Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine reads and naps, and does chores, and cogitates...

Today I washed the grids and cleaned the blades of the box fans, and remembered that after three weeks of taking my allergy meds, the pollen should no longer be incapacitating. I've not needed it in the summer before, but usually have managed to keep the backyard less of a jungle. So, start the meds now, and make a note in the bujo for next year about being better about yardwork once the grass starts.

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Read two different post-change books this week. Ariadne had recommended Station Eleven, and though I can only sometimes bear to read post-viral post-apocalyptic tales, this one was richly told and well worth reading.  Libby links from that novel led to Arboreality, set in a future Vancouver Island. I'll be recommending that one back to her the next time we chat.

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Doing a rolled hem on the black cotton voile headscarf is even more tedious than on the white one, since it is more difficult to see clearly, might be worth adding an extra lamp while working on this one. Am about a quarter of the way done, probably by the end of next week it will be ready for blockprinted decoration. If it didn't make such a significant difference in appearance (to me) I would machine hem them.  Current plan is for opaque white printing of 5th god motifs on the black scarf, and the white scarf will be overdyed first with either pale brown or pale blue, and I'll revisit the breeze block print design in chocolate brown printing.

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Whoops I forgot that B&K were getting ready to leave for Junefaire and therefore no video chat this morning. Zoomed home from the launderette (shrink-drying the new rayon batik fabric) only to look at the crossed out note on my calendar. Sigh... Multiple nightmares last night so didn't manage to get up early enough for yardwork, shall have to check on temperatures in the crepuscular evening and maybe get some done then? (early evening note: 90°F/32°C at 6pm on the front porch, so no yardwork tonight, it won't be cool enough until it is too dark for yardwork)

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Unearthed the missing utility bill hiding under origami paper?! Since today the post office is closed for Juneteenth, tomorrow's chores will include taking all the bills to the post office and then the library as a treat.

Several of my holds are in, including the Alice Starmore book of Aran knitting. It seems contrary to think about knitting this time of year heading into even hotter weather, but planning a future textured cardigan for later in the year is on my mind. Between Knitting In The Old Way, several Elizabeth Zimmerman books, Norah Gaughn's book of textured patterns, and what I hope to harvest from Alice Starmore, it might be possible to assemble my favorite parts of Aran style knitting into a future cardigan. I mostly knit colorwork, but greatly admire the textured knits my dear friend Ariadne makes for her family. I've been perusing Ravelry and tagging my favorites in that genre to gather ideas about what best pleases me...

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	add under elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	white scarf hem	recycle bin
4	enamels for John	add more elastics	greenwaste bin
5	tie-dye pillowcases	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- ebooks 
- the scent of linden, and of summer jasmine
- remembering that I still have friends

Time of Isolation - Day 2170

throwback Thursday and Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine remembers the past...

It is an ongoing challenge to remain in some sort of balance, but can do no less than make the attempt. Ten years ago had recently returned from Egils, where I'd both taught a simple leatherwork project and enjoyed the opportunity to take a workshop from Jarl Sir Styrkarr on a beautiful esoteric metalworking skill (Damasquinado de Oro - applying precious metal foil to steel, to create decorative motifs), and basically spend the long weekend camping with friends as had been happening for almost 20 years. The last time I camped was in June 2019, in July 2019 instead of more camping, there was a trip to the ER the day before and an unexpected appendectomy.

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~ incremental progress ~

Now that carving the lino block for the border of the dancing rats and crows is complete, I am starting on the design of the square corner block with the sigil of the 5th god. I found another scrap of the thin plywood that works so well to back the linoleum, and have glued it down and left to dry overnight under weights. I will cut away the extra backing and can start on the carving once the glue is dry . Eventually the plan is for a border around the edges of a new square cotton lawn headscarf; it will also take time to hand stitch tiny rolled hems on the fabric prior to printing.

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Thursday was warmer than yesterday, but not so hot that being outdoors was unbearable. I managed to get a good chunk of the backyard apple tree thinned, as well as a small amount of the water sprouts cut back, and a tiny amount of the beyond shaggy grass hacked off (enough to get to the apple tree) This time I remembered to wear my P100, so am not going to spend the rest of the day sneezing compulsively! Maybe it could be possible to find someone to mow "the back 40" for me, since my neglect has made it almost beyond the capability of my string trimmer.

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The leafy batik popover dress project remains problematic, it looks dowdy and hangs crookedly despite my effort yesterday recutting and re-sewing the bodice. Feels a bit like a sunk cost at this point, as I lack any suitable fabric to do more alterations... Very sad as that "Lake-Gardenista" batik colorway is lovely but out of stock. I shall put the whole thing aside for now awaiting further inspiration... 

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Always another missing item... now the box full of tiny origami boxes for future Advent Swap treats is missing, along with "The 31 Owls"... Doesn't that sound like the title to a YA mystery novel! My long range goal is to have the house tidy enough that things don't get misplaced. Of course, that has been my goal for years now. With luck and effort, might be possible to get there in this lifetime, or at least to find the box of owls before the end of this year!!

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- getting most of the apples thinned before wheelie bin day
- Muji pill container
- cooler weather

Time of Isolation - Day 2156

Third time is the charm

in which our plucky heroine makes further progress...

