axial tilt and all that...

in which our plucky heroine hangs on...
while we swing around the Sun towards lengthening daylight

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~ seasonal song ~

TIL that there is two degrees of separation between our plucky heroine and Cat Farber! The musician was one of the founding members of the Caer Lutris SCA household (along with three of my good friends) though she had left before I ever joined ...

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Finished all of line 5 on the resipei embroidery and begun line 6. There was a lot of time on zoom today, and embroidery is perfect handwork. Eventually this portion will be done and I will start on the other half: lines 1 - 4, and the ingredient list

Tomorrow I'll be back at working on the final two drawings for the 2026 calendar, and will check in at the copy store to find out what my printing options are; my timing was off yesterday, and I arrived after they were closed. I'm hoping for some resume weight stock in a warm Kraft paper color, or barring that, light cardstock. We shall see...

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"The Shortest Day", with the venerable words by Susan Cooper (first written for Christmas Revels in 1974) and with gorgeous illustrations by Carson Ellis, is my very favorite picture book...

"So the Shortest Day came and the year died 
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow‐white world Came people singing, dancing, 
To drive the dark away. 

They lighted candles in the winter trees; 
They hung their homes with evergreen; 
They burned beseeching fires all night long 
To keep the year alive. 

And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake 
They shouted, reveling. 
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them 
Echoing behind us ‐ listen! 

All the long echoes, sing the same delight, 
This Shortest Day, 
As promise wakens in the sleeping land: 
They carol, feast, give thanks, 
And dearly love their friends, 
And hope for peace. 

And so do we, here, now, 
This year and every year. 
Welcome Yule!"  

~ Susan Cooper

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Young friends coming to visit in person is a wonderful treat. That they had made gifts for me (and for all the tiny folk who live here) was extraordinary, and made this longtime birthday feel very special indeed. They made a miniature lighted tree, and a tiny rosebud brooch, a fancy apron for Almandine, a soft dog bed for Sequoia (though he also claimed the sparkly tiara) a palette of paints and an assortment of paint brushes no longer than ½", a garland of glittery origami stars almost taller than I am, a hand embroidered "Sign of Iron" from The Dark Is Rising, and a terrarium ornament with a mushroom cap lid. How I am worthy of all this generosity I don't know, but will accept with as much grace as I can. 

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pairs underwear	vegetable steamer legs	fridge science experiments
2	knitted shrew	shrew eyes	yard waste bin
3	1 pair undies	Gamma bucket lid	recycle bin
4	2 alphabeast  drawings	one page of the embroidery transfer	recycle bin
5	-	daypack mended	recycle bin
6	x	cleaned keyboard	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the younger Olympia friends, who brightened my birthday with an in-person visit and many many handmade gifts
- phone calls from family far away
- leftovers for dinner that were very tasty and meant I could spend my time being social and not cooking dinner

Time of Isolation - Day 2003

not quite finished

in which our plucky heroine feels right foolish...

...in the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do fashion. While I did create two extra sets of Advent Swap gifts so we could offer more "bonus boxes", I plumb forgot to make enough origami gift wrappings to go with. Can you guess what my fidget task during zoom online has been for the last several days?

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~ ask Vesta ~

Wondering if this is the same curious fruit that Vesta was describing last week, that she called "the strawberry tree"... and is (apparently, according to various foraging websites) edible.

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I started a batch of special no-cider vinegar Awesome Sauce for Ashe & Co, but in the time while I was waiting for it to thicken up, distraction got the better of me and it burned to the bottom of the pan, alas. The condiment was not salvageable, and the pan probably will be, with substantial effort.

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spending time yesterday and today sorting tiny gifts into the various boxes for the Advent Swap participants, doing my best to give everyone a good assortment. Then there will be a bit of additional paperwork (addressing the boxes, and making a list so as to be able to give folks their tracking numbers) to prepare for the several trips to the post office to send them on their way. The weather forecast looks as if the next three days will be my best opportunity to ride my bike there without getting soaked...

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Started knitting Claire Garland's tiny shrew. I tried my thinnest yarn, but did not want to knit something I would have to do the entire project under the magnifying glass, so moved up one weight to "light fingering", using my 4/0 needles (1.25mm), which give a gauge of 8st/in. My gauge math says that the finished shrew will be about 3 1/4" tall (thank you Karen for assistance with proportional percentages). Have some places where after reading through it I do not really understand the pattern, but there is a lot of knitting yet before I get to that part.

