I set aside the day in part to have fun with fermentation, since my first experiments were at least partially successful... There are now half a dozen pint jars sitting on the countertop: beet kvass, steamed carrots with ginger/garlic, red onion, bok choi stems, red cabbage/opal apple, and habanada peppers.
I am trying for a balance where I like the flavors and the texture, which is why I steamed the carrots. Our plucky heroine does not enjoy hard crunchy carrot sticks, even tangy and tasty ones, so I was glad to read in several places that one can ferment cooked or roasted vegetables, as long as a starter culture is added.
The brine I used today is 3T whey (strained from live culture yogurt) : 1C H20 : 1½t NaCl, which after talking with Maeva I was pleased she thought that sounded like a good one. She is far more experienced in the way of the ferment than I am
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~ grey above gold below ~
Today the sky is overcast grey, with impending rain probably arriving tomorrow. Still, an early bike ride to the grocery store has me passing the park, which is dotted with corbies on the side that isn't the dog park. Too early for the playground to be full of children, there is something about the gold leaves across the ground that just lifts my heart. I couldn't resist riding up to the xylophone and spending a minute just sending the plangent sounds out into the bright world.~ grey above gold below ~
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As of today we have 14 entries in the Advent Swap, so almost halfway there. The more entrants, the fewer "duplicates" in the assortments, but irregardless, everyone gets 31 treats. My mailbox and postie have been getting a workout in the last week. These bright spots have been a great antidote to the larger situation, and when I start to get all "why am I focusing on such a frivolous activity", I remember that joy and connection are actually radical actions to pursue in a world that tries hard to keep us all isolated and scared.
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fragments of this have been drifting through my head lately:
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fragments of this have been drifting through my head lately:
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T2FLAG (Tiny Temporary Free Little Art Gallery) as an idea, though I am not yet sure how to make it reality. It is too late in the year to attempt to make a concrete base*, as the overnight temperatures continue to be on the borderline, so I am wondering if there is some other way to anchor some sort of T2FLAG in the front yard. Maybe using garden stakes, or concrete blocks?? Food for thought anyway, as Kenya is very eager to be a gallery owner, and it occurs to me that festive ornaments would be a fun thing!
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November SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Halloween cushions | repot spider plants | recycle bin |
| 2 | applesauce | harvest persimmons | yard waste bin |
| 3 | cat head graphic | moar pruning | recycle bin |
| 4 | 6 jars to ferment | - | - |
| 5 | - | - | - |
| 6 | x | x | x |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. 14 folks so far in the Advent Swap.
2. got to see most of the Mud Bay crew on their way home, now with the addition of Calypso the large puppy, who was dyed "not a coyote" pink, and who is full of teenage puppy drama. (said puppy seems to be a GSD/husky cross, and was living with folks on a ten acre parcel, so she is also needing to get used to life on a leash, and assorted other "manners", but my northern friends are some of the most excellent folks I know for dogs.
3. an excellent zoom this afternoon about storing food, which I came away from both feeling like I have done some thoughtful things in the last 20 years, and also with several new to me ideas about options...
Time of Isolation - Day 1580