The curse is broken, the project that stymied my mojo has now been completed successfully. Dare I imagine that the impetus for more creative endeavors with metal and enamel may be stirring? Stay tuned... I suspect that next will be a few limoges style enameling projects, as that is the best option for Really Tiny tidbits of regalia.

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~ almost finished ~

This morning the base plate for this tiny 1" x 1½" heraldic brooch was in the pickle pot after the final soldering had been completed. The handwork that remains is all assembly. The bezel plate will be riveted to the base, the enamel will be set, the entire brooch polished a second time, and lastly the pin attached to the brooch hinge on the back, and the pearls attached to their cup settings...

~ and, finally done... ~

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Of course nothing else of note was finished today, the laundry is still on the line, and no dishes were washed or yardwork done, but given how long it has been since the beginning of the brooch project, that is a small price to pay. I did however make some really yummy chicken and bok choi stir fry for an early dinner when it got to be around 4pm and my tummy reminded me that there had been no lunch. 

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I finished carving the 5th god dancing crows and rats printing block over the weekend. It is intended as a border print, and also possibly for a scarf edging print, though for that use it will also be necessary to create a square corner block, perhaps with the sigil of the two hands and the motto "No Hands But Ours", and also for me to put a rolled hem on at least one of the squares of cotton lawn. Doing those hems may be my next bit of pickup work, being eminently suitable for not just working while in zoom meetings but also for stitching while on transit, (block carving is definitely not transit friendly).

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	-	-
2	5th god lino block	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- tricksy tiny brooch is finished
- did not run out of either propane or patience
- 5th god lino block finished

Time of Isolation - Day 2152

weekend whimsy and whatnot

in which our plucky heroine determinedly focuses...

The ramp up to eventing season is leaving me wistful. It feels like a whole lifetime would have to arise again for those good times to be possible, but wonderful that they ever did occur is what I tell myself.

Once every two months or so, a booklet of once a week coupons from the grocery store arrives in my mailbox. Mostly not much use, for things I never buy, so the whole booklet is recycled. The coupon for this week, though, was for a pound of ground pastured beef free with a 10$ purchase! Hence, there will be meatloaf tomorrow, mostly made into patties and plonked in the freezer for easy future dinners.

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~ homage to the 5th god ~

Almost all the lost things have been found, but my box-o-blox with some of my larger lino printing blocks is still missing... so re-carving will be the fastest way to have them either turn up again, or at the very least allow me to once again have this motif, I've begun. 

Bujold's "World of the 5 Gods" books are favorites of mine (and of a number of my friends) so a while back I carved a block with dancing rats and crows, inspired by a description of embroidered 5th god regalia decoration in one of the novellas. I wanted to use that block to embellish new pinafore, but discovered the block missing. So... have re-drawn the image, and begun carving anew. The lino I picked up from I've Been Framed is excellent, fresh and soft enough to carve easily. Am thinking that also drawing and carving a corner block with the "no hands but ours" motif would be a good addition, to help make a block printed border for a summertime kerchief, once at least one of the yard square pieces of cotton lawn gets a rolled hem.

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After making so many (5) boro baskets, it occurred to me that the same layered and stitched scrap technique would be a fun way to create a hat. However, after measuring my noggin, it turns out that there are no suitable objects inside the house that are the correct circumference. Kitchen canisters are too small, and the mixing bowls are much too large. Maybe one of the smaller plastic buckets used for yardwork  Maybe a plastic plant pot that was the right size?? OTOH, while checking out the buckets, found two different sizes of rounded square containers, which would be interesting to attempt...

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Yesterday, drilled a hole in the red paring knife handle, so as to allow it to hang up over the sink to dry. Mostly the over-sink hooks work well to dry cooking utensils like spatulas, slotted spoons, and colanders (the smallest cutting board just fits as well). All my other kitchen knives are carbon steel, so they get hand dried to avoid rust, but this Victorinox paring knife is stainless, but sharpens well and holds an edge. 

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The linen fabric pieces, which at first appeared to be black, instead daylight proves are a very dark blue. Which isn't bad, but still leaves me with only the black/white stripey patchwork fabric to make a pinafore from. That robust fabric, originally a gift from Luz Clara, would really be even better as a pair of overalls. Shall instead focus my garment sewing efforts on the other three colorways: brown, teal/turquoise, and possibly indigo/denim.

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Rosa sketch	Bad Smell gone	greenwaste bin
2	boro thread basket	dishrack tray	recycle bin
3	boro basket 2	paring knife	-
4	boro basket 3	-	-
5	boro baskets 4 & 5	-	-
6	sharpening box	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- tools and knowhow
- mailbox coupon that was actually useful
- lino from I've Been Framed is excellent quality
- Super Supportive

Time of Isolation - Day 2137

finally back...

in which our plucky heroine goes 16 day sans internet ...

It has been a challenging several weeks, with no interaction online other than what I can call up on the mobile phone. Despite my best attempts, "typing" on that tiny screen is not really feasible. So I could check my email, but not really respond, and posting here, which is one of my favorite hobbies, was right out! I did continue with my 100 day drawing project, but with no way until now to access and process images, it will take some time to play catch up taking the photos and sharing my sketches

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~ incremental progress ~

On Monday I desperately needed some dopamine, so finished sanding and drilling the pieces and attached (using wall anchors and long screws) the new clothing storage shelves to the corner of the bedroom wall adjacent to where all my shirts, dresses, and pinafores live. It is a very pleasing addition, highly functional.