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This season is so fleeting, yet beautiful. The falling leaves twirl and touch my head in what feels like benediction. The ginkgo tree near the post office has laid down almost but not all of the bright leaves on the ground around the trunk, as if it just stepped out of a golden gown. And there ought to be a word for that very ephemeral pattern that fallen leaves create on the rain wet sidewalk, almost like shadows, that remains for a few days after the leaves themselves have blown away

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	clothespin bag	horse kerchief	greenwaste bin
2	5 jars pickled beets	more chopshop repair	recycle bin
3	1# hand weights	printer connection	-
4	a dozen owls	black knit slip	-
5	many jars of Awesome Sauce	15 origami giftwrap	-
6	24 more owls	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

yesterday's gratitudes -
- yarn tool swift will be a gift to me from Karen
- connected a bit online with dear Rois
- giant leek from farmers market made into ancient Roman lentil barley leek soup, for dinner
today's gratitudes -
- found missing checkbook and missing property tax paperwork
- my concern about peculiar bill from Walgreens was valid, the pharmacy manager said it was a scam, and he reported it. I also reported it to the FTC online this evening.
- found a lovely plant pot at the Goodwill store (two-toned "dark and milk chocolate marbled pottery, and just the right size) for my gifted amaryllis and it was even the "color of the day - 50% off", so only cost me $1.99! (Now I need to look up how to grow and care for amaryllis, our plucky heroine is not a particularly knowledgeable houseplant mother)

Time of Isolation - Day 1972

wishful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine is out and about before dawn...

...at 7am it is barely undarkening, and the eastern sky is as speckled with small clouds as the belly of a mackerel tabbycat. As the bus heads out across the industrial zone, there are moments when the almost rising sun creates streaks of vivid florescent orange light that silhouette distant landscape. Paying attention is always worthwhile.

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~ more wise words ~

This crossed my path this morning, while walking from the bus to the eye doctor's office, and definitely brightened my mood.

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Today started four more tiny acorn cap framed ornaments, and am in the middle of the six tiny star books... which will get me almost halfway to 23. The acorn cap frames are one of the quickest to make, but the limiting factor is having the right sort of acorn caps; it'd be helpful if I'd taken notes of where the various sorts are found. So far my ideas for the final 13 include maybe more of the tiny acorn cap aminitas, possibly some of the felt and button hearts that Ruthie suggested, or maybe the cave horses painted rocks. Who knows, some new inspiration may wend its way here...

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I so wish to be better at "changing the channel" (despite years of assorted practices)... When up and about, can always find an absorbing meditative task to move focus away from grim thoughts. But when lying in bed after putting the book back on the nightstand and turning off the light they come creeping back. Rather the grown-up version of the monsters under the bed. All those "why didn't I" and "what if" gremlins chase sleep away.

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 lunaria pod ornaments	wheelbarrow tire	greenwaste bin
2	5 more lunaria ornaments	cardigan cuffs	recycle bin
3	5 golden origami dragons	reattach wheel to wheelbarrow	recycle bin
4	5 mini amanitas	vegetable steamer leg replacement	-
5	18 penny luck envelopes	-	-
6	10 holly&bells ornaments	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- my left eye is, in the words of the opthamologist, as good as new. Yay!
- it isn't raining, and I've enough layers of flannel and wool that waiting for the bus is comfortable.
- glue stick is a clever invention
- fortunately, there are naps, when nighttime sleep is elusive..

Time of Isolation - Day 1949

so bright such delight wow

in which our plucky heroine appreciates autumn ...

and the last few days have been very autumnal indeed. Well mixed with cool grey mornings and crisp clear afternoons, the leaves turn colors and fill the edges of the streets. We will have a few more days like this, before rain.

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~ maple aflame ~

so difficult to capture the way these vivid maple leaves were glowing in the angled light of late afternoon... Fortunately I'm usually riding on the quiet side streets, since the color stopped me in my tracks.

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One of the three legs of my venerable vegetable steamer somehow fell apart. It appears to have been bent aside at an angle enough that the leg slipped through the attachment hole in the base of the steamer. The legs on this one are riveted in place, and so difficult to easily reattach. So, though my initial thought was to somehow make a replacement leg from wire, my second thought was the hardware store. Indeed, the bulk aisle of the local Ace Hardware had a modest but sufficient number of drawers of stainless steel bolts, screws, nuts and misc. While not perfect (the 1" bolt is about ⅛" too long) combining a bolt, a split lock washer, and the matching nut the steamer can now stand on three legs again, albeit a tad tilted. Fortunately that makes no difference at all to the items being steamed.

