Acorn Cottage Artisanry

buoyancy

2012-01-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

despite what feel rather like dire straits at the moment, our plucky heroine is doing her best to remember to live in the now...

The Bug - Dire Straits

The walking is getting better, and tomorrow will be my first post-surgery doctor appointment, which should give me some actual information about what was discovered and what potential options are. Even though it has been eleven days, I still look like I was kicked by a small angry pony, but bruises eventually fade. Did you know that superglue was used during the Vietnam War as a wound adhesive; now with personal experience, I shall never feel quite comfortable saying "I've come unglued" again.

Y'know, my SCA motto is "estimae qi est", which is kind of bad Latin for "appreciate what is". Seeing as how being a now-ist has been part of my pathway for long years, this current stuff is showing me how very far I have yet to go, but that is okay, I intend do my best to have a lot more time to get there... as Mark Knofler says in the song:

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

̿ ̿ ̿ ̿ ̿̿'̿̿\̵͇̿̿\=[^_^]=/̵͇̿̿/̿̿̿̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿̿ ̿ ̿

antidote

2012-01-29T15:16:00.000-08:00

on doctors orders, have been walking every day, and yes, I did explain beforehand how much I was accustomed to walking already... it helps, but walking with my camera helps even more...

art is antidote to despair; there is always beauty, somewhere... I have believed this long and long, but is being put to the test now and found valid... focused attention paid intently is restful, in much the same way that I imagine meditation to be restful...

yesterdays walking was sunshiny, and my eye was captured here and there around the neighborhood:

This railing echos the Saratoga Street Community Garden recycled garden art-whimseys. Someone in the neighborhood is a welder...

Bless the northwet rain, moss will soften what edges hold still for it...

the tinyworld landscapes along the edges of paths, on the tops of walls, and in places where feet rarely tread, are full of delight...

soft light on a winters day; despite all, beauty abides...

myriad worlds for the finding, all you need to do is open your eyes...

faintly japanese

2012-01-26T22:23:00.000-08:00

Toshi the amazing home health aide... (additional drool unit optional)

J has been cooking the most amazingly healing foods for me to eat; this is miso soup, with lots of sea vegetables, and some fresh-from-the-backyard kale and arugala.

yesterday K sent food, and along with the groceries, a dozen longstem roses in burgundy and apricot.

sleeping more than a preschooler, I have come completely unstuck between day and night, between light and darkness... when I am awake, I walk... when I am not walking, my mind is only partially my own, and partially out on the edge... watching movies is a place to rest, with gratitude to G for making that possible... I am not sure perzactly who I will become on this path. I can feel change happening, as I attempt to balance between the hard won self that I actually liked, and the unknown self I am becoming...

wishful Wednesday

2012-01-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine hunts for her wayward equanimity...

It has been quite the rocky road this last week. In some ways my recovery is going well, I have been walking quite a lot, started the afternoon I was returned to the bright world, and now that I'm back at home, I have been doing halfmile chunks (on the flat) between the sleep/rest/eat/meds rotation. Up till yesterday, have been hopeful about my progress, despite astonishingly colorful bruising both along the "cut on the dotted line" and on both arms. I would make a very unsuccessful junkie, with my teensy veins. Pathology results back yesterday: information given me by phone is contradictory and not good, requiring yet more and scarier foo. Dr visit scheduled for next Tuesday, a very long time to wait for data, so I have put in a request for a phone consult... (If you want more details, contact me off-line)

• • •

turning past the solstice, the days get longer, and chickens tiny thoughts turn to eggs... look what was in the henhouse yesterday:

• • •

One thing I find tiresome about being ill, or dealing with medical-foo is the way that the world gets very small. Cannot be helped, as so much personal attention must needs be focused on healing, requiring great mental effort to shift focus out of own bellybutton. Despite that, I was very glad to read that the ongoing and ugly dispute at the port of Longview is being resolved. "These aren't Wal-Mart jobs," said Fuqua, a Local 21 longshoreman. "These are family-wage jobs with good benefits. That's what America needs."

• • •

I am righteously weary of being on the short bus, of jumping through smaller and smaller hoops that are labeled "for most folks this takes care of the problem" and finding not rest, but another hoop...

I know that I am not special in this regard, that I am lucky at all to have any medical treatment at all, that there are myriads of folks dealing with far harder things. For as long as I have memory of self-consciousness I have held in my hands the twinned knowledge of mortality and random luck, walking under the warm light of blessings known and unknown. I know that I am not alone in asking for more time...

my wish for today is that my doctor will tell me that this was enough, that I can put my attention on recovery of internal and external continuity, that at least for the time being I get to have my life back.

fragmentaria...

2012-01-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine returns from the dark world... Crazy-Ivan maneuver successfully completed and re-route begun; hopefully left Reavers in the dust.

The last few days back at Acorn Cottage have been alternating sleep, eat, walk, awake... repeat as needed... small intervals of conversation and movie watching. I really enjoyed the Temple Grandin film that my friend E lent me

S drew designs on my feet while I was in hospital. An eye on my left foot, and a raven on my right foot, to watch over me in surgery; the day after she added more decorative context to them. I love having artist friends...

wishful Wednesday

2012-01-18T23:57:00.000-08:00

"Love has made a circle that holds us all inside..."

- Kate Wolf

G took this lovely picture of the talisman necklace, in the current state of xp1. There are still a number of beads currently en route to Acorn Cottage, which will be added once they arrive. Most importantly, it is in a configuration that will allow me to wear it tomorrow, for as long as is possible before the journey...

^-.-^\___}}
dog will not settle
paces restless before the door

T-minus 8 hours

no puppies here...

2012-01-17T00:09:00.001-08:00

In which our plucky heroine contemplates an adventure usually reserved for responsible dog owners... I figure as long as I can find my sense of humor, all will be well in the end, and I will stay "me"

Despite random flurries the temperature here is too warm for it to stick, so we seem to be spared so far the snowpocalypse that is in the forecast. Grateful for that, since little sister is arriving at the airport today. G will be coming down here to Portland later this evening, and while there is a lot of snow up where he lives, I have no worries about his driving.

More beads today in my mailbox, these are most obviously from my dear friends at White Hart Forge. there are even tiny runes on the iron bead (I shall have to ask H for a translation) Tonight or tomorrow will be time to assemble the gathered beads, with room for those that will arrive afterwards. When writing to a pal on FB I said to her: "the beads are a lens that helps focus the love"; indeed that is what talismans do, they are a focus, a seed crystal, a reminder and a message to our inner self...

forged iron and carved tigereye from H & D
floral lampwork bead from C (made by L)
• • •

^-.-^\___}}
dog will not settle
paces restless before the door

T-minus 2 days

Monday musings and media

2012-01-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

In the cold morning, woke up and went to let the hens out, came back in the house for my camera; there is always something worth looking at, the trick being are you paying attention...

Frozen ice all wrinkled, last night's forecast snow merely mingy sprinkles.

Lacinato kale: the frost only brings out sweetness, when it reaches the kitchen.
• • •

I am so very grateful to have made it into OHP (after being on the waiting list for five years) before all this medical foo came down. For years had no insurance coverage at all, and while became pretty dang clever about how to manage to get at least minimal care, my situation now would be a nightmare if that was still the case. Even with the hours that I spend currently on the phone sorting stuff out, is much less problematic than would be otherwise.

Had my pre-op appointment with Dr Winter. It is a great relief to have confidence in the surgeon, and I feel that way each time I have met with him, that he answers my questions directly and honestly, not saying "oh don't worry it will be allright" I like that he has a sense of humor. I like that he gave me a hug. If, as needs must, this trip must be taken, having a good team on the other side of the equipment is comforting.

And on the civilian side, my support team of friends and family are the best. If wishes were horses I would ride away to the land of recovery in the middle of a vast herd. I will be posting in a while, (once I know what kind of help will be most useful, and once my kindly 24-7 helpers have returned to their regularly scheduled lives) and asking for short daily visits of helpfulness, for the few things that I will need help with. Wanna come feed the hens? watch a movie? keep me from going bonkers? Later this month those will all be options...

• • •

The multi-talented Terri Windling has a blog The Drawing Board, and often posts "Music For a Monday"; I have found real gems there...

This brought tears to my eyes, but then a lot of things seem to do that nowadays...

• • •

^-.-^\___}}
dog will not settle
paces restless before the door

T-minus 3 days

noms and numbs

2012-01-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

Some more beads arrived this week, and I am both heart-touched by the kind thoughts (as well as the kind thoughts from those too faraway to be able to send beads) and enjoying mulling over ideas of how to actually construct said necklace with all these wonderfully diverse gifts, wanting to allow for additions as beads arrive... 'Tis a fun thing to hold in mind, while much else in my mind is all in roiling turmoil. "Look, here is this shiny thing rather than this dark whirlpool..."

The little golden catface came from Kat, the turquoise ceramic bead from Cynthia, Stacy made the spotted lampwork bead, and Emily gave me the one with silvery celtic knotwork. The coins were from the workbench of my dear recently late friend Ian, and his lady Karen brought me the carved Indonesian sea turtle. The shell arrowhead was carved by Gryphon. I know that there are a number of additional beads in transit, various folks have called or emailed me. If love can lift the challenge I face, then surely it will be chased out of dodge by the strong circles that surround me; the brightness is what lights my steps on this unknown path...

I have been cooking soups to stash in the freezer, and yesterday went to the wintertime farmers market downtown, hoping for some fresh veggie treats for the next few days before I am no longer allowed food. Not only did I find the most adorably tiny spaghetti squash, and lacinato kale, but a small splurge brought home some lamb riblets. Lamb is my favorite meat, other than elk; riblets are currently in the convection oven roasting on low. They will be a tasty late lunch, along with my favorite kale salad.

My feelings about the upcoming surgery are alternating between terror and numbness. I guess that is better than constant terror. My mind is calm, knowing the necessity, but my emotions are unwilling to sign on with the program. So I turn my focus to remembering that I am loved, which helps. The other thing that seems related is that it is being very hard to force myself to do the housey-prep things necessary, the sorting and culling and reconfiguring of my fabric and craft supplies. It seems that my inner self figures that if I do not prepare, then it will not happen...

Hi ho hi ho, off to sort more fabric I go...

wishful Wednesday

2012-01-11T23:30:00.000-08:00

"To see that your life is a story while you're in the middle of living it
may be a help to living it well."
~ Ursula LeGuin

Today, the sky was clear and full of wind, all the puddles turned to layered ice, and the dried samaras on the maple etched a pattern across the sky...

≈:::≈

Today I finished reading Wildwood. I have not yet decided if I liked it or not as a story; shall need further thought on what meta-information is conveyed, which affects my feelings about story quite a bit. I did like the illustrations, assorted line drawings and silhouettes with a scattering of color plates, which seemed both contemporary and as if they would age well.

≈:::≈

Today's post in The Archdruid Report I found very interesting. The idea that the unexpected paradigm of our time is that "we have somehow gotten stuck, all seven billion of us, inside the pages of a pulp fantasy novel" is something that I shall be mulling over, with further re-reading of his essay. Since I've not a current transit-friendly handwork project, there is a lot of time for cogitation whilst going back and forth to work.

≈:::≈

Today, the first beads for the talisman necklace were left here for me. Aren't they spiffy? The cat head is from my friend L, and the other two beads were made by her partner C. There are awards and tokens given for many reasons; this will be a necklace of valor and love. I have heard from a number of my beloved friends that beads are on the way here, and have, as well, various beads and baubles that have been gifted to me over time, that seem suitable to include in such a project.

I am, in truth, quite materialistic, not in the condemnatory sense, but rather in the orientation that cherishes the material world... I wrote about it in 2008:

I think that being "materialistic" is actually not such a bad thing. If it is possible to cherish the beauty of the world, both the living world and the made world, without being attached to it. This includes, for me, doing all I can to care for, make thoughtful choices, and live lightly on the planet. When I was in school I really struggled to justify my desire to live as a person who makes things, often luxury things, in a world that is already stuffed to bursting with things. But a thingmaker is what and who I am, that is the flavor of being I was born as; even as a tiny child that was what I did...

"Let the beauty you love be what you do.
There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth."
~ Rumi

To have a tangible object to use as a focus will be of great help to me, and to help create it will be a way of both honoring and deepening the bonds between all of our circles. This seems something that I can do to prepare myself; I know that like Innana descending into the Underworld I am being asked to surrender much, that was the image that came to me while waiting for my surgery in November. That I must make my peace with uncertainty is both the challenge and the opportunity that awaits me.

≈:::≈

^-.-^\___}}
dog is restless, ears up
and watching the door
T-minus 9 days

tuesday tidbit - talisman beads

2012-01-09T22:41:00.001-08:00

I have been doing my best to find a pathway to calm acceptance of this journey that I find myself on. On Friday, my dear friend Rois sent me this letter, describing a project that she began for me, a talisman for my upcoming surgery:

My Beloved Friend Alison,

I have been thinking about you and your up coming surgery a lot and hearing you when you speak of your worries over the whole process and going under during the surgery.

Yesterday on my way home from work I hatched a plan as a way to help you feel the love and good wishes everyone has for you during this time.

When Sol was due my Midwife asked all of my friends to give me a single bead, all of those beads were for a Birthing Necklace to bring Sol and I love, strength and good things. I wore my necklace during my labor.

I have emailed many of your friends and asked them to A. send you a bead and B. pass the request forward. The response to my email has been awesome. : )

It is my hope that soon folks will be stopping by with their beads or sending them via the mail. I made sure everyone knows to get the beads to you ASAP since your date is close.

I want you to have your necklace as you are waiting in pre op and to have afterwards to remind you that each of those beads represent a friend who cares and wishes you well. I know you are a person who needs to see things and have things you can touch. I hope each bead can help you feel strong and not so alone.

I love you and you mean the world to me. We all can't be there to hold your hand and wipe your tears if they come. But we can be there through our beads as a reminder that you are LOVED and things are going to be all right.

All of my Love

Rois

Her thoughtful and kindhearted idea brought me to tears. I do not know who she has contacted, but should any of you out there also want to send me a bead*, it would be much appreciated. The circles of love that we hold one another in are the true wealth of the world, that I know to be true.

^-.-^\___}}
dog is restless, ears up
and watching the door

T-minus 10 days

*let me know if you want/need my contact information

Monday musings

2012-01-08T23:21:00.000-08:00

Had a message this morning from the West Kingdom; the medallion that I finished and sent out last week did make someone very happy indeed. Now that it has gone to a new home, I can share the picture here... a heraldic Laurel pendant, with the main charge of the recipients arms, in a bas-relief rose setting with pendant freshwater pearls.

≈:::≈

G came down to visit this weekend, much to my delight. We had plenty of time to talk things over (this being the last visit before my surgery); I feel so very lucky to have him in my life; this last year, for all the other difficulties, has been one of unexpected happiness. We mostly stayed in, there was movie watching and story reading, we moved the henyard fencing, and on Saturday night S & B came over to share some of my homemade gingerbread and tea, and we four played Carcassonne.

≈:::≈

Having torn apart the guest room pile of mixed up fabric and stuff, everything now looks much worse (temporarily). There were four empty cardboard boxes in that pile! Two grocery sacks are full of paper recycling, three sacks went to Goodwill already, and it still looks like a rubbish tip in there. I keep telling myself that it will be sorted out by the end of the week. Found a good assortment of medium-sized baskets, to put handwork projects in for convalescent sanity-preserving. Am scouting around the cottage for tidy storage containers for all the fabric that will not fit on the shelves, or it might be better to put all the random craft supplies into boxes, and then use the closet space for additional textile stuff...hmmm... decisions decisions...

≈:::≈

^-.-^\___}}
dog is sleeping
T-minus 11 days

Friday fragments

2012-01-05T22:44:00.000-08:00

Oh dear, somehow it has become marmalade season, and I've not yet done any preserving! Will there be time to make up a batch or two in the next week and a half? Well maybe, if I spend less time online. It would be a sad thing indeed to go into 2012 with no marmalade in the pantry...

≈:::≈

New Seasons had smoked ham shanks on sale after New Years Day for 99¢/lb, which is astonishingly excellent for local pork processed in house. They were nice huge meaty pieces too! For under four dollars, there are seven half shank pieces in the freezer, some bone-in and some boneless, and the eighth piece made crockpot split peas soup... There will be a lot more soup in my kitchen this winter, and this will help keep it flavorful.

≈:::≈

I want to try something that I read recently in Cooks Magazine - they wrote that if you are making hummus, and want it to be nice and smooth, do not chill the garbanzos. Apparently it also works if you warm up canned garbanzos, some kitchen experimentation is called for...

≈:::≈

I splurged just a tiny bit today, (boy howdy it is super easy to order things online, good thing I have mighty strong will power, or I could get in a lot of trouble) Ordered two of my favorite Jesse Colin Young CD's: "Lightshine" and "Song for Juli", and Miyazaki's "Porco Rosso". I'll be saving them for when I am a convalescent. Back in the day, those albums were some of my favorite coming down music; Porco Rosso has been on my (very)short list of "want to own" movies for a really long time. Other than this, I am starting to put together small baskets of crafty goodness to keep boredom at bay, knitting and embroidery and handwork oh my...

≈:::≈

Well, back to sorting and organising...

^-.-^\___}}
with one ear up,
dog circles round,
ready to sleep

T-minus 13 days

precious and/or ephemeral

2012-01-05T22:06:00.000-08:00

While I've not been very active lately, the SCA has been a significant part of my life for most of the last twenty years. My, how time flies! My enameling and metalworking skills have been much encouraged by folks desire for jewelry suitable for persona of various medieval and renaissance eras, and for award medallions and brooches that reflect the effort and acclaim such awards signify.

This is a quite elaborate piece of jewelry, that I made a number of years ago, and recently had the chance to see again and take a few pictures... The design is based on medieval Persian ornaments, with a central reliquary and an elaborate necklace. The enameling is a variation on cloisonne, using transparent tea rose enamel on silver for a vivid golden color.
The design of the filigree on the reliquary is based on personal heraldry, combined with the insignia of the Order of the Laurel, as this is a delightfully individual interpretation of the standard Laurel medallion. It was a joy to me to create this piece of regalia for my dear friend Goran; and to see her this last December at Yule Feast in Glymm Mere.