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not sure where I read this Useful Hint, but as someone who embroiders on a regular frequent basis, I only just learned that there is a way to pull thread from a skein of DMC floss that removes it smoothly without tangles... The floss skeins have two bands around them with information, one is narrow and one is wide. There is a loose end of the skein at both, but if you pull from long end, you will have a happy experience (if you pull from the other end, you end up with an unholy mess) Given that I have been embroidering for over sixty-five years, living proof that an old dog can learn new tricks!

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We are still planning on sending out postcards of friendship as a non-romantic suedo-valentine activity. I keep thinking of more folks that it will brighten my day to send them a surprise. While some of my bay area pals plan on shipping me some cards and postage, I wanted to make use of the friendship valentine block I carved back in 2020, at the very end of the Before Times...It was fun to swirl and dab watercolors across the "art" side of postcard blanks, and once they were dry, the black ink showed up well and looked festive. I really like the Caligo Safe Wash relief ink. It prints well, doesn't dry out too fast when in use, but took only a few days to cure. All in all a better ink than Speedball IMHO

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After days of wrestling with Century Link's various departments of only rarely sometimes helpful but mostly not support and customer service lines, and spending more of my hours and hours on hold, it began to seem like being caught in sunk cost hell. The result being that the internet here is now being provided not via DSL (the phone line) but via "fiber"...found an option that was only ten dollars more per month, and promises faster data speeds and more reliability. Fingers crossed it isn't just hype, installed on Friday and is working well. Even better, since there was no need to mess with the phone lines, our land line is still functional.

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This morning I decided to head over to Ikea to buy a treat, not remembering that Saturday mornings are a prime shopping time. Fortunately I was there on a specific mission, not for "recreational shopping" , so was in the self checkout line as quickly as possible. Much to my surprise, there was a clerk offering folks free dark chocolate bars (full size large ones, not tiny samples; I guess it was Ikea's way of wishing everybody a sweet Valentines Day!

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	plaid flannel shirt	rice bags	greenwaste bin
2	23 postcards	INTERNET!!	recycle bin
3	-	-	greenwaste bin
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- finally back online
- free Ikea dark chocolate bar
- learned a way to smoothly remove floss from DMC skeins 

Time of Isolation - Day 2047

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine mends and makes do...

Finished the decorative refurbishment/mending of my beloved ChopShop cardigan yesterday evening. Given that it was created from pieces of old wool sweaters cut and pieced into a new form by my pal Karen, from time to time it has developed holes or parts of the hand stitchery come loose. I love it and wear it often when the weather turns cold. Most recently it wore through at the center front, where the back of the I-cord button loop rubbed against the body next to the placket.

Rather than sew on a patch centered at chest level, which would be an unfortunate focal point, I instead made a virtue of necessity and created an extended decorative motif running down each side of the center front adjacent to the placket which incidentally also covered the hole. I used some two color horizontally striped grosgrain ribbon, couched some handspun dark brown wool, and folded some of the wide twill tape into little triangle shapes that tucked behind the ribbon and yarn. Once the whole long pieces were appliqued in place, the final step was to add a bit of fern embroidery stitches on each of the triangles: darker brown on the tan and lighter blue on the navy, in a sort of counterchanged effect. The whole combination references "folk art" in a non-specific and urban fantasy sort of way, which is just right for my personal style. 

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~ proto kweepeergelei ~

Since yesterday was dry and clear, seemed like the best time to harvest the quinces... while not as much as last year, still twenty-four pounds is a hefty haul. Will take a bit of doing to convert these into shelf stable foodstuff, but in the meantime, the house smells wonderful!

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Eeeee! This Ursula LeGuin exhibition is close enough that I can bike there!

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Very much enjoyed the presentations from Block Printing Fest, as I was able to fit in watching a wide assortment of both project and interview based videos. "Studio Visit : Making Friday" video interview with Heather Moore was a treat, as I remember reading her blog many years ago:

"Skinny laMinx is the pattern-filled, colourful brand of Cape Town designer, Heather Moore. Heather retreats to her studio every Friday, where she plays with cut paper, stencils and block printing to come up with her fresh and delightful prints and patterns."

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My intention today had been to make the tarp gutter to span between the porch roof and the walkway roof, before the "atmospheric river" arrived. The rain is begun, and surely playing hob with the children's Halloween, but my gutter project is nowhere near finished. Placing screw hooks overhead on the rafters of an angled porch roof is more challenging than initially thought, particularly when they need to line up with the screw hooks that are more than a foot away and on a different axis. These are the sorts of challenges that tend to stop me in a paralytic way, which isn't useful. At this point, all the holes are drilled, all the screw hooks on the walkway side are in place, and most of the ones on the angled porch side are at least started (those being much more difficult to screw into their spots)

When it was obvious that the project wouldn't be completed, getting the part done that required the electric drill took priority, as our plucky heroine will not run outdoor power tools in the rain, much less clamber about on stepladder ditto. If I cannot find a tarp on hand that is at least 8 ft long, I will kludge the tarp aspect and overlap two smaller tarps like flexible shingles. My plan is to make a sort of gradual trapezoid shape with grommets on the edges to connect to the ceiling hooks and hold the tarp gutter at enough of a slant to guide the water out to the front yard. At least that is the concept. Which I have only been trying to figure out for years and why there are at least two boards on the porch that need replaced. Incremental progress is still progress.