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Saw Dr Breeze today instead of my usual PCP. I'm glad that he took my concerns seriously, and said that he thought it was good I was not ignoring the issue(s). I am less than thrilled at the idea of going on prescription antacid for two weeks as an initial diagnostic, particularly with the many caveats attached to it, and also that some of the side effects are the very same symptoms I am concerned about. How would one know if it is effective in that case? Apparently there is a progression of testing, which echos the saying "when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras"

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Decided to go ahead with making five "star books" for the Advent Swap. It turns out that the metallic origami paper is tricksy to use for pages. There will certainly need to be instructions included along with the tiny book/ornament: "Open and unfold all the way, placing the book covers back to back. Tie the cords in a single overhand knot, then use the rest of the cord to hang the star book up as desired. Adjust the pages evenly distributed, with each side forming a five pointed star. To put away, reverse the process"

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 lunaria pod ornaments	wheelbarrow tire	greenwaste bin
2	5 more lunaria ornaments	cardigan cuffs	recycle bin
3	5 golden origami dragons	reattach wheel to wheelbarrow	recycle bin
4	5 mini amanitas	vegetable steamer leg replacement	-
5	18 penny luck envelopes	-	-
6	10 holly&bells ornaments	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- our local hardware store had what I needed in the bulk aisle
- had a nice long chat with my pal Wanda
- was able to see alternate doctor today, who took my concerns seriously.

Time of Isolation - Day 1948

problems vs predicaments

in which our plucky heroine found food for thought...

This essay is worth the time to read it.

'''...problems have SOLUTIONS and predicaments have outcomes - they are insoluble. So a situation that you can't get out of without miraculous levels of investment is a predicament. (...)That doesn't mean you can't do anything to help - the message of the problem vs. predicament narrative is that you need to understand what you are facing, so you can understand what you are trying to do."

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an installation - sparkling light art in the treetops... hard to see in the daylight, but surely even lovelier at night.

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Cricket stopped by this morning for a short porch visit. I'd not seen her in probably three years; I miss the days in the Before Times when we had adventures and crafting times together, but it was really good to actually see her. Then later this afternoon, Ursel came by. It was sunny enough by then that I had to dig out the porch curtains! And Gersvinda stopped in to pick up Ursel, and we got to see the new weaving/carving project she had just finished. Her brocaded tablet weaving is just exquisite

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~ very small ~

The heraldic lozenge enamel is complete, and ready for me to start the complicated work of building the setting. The entire enamel is about 1" in length, and the tiny cloisonne wire "eye glasses" motif is less than ¼"... Hopefully will be picked up Sunday after 12th Night.

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Finally had an idea for a DIY pot lid storage solution, which has been something much desired for years now. While some of the pot lids, the ones with looped handles, can simply be stored together with their pots or pans that hang on the forged iron pot rack, some of my gear has knobs instead of loops. The big storage challenge is that the kitchen here at Acorn Cottage is small, has little available wall space, and steel cabinets.  I've been haunting the internet looking for solutions on and off also for years, but the commercially available "products" are ugly, and the ones I've tried have significant drawbacks.

So... I saw a website where someone had made a shoe rack by offsetting a sturdy dowel just far enough from the wall to hold the toe end of shoes, and in a eureka moment, it occurred to me that would also work for pot lids. The solution for "no wall space" would be to attach the contraption to the door between the kitchen and the workroom. Now all I need to do is locate whatever framing is inside the edges of the hollow core door, do some cardboard mock-ups to get the measurements right, and decide how best to mount a dowel or dowels in place.

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blood orange marmalade	bike headlamp	yard waste bin
2	heraldic lozenge enamel	passport photo	recycle bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. three separate friends came for porch visits today!!
2. My designerly brain came up with an idea for how to DIY a better system for pot lid storage, a conundrum that has been irking me for years now
3. there were enough Kaffe Fassett scraps that I could cut out many brightly colored 1" squares, to piece a tiny rainbow to decorate a bag to hold the crayons I got for little Liam...

Time of Isolation - Day 1637

tragedy narrowly averted

in which our plucky heroine took quick action...

I've been processing all the pounds of quinces, putting the peeled chunks into the freezer and simmering cores and skins for "quince juice" for jelly. Which I was in the middle of finishing up tonight. Somehow, after filling and capping three jars, and putting them into the waterbath to be processed, I managed to overturn the remaining Very Hot (219°F/104°C) pan full of jelly onto my hand.

Fortunately I ignored the gooey mess pouring down the front of the stove and across the floor, and instead immediately stuck my hand under the cold water tap, and simply stood there running Very Cold water all across it. Probably for about fifteen minutes, as my hand became cold, then completely numb. So instead of what could have been a very bad scenario indeed, my hand looks only slightly sunburned.