≈:::≈

Today, after many errands, and being entirely unable to find a 2012 calendar that I wanted to look at all year, it was time to start to make my own. Since 2011 added an abundance of digital images to my files, that seemed a fun place to begin. The plan is to use half sheets of card stock for the individual pages, and collage the top half of each with one of my own pictures, and whatever else takes my jackdaw fancy... Perhaps I shall post the results, but for now, this is the page with the twelve photos that made the cut...

(click picture to embiggen)

^-.-^\___}}
with one ear up,
dog circles round,
ready to sleep

T-minus 14 days

not with real cats

2012-01-04T22:29:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine gets inspected injected and detected, though they did leave a few parts un-touched... (boy howdy do I wish that they used real cats* instead!)

After very little sleep last night, left the house this morning while the sky was still a very dark navy blue; the sun was up by the time I transferred from one bus line to another on the way to hospital. A kindly gentleman let me know not only where the transfer point was, but also that the hospital runs a shuttle bus from the big transit center all round the complex - must look into that for future trips, though I surely hope that I do not need to be spending a significant amount of time there.

While I was warned that it would be necessary for me to have an IV, it was a surprise to also be required to drink a quart of the most nasty-poison tasting "water" (iodine contrast dye) The other folks in the waiting room, each of us with our lovely quart bottles, we kept joking that this was the worst bar ever, that the drinks were not what we ordered, and suchlike...Having a bit of humor is always helpful!

As seems to be common, the technician told me that the "restrict liquids" before coming in for the test was NOT necessary and in fact made the IV more difficult. No sh*t sherlock - was rather horrible, because they had to use a big needle (I have weensy tiny veins, which match my weensy tiny paws) without any lidocaine. It hurt, rather a lot, even after they got the whole gizmo in place. I cried, rather a lot. Crying makes me feel like such a wimp. The actual scan was not too bad, and over quickly; there were nice pillows for my head and arms, and the most ergonomic cushion thing for my knees and legs (the tech said that folks always want to steal it! ha ha) The contrast infusion was MUCH more intense than the previous CAT scan. I kept telling the tech: "I'm on fire, I'm on fire!" As instructed, I spent a lot more time drinking water for the rest of the day than usual, they want you to flush all those chemicals out out out afterwards.

* the beautiful real cat in the picture is Fizzgig, who lives with my friend V.

^-.-^\___}}
dog is restless,
pacing the room,
T-minus 15 days

becoming organised ?

2012-01-03T22:17:00.000-08:00

In the nick of time, the current studio project is completed and sent off to it's new home. (You can see just the edge of it down in the bottom righthand corner; pictures after the weekend) Did feel good to get some shop time in, and thankfully there were no untoward hiccups in the process. When working on tiny things, I often remove my spectacles; being terribly nearsighted can sometimes be a good thing...

≈:::≈

Next up for the Acorn Cottage rehabilitation team, aka our plucky heroine, is clearing the decks for rest and recovery. Finally starting to feel some mojo about that part of the process, or maybe it is the spell of the shelves working. Is very possible that there is more fabric here than will fit on that wall, we shall have to see.

On the shelves: lengths of fabric large enough for an actual garment. In boxes: smaller useful pieces sorted by color, to be used for embellishment. Dunno yet what to do with all the other random crap that is interspersed, will be curious to see what turns up. I'd like it very much if this became the Year Of Becoming Organised, which will be an amazingly useful thing if when I pull it off. After all, part of being resilient is knowing what supplies you have and where they are!

^-.-^\___}}
dog is restless,
pacing the room,
Tminus 2½ weeks

undaunted

2012-01-01T18:15:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine attempts summation...

Overall, looking back through a year of what seemed worth writing down, and remembering what was too sharp to commit to words, 2011 has been a year of difficulty and joy intermixed. Losing a close friend, and my own ongoing health challenge are heavy on my heart nowadays. And was I successful in meeting the goals that seemed both lofty and realistic last January? Not specifically; the hopeful concepts did not end up connecting with specific actions. But, in a way, there was progress in kindness, handicraft, and infrastructure.

While I am no more nimble or lithe than when the last year turned, I did get my left hand repaired, and expect that now it will last me my time. That project took a fair bit of concerted effort over much time to arrange, and several months to recover from.

A fair bit of travel this last year, to California and back on the train, a number of happy visits up to Littlerock and environs thereabout, and field trips both round the city, eastwards to Mt Hood and to New Stonehenge, and west to the coast. Travel is an adored treat, and these trips all had dear folks either accompanying or at journeys end.

There was plenty of the usual sewing room projects, though more focused on the practical than the fanciful this year. The camera saw a lot more use this year as well, gradually becoming a familiar companion on my rambling round. Workroom projects were not as numerous as in former years, but there were enough to keep my skills from rusting (of course, having months off to let my hand heal was part of that...)

Acorn Cottage had some modest improvements this year: the pantry shelves are now reinforced with openwork grilles (in lieu of doors) that will help keep the contents in place, there is a new light fixture and beautiful nightlight in the bathroom, new shelves in the sewing room and a frame for the guest futon, undercabinet LED lights in the kitchen, and most wonderful of all there are no longer holes in the workroom ceiling, but that is all neatly patched over. A beginning was made on an improved garden plan for the future, and the remaining hens are busy clearing off the grass.

A great deal more focus on adding resilient knowledge this year; while I have some solid skills already, there is always more to learn. Have a bit better stocked "earthquake/emergency shelf" than this time last year, and good connections to other friends with similar concerns. The "Resiliency Rangers" took several field trips last year, up into the hills, where there was a chance to do what one dear friend describes as "making sudden loud noises and knocking over cans..."

I started learning how to handle firearms this year, a skill that had always seemed as necessary and useful to my mind as knowing how to swim. What began as a random conversation with a friend ended up with an invitation, and has turned into an ongoing interest and activity. This might just make some folks quite confused, who see me as the crunchy-hippie gal I appear to be, but then I plumb refuse to fit my life into any particular style of box.

And, the most unexpected change in the last year has been that Gryphon and I began keeping company together, after many years of being friends. That ongoing bond has been a great joy to me, and a continuing source of wonder and delight, in ways that I've not the words to say here...

May the year unfolding ahead bring more brightness and less hardship, more connection and less confusion; may we all come to the year ahead bringing our useful skills and steadfast hearts to do what needs doing, with love and laughter and a sprinkling of hope for a future we can all live in together, where our differences do not overshadow what we have in common.

In place of resolutions for the new year, instead I have chosen only one word: UNDAUNTED - meaning "courageously resolute especially in the face of danger or difficulty"

on the shelf

2011-12-30T19:18:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine acquires some additional storage space...

It has been worky-week here at Acorn Cottage, my schedule is one intense week alternating with one household week, and this week had me out of the house working on all five days. Am spending a goodly chunk of every day on the phone dealing with med-foo, and a goodly chunk of most evenings in the workroom. In the midst of all this, dear Gryphon came down here, to help me get new shelves on the wall above the futon couch.

Such projects are ever-so-much easier with more than one set of hands, and over the course of the two days, the pieces of cut plywood from last weekend had their corners rounded, a trip to the big orange box garnered more brackets, and now there is space for a lot more of my fabrics to have a home. I've been thinking (when not totally freaked) of what will help with my convalescence; I want the bedroom to be serene, which it certainly is not right now, and I really want to get the guest room/sewing room into a more organised state as well. While the shelving will not solve that, getting the fabric more condensed will make it possible to figure out what all else is in there...

new storage shelves, futon couch, and
piles of random craft supplies + fabric

frost-ing

2011-12-26T20:38:00.000-08:00

...not the buttercream sort, but a most unusual sort, that I've never seen before... While woods-walking last week, here and there were these most unusual looking sticks down amidst the leaf litter.

My thought was that it was some sort of fungal growth, since the long fuzzy bits were well over an inch long, and the fuzzy-fur stuff was all along the raw wood. But when we touched a bit of it, it disappeared!

Was hoarfrost, and somehow the weather conditions were such that the moisture being squeezed out of the pores in the wood was able to form these long shaggy patches. The world is full of remarkable things, if only we pay attention...

merry merry random bits

2011-12-25T14:07:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine ponders continuity...

Another wonderful gift, from my Sekrit Santa pal (actually opening this one early, but I am so grateful for the "looking-forward-ness" of it - HRM Dagmaer gifted me with a certificate for a new baby apple tree! The words she sent brought tears to my eyes. There will be, as the luck holds, many more years ahead, for the tree to grow and bear apples and for me to care for it and enjoy the harvest. Shall be hard to choose which variety to bring home to Acorn Cottage...

≈:::≈

a bit of animated whimsey...

≈:::≈

...and a couple of holiday tunes

Old Hippie Christmas - Bellamy Brothers

Jingle Bells - Jerry Garcia
≈:::≈

I am finding Rima's "Wayfarers Nativity" so very appealing, something about the light on the snow, the folk all working together, just speaks to me. I have been reading her blog The Hermitage for several years, and there are so many many artists living in that little corner of the world, Terry Windling is a neighbor there too...

≈:::≈

Wouldn't you like to read about fierce candy cane-eating outlaw girls."? *

≈:::≈

^-.-^\___}}
dog is restless
will not sleep

*"A Crow Girls Christmas" - by Charles de Lint & MaryAnn Harris

squee !!

2011-12-24T20:33:00.000-08:00

...in which our plucky heroine recieves an unexpected special gift

I have for many many years been a great fan of the woodcut artist Mary Azarian, her life and art are an inspiration to me. Scattered about Acorn Cottage are small bits cut and colored from one of her sale catalogs from long ago; the chore angels that hang above my kitchen window my kitchen are hers, and Snowflake Bentley is on my shelves of childrens books.

An surprise visit from B & R this evening found me in the living room with a large flat parcel wrapped in newsprint and tape, which when uncovered turned out to be this:

My happy noise* on seeing this came as quite the shock to my pals, as R had chosen the gift as something she thought would be a lovely addition to my home, not realised that I never expected to own one of the actual hand-colored woodcuts, or even that I was a particular fan of the artist... the print is quite large, at about 18 x 11, and I will be wanting to re-frame it in a solid frame, as I plan on hanging it in the kitchen. I am filled with humble gratitude at the knowledgeable generosity of my pals.

*"I knew it would be good, but I didn't know it would be that good..." (the words of my dear friend R, after being subjected to my loud squee of delight)

≈:::≈

The Cornish Wassail
≈:::≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is resting now
saving strength

back to work

2011-12-23T21:28:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine heads back to the studio, hoping to make at least one persons 12th Night a happy one...

Not certain how much work will be able to fit into the time between now and the next bend in the path, but will be doing what I can. The studio has been sadly neglected for the last segment, and I am certain that by letting my hands back to work, that my heart will also find more peace. After all, the work of my hands is my legacy to the bright world, and the children that will live when I am long gone to dust. I so love to see the work of our ancestors, the glass colors still so bright, and the marks of those distant folks still visible in their makings; I like to think that the small things that come from my workroom may someday brighten the life of a future artisan.

≈:::≈

The Boars Head Carol - Steeleye Span

days later

2011-12-22T23:16:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine celebrates another trip around the sun, and comes home again...

Solstice Bells ~ Jethro Tull

Home again home again I am, this has been a wonderful birthday week indeed. Took some very much needed time away to spend with my dear Gryphon, and have returned with more equanimity than I have had in weeks. Was a chance to spend time with good friends old and new, as well as an opportunity to have fun making Sudden Loud Noises (and thank you darling for the excellent and thoughtful birthday gift!) As is suitable for birthdays, there were chances to eat some very tasty food, and a chance visit to the menagerie at FjordsEnd included the very first time ever I'd been at table and served food on FIRE! Whiskey-flamed homemade halloumi is both impressive and delicious.

Once back at Acorn Cottage, there's a necessary stack of tasks and projects for the next three weeks longer than my arm, and bearing up under that will actually ease the time, useful busyness being a good antidote to my unlikely recent response of being immobilised and gibbering uselessly. After a muchness of rejuvenation and rest, there is studio work to be jumped back into, and a vast pile of fabric to be sorted through, there are shelves to be put up on the guestroom walls, to hold said fabric, and, and, and...

The knowledge is getting through to me that really-o truly-o I am cared about, that as I have been saying for long time now, I am so blessed with the love of both family-of-origin and family-of-choice, and that for almost a year now have been even more blessed to have a sweetheart who sees me clearly and loves me nonetheless. As I walk forward into the uncertain future, this certainty is what sustains me...

I Will Stand Fast ~ Fred Small

hand pies

2011-12-15T02:08:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine tries an experiment...

I have made Icelandic Chicken a number of times, the small pies are very useful as pickup food when busy with other tasks, and the combination of chicken and bacon and sage is well loved by most folks of the carnivorous persuasion. In OlyWa, the enclosing crust was often a bread dough, as the local bakery sold convinient balls of frozen dough. Away from there, I find it easier to simply make up renaissance pie crust (piecrust with an egg yoke mixed in; adds flexible durability in forming, without making it tough) Up till now, I always made the crust with butter, but since New Seasons sells small tubs of their own rendered lard, I wanted to try it out in this application, having read that it makes for the best sort of pie crust...
Oh my word, it certainly does! If making standard piecrust (rather than the renaissance variety) it would be even more flaky, but the texture is noticeably ~~different~~ lighter than a butter crust, and without the greasy feel of a shortening crust. It will be a bit difficult to resist any more "sampling" of these little wodgey bits; I had to try one just to find out how it worked, after all, it would never do to serve them to guests if they were less than wonderful!

eep

2011-12-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine quests for the opening door...

Surgery is scheduled for January. I teeter between calm equanimity and a sort of gibbering numbness. Moving steadily forward with an eye to the past is my logo, is in many ways my way of life. Is somehow appropriate in this situation as well... This is not a journey I would have chosen to take. I long to have my former life back, where I had the amount of uncertainty that I was comfortable with, rather than this open-ended and exponentially increasing need to become at ease with not-knowing.

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

lookit what they can do with tiny waldos

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

~ Alexander Graham Bell

≈:::≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is restless
will not sleep

the ur-pattern

2011-12-13T19:14:00.000-08:00

I may have gone completely off the deep end here... I found this pattern on Etsy, and could not resist buying it. Was a favorite of mine back in high school, but long lost in the myriad moves and households formed and dissolved since those days. Back in high school I made several of these, in various fabrics, mostly denim or corduroy, they were a wardrobe staple at the time, for me, and could be again...

In some ways this pattern is a kind of ur-pattern, that many of my jumpers over the years have wanted to be, or hearken back to...while I am no way now or ever or even back then a size 5, my pattern alteration/grading skill is hopefully equal to the task of upgrading the size to fit me. Will be a fun project, and will most likely become part of SWAP 2012. I am amused that my personal style has shown rather remarkable areas of consistency over forty years...

≈:::≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch

sparkle on the hard world

2011-12-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine walks with care, 'twas hard winter this morning...

Yesterday we had our gift sale, experimenting with having a one day sale on a Sunday... the good news is that we seem to have got out from under the "snow curse", and the weather was quite cooperative. But for a number of reasons, there was fairly modest traffic, and sales were not as good as in previous years. We are hoping to get together during the year to work on both planning and on creating more goods to sell; it is fun to craft in company at times. Next year we hope to have two sales on different weekends, one here and one in Wilsonville, and we also plan on starting a ManyHands Marketplace blog...

. .

The other benefit of hosting the gift sale, is that preparatory to it requires really clearing out the living room of all the random boxes, and knitting bags of yarn, and stacks of inspiring magazines, and random detritus. So at the end, once everyone was packed up and the actual furnishings returned to their places, it looked ever-so-much better than before we turned it into a boutique. (though I do love how it looks all chock-a-block with gifty goodness) It is much more peaceful without all the partial projects hanging about, and am currently filled with a great desire to do the same thing to my bedroom!

It would be lovely to convalesce in a space that did not look like a mad textile rubbish tip; this probably means that MORE SHELVING is necessary. The most cost effective way to proceed will probably involve a trip to Mr Plywood, and the magic saw. "Brackets and boards, brackets and boards, I'm gonna get me some brackets and boards..."

As part of the decorating for the sale, added a new string of LED fairy lights to the front window, and then realised that the partially non-functioning original strand actually had spare tiny LED bulbs, so now the front porch windows are twice as sparkly. I also rearranged the mushrooms and the Dala horses that normally live up there, and moved the remaining frost sprites over there as well. Looks most merry midwinter-ish now, and the wintertime Dala horse ornament is now hanging from the oakleaf door knocker.

≈:::≈

Tomorrow I meet with the new doctor, and hope to have some of the myriad questions answered, at least the ones that can be answered... This is being a definite lesson in maintaining calm in the face of uncertainty, and so far, is not an easy lesson at all; will be a continuing opportunity to practice equanimity (practice makes progress, sigh and alas)

≈:::≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch

Manyhands Marketplace 2011

2011-12-10T23:10:00.000-08:00

Pincushions and needlebooks and owls and brooches oh my! Not to mention lovely glass and felted whimseys, and cards and bags and more things than I can describe...

Our annual gift sale is Sunday December 11th, do come and check out all the wonderful local handicrafted goodness, of which this is only a small sample...

a few Friday fragments

2011-12-09T21:48:00.000-08:00

Completed a few new ornaments for the sale that is happening here this Sunday (day after tomorrow). I thought that these owls were a nice balance between retro and current. They are really quite large, maybe four inches across, and made from a combination of new felt and recycled felted wool. The ear tufts make me smile, and their vintage button eyes have been in the button box since I was a child, waiting for the perfect use.

≈:::≈

I so enjoy doing these kinds of simple handwork projects; more than most anything else they are soothing and relaxing, taking just enough mental concentration to keep the mind from dwelling in less felicitous places. Moderately complicated knitting does the same thing, and I need to remember that I can knit again without pain, after not being able to for so long.