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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	recycle bin
5	18 penny luck envelopes	leather scissors sheath	LFL books
6	10 holly&bells ornaments	chopshop cardigan mended	recycle bin
7	more penny luck envelopes	x	greenwaste bin
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- I bravely spoke to the appliance repair man in the shop near St Johns while I was out on my bike yesterday. He phoned me back with more information, once I was able to tell him the make and model number of my broken dryer. They can get parts, but given the age, the parts are hard to get and spendy; his advice was my money would be better put towards a new used dryer rather than an expensive service call. Food for thought.
- new chapter of Super Supportive to read today
- I learned about two new block printing techniques 

Time of Isolation - Day 1956

things of unexpected size and other tidbits

in which our plucky heroine takes advantage of a sunbreak...

Yesterday when speaking with Maeva about if the quince might be ripe, her advice was to go outside and have a good sniff, and if they were, that would make it clear! Sure enough, when the weather allowed earlier today, not only was it obvious even before immediate proximity, but one of the larger ones was on the ground next to the downspout. (Wondering if they were thinned early this year, as the ones on the tree now are so MUCH LARGER than any prior year) The one windfall quince weighed over 1½ pounds and is about the size of a baby's head. There will be much preserving this year.

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~ no bigger than my own wee paws ~

Time for a bit of exploration and adventure, an excursion to part of the city far from Acorn Cottage. PDX Dinorama had mentioned online a "tiny Little Free Library, and sure enough, it was so small, being only a bit taller than my (admittedly stumpy) hand length. And there was an assortment of very small blank books, one of which came home with me to eventually join the other volumes in the Shadowbox Library, once it acquires some content...

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Next week there will be three days of free ephemeral online presentations as part of  "Block Printing Fest 2025"... I'll definitely try and find time to view some, betwixt and between. 

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(whinges) Day four of medication. Less heartburn (which was not my main complaint), but throat "lump" sensation (which was) is, if anything, more bothersome, and appetite has not returned. Sigh. 

Further attempts but still the laptop doesn't know there is a printer. Deleting and reinstalling Photoshop did not give me a useable program, so now there is no image processing program either. Snapseed on my phone can do some image correction, but the photos remain too large in dimension and in data.

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Lovely alternating rams horn variation card weaving pattern, seen on FB's "suggested" and managed to track down. Has me wanting to set up a band loom of some kind again. The pattern is from Cerelle Woods, who says "Picks 1-16 repeated yield the band pictured. Picks 17-32 repeated will reverse the twist." There's S threading, which is when the thread comes through the holes from the back side of the tablet, and there's S slant, which is when the threaded tablet, when it's tensioned in the warp and viewed from above, has the same slant as the letter S (\). For Z threading the thread comes through the holes from the front of the tablet, and for Z slant, the warped tablet has the same slant as a Z (/). So! Depending on the weaver, S and Z can mean one thing OR its exact opposite. When I use S and Z, I'm referring to the threading, not the slant." 
If I try this, I will have to experiment to figure out if the threading shown in her diagram matches or is opposite from the Applesies and Fox Noses notation for threading, which is what I prefer.

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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	recycle bin
5	18 penny luck envelopes	leather scissors sheath	-
6	10 holly&bells ornaments	x	x
7	more penny luck envelopes	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- the scent of quince fruit
- having Mindy show up at Crafternoon
- found a free online utility to resize JPEG images (one of the several tasks that I'd normally use Photoshop for, sigh)

Time of Isolation - Day 1951

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine has multiple tasks...

and only manages to get some of them done, the easiest ones of course! More laundry, the entirety of Mt Dishmore, and filling all the now finished canning jar boxes. (There are still several dozen unboxed, of less uniform sizes, an inventory of which will be useful for planning additional storage)

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~ it's a start ~

This is going to become a Laurel wreath border, for printing fabric. The motif is inspired by, though not a direct copy of, the border on this 8th/9th C woven silk textile fragment. I'd already carved a confronted pair of horses block back in January 2016, when I was starting to get enthused about the idea of using block printing to evoke the complex woven silk of early eras... That block has always been intended for the central motif.

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One of the tasks on my list for today was to contact Dr E and ask what was happening with the bone density scan she suggested. Lo and behold, today the phone rang and it was the scanning receptionist, wanting to know if I was ready to schedule an appointment! We had a pleasant thorough chat to clarify what would happen and how to be properly prepared. My only question was about masking, and she was very encouraging, and said that a note would be placed on my chart so there would be no surprises. I will be most curious to find out what the results are, given that I am fairly active.

