

in which our plucky heroine gets ready...

The next week is all about tax prep, and I have another several days of gathering assorted papers before actual arithmetical activity begins. Today several of the necessary pieces were found living in the container of postage stamps, current bills, and blank check registers. There are at least two forms that will need downloaded from online sources. Fortunately, last year Past Me cleverly subdivided the little desktop business receipts file into categories that match those on Schedule C, which should make that part of the process easier and faster. 

Once all the papers are collected together, it usually takes about a day or two to do all the math, make all the multiple copies of forms both for my own records and the various different pages from the national form that get sent in with the state and transit taxes. Then a trip to the bank for a cashiers check, and the post office for postal money orders, and finally hand carrying the packets to be correctly postmarked on April 15.

※※※

~ storefront signs of spring ~

This particular combination is new to me, intensely pointed orange petals shading to sharp green. All of the other green and orange tulips I've seen have been either softly rounded or ruffled. Of course, I am not any sort of aficionado, but these were odd and lovely, and tempting 

※※※

The kombucha culture living on my countertop is doing quite well these days. It has occurred to me, amidst my current cogitation about devolution of supply chains and economic collapse, that kombucha left to ferment too long for pleasant drinking is as sour to the taste as vinegar. While probably not safe it would be challenging to ensure the acidity/strength was at a safe level to use in waterbath canning recipes, it would likely work well as an ingredient for  everyday cookery, or for things like salad dressings.  

※※※

Sadly, I've fallen way behind on my 100 day drawing project. But rather than berate myself, shall simply begin again once the taxes are out of the way. If I can find a large enough wall space, it would be both fun and encouraging to lay out the index cards as a ten by ten grid, so that making more drawings would fill in the spots. It would probably be as satisfying as ticky-boxes. There isn't much in the way of empty wall space here, though.

※※※

As part of refurbishing and replacing my current wardrobe, it has become obvious that collecting together supplies for mending the same, whether it is the specific yarn or fabric or spare buttons, would be very helpful, and avoid massive rummage through all the supplies. My first thought was a shoebox, but there were none empty. Then my eye fell on the pile of picnic baskets. I've more than a few, as rectangular wicker lidded storage was very useful indeed for my (former) SCA camping. They aren't in use now, and could be return to active duty in a different line of work.   

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	-	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	-	electric bill found	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the organic Cara Cara oranges this year are really good: sweet, very flavorful, and juicy.
- in the process of clearing off the dining table to have room for tax prep paperwork piles, found the current electric bill (that was due 3/31!) and was able to pay it over the phone with no fee or late surcharge.
- using rectangular wicker picnic baskets to hold garment mending supplies.

Time of Isolation - Day 2098

short but very sweet

in which our plucky heroine is delighted...

Most of my Mud Bay pals were headed south this week so Kestrel could visit her great grandmama, and they stopped off briefly on their two day trip south for a bit of a porch visit/drive-by hugging from three of my favorite humans on the planet. Took some time to walk around the yard, stretch their legs, and eat some snacks. I got to meet Leche, their new dog. I love all of them so much (as well as Maeva who was staying home to mind the garden and the chickens) and hope that someday visiting with them in person will be possible again.

※※※

~ proto-pears ~

In January of 2025 I planted the Bosc pear tree in the front yard that was my response to the Urban Forestry permit requirement for replacing the ornamental plum tree removed in 2024 While I suspect it isn't large enough yet to really support fruiting, it has done well enough to open a singular cluster of flowers this year!  The Shipova and the Seckel seem to be doing well but of course are about half that size. With luck, there will be some of my favorite tree fruit in a few years, though I expect to have to baby them and hand water every summer for quite few years to come, particularly given how hot it already is and that the forecast is for a dreadful El Niño season...

Bosc pear planted in 2025
※※※

The disorder in the house is getting to the point where it is interfering with my ability to function. My thought is that once my taxes for the year are done (in the next ten days) I will then take at least the next six weeks or more and focus time every day on creating more order from the current chaos. If I focus each week on one aspect or room, it should make a big difference, and maybe allow me a chance to get some of the refurbishment projects underway as well. I am going to go ahead and order the window awnings that have been on my wishlist for years now; aluminum is only going to get more and more spendy, and while the prices are a lot higher than last year,  it is not yet in the "unobtanium" category, and shading the east and west windows will make a big difference in the summertime .

※※※

Brenda Dayne has connected all her past catalog to her current Substack site. This means that I have a lot of audio content I can enjoy (again). Cast On was one of the first podcasts I ever ran across, and despite looking, I have yet to find any that I like anywhere near as much. Her voice, selection of music, and mixture of content just feeds something in me that nothing else does. I wish I could articulate what about Cast On makes it just right.

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	-	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Beloved friends Bill, Jen, and Kestrel stopping by on their trip south
- meeting Leche the dog, large and quiet
- "Cast On" with Brenda Dayne

Time of Isolation - Day 2097

sociable Sunday

in which our plucky heroine leans into her current obsession...