I learned this trick as a young person when after I accidentally touched the tip of a hot soldering iron, and by instinct, immediately used cold running water and avoided a bad blister and was left with only some whitish patches on the very surface of my skin. The cold water needs to be running, as it most effectively draws the heat right out of the burned area

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~ November sunset ~

sometimes I am in the right place at the right time...

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Well that is a fun little treat, a Sidewalk Joy PDX miniature book template. I'm looking forward to putting it together (following the instructions here) to add to the Tansu Terrace book collection. Plus I found out that I can get color copies made at the UPS store for 65¢.

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~ "tragedy narrowly averted" ~

I was there that night, with Charlotte and Bob (it was, as I recall, a four hour drive each way)

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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	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	mailed advent boxes	recycle bin
6	quince jelly	long jane hems	x
7	x	renew worm bin	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I managed to get my hand under running cold water fast enough to ameliorate almost all the injury of Very Hot quince jelly - my hand looks very slightly sunburnt is all, and doesn't hurt.
2. I've been enjoying listening to fragments of the 10/31/80 Radio City Music Hall Grateful Dead concert. I remember the whole trip there and back again that night. It was a different world...
3. miniature Sidewalk Joy PDX book

Time of Isolation - Day 1596

Wednesday whatnots

in which our plucky heroine is determined to persist...

I intend to behave as if there is a future. This includes planting the flower bulbs and garlic starts that Acantha sent me, as future savor and future beauty are a thing to look forward to. This week in Anni's box of goodies for the Advent Swap, she included several paperwhite narcissus bulbs, which add sweetly scented indoor beauty in the dark season of the year. It has been a long time since I forced some indoors, but this year I will. There is a clever trick to keep them from getting all etiolated, which is to add a certain percentage of alcohol to the water they are grown in. I learned about that years ago, and it worked like a charm.

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~ turning ~

the colors of autumn... as the leaves fall and thoughts turn to preserving harvest bounty. There were pounds of quinces on the tree this year, which will become jelly, and membrillo (quince paste), and maybe a jar or two of quincemeat for holiday tartlets... I've collected some quince recipes and hints here in this blog post

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making great progress on the Advent Swap... two of the remaining three participants boxes are here, so only one is still in the postal system. I've addressed and stamped all of the outgoing boxes; my next step is the Grand Mix-n-Match, when all the gifties get redistributed... (then the boxes will be sealed up ready to take to the post office, but first I will probably take some photos...)

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This summer I attempted to grow a Juliet tomato plant, which is a favorite, but accidentally killed it by transplanting into a pot with no drainage (bad plant mother, no mini Roma tomato for you) Then I found an Oregon Spring start, which is small and very tasty, and figured to make an attempt even though it was already well into summer. I got three tomatoes by the end of the season, only partly turning from pure green to dull yellowish, but left on a cool windowsill, they have gradually ripened, and I have one left. Debating if I should eat it now, or save it till next week for Thanksgiving? I'd say that fresh tasty tomato in deep November is something to be grateful for!

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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	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. was a clear day, which meant several bike rides were possible, one to the grocery store in the morning, and one to the post office in the afternoon to get stamps for advent boxes.
2. speaking of which, we made it to 31 participants, if we count the doubles and the extra gift boxes, which do count!
3. the skein of Danish rainbow yarn intended to decorate my rainbow linen cowl scarf has made it across the great water, and is currently in a post office in Los Angeles
4. several homegrown tomatoes in November

Time of Isolation - Day 1591

Thursday throwbacks and other thoughts

in which our plucky heroine finds respite in action...

even if that action consists of a walk around the neighborhood, some pruning to try and fill the greenwaste wheelie bin, and several bike rides. When I was a girl, I often would sing as I rode my bicycle, but have not done so for many decades. On my final ride of the day, after dark, cycling combined with singing raised my mood as much as it tired my old legs out.

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~ bright against the dark ~

there is always beauty, somewhere... the trick is to be always paying attention. Just like there is always kindness and joy.

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back in November of 2018 I was decorating a linen cowl scarf with tassels... and have enjoyed wearing it ever since. When I made a rainbow linen cowl scarf, I couldn't figure out how to add edge detailing without buying far too much yarn. Recently I realised that the magic word was "marled" and after some online searching, I found this multicolor wool sock yarn:

(the three faces of a single skein)
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this has been a touchstone for many years, and will be as long as I am still in the bright world...