Maybe after the winter holidays I will gather up all the worsted weight yarn and start on a sweater. While an all one color cardigan would be more my style, it will be an interesting challenge to create something from all the myriad random single skeins. I'm thinking Philosophers Wool / Kaffe Fassett style patterning, as a very simple cardigan. Maybe see about running some of the patterning from side to side, which would give me more vertical lines rather than horizontal... Hmmm is pleasant to think about, which beats the alternative.

≈:::≈

My remaining two hens are doing okay, and there has been no sign of the return of the Monstrous Marsupial.

≈:::≈

Have not started any sewing clothing for me yet, am still gathering Useful Fabrics together. This afternoon when talking to my mother, she mentioned clearing away extra sheets from her linen closet... "I can give them a good home", says I, immediately envisioning being able to create fitting muslins for some of the altered patterns I am hoping to use for SWAP this year.

≈:::≈

I know this is really an advert, but it is terribly cute nonetheless

and should you want more info, here is the "making-of" video

≈:::≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch

R.I.P. Sparkley...

2011-12-08T01:18:00.000-08:00

In which our plucky heroine says enough already!...

I got home after dusk, and while putting groceries away, and starting to cook dinner, I heard a terrible bad racket in the yard, hen noises, which is never good... I'd not yet shut the hens in their house, and will be feeling horrible about that, for when I went out in the yard, there were two very freaked out hens... and in the chicken house was one very dead hen, and one very live possum! I was SO ANGRY! I tried banging on the side of the henhouse, and that made the possum angry, it opened its mouth full of big nasty teeth and hissed at me.

I called my friend Rois, and she asked her husband what to do - his suggestion, turn the hose on it. Well, I do not have a hose, so I took a bucket full of water and threw it at the possum, which made it mad, and wet, and made the chicken house all wet and gross on the inside. It still wouldn't leave, so I got a LONG metal tent pole, and poked at it till it ran out of the henhouse. Then I chased it around the yard like a madwoman. (now mind you, if I lived out in the countryside, instead of in the middle of Portland, there would have been an entirely different and much more final way of dealing with the situation)

So now I have two freaked out but sleepy hens in a cage in the backyard, and a chicken house that is full of soggy slightly dirty somewhat bloody bedding, with internal walls that look like the scene of a horror movie: "Marsupial Madhouse"... I was not going to try and deal with that in the middle of a cold December night, and fortunately my pals just got home from their trip and will help me tomorrow.

I know better than to say "how much worse can it get" but instead will say "I've had enough of this already, time for something good, something pleasant, something nifty for a change...

Monday musings - n - music

2011-12-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Another sunny morning, with crunchy steps down the side yard path to open the henhouse door, every bit of ground is covered with frost, henwater is frozen...

An unexpected day off from work, but with errands to run and phone calls to make, not to mention cats to sit, it looks like yet another day when ~~I might actually be able to do~~ a spot of leaf-raking got put off again; the poor front yard looks like it is covered with a burgundy and yellow carpet, and while am not terribly fond of lawn, the hens would enjoy the leaves...

≈:::≈

A new online friend has reminded me of the usefulness of the wishlist, that sometimes all it takes for wishes to come true is to ask....

Step One
Write a post (public, friends locked, filtered...whatever you're comfortable with). The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple ("I'd love a custom icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.
If you wish for real life things (not fics or icons), make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you.
Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ so that the holiday joy will spread.
Step Two
Surf around your friendslist (or friends friends, or just random journals, or [info]holiday_wishes/[info]wish_list) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part:
If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it.
You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call.
There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

Gave this one a bit of thought, seems like most of what I wish for, that can be given, involves more the gift of time and the sharing of some resources, rather than actual stuff.

company while sorting/organising supplies - the sewing room, and the workroom both need attention, and I make much better progress with someone else there to keep me company, is a lot more fun to sort fabric etc with the option for tea and chat...
garden beds built/load of garden soil & compost acquired - a truck with an open bed, or money for a dumptruck load, and a number of strong shovel wielding folks. I have a plan, just need helpers.
debris hauled away - this involves someone with a truck, and help going all round the outdoors of the homeplace, to remove everything that needs to not live here
massage - for many years I had an ongoing every other week massage trade, housecleaning for bodywork; I miss that. Even a modest amount of attention paid to sorting out the knots and such that have accumulated in the last six years would help me a lot
bicycle maintenance and tuneup - I have no experience with how to care for my bike, having only fairly recently started riding again. Would love to learn more, and know that the useful tool of bicycle will be adjusted and cared for properly
standard concrete block - in sets of four or six... why, 'cos I have a number of plastic barrels destined for rainwater collection, and they work a lot better if they are elevated. Concrete is damn heavy to cart home on the bus.
wooden kitchen cart - to add additional counter space here, will make having more than one cook in the kitchen a lot easier. FORHOJA has drawers for storage
install the hard flooring - this is a big project only because it involves removing the entire contents of each of the two bedrooms before the flooring can go down. Probably a weekend for each room, one day to move stuff out, one day to put flooring down and move stuff back in (just a guess, the rooms are pretty small, but there is a lot of stuff. Or...
wooden shelves on the walls in bedroom and sewing room - more shelving will allow better storage of fabrics and other supplies, as well as guest bedding
cross country train trip in a sleeper car - I want to visit my friends and family in New England, I love train travel, and it would be an adventure instead of an ordeal.

≈:::≈

Is interesting... last time I bought hen food, was feeling a bit thin in the pocketbook, so rather than buy the spendy organic or local food, I got the standard non-organic layer rations which cost a lot less. Well, the hens eat them a lot less too, somewhat desultorily pecking at their rations before heading off to hang out under the arborvitae out of the wind.

It seems perhaps foolish to buy the cheaper food if the hens will not eat it, I have no intention of feeding the wild birds, or worse... It might be also that a lesser quality of nutrition may be why they are taking so long to get their feathers back in from moulting. The question is, should I keep working through this mostly full bag of chicken chow, or go ahead and get a new bag of better food? If I do get new food, then what to do with the rest of the bag that they don't like?

≈:::≈

Med-foo progresses fairly smoothly, the referral approval has happened already! and today a call from the NewDoc office to set up an appointment next week. This is all moving very fast. Not sure how I feel about that. 'Tis kinda scary, even if necessary. CrankyKnee™ is pretty cranky, since I tripped yesterday over my own feet and the edge of the carpet, and caught myself from falling by landing hard on that leg. Almost fainted, I think, everything got a little grey for a moment, and it hurt like the dickens!

≈:::≈

Am thinking about a calendar for 2012 that is photographs rather than sketches, would cost more to print, but might be a fun change?? opinions anyone?

≈:::≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch

a few fragments

2011-12-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

In which our plucky heroine reconnects with the benefits of good cast iron, among other things...
Bit by bit, mostly while riding the bus, I've been working on my contribution to the artisans ornament swap. It's a bit informal, but several pals and I decided it would be fun to do this year - in fact, several of the same folks that will be part of the ManyHands Marketplace which will be happening here in two weeks. The handicraft is strong here; my little hands have been busy: skyblue wool felt, and DMC wool floss, and blue sequins, and eventually some multicolor blue-ish handspun, will be turned into ornamental horses, not for sale, but for gifting, for the fun of trading with other artists, to get other pretties to brighten the wintertime... Oh there will be things to buy, things for sale at our annual holiday market, but for these, I need not concern myself with how many hours it takes to make each one, just how much fun it is to embroider and embellish.

≈:::≈

Saturday breakfast for four was a comestible success, I made aebleskiver! (described by one of my houseguests as "Norse frybread") I was inspired by this recipe posted by Bridget, and was very grateful that (rather than my last attempt at breakfast baking; ex-waffle-iron makes a better target than it ever did waffles) I actually have on my cookware shelves a lovely vintage cast iron aebleskiver pan, which my parents bought decades ago in Solvang, and which occasionally made the delectable spherical cakes when I was still a child. My mom sent it to me a while back, but I'd never used it for the intended purpose until now...

Once I figured out the right amount of butter to add to each indentation, the tasty toasty balls were no trouble to turn, and soon were on the table, along with an assortment of homemade jam. Was very tasty, especially with the meyer lemon and blood orange marmalade that was the January project that my sister and I made. Yay for a well stocked pantry, tasty food, and good friends!

≈:::≈

Whist out and about this week, I suddenly remembered "paperwhites"! I stopped in at ink and peat, the shop of lovely artifacts and flowers, and sure enough, there were still a few bulbs left... If set up properly, they will bring a bit of flowery sweetness in midwinter, after only a relatively few weeks of waiting. I don't always remember every year, but the individual bulbs are not terribly spendy, being around a dollar and a half each, which is a pretty frugal bit of fun.

I first experimented in 2009 with adding alcohol to their water*, and now would not force paperwhites in plain water ever again, instead of long floppy foliage that tries to tip over, the small amount of alcohol seems to have a kind of homeopathic effect, the paperwhites no longer lean drunkenly tipsy, but stand solidly upright...

≈:::≈

*1 part alcohol to 7 parts water, I have a small bottle of ordinary inexpensive local vodka used for various kinds of "science experiments" round the house...

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch

tiny Tuesday tidbits

2011-11-29T23:34:00.000-08:00

Plum sauce is canned, seven 4oz jars in the pantry. It did come out kinda thick and dark this time, and maybe needs a bit more ginger, more like a sauce base this time. I mixed some with the leftover cranberry sauce from T-day, was a good condiment for the last of the T-day turkey scraps.

≈:::≈

I have been referred to a new doctor, who is also a rockstar. This somehow tickles my sense of whimsy, while also reminding me inevitably of the beginning of Buckaroo Banzai. Seriously, NewDoc is in a band, all six of whom are gynecologic oncologists...

this a trailer, for a documentary in progress, about the band N.E.D.

≈:::≈

Not a lot of work happening yet on the sewing front, but design ideas are taking form in the back corners of my mind, I can feel them gestating. Subtle new embellishments, and various bits of patternmaking will be there when once I have a few hours of free time to rub together. Maybe some more sketches soon....

≈:::≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch

a snakes-hand: micro-winter-whimsy

2011-11-29T10:55:00.000-08:00

...well, lets not talk about how hard it was to get to sleep last night, or just perzactly what kind of ~~dream~~nightmareland I visited... Truth is I did wake again, to this world where so many friends-n-family love me, with the tasks ahead of me still to do, the hoops still there, and the blessing of actually having a modicum of medical care...

just a a wee bit of counterweight, here are some pictures of one of the current projects... We are planning on a holiday gift sale on December 11th, and I have done little to prepare for it. Indeed, have done little studio work at all in the last few weeks. My way of easing back in touch with my thingmaker self is often felt or stitchy-craft, and the idea for these pincushions was sparked by the lovely "TinyWorlds" that Mimi Kirchner makes. She even sells a pattern so folks can make their own, and teaches workshops at her home studio in Arlington MA. Her pincushions are incredibly detailed, and she uses all sorts of vintage teacups as a base...

Well, the only two vintage teacups here are well loved gifts from dear friends, but I did have a set of pretty egg cups, which are never used, since soft-boiled eggses are sooo not Fjorlief-food. They just seemed to ask to be made into little winter-worlds, and have turned out just the right kind of whimsical thing to sit on a sewing table, to be convenient. I've not yet finished sewing on the snowy "caps" to all the trees yet, and was amused by the progression from no snow, to all snow-covered...

with permission, I shall be offering these for sale next month

where is that spoon...

2011-11-28T22:02:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine is the recipient of bad news...

I am not real happy right now, got test results back this afternoon, not what I'd hoped for. Kinda in shock, kinda resigned, kinda upset, kinda distracted. Tonight I lost my key ring with the keys to the house on it, between leaving the house to go cat-sit, and getting off the bus coming home. It was dark, and cold, and all the spare keys to Acorn Cottage are with various folks that live in other states. So I decided to backtrack my steps, and amazingly found the keys about a block off Lombard, in the street, about five miles from home. Yay for small miracles!

Now I get more hoops for jumping through, and an unknown different doctor, and a bunch more medical/surgical foo. I figured that the results were not good, when instead of a cheery call saying "all is well, see you at the post-surgery checkup in a week and a half", I got a message to call the doctor's office... and when I did, I sat on hold for over an hour... I think they forgot I was there.... then I finally talked with Dr D. She is a good doctor, and a pretty good communicator. (I hope that whoever I get sent to is not only a good doctor, but will be able to look me in the eyes and speak in a way I can comprehend, and will hear my concerns)

I guess it is good, that they did not find actual cancer cells, though I am aware that there is a broad continuum from normal and healthy, to obviously wrong, and my cells, at least the ones they looked at, are only kinda pretty badly messed up... (The big words are "complex hyperplasia with atypia" for those who know what that actually means) The recommendation is for a hysterectomy. I will know more once I talk to the new doctor, the gyno-oncologist...

This story of mine is starting to feel a bit like quicksand, that the further things go, the deeper and more dangerous it becomes, and the harder to get back to my ~~nice safe~~ regularly scheduled life.

Hopefully in a few days I will have regained some semblance of equanimity...

a reminder to self, that beyond the fog of unknown future,
lie the hills of home and the light of the morning

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is awake
with hackles up

Saturday snippets

2011-11-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

Last night was an unexpected visit from B & K, some of my Olympia pals. The evening light was just turning that amazing Maxfield Parrish blue, as the streetlights and treelights were coming on...

Stood in the middle of the crosswalk to get this picture; reminds me a lot of the scene in Spirited Away, where Chihiro is running down through the town to try and get back to the known world, and all the lights come up as the sun goes down.

We met at Button Emporium, (they wanted to get hair ribbons for the kiddo), and then had dinner at Sushi Ichiban. We exchanged early wintertime holiday gifts too; their tin of home-dried fruit just might become part of a 12th Night fruitcake...

≈:::≈

damnfool hens... last night went out to put them to bed, which involves shutting the weighted door to their house, to keep them safe all through the dark, 'till I open the door in the morning and they can roam the half-backyard that is their domain. As I've done ever since the time that Stupid Hen decided to not go to bed one night, I untoggled the back doors to "count beaks". WTF! there were NO hens in there!

A quick lookaround did not show any huge piles of feathers in the yard, which was good, but where were the speckldy sisters... Mind you, it is cold and dark and spitting drizzle, and the girls are moulting, so have large gaps in their feathers. Yay for tinybright LED flashlight, I found two hens by the edge of the leafmulch compost bin, and with much looking, found the third hen wedged between the arbovitae and the edge of the house, under the downspout extension. One at a time, I picked them up and stuffed them back in their house.

They are very odd birds indeed. The only thing I can think is that there might have been a hawk or coon watching the henhouse last night, and they hid themselves rather than head for bed, but usually if there is some predator about, they raise enough of a ruckus that I notice and go outside. Eventually I do want to give them some covered spaces for wintertime, but that involves both building more solid infrastructure, and spending extra dosh, (which is a bit thin on the ground this year, due to extended and unavoidable time spent not working).

Maybe can rig up something with the old sunshade; there is a forecast for gaps in the rain, and it might be possible to reconfigure the fencing to both confine the hens a bit more, and to add some windbreak to their zone. And, if there is a gap in the weather, it might be possible to actually get some of the leaves raked up from the front yard and dumped into the henyard. The years I've managed that, in the old henyard, made a big difference in the condition of the soil, dead leaves combined with hen action really adds condition to the soil, and the current henyard is destined to eventually become garden beds

≈:::≈

On the maslin pan debacle*, the score is finally Fjorlief 1 - Carbon 0, but it was a very close call indeed. Tried: ammonia overnight, boiled with baking soda overnight, oven cleaner overnight TWICE, (all of these one at a time, mind you, there is a level of science experiment that I know better than to try without a fume hood) didn't work, then tried boiling mix of water and Ajax lemon dishes soap, and scraping with spatula while boiling, started to be able to at least scrape some tiny flakes of carbon off... 220 grit wet-or-dry silicon carbide paper, used repeatedly and alternating with more boiling dishes-soap water, seems to have done it, auto-body abrasives plus massive and ongoing application of "elbow grease"...

≈:::≈

Still moving slower than usual, but decided to head into downtown to the Art Museum to see the exhibit of Japanese prints (thank you E, for the ticket). 'Twas crowded, and rather overwhelming, but there were in fact some real gems; Hokusai waterfalls, I'm thinking of you... Every time I have been to P.A.M. I enjoy looking at the William Morris "Artifact Wall" (not the William Morris from the Arts and Crafts era, but the contemporary one...) something about the hundreds of mysterious objects pinned to the two-story wall is fascinating.

And I walked through the Native American art rooms, which were basically empty of visitors, despite the splendid objects on display. The way that there is no boundary between made for use and made for beauty, just so, as I try with my ownlife to have that be the choice made, when there is a choice, though the context is different.

Bronze coyote sitting outside is one of my favorites as well...

≈:::≈

Here is a short animation of the Android Sisters: Electric Sheep
"when they go blah blah blah, do you go baa baa baa..."

≈:::≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is turning around and around,
settling down to sleep

* the night before surgery, while I was rather obsessively filling out advanced directives and writing letters to my nearest and dearest, my sister G was rather obsessively cooking a triple batch of cranberry sauce. What can I say, we each react to stress in our own ways... well, somehow, in the midst of dealing with splashed sauce on the front of her sweater, in just a few minutes the sauce in the pan went from perfect to irretrievably scorched, and left a thick lumpy layer of carbonised sugar and cranberry fused to the bottom of my beloved maslin pan.

I saved for a year to get that pan, and it is not a luxury, is in use every week, almost every day. And I really wanted to find a way to salvage it, rather than just replace it, as sister G offered to do. 'Tis is spendy bit of kitchen hardware after all, and well made. New maslin pans are available from Lee Valley. If you are a tool junky like me, or love hardware, or like to garden, Lee Valley is dangerous. I have been a happy customer of theirs for many years, they often have oddball things that are not easily available otherwise. You have been warned...

Friday fragments

2011-11-25T01:11:00.000-08:00

In which our plucky heroine notices the connection between Acorn Cottage and Scarborough Fair...

Yesterday, when I was feeling rather puny, not up to heading out and about for a lot of social time, my most awesome Resiliency Ranger pals S and B decided to come over here to cook... and we had a thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat!