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The next sewing project will be turning the turquoise batik fabric, acquired last year, into the popover dress it was always intended to become. And incidentally, making a start on the teal/turquoise themed sewing plan... Do need to remember to not partially cut out pattern pieces without leaving self a note and a diagram about what was intended for the remaining yardage 

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 jar storage trays	tiger block	greenwaste bin
2	4 jar storage lids	bright rayon top width	recycle bin
3	-	indigotiger popover  hem extension	recycle bin
4	-	-	window AC
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- bone density scan is scheduled
- hiding indoors is a legitimate strategy when the thermometer on the porch shows triple digits
- I did buy enough of the rayon batik fabric last year to make the next popover dress

Time of Isolation - Day 1848

weekend whatnots

in which our plucky heroine gets turned around...

at least it felt like that waking up Saturday morning with vertigo. A new and different experience, that hopefully won't return. For no apparent obvious reason, upon arising for my usual everyday morning routine, the world seemed to be spinning towards the left, as if my head was the still center of a turntable. Very disconcerting, as it continued for some time (I went back to bed and shut my eyes, which toned down the effect) and had never happened to me before. Once it eased off, everyday life was able to resume, and fortunately it did not happen again the next day... weird, eh?

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Repaired the tiger block by using sharpie to mark the location the lino needed to be on the substrate, then mixing enough epoxy to adhere the entire loose tiger back into place. Let the whole thing sit overnight under heavy weights and it will hopefully remain in one piece going forward. Currently adding several additional layers of acrylic paint to the edges and back of the block, for further protection when cleaning ink after printing.

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While putting away some of Mt Washmore, uncovered the missing batik summer top that had been folded away inside the grey rayon top! If it is possible to eke out enough bits of fabric from various batik scraps, the top can be adjusted to have a better fit, just by adding a narrow strip to either side of the center front panel. Not sure why I'd cut the cap sleeves in such a peculiar way initially, probably something to do with how limited the fabric on hand had been, but my intention now is to alter the current garment to be a closer match to the ones that I prefer.

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~ a snare and a delusion ~

The potato growing experiment was a failure.... not in that they didn't grow, but that they were not yummy at all! They looked lovely, and definitely were freshly harvested. I was careful when tending the plants to make sure that the layers of garden soil were properly built up, indeed I had no idea there would actually be potatoes under there until I turned the pot upside down and rummaged about and found them. There was almost a pound of what appeared to be lovely "new potatoes"... I decided to simply steam them, then add a bit of melted butter and some fresh thyme. Much to my dismay, though they had skins that were thin and tender, and were cooked through, my first taste was unpleasantly and horribly bitter! I have no idea what went wrong, and the internet is not giving me any helpful advice.

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For the most part, my computer usage has been self taught in a totally random and haphazard way. While this has the advantage of not getting entangled in incomprehensible pedagogy, it also allow for unexpected and unknown gaps in what is common knowledge for other folks. A day I learn new (useful) things is a good day!

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	tiger block	greenwaste bin
2	-	-	recycle bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Mischa patiently explained a bit more about how to use "File Explorer" and PrtScn.
- there was just enough epoxy left to repair the tiger block
- today, while sunny in the afternoon, never got beastly hot
- found the missing sewing pattern in with the knitting patterns

Time of Isolation - Day 1840

baren and brayer

in which our plucky heroine creates a sort of carousel...

and also gradually making progress on various other fronts, remembering that it isn't insurmountable (even if it takes the rest of my life).

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~ baby bear's blue ink ~

The carved trapezoidal tiger block makes really attractive prints... and there are now 14 of them curing while pinned to the indoor drying rack, to stay out of the way until they get attached to the popover dress. The turquoise ink was too light, and the blue barely showed against the black fabric, so some of each mixed together was just right. 

My usual method of inking the block then turning it face down onto the fabric and hammering didn't work really well for some reason (maybe the ink I have is too old so not as "juicy"?), so instead I left the block inked and face upward, then carefully laid the individual fabric pieces in place and rubbed them with the baren. Got really clear images as seen in the photo. While this would not work well for yardage, for these individual patches it worked a charm.

Then, oddest of all, when I was cleaning off the block after printing, the entire carved linoleum peeled clean away from the substrate. The jute backing stayed attached to the lino, and there is a layer of very slightly sticky adhesive on the chipboard! In all my years of block printing this has never happened to me before, and there is almost no mention of this problem online, other than "don't soak lino blocks in water" which I was not doing!? I will need to figure out a solution, either to reglue, or to cut a new backing block from something... 

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"V-SEAT" replacement saddle for bike arrived today. After a fair amount of rude words and some WD-40 I was able to loosen the bolt that holds the seat to the seatpost, and it was not too difficult to remove the old one and attach the new. I do Very Much like how much more room I have between the saddle and the handlebars. Not sure that my personal sit bones match up well with the intended zone, but that will take a longer amount of time than just riding to the corner and back to suss out, at a time when it isn't the hottest part of the day. The silicone seat pad is grabby (they describe it as "non-slip"), compared to the smooth material that was my original bike seat, probably intended to help folks feel securely attached, but somewhat annoying me.  Edited to add: grabby silicone seat is a non-issue. Hardness of the seat is. I may want to make a slipcover with some additional padding...

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Twenty-one days of good luck, found two dimes and a penny in the street while I was riding my bike early today...