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Fifteen years ago I made my acorn and oak leaf winter hat, experimented with quince jelly, thought about making Danielle Barlow's Quince Marmalade, and was getting ready for the Dark Days Challenge...

Ten years ago it snowed on November 13th, and I decided that making "long janes" would be a good idea. Quinces were about to become good things for the pantry.

Five years ago I was working on a mixed fabric "cloud collar" knit top:

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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	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I cleverly saved the little carved sticks I used to make the tassels on my grey linen cowl, so will be able to make use of them when my rainbow yarn arrives which is intended to decorate my rainbow linen cowl... ("no such thing as too much rainbow")
2. had enough energy to partially prune the grapevine, and remove uppity plum starts from part of the yard.
3. decided to give my jars of lime curd to two of my neighbors as a surprise gift, which made me feel happy!

Time of Isolation - Day 1585

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine manages to get at least something accomplished...

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.

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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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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

* here is some information about using Quikrete to anchor posts

if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention...

in which our plucky heroine is sure that those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it...

This information is important: H5N1 Update: Vanity Fair Got It Right. The article mentioned in the update is here: Inside the Bungled Bird Flu Response, Where Profits Collide With Public Health

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the season is definitely turning... I headed out on a bike ride today under blue sky and puffy white clouds,yet before I made it all the way to St Johns I was riding under a dark sky and drenching rain. Needless to say, after sheltering under a handy awning for the initial cloudburst, I turned around for home...

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Later in the afternoon, prudently checking the NOAA website for the local forecast, it seemed safe to head out again, this time for the local art store. I'm just about ready to make the covers for my new miniature book, and needed some suitable cardboard or matboard, as I've already cannibalised most all the backs of whatever pads remain in the stationery drawer. Came home with some discontinued black mat board for the book covers, which also will make good backing for individual miniature prints and paintings for the Advent Swap

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~ a song for John Prine ~

Yesterday I had the rare experience of the algae-rhythms sending me something that sent me on a search for more, (instead of a search for the hide advert button)... Carsie Blanton a songwriter with a style and focus I actually enjoyed and was interested in. You can get a taste of some of her other offerings via Bandcamp

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~ look up ~

while we don't get the spectacular New England color here that I grew up with, isn't this something pretty??

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Checking on my small jars of lacto-fermentation, both appear to be making good progress after seven days... the carrot sticks are still very crunchy, but have a distinct tangy flavor, as do the beet cubes, and neither are unbearably salty. I carefully disinfected the utensils with boiling water before I stuck them into the jars. I am going to give both jars another week at least before putting them in the fridge and starting some new ones

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This post (by Jim Rosenthal) has information about making a tabletop size Corsi-Rosenthal box filter, that uses quiet computer fans instead of the large size box fan: Corsi-Rosenthal Box – Modular Mini – Small, Quiet and Effective

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Hmmm the stuffed cabbage turned out really tasty, but I think that it may be that savoy cabbage leaves are more tender than standard green cabbage? as these were a bit more "robust". Not tough, but not fork tender either. The filling was every bit as succulent as I remember though! This recipe leaves me with maybe ten more "me sized" meals at least, plus some very savory tomato sauce. I'm thinking that baking lasagna would be a good idea for tomorrow, using the zucchini in the fridge, and the sausage leftover from the stuffed cabbage...

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	ScribeTober 1	removed frost	yard waste bin
2	blue wolf enamel	prune persimmon	old light crap
3	shibori scarf	tidy walking onions	recycle bin
4	robin and holly acorn cap ornaments	string trim parking strip	yard waste bin
5	Kenya skirt	long jane waistband	recycle bin
6	pumpkin overalls	black winter slip	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. homemade frozen gyoza, for when I can't cope with cooking dinner (or for when I just want gyoza!)
2. sunbreaks, for shopping and laundry on the line time
3. central heating, warm wool clothing, and hot running water
4. made good use of some of the mutual aid head of cabbage and turned the outer leaves into wrappers for Italian Stuffed Cabbage... most of which will end up in the freezer for future meals. So yummy!

Time of Isolation - Day 1561

Wednesday whatnots

in which our plucky heroine has much on her mind...

Much of my spare brain activity currently consists of thinking about outdoor space and garden design, and putting various options into task and resource order. I've decided that I want the sidewalk edge of the front yard to be "semi-permeable". To have a partial barrier, but not as enclosed as a solid fence. What this might consist of (plantings? panels? open fencing? sculpture??) is not yet clear to me, but I much prefer the yards that have this effect of enclosure to those that are just flat grass. I suspect that over time I may develop a clearer concept overall and in more detail for the exterior aspect of Acorn Cottage, which will allow me to gradually make decisions and choices that will bring me more comfort and delight

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~ sky koi ~

Looking westward a few days ago, the vault of the sky is speckled and spangled with reflected sunlight. I wish I was a better photographer and could catch the nuances my human eyes see in the bright world.