Alice's Restaurant was listened to (courtesy of YouTube), yet more sweet corn pancakes were nibbled, cranberry sauce was safely boiled up, and a delectable tiny turkey was baked. Fresh herbs from the front yard made for tasty basting, and in the middle of the day some unknown neighbor girls, all umbrella bedecked, asked S if they could pick some sage. Did you know that the front yard here has "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme"? There was a lesson in Yankee Piecrust, recipe courtesy of my longago friend C.N., and a flakey-cursted pun'kin pie was dessert, as we gathered round the electronic hearth for an episode of Firefly. All the dishes were washed, and leftover bits from dinner divvied up, including a small portion of mixed veg for the hens today

after the washing-up

We made it happen, despite my wonky knee, despite the fact that the hob here at Acorn Cottage now has only two working burners (the large one stopped working on Tuesday) and despite not having worked in a kitchen together before. Yay us! While my dream home might have an actual fireplace, the warmth of true friends is what really lasts...

from indark back to the bright world

2011-11-23T11:26:00.000-08:00

When last we saw our plucky heroine, she was planning sewing projects; a lot has happened since then...

Sunday was mostly prep for Monday (with a lot or writing of letters and advanced directives), and Monday was about half spent in hospital. If'n you really want to know about what that was like, ask me in person. When disrobing and packing away all my jewelry and talismans, I was reminded of the part of the story of Inanna, where she must remove all her garments and jewelry before entering the underworld...

I will say that it was actually interesting, in that I learned more about how I react to various situations. Am very grateful that I was not required to have sedation in addition to anaesthesia; I much prefer being a bit excessively chatty to being out of it - I was fully conscious up until the operating room, then went down into the dark, coming back up about an hour later.

Coming back was not really like waking from sleep, as some describe it, for I never awaken so totally relaxed; never awaken trying so strongly to be awake while constantly slipping back down into the darkness, was kind of like the opposite of normal awakening. On my usual awakening, I am propelled forward out of dreamland with a strong push, however much I might wish myself back to that land, whereas this was my own strong will pulling me towards the waking world, despite what felt like an intense gravity well of unknowing that would be easy to fall back into.

Grateful grateful to be back in the bright world I am...

Body is recovering well, only real discomfort is the sore throat from the intubation. Spirit/mind is much calmer, that was a big flame-covered hoop to be jumped through, and I did well. Only current hoop is not knowing the pathology results, but I am oddly calmer about that than I was about the anaesthsia. Weird, eh?

≈:::≈

Sister left for home last night, after being of great help in the last four days. Yesterday morning I felt well enough to cook breakfast for her, making, rather recursively, Sister Gigi's Sweet Corn Cakes. While I like them with salsa verde, she wanted to try the jalapeno jelly I put up last fall. Tis one of the prettiest jellies in the pantry, and while not very spicy, was actually a perfect condiment for this...

I was feeling well enough by the end of yesterday, and getting a bit of cabin fever, so we headed out. Since the weather outside was intensely windy and dripping cold rain, it seemed appropriate for a little retail therapy - grocery shopping, and then a short trip to nearby Ikea, where we did a bit of information gathering in the kitchen area, since sister is going to repair/renew/remodel her fifty year old mostly wornout kitchen. She also decided to buy me a frame for the futon in the guest room. Having it up off the floor with certainly add to the comfort of the friends and family that sleep over at Acorn Cottage.

≈:::≈

Gradually ramping back up to functionality is the story of the rest of the week here. My intention is to combine social time with creative time, and a modicum of "stop now, rest and eat food"... After all, there are workshop projects calling my name, and sewing to be done, clothing to be made, and pals to be visited with.

≈:::≈

The Wheel - Jerry Garcia, 1972

≈:::≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is dozing,
hoping for ear skritches

storyboard

2011-11-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

The good...Here is what I've come up with so far... there are actually more than 11 garments here, didn't want to just re-sketch the ones that were the same (two pairs of pants) or really similar (shirts with different necklines or collars), and am not entirely certain what the final SWAP selection will end up being. Since I also plan on sewing the "Winter 6PAC" there is a bit of overlap. The skirts are actually pinafore-jumpers, but will function as skirts. Some of these are patterns that I have had and modified so long ago that I no longer remember what the original pattern started out as, or are patterns copied from extant garments. There is, of course, the Sewing Workshop "Teagarden T". The lower vest will be based on Kwik Sew 2895, which I made up as a jacket in 2005, with some pretty serious modifications. I intend to "cut and paste" the collar from the Sewing Workshop "Fuji Mountain Top"(long OOP) onto an overtunic that will actually have some relation to my shape. And, after seeing Shams amazing "tablecloth skirt" I knew right away that the design had a home in my swap!

the not so good...
The reason that I was able to get my storyboard sketches all drawn and inked, was that I spent a big chunk of the day at Urgent Care, with, in the end, no conclusive results. I am still in ~~pretty~~ intense pain, my left knee/calf is just not functioning properly at all. (the one upside is that I knew there would be a lot of sit-and-wait time, so I took my clipboard and paper and writing sticks and croquis with me, figuring that sketching would be a bit more pleasant than outdated magazines. And it was.

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is all in a swivet,
barking at anything that moves

looking for an antidote

2011-11-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine forcibly shifts focus towards some future activity...

SWAP ideas are gradually taking form, time to get out the croquis and start sketching. Too dark tonight to take pictures of my sketches, that will have to wait till daylight

I intend to use my ~~TNT~~ basic patterns: bias front top/dress, pinafore/jumper, and knit top. I will need to re-fit them, since in the intervening six or seven years I have somehow gotten to be a bit more round, rather than more svelte... But that should not be tooo very difficult, so to give myself a bit of a challenge there, I plan on trying to ring some changes here and there. It would be very interesting to try, for example, to adapt this sleeve treatment to my basic knit top pattern; would give me a nice alternative to always wearing raglan sleeves.

The sort-of-new-this-time pattern will be pants. I have a pattern for bib overalls; for years now they were the only trouser-like garment in my wardrobe. I'd like to convert the pattern to just plain pants. Will be an interesting experiment.

I've no idea where I found this, ~~or how it might be possible to acquire this pattern~~*: (interesting one-piece vest), which has been in my list of bookmarks for quite a while. Since there are small images of the pattern pieces, I intend to try and generate a pattern for "2A" the vest with the foldover shawl collar. There was an article in Threads a while back (Issue #146) about a similar garment, and a summary of the article is available on their website. There is some extra-large black waffle weave fabric in my stash that would probably work for this.

I'm going to call my pinafore/jumper a skirt. I often wear them in that fashion, in the wintertime when layers are a necessity, and worn with a tunic or overshirt, it looks like I'm wearing a skirt. (After all if Dragon Lady says bib overalls = pants, then it would seem to me that pinafore [could] = skirt) ... And speaking of skirts, Shams has cleverly figured out how to make a fascinating geometrical construct that is the most amazing twirly skirt I've seen. That just might need to be one of my new garments, I can imagine adding that as the bottom half of a pinafore jumper, and I have just the right lightweight plaid wool to do it with too! Whee!

* thank you wonderful hive-mind of SG, Lisanne posted a link to where this pattern can be purchased. (And now I know, the pattern company is from Denmark) I shall still go ahead and generate my own version, since it seems really simple, but looking through their patterns will be inspiring anyway. A lot of the patterns on their site seem to be combinations of garments that all work together, in the same way that SWAP is intended to function... Hmmm....

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch,
patiently waiting for relief

Thursday thoughts and tidbits

2011-11-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Somehow, with all the big wind last night, my dear little apple tree was completely broken off at the base, just below the graft. I am sad. It was only three years old, and had just started to produce apples this year. R.I.P. little Akane. I shall send a message to B, to see if it is possible to take scionwood cuttings from the branches.

Tonight my tasks are to make more progress in the advanced directive workbook, and write some necessary letters. For fun, I'm going to do some quick design sketches for a SWAP storyboard, and then photograph them so as to be able to transfer the images into digital form. Am delighted that V has already posted her sketches and ideas; mustn't be too slow about getting mine up there too!

Wish book came yesterday, the Christmas 2001 gift catalog from Lee Valley. It would be really easy for me to find something useful and desirable on pretty much any page in there, (well probably not the woodturning tools, or the childrens toys, but other than that...) Of course, after the last night, maybe a catalog from One Green World, or Raintree would be welcome.

There was a gap in the wind and rain this morning, so I took advantage and used the time to clear out the henhouse floor, and give the girls fresh wood shavings. They are still moulting! The inside of their house was covered in a layer of feathers, like a tweedy carpet. Hopefully by the time all the new feathers are grown in they will be warm for the winter; I really miss having fresh eggs though. Did a tiny bit more in the backyard, tipped over the composter and moved the framework to the top of the driveway in front. I know, 'tis not on the earth as would be ideal, but is in a very convenient spot for yard debris from the front yard. I would have also moved the smallish heap of remaining compost in the backyard, but it was starting to really rain by then, and our plucky heroine was finding that cranky-knee was really wanting to stop now! Still, it feels really good to make progress, even if it is so slow. There is always more to do than lifetime to do it in...

Actually, the last week my cranky knee has been really degrading in function, to the point of not really wanting to be walked on, waking me up from sleep if I move it, limping when walking... While knees are not only delicate joints, but one of my particular banes, I am also wondering what part of this current flareup is related to my upcoming surgery. I am stubbornly moving forward despite how I feel. Only 3+ days now... Have long known that I store tension about "standing my ground" in the backs of my legs, all kinds of odd stuff comes up if massage therapy manages to loosen anything up there (Oh how I miss getting regular massage, has been years now since that was a part of life, but kept me healthy for a long time). Feels a bit like my strong will is moving forward but my body is saying no. And am not allowed aspirin, due to upcoming surgery; tried acetaminophen but it is not doing much of anything. Really wish that I could shift my feelings to confident acceptance, (anticipation would really be asking too much), but this sense of fatalistic dread is so not helpful. Of course, there could actually be something wrong with my knee, and if it continues at this level of pain after Monday, I intend to get it looked at. Sometimes I feel like a bit like the one-hoss-shay, I hope my warranty is not expired!

But enough with the whinging already... there is still a lot of beauty all around the world. Whilst rambling round, found this most lovely evocative little animated film - take ten minutes and enjoy it...

wind and rain...

2011-11-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine maintains forward momentum...

The wind is howling round the corners of Acorn Cottage tonight, and if there was some way to hook up a generator to the ventilation turbines on the rooftop, there would be power to spare. Gratefully, the forecast for snow tomorrow seems to have shifted to wind instead, it will still be cold, but the roads will be wet rather than icy. Nonetheless, 'tis probably time to dig out the yaktrax, and keep them handy...

≈:::≈

If there is a break in the rain, gathering up all the fallen leaves will be a good garden task, as well as shifting the henyard fences to enclose a smaller area. The poor things really did not want to leave the tiny henhouse for the wet and windy yard. Would really like to offer them a roofed space, maybe by next winter; prior attempts made with tarps and tentage have not been really functional... For the last several winters I dumped the fallen leaves into the henyard, which really increased the depth of the soft upper layer of the soil. (The plan is to use that area next spring, and continue letting the girls destroy the grass and fertilise the future garden space.)

≈:::≈

Tonight seems like a good night to make up a big kettle of soup. I save vegetable ends, and the bits rinsed from cooking meat pans, and chicken bones, all in tubs in the freezer, when full, they get cooked again into broth. I'm thinking a kind of scotch broth tonight, with some carrots and garlic, and if I can find some small bits of lamb to add, will be very hearty indeed. I like it with barley; is necessary to add only a very small amount, barley is very thickening.

≈:::≈

Is rather heartening, after being away from Stitchers Guild for months and months now, on my tentative return, dipping my toes into the SWAP scene once again, I find that I am remembered, and welcomed back. There are so many ways that this electronic world is a good and useful place, allowing connection between folks that would be unlikely to meet in realtime, and strengthening connection between friends and family in faraway places. Community and communication both derive from the same root. To be able to use the internet is another thing that I never take for granted, like running water, or being dry and fed and safe, to notice all the ways that things are functioning well despite the stormclouds...

≈:::≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is bounding at the door
growling and barking

gibbering not allowed

2011-11-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

Spent a big chunk of yesterday over at hospital waiting for various pre-surgery testing. The wait for x-ray was so long that the technicians were handing out gift coupons for the cafe. Unfortunately, by the time it was finished, the cafe had closed for the day... Read through the hospital handout/worksheet/booklet about advanced directives, as I intend to do as much of that as realistic in the next few days. Not enough time to actually make a will and all that, but figure that writing down my thoughts about my wishes for what I would want if incapacitated will be a good thing. I also will be writing a few letters to particular folks, just in case...

I am still really scared. Determined to move forward, yes, but I'm mightily strong-willed, and do not let fear stop me from doing what needs to be done. My stubborn will has been very helpful to me over the years, has allowed me keep a clear head in emergency situations, for which I am very grateful. Nonetheless, will be very very glad to be past all this medical-fu...

≈ : : : ≈

Still having a lot of fun with planning for future sewing, might have to indulge myself and make up a storyboard. Am wishing that I had some goodly lengths of knit fabric suitable for long sleeve tops, what I mostly have is smaller pieces, in the form of other salvaged garments to be refashioned. One resource that I am looking at for inspiration is Marcy Tilton's "T-Shirt Gallery" There are seven pages of examples and tutorials, well worth scrolling through. She is a master of artistic combining of fabrics, often with adding details with paint or silkscreen.

≈ : : : ≈

On a more lighthearted note, I've figured out a way to improve my ancient vintage microwave, which does not have a functioning turntable any more. I normally use a pyrex lid atop the glass inner tray to quick-bake eggshells before crushing them for hen-calcium supplement. Well, for some reason, when I put my bowl full of lunch* in there to warm, it somehow caused the lid to wobble a bit... aha! says she, that is significant... If quick-fingered, can give said bowl-o-lunch a spin, close the door, push the buttons, and it will keep spinning long enough to evenly warm the food. Simple pleasures for simple people.

≈ : : : ≈

*For the last few weeks, have been making up, to keep in fridge, either: a goodly quantity of mixed veggies,stir-fried to be mixed with random protein, or bulgar-feta-kale salad, or fish cakes. All of these are quick to reheat for lunches.

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch,
patiently waiting for relief

moving forward, one stitch at a time...

2011-11-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine takes up the reins of her regularly scheduled life again...

While otherwise occupied, I managed to miss a new-to-me holiday Corduroy Appreciation Day, and the most extreme one of the century, being 11-11-11. Chosen days to "celebrate" are those in which the numeric form most closely resembles the wales of corduroy. Alas, while I am most terribly fond of corduroy for clothing, and was, no doubt wearing some that day (since almost all of my pinafore-jumpers are made of such), there is very little corduroy in my fabric stash, no pieces large enough to make any complete garment, just small amounts that could be used as edge bindings.

Have decided that whatever garment sewing will be happening this year, will be using fabric from the Giant Stash o' Doom, and thereby reduce somewhat the possibility of SABLE*. Without too much effort, was able to pull out this assortment of fabric, in my favorite colors, (look, I've branched out, I'm including brown!) that should work for SWAP 2012 (sewing eleven garments between December - April) and Winter 6PAC** (sewing six garments between November and January):
fabrics, from left to right: indigo denim, black/brown flannel, black/blue slinky, navy/brown/multi lawn, brown brushed twill, multi-blue knit, blue/black/brown wool, black polartec windblock, black/taupe wool, navy/black rayon, black denim

Lest it seem that I have gone off the deep end into seamstress insanity, I actually need new clothes; the drawback of having a small curated wardrobe is that things wear out! Am thinking about how much it will help to have some ~~tactical~~ practical options, in addition to my beloved pinafore/jumpers. And the total number of garments should be fifteen rather than seventeen, since two of the 6PAC can pull a double shift and get added to SWAP - rules allow for two SWAP garments to be completed before the December start date. If I can pull this off, will mean that my sparse closet will not need replenishing for at least a year or two. Truly, being able to sew is a most resilient skill, and I use it not only for my own needs, but as a useful addition to my livelihood, in both the formal and the informal economy.

*SABLE = Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy

**Winter 6PAC =
1 - winter coat or heavy jacket in a dark neutral
2 - overlayer top, jacket or cardigan in a neutral
3 - overlayer top, jacket or cardigan in a colour
4 - underlayer top in neutral
5 - underlayer top in colour
6 - trousers in neutral

dust in the wind

2011-11-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

"The fallen leaves that jewel the ground, they know the art of dying,
and leave with joy their glad gold hearts in scarlet shadows lying"...*

≈ : ♥ : ≈

My friend passed out of this life in the dark hours between midnight and dawn. His passing leaves a gap that cannot be filled, as does each one who leaves our world. We who remain do what we can to take up the slack, and comfort each other. Life is uncertain, but love abides.

* - from October Song, Incredible String Band, written by Robin Williamson, 1966;
YouTube version here performed by Bert Jansch

saying goodbye...

2011-11-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

We never know what is around the next bend in the road. I have spent the day on vigil at OHSU - my old and dear friend Ian Cnulle suffered a catastrophic stroke last night. I got the call early this morning from his partner Karen, after they took him off the respirator. His prognosis is dire, he may have hours or days left, but is not expected to awaken.

When I left the hospital tonight Karen and other friends were with him. He looks like he is sleeping, and we have been told that he is not in pain. Karen asks that we pray for peace...

I pray for a peaceful transition for him, and for eventual peace for her heart as well, in some future time when the pain of his unexpected leavetaking is not all her world, and the memory of their joyful years together can lighten her grief.

I ask as well, that we all remember to tell our Dear Ones how very much they mean to us, and how very much we love them, because, sometimes, tomorrow does not come...