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Another bit of today's organising was to look through my sewing pattern box, to think about what gets used vs what is just stored there because of "someday might be useful/wanted... There is at least one older pattern totally missing, at least seven or eight that have never been made up, and four of my TNT patterns that will ideally be transferred to Costco cardboard whenever I get some more. 

The shirt pattern was missing any of the pattern pieces from the one time when it was modified to have a proper shirt cuff, so all of that information will need to be reconstructed. Fortunately I was able to find the excellent online tutorial that I followed when creating the tower sleeve placket. As it seemed like having it in hand when sewing another one would be useful, and as the computer is not anywhere near the sewing zone, my first thought was to carefully take notes and sketches of each of the very clear images. Then my pal Karen told me that using Ctrl-P would bring up an interface that would allow printing the blog post as if it were a document! Old dog new tricks... how in all these years did I never know this!! Now I have some Useful Pages that need a notebook to live in...

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in yard and garden news - since the potato experiment seemed to be ending, I tipped out the pot and found a number of smallish new potatoes under the plants, which turned out to be almost a pound. It wasn't a difficult project, other than making sure to keep it watered. They will make a tasty side dish. Also managed to do a bit more pruning just before wheelie bin day. Pruned a lot of watersprout growth from the apple tree, and cut back the worst of the grapevine, and removed the young grape bunches to prevent wasp incursion later in the summer. Thinking it might not be too late to try for putting up a jar of canned grape leaves for pantry storage. Hmmm...

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took a look at the items currently stored up for the Advent swap; things made bit by bit over the previous months, and surprisingly if only another twelve whatevers are found or made, there will be sixty-two items in the storage box (ie enough for two whole advent swap sets) It was so much fun last year when several folks decided to share additional sets so we could send gift swaps to friends who for various reasons couldn't join but who could still get to enjoy a month of dopamine joy...

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	-	greenwaste bin
2	-	-	recycle bin
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

today's gratitudes -
- managed to remove old bike seat and attach new one
- printed many tiger patches
- learned that Control-P exists
- current AQI is acceptable here, the sky is the correct color

Time of Isolation - Day 1838

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine has an overall better day...

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~ well begun ~

Given that the size of this block, at 6" x 8", is almost exponentially larger than my miniature book blocks, it is taking longer to carve. Particularly since my wrist is still sore from the weeks of wrangling my bicycle U-lock attempting to get it to unlock. Still, I think that the print will be fun, both to decorate the extended hemline on my indigo tiger popover dress, and it is just the right size to be a "patch" on a future pinafore pocket

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This morning, unlike last week, there was no problem connecting to the Kryptonite customer service, other than an ordinary amount of wait time. Even better, if all goes well they are shipping me a new U-lock! Not sure how long that will take, but it will be wonderful to be able to lock up my bike without worries and without needing to spend the rest of the day rubbing Voltaren anti-inflammation cream on my wrist.

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Am currently listening to the audiobook "The Book of Hope - A Survival Guide for Trying Times" by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams. I very much enjoy hearing books read by their authors, as this one is...Much food for thought, and have only listened to about 20% into the content so far.

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Raven scroll	6 prs Beth pants	recycle bin
2	black floral scarf	prune² Wanda plum	greenwaste bin
3	4 jars strawberry- rhubarb preserves	mulch peartrees	greenwaste bin
4	sunblock mitts	Eames top	greenwaste bin
5	catch tarp for porch	filter box legs	recycle bin
6	x	new house roof	x
7	x	defrost chest freezer	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- knowing that the rainbow snake bench was there made heading out to catch the bus much nicer. Being able to sit down in a shady spot is really nice compared to standing on the concrete sidewalk in the sun.
- being able to nap when tired
- Kryptonite is going to send me a new U-lock
- the 1:12 miniature display shelf (1¼" square) that Sam printed out for me arrived in the mailbox here today. I am eager to find Very Tiny things to decorate it with...

Time of Isolation - Day 1827

Trapezoidal tiger

in which our plucky heroine prepares...

Tomorrow is the start of the roof replacement. Today an assortment of roof things were delivered to the side of the driveway, and a porta-potty on a tiny trailer is now in residence next to the driveway ramp. I still need to rearrange the front porch, so as to have suitable space for cold drinks and salty snacks. After chatting with Mikki this afternoon, I decided that adding some homemade cookies into the offerings would be a good idea, so am making quince crisp bars, being right out of any other suitable frozen fruit.

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~ just a sketch ~

My indigo tiger popover dress is too short. There are several possible fabric options for adding a bit of length. The turquoise rayon that could work is really too bright, compared to the printed fabric. In the end, it will probably be the black silk noil skirt taken from the lace top dress; cut into many trapezoids in an attempt to fill in the hemline. Inspired by some gift wrap I saw, and by the dress fabric motifs, this recent sketch will be transfered to either lino or soft-cut rubber, carved, then block printed in teal on the black, to best echo the smaller more varied indigo tigers on the dress...

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"The River Has Roots" by Amal El-Mohtar... not sure where the recommendation came from, but the story evokes a classic ballad while remaining original, and the writing is beautifully complimented by truly lovely illustrations. It was a pleasant surprise that the audiobook also goes beyond the ordinary, with sound effects and singing interspersed with the reading in a way that feels right rather than excessive. I enjoyed them both.