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...sigh, I had been feeling somewhat better the last few days in the lower righthand quarter, and then somehow, after a pleasant midafternoon bike ride, it felt like all my clunky SI connections decided to go sideways back into the land of pain with a rattley-bang, for no particular reason, while I was sitting down writing some notes. Bodies are weird. Maybe they will find their way to a better alignment while I am sleeping?

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~ week 13 : cardigan ~

I knew as soon as I made the knitted skirt way back in week 1* that I was going to want a matching cardigan, so went ahead with Dawn Smith's Raglan Sleeved Cardigan for Tiny Rag Dolls pattern. Whatever top Opal wears with it, she always looks put together; if I ever figure out a tidy way to fasten a necklace, she needs some beads or pearls to go with... and shoes! (somehow her Birkenstocks just are not quite the right thing for this outfit)

Since out of all my tinyfolk, Opal started out with the least amount of clothes, I chose to really focus on creating a complete 13 piece wardrobe for her over the course of the 13 week challenge. I also made quite a number (not sure how many total) of "extra" garments for my own tiny rag dolls as well as for Kestrel's crew. I need to put together a mosaic photo of the mix-n-match as well as the whole wardrobe as a flat lay image...

*I don't like "straight" skirts, so I went with an A-line style instead

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I won the random prize drawing back in week 10, and as my TRD tinyfolk are much smaller than the AG mini dolls, Dawn offered to custom make me a crocheted top, in the color of my choice (from the colors she had available) I picked a pumpkin orange, which turned out to be a perfect match for the striped gored skirt, and the orange buttons she chose are just right. Plus, the button loops and buttons are functional!! How cool is that!! (I have someblack silk set aside to make Opal a long sleeve top to wear under the camisole, to keep her warm.)

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	a dozen tetras	porch valance	plum logs
2	tiny doll shorts	mask elastics	oldest pinafore
3	Almandine clothing	-	recycle bin
4	skirt for Opal	-	yard waste bin
5	cardigan for Opal	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I just plain love the sweet crocheted top that Dawn sent me as my prize for week 10. It matches the striped gored skirt perfectly, and has functional buttons and button loops!!
2. more tinyfolk treats from friends: a bag of miniature silverware, buttons and buckles, and a big packet of colorful fabric scraps to play with for wee clothing and tiny quilts...
3. the Moody Blues bed quilt got washed and hung on the clothesline to dry, so it has that wonderful line dried scent which makes going to bed just that much nicer.
4. I figured out that I can choose to work on the neverending dots scribal project when on non-critical zoom, which has had the result of moving that scroll incrementally closer to being done.

Time of Isolation - Day 1529

slip sliding away Thursday

in which our plucky heroine is still indoors...

Yesterday there were icicles all along the gutters, and on assorted foliage, and on my clothesline. The daytime temperature did rise above freezing, but that only made the outdoors more dangerous, with just a bit of water atop the ice that formed everywhere overnight. So discretion being the better part of valor, I went no further out the doors than to check the mailbox, and to empty the kitchen rubbish into the wheelie bin, moving very carefully, as the walkways I had earlier cleared of snow were now coated with ice.

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~ view from my window ~

In the narrow side yard that faces south, the Quinceling was planted just outside the living room window, for beauty all through the year, with white flowers in springtime and golden fruit to follow. Seeing the branches all traced in glittering ice, however, is an uncommon winter scene...

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I am attempting to bake panforte, a confection I have never made before, and indeed, never tasted before either... I think that my being in the house for three days stir crazy transmogrified into some experimental kitchen activity. It all started earlier this year with the bountiful produce from the Quinceling, which turned into those jars of homegrown candied quince chunks... then I found this recipe: Tartine's Panforte. Between that (which I made as a half-recipe, and deciding to also bake a mini fruitcake since the oven would be on anyway and I had the ingredients on hand... my poor kitchen has a dreadful case of Mt Dishmore!

(later Wednesday evening...) my panforte is a success, being solid, but soft enough to cut, and surprisingly not too sweet, despite being made from nuts and dried fruit held together with a honey-sugar mixture. I don't think one could eat very much of it at one time, but as a very small taste of rich and peculiarly spicy complexity, it is definitely good. I worried that cooking it in a rectangular pan would be a problem, but it seems to have turned out okay. I used the smallest of my set of pyrex pans, lined with parchment paper that had been buttered and dusted with cocoa, instead of a 5" springform pan.