It seems that lately all I want to do is refurbish my worn clothing, sew a few new garments to replace those too worn to mend, and plan out how they all will interact nicely. In this time of multiple systemic collapse, why am I focusing on such a frivolous thing. It isn't all I focus on or take action about, but it is the only thing that brings me any delight, pleasure or even satisfaction. I can't make there be snow in the mountains for summertime water, or sanity in the halls of power, but by golly I can have clothing that pleases me to wear and amuses and delights random folks out in the world. 

※※※

~ is grey okay? ~

The finished stripey shirt finished, plus details... As currently existing, the fabric reads as light grey from any significant distance, with the handmade glass buttons definitely and defiantly taupe and black. While am still tempted to overdye it, so as to let it join with the brown sector of the wardrobe, that color group already has multiple shirts and blouses, while the grey/black group is quite sparse (and also missing any pinafores in good condition) Alternatively, a taupe overdye would let it play happily in both colorways.

... I tried on the finished shirt today, and discovered that I have two (2!) different and unmarked sleeve pattern pieces in my pattern envelope. One is for a three-quarter sleeve, and one for a full length. Guess which one was used to mark out the shirt fabric... Yup... a significant oops!... the shorter one, which makes the sleeves about two inches too short. Fortunately, there are fabric scraps remaining large enough to cut two wide strips, which will be given a bit of embroidery decoration, then used to lengthen the sleeves. A bit below the intersection of armscye and side seam the entire sleeve will be sliced open and the additional fabric will make the sleeve the correct length in the least disruptive way.  And, two new sleeve pattern pieces will be cut, and each one will be labeled with RED magic marker as either "full length sleeve" or "three-quarter sleeve"

 . 
※※※

The beets that came in my produce box still had their tops. I remembered to cook the beet greens while they were still in good condition: first melting some butter in a saucepan, adding some of the Ethiopian spice alternative that the aunties gave me, then some green onion and the chopped up greens. It was, when mixed with a scoop of cottage cheese, just enough for a single lunchtime serving. I miss life in the Before Times when we could safely eat in restaurants, but at least the savory flavors can still be enjoyed. 

※※※

Today was alarmingly warm, for the beginning of April. It was almost 85°F on my front porch this afternoon. This does not bode well.

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	-	tiny beaded star>	greenwaste bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
-Sunday is the day of the week when I get the most social contact, usually three zoom meetings with different groups of people. - faux ayeb begomin for lunch
- Bartlett pears are so delicious
- being able to share a few sewing tips online
- most of the time, I've enough colors of embroidery floss for the projects that I want to make

Time of Isolation - Day 2096

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine becomes confused...

Last night the moon was so bright outside, shining through my window at 2 am that it felt like morning. Awakening, wondering why the light was coming from a different direction than usual... and after looking outside to see the moon floating above the houses to the south, crawled back into bed and eventually back to sleep

※※※

~ well begun. a quarter done ~
.

After talking with Ariadne this evening, she identified this yarn as Patons and some online searching makes me think it is probably Kroy Socks FX, in the "Cascades" colorway. Which info I would have added to my Ravelry project page, save that the Ravelry website is having some Serious Issues tonight.

After dropping one of the glass lampwork buttons on the floor found me crawling under the computer desk looking for it, said rummage also turned up this long lost and tiny beaded star charm, which will become a sweet marker for "the right side" of my current knitting project. (Apparently I made this one star back in January 2021) That marker, along with using a strand of contrasting yarn to keep track of the increase rows, makes this Very Easy knitting.

This Sophie scarf, when completed, will be a great addition to my accessories "wardrobe". Just as my overall clothing goal is to have a small assortment of garments in a few colorways, that coordinate together well, it will be very pleasant to also have the scarves/jewelry/socks that allow me to feel like I have made an effort to look "put together". 

If it does what I hope (ie keeping my knit top turtlenecks from drooping) then I may need want to make one or two more. It is odd how only some knit fabric seems to lose its lycra aspect more quickly than others, but if it is cold enough to want that extra layer of warmth, it is cold enough that extra help in keeping my neck warm is also good.

※※※

Today it got warmer and warmer and warmer all day, so much that the spring fruit tree flowers seem to being drawn out into the bright world. Yesterday the quinceling had clusters of leaves with the barest beginnings of pointed buds, and by the time it was dusk today, there were flowers scattered across the branches. Earlier this week I managed to get in some actual yardwork, cutting back the watersprouts on the apple tree, and carefully hacking away at thelower reaches of the feral roses so that they will be less likely to bite me when the yard gets string-trimmed. Speaking of which, today in the Very Warm afternoon, a trip to the hardware store meant that there is now a backup roll of nylon string trim cordage and a spare bobbin to keep filled so as to make tidying the yard at least a bit less of a trial. 