≈ : ♥ : ≈
May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide you all the way on.

autumnal adventuring

2011-11-10T03:23:00.000-08:00

Today Emily and I thoroughly enjoyed a trip up to the Portland Japanese Garden. I'd had my heart set on seeing the "Mottainai: The Fabric of Life - Lessons in Frugality from Traditional Japan" exhibit. It did not disappoint; there is a world of difference between pictures on the electronic screen, and standing inches away from real artifacts.
The word “mottainai”, which means "waste nothing!" does not preclude beauty. This gauze textile (used as mosquito screening) is patched and repatched, and has an incredible functional beauty. There is much to appreciate in seeing and aesthetic of cherishing every bit of the available resource, rather than discarding what needs repair...there were so many beautiful textile artifacts, the product of japanese folk culture, in the exhibit ... I found the simple patchwork of these bags very appealing
the neckline of a jacket? with disc-shaped frogs, fastening with various loops and hooks. The worn place just to the right of the upper frog, is where the metal hook has left its mark...

Graceful curves on a small metal hook, that fastens a jacket neckline, and a closer view of a simple round frog, braided from indigo cordage.

≈ : : : ≈

We did not spend our entire visit inside the exhibit hall, for the garden was far too autumnal and vivid to resist...
Just outside the hall, somehow, the deep and abiding green only intensifies the red of the maple leaves. There is something lovely to see with every step along the pathways. There was a pergola carrying venerable wisteria, and looking up the trunk, all moss bedecked, seemed like another kind of path...as I so often notice, there is beauty to be found right at your feet... after looking up at the wisteria, I looked down to find this oh so japanese vignette. Wouldn't this make a beautiful design on a length of fabric for a kimono?in the big pond in the garden, koi of various colors drift above the fallen leaves...while in the formal garden, the raked ripples are also graced with fallen leaves
the soft November light glows through the laceleaf maple, while mushrooms large and small dapple the ground...Thank you Emily, for sharing the adventure, and for showing me the Thistle Elementals that live just a bit further down the hill from the garden...

≈ : : : ≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch,
patiently waiting for relief

Tuesday thoughts

2011-11-08T23:25:00.000-08:00

in which our plucky heroine indulges in anticipation, allowing the fantasy that all will be well, in the hope that it may come to pass...

For the next few weeks, a dual focus; we (my crafty pals and I) are having a holiday gift sale here at Acorn Cottage on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, and I am having diagnostic surgery earlier that same week. A lot to prepare for, and not a lot of time! The good news is that I did not need to battle OHP for months to get this appointment, as was the case with my hand. Once medical-fu is behind me, (hopefully without further problems) the focus will be on cloisonne studio work, before the winter holiday season. It will be a treat to get back to enameling again...

And then, once the winter holiday season and 12th Night work is done, I intend to spend time sewing me some new clothes. SWAP is an acronym: "Sewing With A Plan", and is an annual occurrence currently being hosted on the Stitchers Guild Message Board. Each year there are somewhat different parameters, but always the idea is to end the challenge with an assortment of clothing that works for you. The last time I successfully completed a SWAP was in 2005, most of those clothes have long since worn out, with the exception of the Hawaiian shirt and the denim jacket. It was so great, that year, to have a closet that all the clothing worked together as friends; made getting dressed so very easy that I have ever afterward chosen my clothing to all work together in color and style.

This year there are no "quirky" requirements, and there is quite a bit of latitude in what to choose. The rules are: choose seven garments, and then from that seven, choose four to make two of, for a total of eleven. My intention is to make a blouse, two t-shirts, a vest, two tunic/overshirts, two dresses, two pairs of pants, and a skirt... This is not as insane as it seems. I have TNT* patterns for all of these garments except the pants and the vest.

It will be fun, I hope to not just do the planning (which always is my favorite part) but to actually have some new clothes to wear. I am particularly looking forward to coming up with some pants I am willing to wear, since this past year has showed me that there are times when my beloved pinafore dresses are not quite the appropriate garb. That trip to the ocean, for one, and wandering around in the woods up at Emerald Keep, for another...

* Tried-N-True

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch,
there is danger at the door

shake-n-bake, and ah halped...

2011-11-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the handy and handsome G, there was not only an exceedingly pleasant amount of rest and relaxation this weekend, but a most productive amount of repair happened as well, involving some of my favorite kinds of shopping, at places like Mr Plywood...

Here is a tune, just to get in the right mood...

This is what the east and southeast corners of the workroom ceiling have looked like for the last several years...

First, we added some additional bits of my favorite mylar bubblepack to fill in the larger holes...

Before adding the larger plywood patch, there was a chance to add a bit of decorative detail to part of the repair...

We were able to use a great deal of salvaged lumber for the various support framework and ledger boards.

Eventually, when the weather is warmer, I shall probably paint it all white, so as to help it blend in better visually, but for now, 'tis a good and wonderful thing to not have the cold November wind whistling through the workroom!

from this ...

to this ...

Feeling right clever about putting the dryer up on a pallet mounted with casters, made it really easy to move it out of the way for the ceiling repair to happen. Behind the washer and dryer is one of the original wooden structural walls of Acorn Cottage; my intention is to put storage shelving up on the side nearest the doorway, carefully allowing for safe access (if needs be) to the wiring that snakes across that side of the wall. There's a salvaged old multi-paned window tucked away in the workroom, that will have the glass replaced with mirror, and get mounted on the wall above the dryer, to help bounce more light into that dark-ish corner of the room, but that is another project for another day, in a warmer time of year...

≈ : ♥ : ≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch,
there is danger at the door

compost without guilt

2011-11-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

in which our plucky heroine decides that sometimes a crock pot is just a crock of ----!

I started making plum sauce yesterday evening. Was too tired to stay up late enough to finish cooking it down, and then waterbath process it, so transferred into the crock pot(s) to let it cook slowly overnight. Bah! That was an unexpectedly Bad Idea!

The plum sauce went from a delectably sweet/spicy/savory (if a bit thin) brown puree, to a charcoal-colored, somewhat bitter but still too thin liquid overnight. I suspect that the sugar somehow overcooked, like bad caramel, and in combination with the cayenne, it is no longer food. I think that adding more plums to this would be a waste. I doubt that the hens will want to eat it, and think that starting over, on a day when I can begin in the morning, and be a home to keep an eye on it, would be better. Fortunately there are still plums in the freezer, so there ~~can~~ will still be delicious condiment made for pantry storage and future meals, but it irks me mightily to have wasted several pounds of foraged plums, not to mention the additional ingredients, and the electricity to cook it. Oh well, live and learn. It is not always straightforward progress here at the Acorn Cottage homestead.

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch,
patiently waiting for relief

turn turn turn

2011-10-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

Life here at Acorn Cottage moves forward round the circle, with small signs of healing and repair poking through the detritus of daily life... In this season of spirit, here is music for cheer, both solemn, and silly, as you prefer, as well as a cartoon that stubbornly refuses to be embedded...

.

.

.

≈ : ♥ : ≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch,
there is danger at the door

Saturday snippets

2011-10-29T02:17:00.000-07:00

Canned the farmers market tomatillos, turned into salsa verde. Was very baffled to have fewer jars filled even though using half again as much as last year. Apparently, some tomatillos are more watery than others, and when cooked down, yield less. I'll have to see if the last farmers market of the year (this weekend) has any more, four jars is not enough for my pantry. There are still the plums, waiting in the freezer, to be turned into this years plum sauce. K brought me a dozen tiny 4 oz canning jars, my favorite size for condiments like salsa and savory sauces - I intend to send some of them back to their household filled with various treats...

≈ : ♥ : ≈

This has been a really social week here at Acorn Cottage. C from Olympia stayed here for three nights, which was a real treat; I rarely have that much time to visit with her when I am up in that neighborhood. There was a sushi dinner with our pals I and K one night, a trip to Ikea (in which our plucky heroine came home with not only another light to keep the other smoke alarm from chirping, but a nifty and not-spendy LED undershelf light, which, with a little work, will eventually grace the niche over the sink here, stay tuned for further developments...), and no Olympia visitor ever leaves our fair city without a trip to Powells. We both sold books for store credit, and I was astonishingly restrained and merely window shopped, C was able to find an excellent cheese making reference book to add to her library.

≈ : ♥ : ≈

Yesterday E met me at the Lan Su Chinese Garden, and we were most pleased to continue to explore how the changing seasons change the garden there. I was surprised to see how much was still in bloom, and sweetly scented! There were a few lingering gardenia blossoms, and two different osmanthus trees, one with white blossoms and one with orange.

As you approach the garden, decorative grillework set in the walls allows a glimpse of the world inside; the garden fills a whole downtown block, and mostly while inside you do not think about the surrounding city...

.

.

Covered walkways of stone and carved wood, wind around the rooms and courtyards and bridges of the garden; archways beckon to another courtyard...

leaves fall, and cover the reflected trees, while autumn color blazes bright against pebble mosaic paving

Do look up, there are decorative details everywhere, these are some of the most interesting rooflines in the city... look down and see the lovely, October blooming toad lily... (does Acorn Cottage needs a toad lily or two for the shady front garden?)

≈ : ♥ : ≈

I have long wanted one of the Bella Luz luminettes, have admired her work during my years working at the Country Fair, and finally decided to treat myself to a little bit of night-time beauty. Really, is a small thing indeed, to be another bit of brightness both literally, and in many more subtle ways.

this moon face looks so peaceful

...here is how it looks between the cabinet and the sink
≈ : ♥ : ≈

Yesterday, before it rained, I raked the leaves from my front yard . My hand was tired, I had to rest a few times. But got the job done. I toted the piles of leaves to the leaf compost bin in the back yard, using the burden cloth made several years ago. Just a big square of canvas, with webbing loops in each corner; 'tis easier than lifting the leaves into a wheelbarrow, to just lay the cloth down near each pile and use the rake, then pick up the corners and carry the leaves that way. A real treat, to rake and scoop without hand pain. I woke in the night, wondering why my shoulders were so very sore; in the morning, remembered that labor which had not been possible for a long time now, and was happy to stretch and know that work will be more and more an option.

≈ : ♥ : ≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is on watch,
there is danger at the door

Grace is not my middle name

2011-10-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

In the shadow world, I look tall. I am struggling to be at peace with the need to have surgical investigation, and my terror of deep anaesthesia. G wrote an amazing essay, ".....Waiting Patiently - a dog's tale"; I read it with tears running down my face, and remembered that Her Own Darling Self is waiting and watching out for me on the otherside, and that gives me an anchor, should they send me into the scarey dark alone, which is likely.

Today I began to wonder how much of my fear is being attached to being scared; while I do not have the happy confident faith in a benign reality that some do, it does seem like it could possible to surrender to necessity with a modicum of grace. I'll always be an information-gathering, suspicious/aware kind of gal, resistant to being pushed; yet somewhere somehow is a pathway to be found. (no way around this but through) This is not the road I looked for, but it is the one I am on. You'd think, after all these decades I'd have made peace with that as well, since that is, in a way, the yang to the yin of my choosing to build a life that makes sense to me, rather than the one that was prescribed....

≈ : ♥ : ≈

In more exterior news, some progress has been happening around the homeplace.

Meeting with the hand surgeon today, and my recovery has progressed far enough to allow a return to my former regularly scheduled work; this is a happy thing indeed, for all that I will miss the freedom to be social at will. Soon there will be time in the workroom, and time with the torch and the kiln, and sketches on the table (not to mention all the other jobs that were left undone these months both here and in other peoples houses) This is coming just in time, as the year turns towards wintertime, and the air gets colder both outdoors and inside, having some income again will be welcome indeed. Not to mention sewing and knitting and garden work in what some folks know as free time...

Sunday last, a trip to the King Farmer's Market, almost the last one for the year of the local markets. Not a lot came home with me, but a few pounds of local cornmeal, destined for Sister Gigi's Sweet Corn Cakes now and again, and a bag of tomatillos, destined to be turned into salsa verde and canned in small jars, to go with said corn cakes...

Tired I am of the mismatched and scant; there will be new curtains for the living room this winter. Ikea yielded up three indigo bedspreads, that are thicker than the current linen, with a textured almost handwoven look. When cut and hemmed to size, will be a much better choice. Not sure if there is fabric here suitable to line them with, but should some turn up at some point, 'twill be easy enough to add.

≈ : ♥ : ≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is uneasy,
looking at the door

a resilient recipe

2011-10-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

Last week I met S and B at the St Johns Bookseller, for an evening with Lukas Volger, who is on a book tour for his most recent cookbook "Vegetarian Entrees That Won't Leave You Hungry". While I am far from being a vegetarian, the recipe for sample salad at that event has now been added to the recipe box here at Acorn Cottage.

In short, Bulgar Salad with Kale and Feta is delicious!

1 c bulgar
2 c water
2 t cumin seed
1 T oil
1 small red onion
-- cut in strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos
½ t salt
¼ c white wine*
6 oz kale
-- cut in thin strips
3 green onions, minced
½ c cilantro, chopped
3 oz feta, crumbled
1 T olive oil

Bring water to a boil, stir in bulgar
cover, and remove from heat,
- let sit to absorb the water
while you prepare the rest...

Heat oil, then sizzle the cumin seed
almost immediately, add the onion
Cook onion till soft and browned some.
Stir in garlic, pepper and salt
Pour in wine, add kale, stir and cover
Cook till kale is tender
Mix in the remaining ingredients.
Combine with the bulgar

May be served warm or cold

There are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but once they are all prepped, it comes together quickly. By starting the bulgar first, the rest of the dish can be cooked while the grain is steeping; once it has absorbed the water, the other half of the dish is cooked and ready to be added.

I'd not had bulgar in a long time, and had forgotten how very easy it is to prepare. Since it is pre-cooked, it simply needs to be combined with boiling water and left to sit, in about a half hour it is rehydrated. Apparently bulgar stores really well, since the way it has been processed makes it more stable than uncooked wheat. This makes it a dandy candidate for the emergency earthquake shelf, since boiling water makes the water safer, and it need not cook for very long, which saves on fuel.

* as I'd no alcohol handy, I substituted water mixed with about a tablespoon of lemon juice, which worked well.

cracked and patched

2011-10-22T00:47:00.001-07:00

Once a year, the Japanese Garden has a free day. And this year, it will be Friday, November 11, during this exhibit: "Mottainai: The Fabric of Life - Lessons in Frugality from Traditional Japan". I've long enjoyed Sri Threads, the blog of Stephen S, and his wonderful images and writings about Japanese folk textiles; this exhibit will include selections from his private collection. This is a MUST SEE for me, next month... anyone want to come with??

...

Judy Collins - Simple Gifts,
...

a bright idea

2011-10-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

'Tis getting cold here - yesterday woke up to the sound of the smoke alarm chirping... not because it needed a new battery, but because it was cold. Took me several years and a lot of searching to figure that out, and for the last few years it has happened all winter long on and off. Since to pull the batteries out would disable the safety equipment, I set the space heater up underneath, just for a half hour, and that quieted it down. But that is not a good solution, being horribly wasteful of electricity.

I then had a complete visual brainstorm, and the lightbulb over my head became Miss Lightbulb Lamp, to be attached to the wall directly under Mr Smoke Detector, and use the (wasted) heat generated by an incandescent light as a way of keeping the dang gizmo quiet! A trip to the hardware store yielded a suitable porcelain light socket, and a few simple additional parts. Since all the lights here at Acorn Cottage had been converted long ago to CF with a significant drop in the electric bill, was necessary to add a box of incandescent light bulbs .

And so, from idea to finished item - now to see if it will make a difference...

Of course, what would make a real difference would be to fix the huge gaping holes in the workroom ceiling (grrrr... I hates demolition boy, I does indeed) that the wind blows through, and that project is actually hopefully going to happen this year. G has some ideas about how to help me with that project, which will probably make a difference in the wintertime indoor temperature here.

≈ : ♥ : ≈

here's a tune for a sunny cold Tuesday afternoon...

Way Out West - by Mary McCaslin

≈ : ♥ : ≈

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is curled up,
sleepy but awake

well that was fun

2011-10-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

our plucky heroine, dressed for an afternoon of adventure...

Saturday I met with my friend S, and we headed out to see some of Portland Open Studios. The weather cooperated, giving us a crisp autumnal sunshine to tootle around N and NE, mostly in neighborhoods where I'd not done much prior exploration (now noted for future bike rides and photography rambles).

We started out at the studio/home of Richard Brandt, fittingly sided in new adobe plaster. His work ranged in scale from tiny orange-sized unglazed teapots to large architectural ceramics, the largest ones with a wonderful feel of archaeological artifacts from an unknown distant civilisation, gears and gizmos and mechanical fragments. If there was more mature garden space here at Acorn Cottage, and money in the kitty for ornamentation, one of his artifacts would have found a place in my yard. His assorted large scale ceramic chains were also really fascinating -

see the tips of my boots, for scale...

As we left, Richard pointed out the box of ceramic "bones" which he'd made, and encouraged us to choose one to take home, so one of his artifacts came home with me after all...

We saw whimsical collage art down in the industrial area, and stopped into a printmaking studio (Atelier Meridian) where Liv Rainey-Smith was demonstrating woodcuts and Carolyne Landon was talking about her upcoming Genesis app. While I am not entirely clear on what an app does, it looked like an interesting way to show someone (properly equipped with the correct technology) views of her artwork, in a structured but not necessarily linear fashion. I myself was more interested watching in the woodcut creation and printing, and noted for possible future enjoyment that the studio has various workshops and classes scheduled.

just out of the press...

The paintings of Shawn Demarest were full of the varied light of our region, and her imagery was so resonant to my inner life; I never tire of streets and roads and neighborhoods, the landscapes that my own stories play out upon, and she captured that glowing light so very well

S and I ended the day at the home/studio of her friend Bridget Benton. Her studio was an inspiring marvel of various workstations, that would encourage the least artistic person to use their hands and heart to create, and would tantalise any creative person to new efforts. (Made me want to go home and sort and tidy, to help my own studio become so appealing! - more lights, must get more lighting in my workspace) And not only did Bridget have her artwork displayed, but she also had set up a hands-on try out encaustic monotype station, so everyone had a chance to actually play. And pretty much everyone that showed up that evening did!

dappled horse with oakleaf
~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is restless

pay attention

2011-10-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

in which our plucky heroine had visual proof that she has not lost her marbles...