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So tired right now, even though it is only a bit after 6pm, and much too hot  try and re-energise with a walk or a bike ride. Had a very hard time falling asleep last night, and then woke a bit before sunrise. The good part of such early rising was getting the fans going, and being able to do a small amount of yard chores before it was time to hop on my bike to the medical center for my annual physical. Dr E suggested a bone density baseline test, given my age. I was appalled to find out that I was shorter than I had been last year, which is common, but distressing. Still, older is better than the alternative, at least for now!

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Raven scroll	6 prs Beth pants	recycle bin
2	black floral scarf	prune² Wanda plum	greenwaste bin
3	4 jars strawberry- rhubarb preserves	mulch peartrees	greenwaste bin
4	sunblock mitts	Eames top	-
5	catch tarp for porch	filter box legs	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- it is 77°F in the living room, it is 100°F on the porch outside
- the audiobook of The River Has Roots has some delightful audio embellishment, sound effects and songs, in addition to the reading   
- I found the other folding table, hidden in plain sight in the workroom, the one that is about 2 ft by 4 ft. This will be very helpful tomorrow.

Time of Isolation - Day 1822

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine remembers that a hole is to dig...

Today, went and did outdoor/yard tasks first, once awake and before breakfast. There is much research that getting outdoor light into eyeballs first thing when starting the day is helpful for better sleep hygiene and sleep/wake cycle. Actually doing this has been an unrealised goal of mine for ages. It was less awful than expected, better for mental health than screen time and shall work on turning it into a daily habit.

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~ informative, not failure ~

The secondary concept for this project was as "a blue print on a yellow background", but the next proof (once carving and detailing the print block finished) was unsuccessful. My blue ink is translucent, I discovered, yielding green-on-yellow instead. While at first impression it felt like failure, further thought shifted to "what did I learn here"... a much healthier point of view. to find a place where the desire to try is stronger than the fear of failing

It is very much the maker experience that not everything attempted works out as initially hoped. I'd never used the blue ink before. Indeed, straight out of the tube it was more of a cyan color, and even with some violet ink mixed in, it didn't turn really blue. I shall need want to do more experimenting with both ink color mixtures and possibly a different brand of ink, but in the meantime, this print must needs remain instead as a counter-changed black and white design, as my initial concept called for.

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So what did our plucky heroine actually do in the yard and garden this morning: the biggest thing was to empty and move the large blue planters (made from a 55 gallon barrel cut into two halves). Dug out the weeds and dumped into compost, dug out the dirt and added to raised bed, then moved the planters away from where I want the FoT tree planted. I also picked up and stacked the random empty pots. And removed the entire temporary backyard clothesline so no one gets tangled in it. (I'm short, most folks less so) Finally I repotted the baby rhubarb into a larger and deeper pot, so it can continue to expand it's roots... eventual plan is to put it in the ground.

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As the tiny crock pot was busy turning the corned beef into dinner, I also cooked a batch of quince pieces on the simmer burner. Once those were well softened and turning pink, they were mashed to a rough puree, measured out in 1 cup increments and put in the freezer, ready to turn into several batches of fruit bread. The banana bread recipe from my childhood works just as well with other fruit puree, as I have made it with persimmon pulp and with various sorts of squash puree. Banana is so strongly flavored that it needs no additional spices, but most of the others get some form of poudre douce (usually cinnamon and nutmeg, those being my favorites, sometimes ginger, and never cloves, because I don't want food that makes my mouth numb)  ancestral banana bread recipe

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 dozen cookies	grey pinafore	art exchange
2	lino block carved	pruned marjoram	many dead weeds
3	tiny faux patchwork quilt	slipper soles	recycle bin
4	quince pie	bicycle derailleur	yard waste bin
5	multiple lino proofs	"a-y-a" replaced	recycle bin
6	x	worm bin bedding	recycle bin
7	x	cleaned hallway air grilles	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. two hours of body doubling via zoom this morning with Karen, and I was able to do the most currently vital admin tasks I have been putting off for months. It took less than an hour. 
2. past past me put a chunk of corned beef in the freezer; it is in the crock pot and destined for dinner tonight, along with yellow potatoes and green cabbage turned into colcannon.
3. sometime today the hole digging volunteer(s) obviously arrived and did their digging, as the spot for Future Persimmon now has a hole (with a flag next to it), instead of just bare ground with a flag

Time of Isolation - Day 1703

the banana bread recipe:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ cup dry milk + ⅓ cup water
(or ⅓ cup wet milk)
½ tsp salt
⅔ cup sugar
1 cup mashed banana
1 egg
1 teaspoon vinegar
⅓ cup melted butter
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan (or 2 mini loaf pans), lightly greased
bake at 350F for 50 to 60 minutes or until done

Preheat your oven.
Sift all the dry ingredients together (not nuts, though).
Mix all the moist ingredients together in a good size bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the moist all at once, and mix
Quickly mix in the nuts (once wet and dry are mixed, the sooner you get the batter into the pan into the oven, the lighter your bread will be.)
Fill the pan(s) and bake.
Begin testing as for cake at about 50 minutes.

Let cool before slicing, very important.