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There was a damaged book of photography history in one of the little free librarys, which I took home to see what I could salvage. Found a few plates of Muybridge horse movement studies, and took one set to turn into a miniature book to add to the tinyworld library. "Galloping" Might make another one using the "Trotting" images.

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My plaid flannel slip is cut out ready to sew, and the cabbage* is being cut up into bias strips to bind the edges of the bodice and hemline, and if there is enough left, I will decorate the lower edge with another row of bias trim.

After measuring the dimensions of one of my older slips, and trying on the "tube" of the plaid fabric (after pre-shrinking but before cutting out the pattern pieces) it was obvious that the slip need not be gored for extra petticoat flare, but could be more or less a simple cylinder, as long as it had plenty of ease for wearing.

This made me really pleased, as there is a vintage white cotton top sheet on the resource shelf that has always been intended for a fancy slip; the upper edge is decorated with elaborate whitework stitchery that would make a charming hemline edge of a storybook style slip. I know what my next garment sewing for me project will be, providing the plaid slip turns out well and comfortable.

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Jedi obi sash	reinstall octopus	recycle bin
2	Jedi underlayer	hang candle lantern	-
3	2 tiny books	paint tiger frame	-
4	teal knit top	patch closet holes	-
5	green tiny hat	-	-
6	2 hats & 3 scarves	x	x
7	panforte	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's and yesterday's gratitudes -
1. Mom was more interactive than usual during our zoom call; she responded verbally once or twice to the conversation.
2. I was easily able to reschedule my medical appointment from tomorrow to mid February... staying safe when there is ice out there is an understandable reason
3. I call my panforte a success, it is solid, but soft enough to cut, and surprisingly not too sweet, despite being made from nuts and dried fruit held together with a honey-sugar mixture.
4. oh, I have a cooking thermometer 
5. I was inspired by my pal Ursel last night to order two small bare root native mock orange starts from the The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD) annual native plant sale. Listed as fragrant, good pollinator food, and not picky about location; I should be able to find a good spot or two for them. Good thing I did it last night, as they are already sold out tonight.
6. French toast for supper using the last one of the sourdough rolls

Time of Isolation - Day 1295

* "cabbage" is the collective noun for the scraps left after cutting out a garment

ephemera

in which our plucky heroine...

It is called "fall" for a reason, and the wind and rain do their best to be sure that we appreciate the bright beauty while it is visible. Now the sidewalks and gutters, and lawns are patchworked in brights and neutrals, while here and there the leaf shapes leave their temporary tattoos on the city concrete.

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~ they never last long ~

maple glows like flickering flames, tossing in the wind...

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Two more folks will be sending in their Advent of a Better Year swap contributions at the last minute. I may end up needing to go to the post office at the end of next week rather than the beginning. I am a bit soft hearted and don't want to tell these hopeful giftmakers they are too late.

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I shall never never ever go into Whole Foods ever again. Not that I normally shop there, but they were near the bus stop to get home. I just wanted to use the rest room before shopping which like most these days was locked, and the staff person I asked said they were no longer told the code, and to go to customer service...

"are you a customer?"... well I wanted to buy a few things and some take out food.. but needed the comfort station because long bus ride. No we can't give you the magic code number, even if you have a bio need right now, you need to first shop for groceries, then check out, then you can get the code off the receipt. (and wtf should you do with your already purchased food while returning to the back of the store). I was tempted to relieve my feelings right then in a very inappropriate way in front of the clerk (who was talking to me like I was about 2 years old), but decided that sharing their austere and unkind rudeness online would be better. Don't shop there!!

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 jars quince jelly	glove thumb re-knit	yard waste bin
2	tiny tiger stripe dress	persimmon pruning	recycle bin
3	Elphinore brooch	steamer basket	imperfect cold packs
4	-	shadowbox painted	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. the public library will get you through hard times, even if all you need is a bathroom!
2. people remain enthused about the Advent swap
3. hot running water, it never gets old, having lived without it

Time of Isolation - Day 1232

Monday meandering

in which our plucky heroine gets jab #1...

I never ever get tired of seeing the colors of the world, and this time of year is a delight, for whatever short time the wind and rain allow the leaves to remain...

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~ autumn paints the town red and yellow ~

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I finally managed to get my flu shot (the one for old people), without having to cross either river, or leave the quadrant... after two days of many hours of frustrating phone calls and abortive internet searches. All I needed was to do then this afternoon was go ride my bike for a few miles in the pouring rain and sit around in a grocery store filled with unmasked people for way too long. But a better choice than going to a different city or different state.