※※※

The stripey shirt with the Ariadne lampwork buttons is just about complete. Three more buttons to sew in place and it can go live on a hanger next to my other shirts and blouses. I might not overdye it taupe after all, as the micro stripes are subtle enough that it reads as grey. The remaining blouse in my current sewing queue, will be from fabric purchased in 2022...

"I fell in love with this printed fabric last year, for some reason the combination of the complex colorway and the conversational landscape really spoke to me, so much so that I broke my intention to not purchase new fabric, and bought enough to make a blouse. There are practically all the colors in my wardrobe to a greater or lesser degree, as well as a whole variety of bright or subtle accent colors.

I see teal and turquoise, of course, which is what first attracted my eye, as those are the newest colors in my everyday clothing. In addition, there are indigo blues from dark navy to pale, taupe, greys dark and light, a number of green and greenish mixed hues, and some startling pinks and even a tiny bit of yellow and white. The landscape feels very PNW to me, with islands in water, and here and there the woodland rhododendrons."

※※※

Why oh why is it always the best beloved items that go missing? Fingers crossed that my favorite retractable tape measure (the Clover "Shiro"), misplaced somewhere here in the house, will turn up again. I lost one three years ago, and managed to find another one online to buy, but the passage of time has only depleted whatever supply might have remained, and I am Out Of Luck.  Now mind, I do have several/plenty of other tape measures both for lumber and for fabric, but this one is has tactile superiority. It is/was a square with rounded corners and all the external edges gently rounded as well, and a smoothly recessed retractor button, all of which is much more pleasant to touch than the sharp corners or rough edges of lesser tools. Online searching has turned up nothing at all suitable as a replacement. It might be time for cakes and ale...

※※※

 April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	-	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- helpful librarians + printer access = finally Federal tax forms
- finding a lost beaded star
- Past Me bought pretty fabric
- "Mirabile" by Janet Kagan - not sure how I found this book, but very glad I did. It can be added to my very short list of SF that has a protagonist who is both female and not young. In addition, it isn't about warfare, but rather about biology, and the worldbuilding/culture building in these short stories feels charming and diverse.

Time of Isolation - Day 2095

wardrobe Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine...

Rabbit rabbit rabbit! and another month begins. March felt very busy with many projects in process, but less completed progress than usual was logged in to the SMART goals matrix, so with effort April shall need to make up the difference.

※※※

~ Fritillaria meleagris ~

A small but constant delight each spring, to see these tiny checquered flowers return. There is only one clump, underneath the star magnolia. They always remind me of my parents 50th anniversary party, when rather than cut flowers to decorate the tables, we filled bowls with arrangements of pots of flowering bulbs which could be replanted, to continue bringing joy and memory forward into the future.

※※※

Yesterday morning I rode back to the Safeway pharmacy to get my vaccine booster. (still no word on my missing test strips). The technician was so new that he asked if I was okay with him doing the jab, or if I would prefer the pharmacist. I chose to give him the benefit of his training, and since he was so very new there, the pharmacist also came in to supervise. Young man did so well that it was not at all painful, indeed was done practically before I felt it. I complimented him on doing better than some of the techs at the big hospital

That afternoon during my video chat with Karen, I was noticeably more tired than usual, (possibly as a result of my vaccine booster), so it was early bedtime and not all my daily chores were completed, much less my intended daily writing. Still catching up today, and still a bit tired.

※※※

Rummaging through the fabric shelves, a shortish length of grey linen turned up, though not quite the same as the worn out grey pinafore, it is close enough that my thought is to simply replace the bodice entirely, and thereby gain at least a few more years of wear. The skirt is only worn right at the center front waistline, where the countertop rubs while I am washing dishes. A shaped waistband could take care of that as well, and give a bit of a different style. Worth the effort, and have added to the list. 

Looking at the closet for further refurbishment, a black linen pinafore that never gets worn any more is also a good candidate. It was originally made as part of my black travel/capsule wardrobe when we went to Paris, and is significantly longer than anything else in my wardrobe. If hemmed to the same length as all the others (ie safe for riding my bike), it then would become suitable for everyday wear instead of only for funerals. I don't want to have things in my closet that aren't being worn, just like I don't want to keep saving fabric for "something special" but rather continue my current practice of making things I will wear now.

※※※

April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	-	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	-	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Pharmacy tech gave me a painless jab, and I now have had my 6 month booster. Wish there was a way to have the vaccines be a better match to the actual circulating virus instead of being several generations behind; would be great good fortune should that someday be possible.
- the blue-green sock yarn I started knitting into a Sophie scarf has a subtle and pleasant variegation. Given the gauge, it will be a slow project, but it is almost mindless garter stitch, so ideal for pickup work, and when eventually finished, will be a great addition to my coordinated accessories in the teal/turquoise group.
- managed to trap the Very Annoying housefly between the window and the screen.
- my DIY goddess dressing turned out quite good, even though it needed the stick blender to deal with the lumpy tahini

Time of Isolation - Day 2092