"Si moriturus es, morere plenus tortae"

in which our plucky heroine remembers the days of "if you are going to die, die full of pie"

and made another delicious and new to me dinner: cottage pie... The (slightly too dense) meatloaf leftover was chopped into dice, combined with a rich brown sauce well seasoned with onion and celery and herbs, and tucked under a covering of yellow Finn potatoes mashed together with Greek yogurt. Once baked to crisp the mash it was a homely savory treat!

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Second proof print of the current linocut block; the repaired lettering was totally successful... needs a bit more clean up around the outer edges of the block, to have it better fit the post card stock on hand, and might want to also try out adding color to the background, but I am calling this a success.

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Didn't get as much done in the yard today as originally hoped for, due to extra sleeping combined with extra extra rainy day. I did start moving the big pots in the back yard to make space for the Friends of Trees "dig a hole" crew, and will do more of that tomorrow irregardless of rain, since it needs to be done by Monday. (also found a good temporary pot for tiny rhubarb)

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Indoors today the first layer of paper mache on the wastebasket project was completed. Not entirely happy with the outcome, using corrugated cardboard as the substrate means that the appearance is NotFlat surface, but visibly ridged. Reminding self that it is only a wastebasket and not a precious object. Wondering about laminating on a layer of medium weight cardboard over the surface before adding more layers of paper. If there is some of the Costco cardboard still around... hmm...

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 dozen cookies	grey pinafore	art exchange
2	lino block carved	pruned marjoram	many dead weeds
3	tiny faux patchwork quilt	slipper soles	recycle bin
4	quince pie	bicycle derailleur	yard waste bin
5	-	"a-y-a" replaced	recycle bin
6	x	worm bin bedding	recycle bin
7	x	cleaned hallway air grilles	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. leftover poached quince made an easy addition to my morning museli cereal
2. Mud Bay zoom time
3. cottage pie for dinner, something I've never made before, but will definitely add to the repertoire

Time of Isolation - Day 1701

Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine wants the headache gone...

but despite that, a whole assortment of things happened today.

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~ repair ~

The wrongly carved letters were cut away (along with the "y" between them) all the way through the lino block. Then looked through my lino scraps for a piece that was perzactly the same thickness, and transferred that part of the design to the surface. Inked it very carefully before carving them, cutting the "a-y-a" out, and making sure everything fit together properly.

The last step tonight was cutting a backing of thin plywood, spreading wood glue over the surface, and aligning the lino/plywood sandwich with the repair in place before weighting it down to dry overnight... Tomorrow I will paint a few layers of acrylic paint over the plywood for water resistance, and then it will be ready to attempt printing proof number two!

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Last night I had a dreadful headache, so made sure of abundant hydration and went to bed early. Woke up still with a headache but not as bad? WTF? (usually a headache means I've a fever, but my temp is normal) It seemed to be intermittent, but quite persistent, so I gave up by midafternoon and tracked down a bottle of aspirin.

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"Botanically Unhinged Gardening" was the title of a pair of zoom meetings on Saturday. Sharon explained a new-to-me idea of stacking planting pots vertically to get more space; basically plant something in the upper pot, and cut away the bottom of that pot placing it into a lower one that is also filled with soil and compost - lots more root space without taking up more square footage. Brilliant!

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Started on the flooring for Caer Cardboard Art Gallery - gluing coffee stirrer sticks to a piece of black bristol board cut to the size of the floor. It isn't at all fast to do, but will look very good when finished. The larger wire cutters are just right for cutting bits to length. This project is doable handwork while zooming.

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 dozen cookies	grey pinafore	art exchange
2	lino block carved	pruned marjoram	many dead weeds
3	-	slipper soles	recycle bin
4	-	bicycle derailleur	yard waste bin
5	-	"a-y-a" replaced	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. aspirin - which can be swallowed without being tasted. I gave up after a day and a half and took one. It toned down the headache quite a lot.
2. Neighborhood has a new manga cafe, and a beautiful new pottery studio. I rode past them both yesterday.
3. the bundle of coffee stir sticks is finally being used

Time of Isolation - Day 1695

double dang

in which our plucky heroine notices an error...

~ oops! ~

Error fortunately reparable, with some changes to the block... Somehow the two letter "a"s in Maya were drawn in reverse, and carved in reverse, and I didn't notice it at all until this first proof printing tonight! My guess is that when the graphite transfer happened it was vague enough right there and I drew them in wrong way to at that point.

Anyhow, I do not need to recarve the entire block, thankfully! What I think I can do is to cut away each of the wrong letters, glue the carved block to a backing, cut two new small sections the size of the cutaway portions and carve the corrections into those, then glue them in place instead. I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't work, assuming the linoleum is of equivalent thickness. Still rather frustrating though.

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 dozen cookies	grey pinafore	art exchange
2	-	pruned marjoram	many dead weeds
3	-	slipper soles	recycle bin
4	-	bicycle derailleur	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
1. my bicycle is back home again, all rideable and shiftable, and it was a just right for riding day to pedal home on...
2. figured out a way to repair the block carving error
3. hoping that some ibuprofen or aspirin, some extra hydration, and going to bed early will deal with this dreadful headache. I am grateful that I have no other vital chores to do tonight, after I bring in today's laundry.
4. sunny and breezy day meant laundry mostly dry

Time of Isolation - Day 1694