Actually a family tradition - my mother keeps a bowl of marbles on a table in their entryway, for just such confirmation, and here at Acorn Cottage, my marbles live in a wooden box at the back of one of the nightstands. (as young M once said: "there is silly, and then there is seriously silly")

Why is this relevant? Well, today was my first visit to occupational therapy, to help lefthand become stronger and more functional. I was sent home with a tub of alarmingly pink putty to use for strengthening exercises, and with several new modes of focused massage to be used on my lower palm, to soften and continue to flatten the scar. The most unusual involves a good sized handful of marbles, and a towel. By putting the marbles on a towel, they stay on the table, and the scarred area can be rolled about on top of them, varying the pressure as needed. It feels weird, but good.

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

While out and about in the world, I pay attention to my surroundings, partially as a matter of safe travel*, and partially since the world is full of beauty, if only you look for it. Mostly I look around, and have often made a specific point of looking up, since even in the most dismal surroundings the sky is always there, and often lovely.

But I also look down, and at the world of the small, and the very small.
As a child, I loved creating miniature worlds, dioramas, and dollhouses. Some of that fascination with the small still remains, after all these years - my enamel and metalworking is, well, very small indeed, making good use of my short and clever fingers. And surely I am not the only one who looks at the tiny landscapes of moss and imagines what it would be like to walk there...

. .
a multiplicity of texture and color, greenlife finds a home along the edges
there are the pathways that we travel on, and the ones we never see...
~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

/^-.-^\___}}
dog is resting now

* Situational awareness, sometimes described as the "Cooper Color Codes" is something that I've been practicing, in a rudimentary form, for many many years. It has seemed to me indispensable to pay attention to my surroundings as I travel about in the world. There is no way to know what dire consequences have been avoided by this attitude, for I've lived in, visited, and travelled through various less-than-savory neighborhoods in different cities for most of my adult life. While I never discount The Luck, alert attention is surely her most boon companion.

Today, while on the way to OT, the bus had just turned the corner into one of the transit centers when someone stepped out in front, off the walkway and into the lane, obviously listening to something other than the approaching bus, and watching a handheld screen instead of where they were going. I commended the driver on making a very short stop safely. Some of the other passengers actually applauded. The distracted pedestrian never noticed that they had narrowly escaped being flattened.

Do not be that pedestrian. The world is full of danger, and it is also full of beauty. Walk through it oblivious and you miss the beauty and increase your vulnerability. There are great benefits to remaining aware...

whingeful Wednesday - scanner blues

2011-10-13T00:33:00.000-07:00

in which our plucky heroine whinges on hoops of various sorts...

The computer here at Acorn Cottage has stopped recognising my flatbed image-scanner, though it is probably still a functional machine. Not surprising, since the scanner is at least ten years old, and the HP website doesn't even list drivers for it anymore. 'Tis very annoying indeed, being a useful piece of equipment for transforming sketches into data to share. I did try grabbing some drivers off the HP site that seemed like they might work, but ended up causing all kinds of hijinks that took me hours to track down and remove...

Sooo, the question is, should I attempt to acquire a new scanner, or perhaps instead take some time to kludge together a clever way to use my camera to capture images instead. The thing is, scanners nowadays have all kinds of elaborate programs designed to do all kinds of things that I do not need. I just want to grab an image so that I can then process it myself, no need for self-correcting, or email functions, etc etc... In fact, there is a clever Instructable about how to build some kind of "copy-stand" to hold a digital camera steady and photograph pictures, or even small flat objects like enamels... (that is what I used the clever copy stands in the photo lab at TESC, back in the day, though that was long before digital cameras were around)

Still, it irks me most mightily to simply toss such an elaborate hunk of equipment, with all the embodied resources, simply because "these electrons do not want to talk to these other electrons". Makes me a bit loath to invest again in another hunk of plastic and electronica, might not be the best use of my limited resources. Clever monkey says, forage for a solution, don't shop for a solution. Don't need to jump through the planned obsolescence hoop!

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

Autumn is here, the leaves are turning colors. Baskets with yarn have been unearthed, and my hand, while still weak, is well enough to knit for a while. There is a pile of yarn earmarked for homeless hats, a project started and then set aside as knitting became too painful. The partial hat left on the needles now has another three inches added. This makes me very happy indeed.

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

In the early part of my life, it was possible for ordinary folks to simply go to the doctor's office, and the cost, while not trivial, was bearable. I remember a few times, back in my young adulthood, when though I'd no insurance of my own, I needed to see a doctor and simply called and made an appointment. Got things dealt with, and paid the bill. Not a bill that took a whole week or two of income, or more, just for an office visit. "Wheel never stops turning ... That only matters to the people on the rim."

Finally after weeks of waiting, a new medical referral has been approved, and a new appointment made to see a different doctor. The worrisome symptoms first showed up 2½ months ago have only increased in the intervening time. Once there is an actual diagnosis, who knows what additional hoops will be needed to have whatever the issue is actually dealt with. Hopefully not too many, I am getting mightily tired of being a circus pony. But, in the meantime, there will be time for walkabout in the changeable autumn light, and beauty to find where the eye looks and the heart sees.

̿ ̿ ̿̿'̿̿\̵͇̿̿\=[^_^]=/̵͇̿̿/̿̿̿̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿̿
dog is wary but curious

Monday musings: transitions + plumsauce

2011-10-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

In which our plucky heroine notices that the longer time spent away, the longer it seems to take to re-adjust...

I went north to spend time with G, and ended up staying for a week. Since we live not only in very different spaces, but many miles apart, there is always transition, the time necessary to adjust; not sure what to call it (though I am sure there is a long and complicated word in German for just such a specific sensation). The sounds are different, the scent of the air, and the great difference of being together or apart. I noticed it more on my return than ever before. The crowded streets and transit, the way my personal shields spring up so very fast, the vast difference between city and woods. Always attentive to what is around me, there is a huge difference between walking down a city street in the twilight, and walking down a leafstrewn path to the river, a huge difference between one set of eyes and two...

. .

It was good also to visit with some of my other northern friends, while G was at work. I had time to spend at the Menagerie, being fortunate indeed to stop by on a day when the pizza oven was fired up. Happy hands that are healing, helped prep the toppings. And there was a little bit more torch-time, J showed me how to make "twisties" (twisted glass stringers) and I was able to make one, and a few beads as well. The first time after my surgery, and all went well.

The next day ended up a long visit with B/K & C. I'd not been back to their house in years, and in the intervening ~~six years~~ time, they have done an incredible job of turning their front yard into a beautiful food garden, with curving pathways, raised beds edged in urbanite, and a mixture of fruit, flowers, and vegetables. I particularly liked the raspberry border along the sidewalk, apparently underplanted with spring flowering bulbs. Their fig tree, which was small when I lived there, is now huge, and starting to crack the driveway. But since their driveway has turned into part of the garden zone, being used to store amendments, nurture plant starts, and serve as a construction zone for garden trellises and suchlike, a few cracks are not troublesome.

Later today, after spending some time taming Mt Dishmore, my current plan is to use the feral plums to make...

Chinese Plum Sauce:

2lbs. fresh plums
- pitted and quartered
2½C sugar
½C vinegar
3T soy sauce
1T ground ginger
2 minced garlic cloves
1/8tsp cayenne

Combine all, and bring to a boil,
then simmer til the fruit is very tender.
Puree, then cook till very thick
It will take some time to cook down...
Keep watch so it does not catch and burn
When suitably thickened, jar and process

≈4 8oz jars - ¼" headspace - process 10 minutes

recipe can be multiplied

̿ ̿ ̿ ̿̿'̿̿\̵͇̿̿\=[^_^]=/̵͇̿̿/̿̿̿̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿̿ ̿ ̿
dog is vigilant and slightly puzzled
head tilted, with ears up

born to be wild

2011-09-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is what seven pounds of feral plums look like. There is a small tree wedged between the back of my shed and the cyclone fence. I love Italian prune plums, not only are they delicious for fresh eating, and trouble free to grow, but they are a snap to process for freezing: cut in half, push pit away, set on cookie sheet... Once frozen, they can be stored for future cooking or thawed and processed for shelf stable jam, sweet or savory sauce, or whatever you like. Not sure what these will eventually become, other than that there is a shortage of plum sauce* on the pantry shelves, and I also hear a crisp calling, maybe mixed in with the last three Akane apples, now that would be a most seasonal treat!

*"plum sauce" is not like applesauce, but more like a homemade version of Hoisin Sauce, being thick and brown and full of spicy garlicky salty savory sweet delectable flavor!

(hot)pepper sauce to the rescue

2011-09-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

in which our plucky heroine swears: "this cold willn't get the better of me..."

As part of my arsenal, I now have added this brilliant orange sauce. There are Nardello peppers growing in the side yard here; planted this year, they have actually grown to maturity, and now are ready to give their lives to the cause!

This was a fairly easy recipe to make, took a bit of time but made far more than what I would call "two servings", I put half the sauce in the freezer and still had enough left to serve several more folks. The immersion stick-blender worked just fine, yielding a sauce with just a bit of texture. Rather than over pasta, a bowlful of roasted cauliflower worked well. It might be interesting to make this sauce with some added sausage crumbles, and without hot pepper, for a different flavor profile, one of the sweeter apple chicken ones might really bring out the sweetness in the peppers.

Changes I made from the original recipe: left out the oregano (I pretty much always do that, not a happy flavor for me), and substituted cayenne for pepper flakes. Next time I make this, I'll be careful to add just a pinch of cayenne, I was a little more enthusiastic this time, and it came out pretty spicy! All to the good though, I have been chasing the rhino(virus) with hot pepper in my soup, rhinos hates hot pepper, so a spicy sauce is just the thing...

mucky Monday, with music

2011-09-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

In which our plucky heroine is laid low, and rambles with only minimal coherence...

Alas, I am now down with a cold... and it is a turrible awful one! I tend to catch viruses when there is an overload of unavoidable stress in my life. My take on it is that when the season changes, it adds additional stress to our body; it's gotta be hard on the system to keep jumping from mid-80's to low 60's so suddenly. Goodness knows that there has been stress aplenty currently. Mostly counterbalanced and antidoted by Good Things, for which I'm extremely grateful. But still, stress aplenty, enough to keep me from sleeping some nights, which makes it much more likely that fighting off a dread rhinovirus will not be as easy.

I do have hope of finding a new doctor (after the debacle of last month) but the effort involved in sorting through the lists of theoretical options is grueling. Lots of calls end in finding out that they do not, in fact, accept OHP Standard. Have finally found a few clinics that do, but how to make a reasoned choice of the potential actual doctors??? I'd not take a road trip with someone, or hire an employee, or start a new job, without some kind of mutual interviewing process to see if working together was feasible. Why then is it expected to allow someone access to the inside of our bodies on strictly a piece of paper and if lucky a website blurb? (sorry, I would prefer to be living in the best of all possible worlds, which is currently fragmented and this kind of sensible option is only available to those with far more dosh than I) It should not be unreasonable to want to have the person on the other end of the speculum and the scalpel be someone who is willing to accept me as a partner in my healthcare. (end of grumpful rant)

Grateful for cooler damp weather, the heat and humidity on Saturday darn near did me in... if there is a break in the rain this week, will try to snag some of the remaining plums, have lost most of them to squirrels. The kale and chard are still looking good though, and there are still three apples left on the Akane. Also grateful for the fairly well stashed pantry; I have been living on chicken broth in a box, mixed with awesome sauce (chili jam). thinking about getting some ginger, and cilantro, and lime, and maybe some noodles, could make a Thai style soup... hmmm use up some of the older cans of cocoanut milk in storage, and some of the dried mushrooms, and a box of tofu... this is a great opportunity to come up with creative and tasty pantry meals. I do want to get some polenta chubs, and maybe some of the pre-cooked rice, to add to the earthquake shelf. Am also grateful to be currently on hiatus from work, so that being sick is not causing me to lose otherwise essential income. The universe is telling me to rest now, so I will do that, and trust that the turn of the wheel will bring both healing and help as needed...

"The Wheel"

"A Place in the World for a Gambler"

̿ ̿ ̿̿'̿̿\̵͇̿̿\=[^_^]=/̵͇̿̿/̿̿'̿ ̿ ̿
dog is dreaming,
sleeping barks sound as whimpers;
the hunt goes on

event-full weekend

2011-09-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Valentina Corva and I traveled to be present to see my dear friend (and former apprentice) Svava and her husband Ref step up become the first Baron and Baroness of the newly created Barony of Dragon's Mist. Hard sometimes to remember that I have been involved in the SCA for almost twenty years - what a long strange trip it's been...

Svava and Ref swearing the oath of investiture,
King Thorin and Queen Dagmaer - AS 46

Sunday, B returned from his trip to Arizona; on the way back from the airport, S and he picked me up on their way home. (The Steampunk Picnic was another inspired idea from the creative head of S) We had fun dressing up, and having tea and talk and playtime at Cathedral Park, underneath the St Johns Bridge. The dicey weather was cooperative, and while there were a few sprinkles of rain, we were safely ensconced under a helpful alder tree, and simply covered the tea sandwiches (salmon, and cucumber, and peach jam) with a cloth till the sunlight returned. V had cleverly brought with her a lovely red umbrella, so was quite prepared for any eventuality.

Somehow, after our picnic, and the inevitable picture-taking afterwards, we ended up playing tag-you're-it. I daren't actually calculate how many years it has been since last your plucky heroine ran madly around on a grassy lawn with her pals; 'tis good to know that there is life in the old dame yet!

started our picnic while waiting for more friends to arrive

R and B looking demure and dapper

after teatime it is time for playtime

a delightful afternoon was had by all...

saffron rice is nice

2011-09-23T23:34:00.000-07:00

I never tasted saffron as a child. It has a flavor unlike anything else, strange and warm and medicinal/aromatic (in a good way). Despite it being the most expensive flavoring spice in the world, it is readily available, in small quantities, (and probably not the best of quality) at any Trader Joe's store. 'Tis likely that it would grow well here in the Northwest , since it prefers a "Mediterranean climate": damp winter/spring and then dry summers. It has even been grown in Great Britain; the town of Saffron Walden is named for the plant, which was widely grown there in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries

One easy way to enjoy the flavor of saffron is to make Saffron Rice:

½C dried currants
¼C brandy
¼C oil or butter
1½C white rice
2T minced green onion
2 mince garlic cloves
2½C chicken stock
1/8tsp saffron
3T butter
salt and pepper

soak currants in brandy for at least an hour
moisten saffron in a small amount of stock
melt butter in large pan, medium heat
add rice, green onion, and garlic,
...stir and cook ≈ 2 to 3 min
add saffron/stock and rest of chicken stock
...boil, then cover and simmer 'till tender
add marinated currants, and butter
...let sit, covered to absorb all liquid
add salt and pepper to taste

There are mail order places to purchase saffron for planting: White Flower Farm, or Wayside Gardens and a few of the more local nurserys, One Green World sells corms in bundles of five, and Raintree sells single potted saffron. Perhaps next year I will order corms and plant them, adding another flavor to the herbs that grow here at Acorn Cottage

̿ ̿ ̿̿'̿̿\̵͇̿̿\=[^_^]=/̵͇̿̿/'̿̿ ̿ ̿ ̿
dog is hunting,
out on the trail
hopeful for success

random Tuesdays tidbits

2011-09-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

in which the resiliency rangers run off on a road trip, and our plucky heroine speaks up at the union hall...

We did it! This lovely sunshiney morning, my two fearless cohorts in cookie-baking and I took seven plates full of dozens of home-baked cookies* to the ILWU hall up in Longview. The folks at Local 21 seemed to be quite appreciative of both the cookies and of the sentiment behind our efforts, and were a bit surprised to hear that we had driven all the way up there from Portland just to bring them cookies (and our support).

Certainly made my day a lot brighter, even if S pointed out on the way home that I'd blushed bright pink after explaining why we were there. (sometimes my old shyness come creeping back)

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

Life is like stepping onto a boat that is about to sail out to sea and sink.

~ Suzuki

and with that in mind, I strive to live fully in the present; to do as much that allows joy a place to live in my life, and in the lives around me. Don't always succeed, of course, but it is a goal. Has been for a long time.

My favorite Akita friend,
his "akita-talk" always makes me laugh...
~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

Four weeks after surgery: I've started cooking, (and riding my bike) ... am being very very careful. It feels good to do simple things, even if cautiously. I plan on canning some things later this year, once the hand is strong enough to deal with the process. I've plums and jars of tomato puree, in the freezer, waiting to become asian plum sauce and ketchup. And out in the yard, the feral plum tree has fruit that is almost ripe, I shall try to pick some, using the fruit picker; I love the European prune plums so much, they are good fresh eating, freeze easily, and are a great ingredient in crisp or jam or sauce.

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

Still seeking a doctor/clinic for the further care that I need. Yesterday, after much frustration, a different approach to the online database of providers called up additional possibilities, so hope has not yet been abandoned. This process reminds me a bit of back when I was in college and organising independent study contract work; I had not only to actually do the work, but also to generate my own curriculum and locate faculty and support folks to sign off on my learning. Twice as much work as most students want to do, but was worth it in the end, I learned things that still resonate in my daily life years later. Of course, my life and health were not on the line back then as they are now, but fortunately my determination (okay... stubbornness) is still strong. Which is good, since this is only the very beginning of a whole new set of hoops.

... ̿ ̿ ̿̿'̿̿\̵͇̿̿\=[^_^]=/̵͇̿̿/'̿̿ ̿ ̿ ̿ ...

dog is restless, keeps pacing back and forth

* I baked chocolate chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and iced lemon rounds (make vanilla icebox cookies with extra lemon rind and use lemon extract instead of vanilla, ice with lemon icing)

on substitution...

2011-09-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

in which our plucky heroine learns that substitution only sometimes works, and that sometimes the best thing you can do is switch to plan B...

There were guests this weekend at Acorn Cottage: B and K, plus teenage C and D. I like to make more interesting things for company breakfasts than my usual egg with broth or steamed veggies - and D is a 15 year old boy, tall as an adult, with the kind of appetite only a teener can have...

On Sunday morning I decided to make Brigid's tasty-sounding Crispy Cornbread Waffles*. In doing this, I violated several rules of successful cookery... I had not tried out the recipe myself before attempting to make it for company. I did not have all the ingredients that were called for in the recipe, so decided to substitute diluted yoghurt for the kefir. Bad idea, they are not at all the same thing, as I found out later. Not sure if substituting sugar for honey made much of a difference, since the quantity is very small. But the worst error was in not trying out the new/used waffle iron ahead of time...