So very frustrating when places have zero inaccurate info online, and don't answer their phones, or have phone trees that go nowhere. I understand why getting actual info is a problem nowadays*. But all I want is to get properly vaccinated, and it really shouldn't be this gorram difficult. I remember back when if you needed a vaccination, you went to the doctor, or to the local medical clinic, which you could get an appointment to go do, which I guess is a side effect of being old enough to need the extra strong flu vaccine.

*we could be doing so many things in a way that was sensible and helpful for folks, but there is no financial incentive to do so... I mean, we could have excellent public transit, and we could have easy to access online data about where to get vaccinated, and we could have all manner of useful and humane function in our world. But inertia and profit are the two horses that pull the chariot to the hot place. Which is why we can't have nice things.

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~ knit wit ~

curious about the glove repair project from last month? This is the re-knit thumb... The 4/0 knitting needles (at .5mm) were thinner than the yarn needle used to weave in loose ends.

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 jars quince jelly	glove thumb re-knit	-
2	tiny tiger stripe dress	persimmon pruning	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. double blanched kale is significantly less bitter, and I used it in Kale Bulgar Feta Salad to great effect as part of tonight's dinner. Extra garnish along with the cilantro, and green onions was about a tablespoon or two of dried currants, which brings the salad up to a four flavor balance (sour, salty, savory, and just a tiny bit sweet)
2. the color of autumn leaves on a grey day
3. hot running water and a portable radiator to make the bathroom warm...

Time of Isolation - Day 1223

more upson downs

in which our plucky heroine flails about seeking bootstraps

I need to do better at sleep hygiene. When I don't get to bed at a suitable time, or if I eat food too late in the evening, it exacerbates my already not particularly helpful insomnia. Then if I need to get up early, for some reason (most commonly a medical appointment) I not only spend the day exhausted, but get all entangled in negative thoughts, which sets of an unfortunate downward spiral.

I woke up after nowhere near enough sleep all enmeshed in thoughts of failure. If this is my life now and going forward what is the worth of making any efforts. If as I believe the task of Making A Difference on the Great Scale is vital, then I have not made a success of my life, not by my own efforts, not through children, and no more through teaching. I do realise that this is only one of many perspectives, and on a better day, I view my life with different lenses. Today, however, was hard. And lonely.

I dragged myself through the morning routines and on the bus to my physical therapy appointment. When there, J pointed out to me that I could, on days when it was difficult to do the whole set of exercises all in one go, more simply do a few at a time, each hour or so when I was up and moving around, which never occurred to me. I do have more mobility than when I began this course of self-care, and want very much to continue in that direction. 

By the time I made it home, with a stop at the pharmacy to refill a prescription, I was ridiculously exhausted, and decided that napping was the better part of valor. I woke up three hours later in a much better frame of mind, able to remember the small ways I do make a mite of difference, fragments of assistance I have been able to render, and that even though I rarely see my dear ones it is obvious that I am surrounded by their lovingkindness.

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out and about:

I like autumn leaves almost as much as I like moss worlds. This one had to come home with me earlier today, that I found on my walk from the physical therapy office to the bus roundabout. Between the wind and the advanced season, there will not be many more fallen colorful remnants to bring home.

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Just before bedtime yesterday I was able to finish attaching the new LED undercabinet light fixture to the wooden support bracket, and place it above my kitchen sink. Huzzah!! It is probably at least two to three times brighter than what I had set up before. Of course, the new one will not serve as well as a "nightlight" in that space, but that is a different design problem; I can come up with a different solution for nighttime "safety" lighting.

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	skull collar #2	over sink light	recycle bin
2	baprons for Liam	-	-
3	8 jars strawberry rhubarb	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I can walk, I can stand, I can move comparatively freely about in my life. While I feel inconvenienced by the removal of bus shelters, and the austere decision to have fewer bus stops altogether, I can still use the system. I will continue to make my concerns of how these systemic decisions affect those who have less physical ability known to the authorities.
2. It was unexpected brightness to have a short conversation with a young man in the PT waiting line, who turned out to be learning garment sewing, a most unexpected activity for someone in that demographic. I was so happy to be able to give him the tip about starching fabric that is wiggly but also washable in order to make it easier to handle.
3. I am an excellent designer, good at thinking about how to adapt spaces using minimal resources. Bit by bit my home will continue to improve in function and beauty.

Time of Isolation - Day 1007