You see, there once was most wonderful countertop waffle iron that made delightful waffles without trouble. It went away several house moves ago, and recently I decided to replace it, and not finding anything appealing in the stores, waited till something similar showed up at the local Goodwill. I carefully cleaned it, and it appeared to be working properly....

Alas, only the appearance was similar, this appliance was under a curse, which is probably why it ended up there in the first place. When the batter was baked in the carefully greased iron, no matter how long I let it cook for, it persisted in sticking to the metal and tearing into shredded pieces. I am not pleased at all. And just to make certain that it was in fact the waffle iron and not the batter, I tried again tonight after acquiring the necessary kefir and honey. The batter had a much different texture, but the results in the waffle iron are the same!

This morning the hens had a great treat of the two torn-to-shreds waffles, and I used the rest of the batter to make delightfully crispy pancakes instead. There are another two torn-to-shred waffles for the hens tomorrow morning, from this evenings experiment...

Not sure if it would be a good idea to send the waffle iron back to Goodwill, and let some other unsuspecting soul take it home. Of course, there is another option: I could simply put it out of its misery...

* I am certain that the waffles, made in a proper waffle iron, are completely and totally delightful. I intend to try them again using the big non-electric cast iron waffle maker. That one has mostly been used over a campfire; using it on the stovetop will make the kitchen here at Acorn Cottage very warm indeed, so the experiment will have to wait 'till the weather had cooled down enough that extra heat will be pleasant.

on sea vegetables

2011-09-14T09:38:00.001-07:00

I mentioned yesterday that, while no shellfish were foraged on our trip to the coast, we did find edible seaweeds washed up on the beach, and brought some home... Up 'till this point, my experience with "sea vegetables" has been limited to Japanese food, either at home or in restaurants: sushi nori, hijiki snacks, and adding kombu when cooking sushi rice at home.

The two foraged types that we could readily identify on the beach, and gathered some to take home, were "sea lettuce" (one of the Ulva species) and "bladderwrack" (one of the Fucus species). It seemed the next useful step was to thouroughly wash the foraged greens, as there was rather a lot of sand that had been transported as well...

.
bladderwrack . . . . & . . . . . . sea lettuce

The sea lettuce seems to have somehow encased small amounts of sand in "pockets" in the foliage; S and I decided, after attempting to clean it, that it was just not possible to remove all the sand, despite repeated washing. Not enjoying the crunch of grit between teeth, the small amount of sea lettuce is destined to become part of the Acorn Cottage compost. (we tried offering it to the hens, but they prefer tasty bugs, and kale, to this unknown new greenery)

The bladderwrack, on the other hand, cleaned up nicely. We divided it up, once it had been washed, and I had to figure out what to do with my share of the bounty. Since I didn't think that a bowlful of crunchy and slightly mucilaganeous greens was particularly appealing, I decided to dry the seaweed, for future use as a soup additive. (Miso soup, with tofu, sea and land vegetables, and mushrooms, is a tasty wintertime breakfast.) Of course, this attempt to sun-dry something would happen on the days when our unseasonable hot sunny weather had just come to an end...

"Endeavor to persevere" - despite the delightfully cooler weather, the clusters of seaweed were pinned out on the clothesline in the side yard to dry. My hope is that the now gentle September sunshine, and the breezy air, will let them dry down enough to be stored away for future use. In a world of abundance, where I had resources to acquire additional useful devices, my choice would be to have an Excalibur food dehydrator, the friends I know that have one of these are very happy with how well they work, (unlike the cheaper round dehydrators) There had been talk of the resilience rangers making up some solar dehydrators this year, but I fear that we have missed the seasonal window for suchlike. Maybe next year...

sand in my shoes

2011-09-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

there had been talk about a trip to the coast for a while, somehow the stars aligned in a perfect aspect yesterday afternoon, and four of us were on the road west...

as resiliency rangers, we are all working to learn additional useful skills, including identifying and foraging for various kinds of wild foods; even now, there is much to be found in the Pacific NW whether you look around the city, in the woods, or on the coast. The plan was to see what could be found on some of the local beaches, such as shellfish or sea vegetables, and if possible, S also intended to bring home seawater to boil down and make salt...

We live a fair distance from the western sea (I always remember my late friend G, who when asked for directions to his home, would say "head west, and when you reach the ocean, turn left...") Did just that, following the road that parallels the Columbia River, and by the time our plucky band reached Astoria, it was long past lunchtime; while the renowned fish-n-chips boat was closed, we found a funky snack shack instead...

halibut, and clam strips, and frozen custard

look how faraway the other shore is...

Astoria has the last bridge across the Columbia before the coast. (I drove across it in 2009, while sightseeing when my mom came to visit.) This time, south along the coast instead... Another stop for necessary and useful information, S and B got shellfish licenses, and a "clam gun", and we headed further south to the next county, for legal foraging. Rather than drive all the way to Tillamook Bay, we stopped somewhere round about Nehalem;

on a grey Monday afternoon,

there were not a lot of other folks at the beach

down near the waterline,
S and B look for clams

S and V confer,
there are no clams to be found

Despite not finding any clams, we had a great time mucking about on shore anyway, and did find some edible seaweed (I still need to retrieve my share later today, to photograph and write about)... then back to the van, and northwards a bit to Arcadia, where our intrepid rangers ended their day with a picnic supper on the beach. The light was almost gone, and the air was filling with misty moisture as we clambered down steps and scrambled down to the soft sand below.

Arcadia Beach

By the time we were settled in, and a fire lit, it was full dark, and a storybook moment indeed, with good friends and good talk...

making the best of it...

2011-09-10T23:30:00.001-07:00

in which our plucky heroine attempts to keep cool by applying distraction...

Still very hot here, not like two years ago, but not pleasant. I am grateful for the porch roof, and for the additional two years growth on the frontyard trees.

Tonight the moon was an amazing, almost copper red. There is wildfire smoke in the air, we cannot really smell it here, but it changes the color of the moon. As always, I foolishly tried to take a picture of it, shining through the branches in front of V's house, and as always, I got an image of a black rectangle with a bright spot in the middle...

Remember CatFish and OwlDog? from the weekend of the Art Party? They are much more colorful now!

This afternoon got a chance to go hang out with my Resiliency Ranger pals, who were headed over to V's house for a work party. Stopped off at Uwajimaya on the way for an assortment of random asian snackage. Much to my unexpected delight, the house is running air-conditioning!! SInce the hand is not much use yet*, I didn't have a chance to help with the touch-up painting:

I did have a chance to say hello to the three resident cat folk, Dante, Fizzgig, and Pip. This is Fizzgig:

V is one of those folks who has mad skills in multiple directions, and where she lives, has the option to follow through on many of them. This is a field of flax, with some of the harvested flax in the foreground:
* "You're not useless, you're convalescing. You're pupating to become a firestorm of awesome resilience and grace" - - - thus wrote my RR pal B, reminding me that this oh so frustrating time is actually both necessary and useful

hrmph, but scattered with stars...

2011-09-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

bright stars:

Whilst downtown exchanging the WrongSocks at REI, I took a different transit pathway home, that had me right next to the Keen flagship store. On a whim, I went in and asked them about suggestions for what to do about the wearing-through of the wee bungee laces. Oh, no problem, let me get you some replacement parts and the instruction sheet. No charge. no fuss, and that will allow a bit more use from the current shoes, not quite wornout after two years of hard use.

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

CatFish had an interesting time with my gouache paints. Today it will be OwlDog's turn to have a decorative outer layer applied. Is much fun without being too strenuous.

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

Stitches came out today, huzzah! All looks and functions well, considering that surgery was a bit more than two weeks ago. Not cleared for takeoff yet, not for a while, but will begin the slow ramp back up to speed.

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

hrmph:

Latelatelate last night a call to let me know that there is a union action called for sometime before morning in Longview. Once off the phone, and now thoroughly awake, I hit the internet to figure out what that was about - oh my! So much happens that it is hard to keep track of it all. I remember learning in highschool, (though it surely is no longer taught) in theory, reported news picks certain parts of information to share - it is another thing entirely to watch it being done while it happens... We are so very fortunate to have the ability, through electronic media, to find various sources. It was not surprising to me, to see what vital information is being left out of most mentions of this particular issue. The common news primarily makes it sound like union workers running amok. Only a few mention the fact that this union had a standing contract in place since 1934, ignored by the multinational EGT, that is at the heart of this dispute. An early-early morning call let me know that all was well, much to my relief!

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

Got a call from the bad doctor office wanting to schedule surgery. Simply told the scheduler I was taking my patronage elsewhere and could they please remove me from their list. Then got another call from the actual bad doc himself, all defensive and patronising yet again, and while he refused my offer of sending him a written statement about why I was not returning, he then informed me of what I was troubled about?!? (wrong guess entirely) and made disturbing/threatening statements about how since I was an OHP patient I would not be able to be seen in hospital if needed, and that (only) their office could make "special arrangements" to deal with that...

Basically, if you want to find out what my concerns are - be willing to listen to me. If you refuse to do that, and assume that you already know, then it is yet an additional example of NotPayingAttention. No one who is NotPayingAttention will be allowed anywhere near my body with a scalpel, thank you very much...

Great frustration with the system in general, that after waiting on a lottery for five years, finally managing to acquire the "prize" of joining the OHP system (for which I do pay monthly premiums), that said membership doesn't actually cover much save emergency room and some minimal preventative care (not to say that I am not grateful for even that much). It took a long time and a lot of struggle to arrange for a simple 16 minute surgery to prevent my hand from becoming completely dysfunctional and atrophied. And OHP only paid part of the cost. I do fear that further essential medical care will require even more strenuous self-advocacy to get the kind of basic care that those with insurance can access with relative ease.

there and back again

2011-09-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

A long planned adventure over the three day weekend was tiring but good. G and I went to September Crown, and ~~despite the location in an unshaded pasture~~, ~~despite qualms of my surgeon~~, ~~despite unrelentingly sunshiney and hot hot hot weather,~~ had a very pleasant event.
Was my first time back in over two years, and was very glad to find out that I have not become irrelevant in the interim. Was kind of a survey course of SCA weekend, with many delightful visual images in memory, the mounted warrior that rode down the pathway towards the eric, the torchlight on the Royal feast seen through gaps in the tent, our noble Majesties sitting under the canvas roof during the Laurel's meeting, the many circles of song and story in the starlight...

Was such a pleasure to see familiar faces once again, however briefly. Had the weather not been quite so extreme, there would have been, perhaps, less exhaustion. Am very grateful that G hitched up the wagon and brought the entire house to the event: having a roof, and screened cross ventilation, meant that I could hide in the shade during the worst of the heat. Having a real kitchen meant that we could feed not only ourselves, but also invite others to share a meal, and extend the noble virtue of Hospitality.

While it was frustrating to not be able to actually do anything at all, G did a splendid job of keeping me from overdoing it; time spent idle now will allow for all the more time spent active later.

be prepared

2011-09-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

...in which our plucky heroine discusses an option for securing shelf-storage

When first we moved to Acorn Cottage, to my great delight, just outside the tiny kitchen was a floor-to-ceiling pantry cupboard... but fortune was not such as to allow me that delight for long.

First came the initial plumbing failure flood, which necessitated cutting away the back of the pantry to access pipes buried in the wall. Then, months later, the rogue water from that flood rotted the floor, which gave Demolition Boy (cursed be he) a free hand with destroying the entire thing. (I still do not understand why taking out the floor entailed also removing the pantry and laundry cupboards and their ceilings!)

Ikea is my friend, 'specially the as-is room. A combination of GORM shelving and assorted anchoring hardware from Winks was turned into a sturdy replacement for the now defunct pantry. But for those of us who live on the Ring of Fire, possible earthshaking is never far from mind. I grew up for about half my childhood in LA, and have vivid memories of earthquakes, not to mention the results from the Nisqually quake more recently, when I was living in Olympia. Open shelving is not a secure home for what it contains, should the earth move.

pantry shelves, now with slotted railings

Having little in the way of ready dosh, adding solid doors to GORM, while perhaps ideal, was not a current option. Instead, several slatted shelves from as-is were cut in half, and attached with giant ball-bungee elastics from Harbor Freight, looped through the convenient adjustment holes in the uprights. This creates a kind of railing (to keep the pantry goods from falling off the front of the shelves to smash on the concrete floor below) while allowing relatively easy access. The sides and backs of GORM have been neatly wrapped in extra heavy-duty plastic mesh, stapled in place, which being indoors, will not suffer any UV degradation.

a closer view of a fastening bungee

The original pantry was much more "elegant" a structure, but making do with what comes to hand is a useful frame of mind to cultivate. 'Tis better, I think, to come up with a creative, if kludge-y workaround, than to not move forward. I feel much better knowing that my home-canned jam, and other pantry goods will stay put in the next quake, than if, in waiting for a "better" storage solution, everything was lost.

"perfect is the enemy of good"

̿ ̿ ̿̿'̿̿\̵͇̿̿\=[^_^]=/̵͇̿̿/'̿̿ ̿ ̿ ̿

dog is sniffing the air, calmer today

wishful Wednesday

2011-08-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

in which our plucky heroine is a clever, if a bit wistful, monkey...

Back in the days when I lived up in OlyWa, for years and years I had the most magnificent swap ever. On alternate weeks, my friend M would get her house cleaned, and on alternate weeks I'd get a massage. Did wonders for both of us, and as all good swaps, we each were happy with the results and felt that our efforts were well recompensed. I've tried a few times here in Portland to set up something similar, but for various reasons it has not really worked out. (yet... I'm not giving up hope of a future success)

I really miss the assistance working out the stresses that accumulate in odd corners, and after the debacle of last Friday, my lower legs are feeling the trauma. M, my calves miss your skill and strength; wishful I am that I could find a local person willing to swap skill for skill - I do lots of useful and lovely kinds of things, at least I do when both hands are functioning, which should return before too long...

Speaking of which, 'twas needful to wash some dishes here... and lefthand is not yet really up for the task. I figured out that if I didn't fill the dishpans too full, and if I balanced the oven rack over the washwater, I could get things washed with minimal use of lefthand. Is slow, and a bit awkward, but definitely doable...

̿ ̿ ̿̿'̿̿\̵͇̿̿\=[^_^]=/̵͇̿̿/'̿̿ ̿ ̿ ̿
dog is resting, has ears up

"Meat Monkey Blues"

2011-08-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

I know I have value
as precious as you,
but here on the table
that doesn't seem true.

The choices we're given
are damnably few;
Don't leave me here singing
the meat monkey blues...

You live as a doctor
and sworn to give care,
I live as an artist
with handicraft rare.

I lie on the table
with nethers stripped bare,
then treated so roughly
now does that seem fair?

The choices we're given
are damnably few,
Don't leave me here singing
the meat monkey blues...

Were our roles reversed sir,
your body in need,
respect would I offer
explaining each deed;

not touching you harshly,
uncaring you cry,
but thoughtful and careful
and do you know why?

The choices we're given
are damnably few,
I'd not leave you singing
the meat monkey blues.

For here on the table
or wide world around,
all beings are precious
wherever they're found.

Respect for each other
must never be lost,
when that is forsaken
we all bear the cost.

The choices we're given
are damnably few,
wish I was not singing
the meat monkey blues

The choices we're given
are damnably few,
don't leave me here singing
the meat monkey blues...

walkabout

2011-08-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Has been a week since my surgery and hand is doing really well.

Lost one of the two metal clippies that hold my outer bandage on. You'd think that it would be possible to purchase some spare clips (tried three different places), but nooooo, you are intended to simply purchase a new bandage when the clips get lost. Grrrrr..... (found my spare Ace bandages, and thereby could pry away one of the little metal clip gizmos that hold the bandage in place, so all is well again)

Went downtown today, various errands needed done, and there were all kinds of interesting things to see on my rambling-round:

woodland animal fountains downtown are a favorite

sad dog sculpture near a bus stop

Jamison Square Park is like a beach, but in the middle of the Pearl downtown. 'Tis a fountain which simulates a shallow tidal pool. (and on the other side is a bunch of sandy gravel) I took off my shoes and waded in the splashy water. Guess I'm not a real grown-up...

Empty windows and huge rusty shutters are on the edge between the sidewalk and a parking lot downtown. There were bioswale plantings between the buildings too...

The first acorns seen this year, fallen from sidewalk trees in the Pearl

Datura (do not eat) looks a lot like a Georgia O'Keefe flower. Is huge, like about as big as my outstretched hand and fingers together...

̿ ̿ ̿̿'̿̿\̵͇̿̿\=[^_^]=/̵͇̿̿/'̿̿ ̿ ̿ ̿

dog is resting, but on watch
(writing songs is a surprise, biting is easier)

Monday musings

2011-08-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

bounce bounce happy morning - woke up today and the sky is grey, which always makes me smile... looks like we are in for a few days of slightly cooler weather (sorry tomato geeks)

Called the insurance coordinating office. Called and left a message for my primary doctor. Both were glad to receive cogent written information* about the situation. Of course, that still leaves me now without any scheduled appointment to deal with the initial problem. And there I thought that I would be able to spend the time set aside for recovery from surgery to recover from surgery... Ha!!

There are lovely things in the yard here at Acorn Cottage. There are several good sized clusters of blossoms on the harlequin glorybower aka Clerodendrum trichotomum, which make my nose very happy. In the backyard, I've noticed that on the feral plum tree the young plums are starting to turn purple...

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

dog is writing doggerel - "Meat Monkey Blues"
do not piss off artists, you will suffer the consequences!

*a more detailed account of the incident is found here

stop now, rest and eat food

2011-08-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

in which our plucky heroine is cleared for solo flight, more or less, and Acorn Cottage returns to a more usual, albeit cleaner, more well-organised and more well-stocked status...

I have been very heartened by the many supportive comments on my last post; all your varied and knowledgeable viewpoints confirm my concerns as well as give me faith in my own judgment. I have written up a statement about the various events that took place during my examination and will be contacting my primary care doctor, as well as the insurance coordinating office to start the process of getting my referral transferred elsewhere. Whole lotta phonecalls tomorrow...

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

The chunk of the workroom directly opposite the pantry has been a depository for random junk for far too long. Sister was quite appalled, and with broom, dustpan, and the topical application of vast numbers of paper sacks, the area regained it's true function as my bike garage cum lumberyard. Much better! A trunkfull of recycling and debris left the premises...

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

dog is turning around and making a nest to sleep in the tall grass

upson downs

2011-08-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

in which our plucky heroine is certain that she is not a show pony, and is getting really tired of jumping through hoops and having the bar raised each time... I'll be good, can I please have my equanimity back now?

Handfix™ has been going really well, all signs seem positive so far for a smooth recovery. I'd be keeping my fingers crossed, (if that was possible) Last night we'd unwrapped the hand so as to allow for washing overly warm self in shower, and initial cleaning of palm-sutured area. Well that was dumb - would've been smart to make certain of Proper First Aid Supplies ahead of time. Bad Resiliency Ranger! Do have plenty of bandaids (and a modicum of the other b's) but somehow neglected to have gauze or papertape on hand. Will not make that error again.

Fortunately sister is Very Helpful, and ran to the late night drugstore for suitable supplies;

(and not only with running errands and cooking), but check this out --->
.
before . . . . . . . &. . . . . . . . after
she completely organised the pantry here at Acorn Cottage - aren't I a lucky girl!
(p.s. I did have some supervisory input into categories )
~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

The scarey doctor appt did generate some small amount of useful information, but the primary testing intended for that office visit proved painfully impossible to carry out. And now your somewhat less than intrepid heroine is just plumb terrified at the prospect of being put under general anaesthesia, to have yet more pokety-scrapety-inquiry done. Even a post doctor-visit lunch at the Chapel Pub failed to regenerate my equanimity; am home again, headed for another shower and maybe a nap...

~ ~ ~≈:::≈~ ~ ~

dog is spinning in circles and barking her gorram head off

plucky and austere

2011-08-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

home and all is well... doc said I was a real trooper... surgery time 16 minutes... no sedation, local only...

more writing later, dear friends, the lidocaine is starting to wear off

whee...

2011-08-23T02:00:00.000-07:00

In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors.

~ William Blake

in which our plucky heroine has an amazingly fun weekend - my inner 5 yr old had waaay too much fun: (insert child voice here)

I got to go for a motorcycle ride, and go really really fast, and wish J a happy birthday, and play with clay and draw with chalk, and go really really fast, and help cook pizza and eat pizza, and go really really fast, and spend bunches of time with G, and play with hot glass, and go on a trip to go hear loud fun music, and stay up really really late...

party people

a birthday gift

homemade sidewalk chalk

OwlDog and CatFish

fire in the oven

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and then have my sister come to visit!!

Earlier today we took a lovely drive, up the Old Hwy 30 to Vista House and Multnomah Falls.

of course, we walked up the pathway to the bridge across the falls...

Gigi looked up

and I looked down
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Now it is well after midnight, tomorrow is Handfix™ - not sleepy, and NEED to go to sleep and be rested for tomorrow. The good news is that sister and I prepped a mortal huge amount of food this afternoon and evening, which is now in the freezer in meal-sized portions for after she leaves. She is going to sleep now. I have tried two different things to wind down, and well, so not working... Next attempt - topical application of hot water. Wish me luck.

wishful Wednesday

2011-08-17T23:57:00.000-07:00

Look what I discovered growing under the redcurrant - 'tis purslane! Sounds odd, but one of the things that I intend is to have edible "weeds" growing here all scattered about, so as to increase the resilience of Acorn Cottage. Have not really yet begun the project, save by getting better at identifying edibility when found.

I do have some salad burnet that has seeded into the driveway cracks, but that is not one that I am particularly fond of; oh it tastes good, but the prickly-chokey texture of the leaves is not very appealing. (I'd welcome suggestions for other ways to eat that one)

I've heard good things about purslane, indeed, can buy various selections of it from gourmet mesclun seed dealers, but had never seen it on the hoof, or had a chance to try it up until now. So I did. Snapped off a few sprigs and ate them. Pleasant tasting, green flavored and mild, and is very high in omega-3s, vitamin A, and antioxidants. Will definitely encourage it to spread and propagate itself.

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Finished the Pelican enamel project that was the last current one on the list, and it has moved out with R & J to be carried to Sport of Kings this weekend. Feels odd to think about shutting down the workshop for a few months. Will definitely be doing some drawing in the intervening time.

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A corner of my standing workbench: a kitchen island (from Ikea As-Is, and hence exponentially less spendy), with a thick butcherblock top and solid 4x legs.Is hefty enough to stay put whatever I use it for, which is nice, since all the other workroom furnishings are much less stout, being, for the most part, made up of various other Ikea components, mostly Ivar shelving. I like having various workstations at different heights and in different corners of the room. Might be "less efficient" but it keeps my knees and back happy.

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All kinds of gifty bits in the last few days. My neighbor M brought me these lovely flowers. and a bag of assorted veggies, which have been a good addition to the weeks meals. And tonight D & N came by with lavender, home-cooked dinners, and a large container of cooked rice (now all neatly labeled and in the freezer) Truly I am surrounded by kindness. Getting through whatever lies ahead will be eased by the web of connection, and my wishful thought is to always appreciate it...

Tuesday thoughts

2011-08-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

Stepped outside last night to shut the henhouse door, and the moon was all bedecked with silken clouds. The branches of the feral plum tree reach up up up. Been thinking a lot about friends lost in time, or gone from this world... missing them, the two-legged and the four legged ones also. They have gone where I am not yet ready to follow. This world is full of beauty and precious joy, pay attention, open your eyes, do not waste this life!

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There is plenty of media coverage of things that are woeful and disturbing, but how rare it is to hear about things that counterbalance that. Whilst rambling round blogland, I ran across this, and wish that there was a news channel for all the goodness instead of all the badness. Am I the only person who is not an adrenaline junky?

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Rhubarb being chopped up for preserves, metalwork happening in the studio, tunes drifting through the cottage, and hen-talk in the yard. Life does not suck.

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The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.

People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep."

- Rumi
translated by Coleman Barks

how big is a peck?

2011-08-14T20:59:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I noticed that one of the Nardello pepper plants was looking a bit tipsy... this is why! Almost a pound of peppers hiding under the leafy bits. This plant gets a bit more sunlight than the other one in the same planter, and as a result, seems to be significantly more productive. Shall make a note of this when planning future garden beds. After further research, I come to find out that I should have left the peppers on the plant to turn red... oops! They will still taste good sauteed in some olive oil though.

Sunday snippets

2011-08-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

somehow, this cartoon seems to relate to the current situation here at Acorn Cottage...

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from Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology this week, also seemingly quite appropriate...

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

What images would be most helpful for you to fill your imagination up with? What scenes would heal and activate your subconscious mind, inspiring you in just the right ways? I invite you to make a list of at least five of these, and then visualize them often in the coming days. Here are a few possibilities to get you warmed up: peach trees filled with ripe fruit; the planet Jupiter as seen through a powerful telescope; a magnificent suspension bridge at dawn or dusk; a large chorus animatedly singing a song you love; the blissful face of a person you love.

Whether it's your time to ferment in the shadows or sing in the sun, fresh power to transform yourself is on the way. Life always delivers the creative energy you need to change into the new thing you must become.

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Last night in dreamland, the zombie bad guys were outside, in the street and under the windows. I wasn't alone though, and we had armament, and a plan. I thumped awake back into this world, in the middle of o-dark-thirty, as nightmares are wont to do, but was better than times past: scared (but not in terror confused about which world I live in), and comforted, to have an ally in dreamland. A drink of water later, and turning around a few times, I was able to drift back to sleep, and journey to a more peaceful part of the landscape...

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My kid sister is coming here to help me the first week after Handfix™; am thinking about a Saturday Crafternoon on the 27th (instead of the usual Sunday) That way folks could meet my sister and she could meet some of my friends. Not sure what kind of shape I will be in after the various kinds of medical-fu (hand and other stuff) scheduled for that week, but seeing my pals is always a cheerful thing.

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dog is dreaming - paws twitching and dream barking

looking around + in the freezer

2011-08-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

look up...

wooden watertowers atop downtown buildings

look down...

decorative grating on an underground carpark

look all around...

a veg-head in it's native habitat

look at all the blueberries in the kitchen!

part of the twelve pounds that came home yesterday
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I shall probably need to do some kitchen crafting eventually; sorting through the freezer today to make room for the additional berry goodness gave me some ideas... There are a lot of citrus peels, mostly lemon, so perhaps attempting limoncello might be a good idea. There are a number of bags of (chicken)bones, so cooking up broth will clear out some space. There are still some whole tomatoes, which could be turned into chili jam. And some of the blueberries will become Lavender Blue jam as well, if there is still a bit of homegrown lavender in the side yard, or if one of my friends has some sweet scented lavender to spare

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This comic just tickles me, because the person who saves the day is a girl
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A while back, this kawaii hanging dryer needed to come live here at Acorn Cottage. I mean, really, it is a cephalopod, and the one I found was even blue! It lives in the shower, and occasionally drys delicate things that need to not be in the sunlight. Yesterday I discovered that the clips can also be used to hold the shower sprayer overhead, thereby allowing the handheld shower gizmo to also be used as a hands-free shower, which will become important in a little while. I am happy to have discovered this.

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dog is running around and barking again; I cultivate equanimity

faradiddle

2011-08-12T23:03:00.000-07:00

Hot summer afternoon in a blueberry trance. A morning dove calls over and over as we wend our way up and down the rows of bushes, some with berries as thickly clustered as grapes and almost as large.

I'd set aside half of Friday for an adventure, and despite turning the day back to front and working in the nice cool morning hours, the berry picking was one of those iconic summertime activities, and now there are twelve pounds of blueberries that need to go in the freezer

dog is sleeping with one ear up, and a tummy full of blueberries

Thursday thoughts and tidbits

2011-08-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

Still life with plastic horse. The upper bit of artwork came from Crafty Wonderland a few years ago, and the lower one, only partially visible, is a collage that I made back in the 80's. Just visible in the upper left corner is the knitted octopus that hangs out in the bathroom. I think that I spent a few dollars on the magnetic test tube holders, there is one on the metal cabinets in the kitchen, and one on the side of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. A few flowers from the yard, or from the alleyway, add so much simple delight to my day, when they are in a place often seen.

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Went to Costco this week; cheddar cheese had been a popular snack last week. In two weeks the price has gone up a dollar. Seems like prices are increasing a bit more exponentially than in the last few months. Is anyone else noticing this grocery trend, or is the fact that gasoline is not rising as fast obscuring it? When there are few if any luxuries left to cut, (and most folks would consider an auto necessary rather than luxury), when staple foodstuff cost rises from month to month, when already frugal living must shift to smaller amounts of everyday items, I just wonder, what further adaptation will be possible?

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Bad hen!! Speckledy jumped out of the henyard this afternoon, and decided that two of the nice bright red ripening low-hanging Akane apples were meant to be a chicken snack. Grrrrr!... those were not meant for hen-food, but for Fjorlief food. and they are not even ripe yet, alas.

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Okay, I am asking for recommendations for fun food cart pods, and/or for food carts that are particularly tasty. I prefer interesting flavors to huge portions, and am not a super-spicy food fanatic, though a bit of spice is certainly okay. The thing is, my kid sister is coming here for a week to help me the first week after Handfix™, and I hope to show her some of what makes Portland special...

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dog is napping, one ear up in case of danger, but for now, rest is possible...

wishful Wednesday

2011-08-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

I remember this flower from when I was a child, it grew rampant and lovely in Southern California. Found it again on a fence on the way to work, over in NE; is one of the "common Passionflowers" They fascinated me as a child, and I find them even more lovely now, might have to add them to the list of viney things I want to grow here...

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the dog is awake, her ears are up, and nose in the air to catch whatever is heading this way...

sometimes only a song in your heart keeps the blues away

There are many ways to be prepared: this is one way, and this is another; I figure that as long as my sense of humor is intact, all will sort itself out somehow. Would be great to have a better idea of what is happening, but this is, in fact, the uncertainty that is life.

And, in the interest of eating dessert first, G and I both found this sorbet to be astonishingly scrumptious. I am so not vegan, and usually not particularly fond of coconut, but this is an instance where the sum of the parts combines to form something far greater - a wonderfully rich and balanced treat with such complex subtle flavor from the seasoning spices. Then again, I am just completely and totally a saffron fool...

my wishful Wednesday is that the diagnostic process goes smoothly and with minimal trauma, and the results are ones conducive to a long and happy life

more wassup...

2011-08-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

in which our plucky heroine acknowledges that getting ducks in a row is at least as challenging as herding cats...

Handfix 2011 is set in place, and calm and helpful confidence abounds in that realm. There are plans, and arrangements made, and time/place reserved for said endeavor. (am delighted with the prospect of upcoming visit of Younger Sister to Acorn Cottage) All set about with uncertainty still is all the rest of the kaboodle further south, which is ~~yet~~ still undiagnosed and undealt with, and issuing forth yet more messages that something is not right.

Fortunately for my equanimity, a lovely and long visit from my dear one helped restore me to my more usual state of internal balance. My frantic panic of last week is eased by several days of delightful domesticity; I wonder if those for whom such is actually commonplace and daily appreciate it for the anodyne that it truly is.

While holding in mind the Metaphor of the Sleeping Dog, shall do my best to allow signs and signals to be an appropriate call to action ; Frank Herbert's "Litany Against Fear" * is an old friend from years ago that may also be a helpful touchstone.

I am a tough cookie, and most always pretty cheerful, with a life that makes sense, with more brightness and joy than ever I expected to have... I am not guessing at this time what I am supposed to learn from all this, am going to do my best to simply walk forward holding in open hands the growth and knowledge and heart that I have been working on all these years

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a bioregional brunch: scrambled eggs from backyard hens, toast from the local grocery bread case, (with Tillamook butter and homemade quince jelly from some gifted Sellwood quince), and the most delectable smoked salmon fishcakes (Alaska canned salmon mixed with local Puget Sound home-smoked salmon, another gift)

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between the sidewalk and the sky is a whole world, filled with the dappled sunlight of a summer day, and promising a future harvest; look up, and up, and up some more; you are looking into the land where bay-nuts are born...

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*I first read Dune when I was rising thirteen, chose it off the library shelves on account of it being thick enough to give me more than a day of reading...

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain

Tuesday tidbits

2011-08-02T12:14:00.001-07:00

Thanking all out there for the zen hugs and kind wishes, it helps a lot, and while I am not yet out of the woods, I carried all of you in my heart whilst negotiating the land of diagnostics today. (and thanks to S ... my next chicken in going to be named "Fuster"!)

there are folks out there that hold me in their thoughts, as I hold folks in mine, there is a web that holds us all...

I know something. . . I know we're all One.
I know it so well that if I'm falling out of a tree,
I know we're all One before I hit the ground.
I'm not going to forget it; I can't give it up.
~ Stephen Gaskin

Goodness and lovingkindness shall follow me all my days. I try my best to notice this everyday; what I call my "count yr blessings" is really a discipline of shifting focus, and vital to my well-being. All betroubled in mind and awake far before my norm, I hopped aboard the bus this morning having entirely forgotten the month-change, and holding only the July bus pass. Whoops! ... I was lucky: the driver was one of the kindhearted ones, and not only let me stay on the bus, but gave me a whole day transfer so I could get to the hospital and back, and to where I could buy a pass for August. later that day..

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Awake early enough to see the golden light just after dawn, and clinging to the backyard fireweed was a bumblebee still sleeping. So similar to the soft light of evening, and at this time of year, probably the most pleasant time of day, with cool air and the sun not yet over the urban tree edges.

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I counted the apples on the baby Akane: there are a full dozen. While several have scars where a jay may have pecked earlier in the year, there is enough fruit for almost a month of breakfasts, or for one whole pie. If I'd thinned the apples more when they were young, the individual fruit might be larger, but these are already "lunchbox-size" and starting to turn color...

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this is a nifty chicken feeder, might want to build this - looks do-able

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On the wall next to my computer is an exquisite 2011 calendar, of papercut designs by Ryo Takagi... August is all about getting through the dog days and keeping a weather eye out on the goal in the distance, the light of safe harbor...

no way round but through

2011-08-01T01:16:00.000-07:00

Hot sunny weather just wipes me out, and while I realise that there has been well more than my share of wonderful cool grey days this summer, when I look at today's tenday forecast and see ten little round yellow sun glyphs, with ten little "chance of rain 0%" it just makes me want to curl up and hide. Of course, that is not an option. The plants here at Acorn Cottage need watered, the kale and chard, the currants and the fig trees - everything that lives in planter-pots needs attention in the hot sunshine.

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Getting ducks in a row is at least as challenging as herding cats... not done yet. This week is all about moving towards completion on various studio and sewing room projects, continuing to deal with paperwork hoops, notifying clients about upcoming changes, and carefully avoiding midday sunshine. Current is moving quicker now, swinging round towards a necessary transformation, and will be needful for focus to shift somewhat more internal for a time. Is a lot for me to manage in the next few weeks, so, there will be no Crafternoon this month (sorry).

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a bit of heartfelt joyful noise, to brighten the day

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There is a pathway, with luck to a more functional reality. (that is always the hope) I want both my hands to have full use and strength, to be able to create in media: textile and metal and glass, to be able to ride my bicycle and not be in pain. No way around this but through... so must needs be a good strong little wolf-eyed girl and while no longer young, must still with determination take care of what needs doing, so as to allow healing for what needs to be healed...

help-less-ly hoping

2011-07-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

Is moving forward on having surgery to fix my left hand... date not confirmed, but likely within a few weeks. While most tasks and care can be managed with one hand, albeit with difficulty, am not sure how best to arrange for the simple assistance that will be needed for the few basic tasks that do require two hands, (such as hair grooming/braiding etc) for at least the first week or two. This is, in some ways, more stressful than the actual operation. The helpful teenage girl of eighteen years ago is no longer available, as she is now the young mother of a toddler...