an interesting revelation

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

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

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

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

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~ what a mess ~

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

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

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

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

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adorable Totoro ongiri bento

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

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

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

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

Time of Isolation - Day 2110

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

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine embodies incremental progress...

which sometimes is expressed with multiple projects. Sewing for refurbishing my own wardrobe, and sewing pillow shams on commission. Finishing up some heraldic metalwork and enamel regalia orders. Planning to work in February on an abalone inlay horse brooch for Year of the Fire Horse (and meant to replace my beloved brooch that was lost) Adding knitwear storage shelves to the bedroom. Yes, I am polycraftual...

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~ slow and steady ~

The neckline of the flannel shirt is completed.The shoulder yoke lining is Liberty lawn, as is the bias binding that finishes the inner edge of the collar seam. The symmetry in this shirt front pleases me greatly, including the unintentional very fortuitous location of the plaid stripes in the button bands.

Once I made the button bands and attached them to the bias fronts of the shirt, my next step was to cut out a bias strip from the Liberty lawn long enough to finish the inner neck edge. It occurs to me that the way I sew my collars in place is not standard and rather peculiar. I don't know where I first got the idea but I have been finishing inner collar edges this way for quite a few years. Depending on what fabric is used for the bias strip it can either blend in or be an accent. I find it easier to get a result I like with this technique rather than the more common turned facing.

The one remaining "challenge" for this project is the next step, the tower placket. Last night I re-read the directions, and think that making a sample later today before tackling the actual sleeves is a very good idea. The notes for the placket suggest that once one is familiar with the process it goes very quickly. 

Yet to do: plackets, armscye seams, cuffs, side seams, waist seam (attaching peplum). Oh, and buttons and buttonholes. Need to decide which of the two sets of dark teal buttons is for the flannel shirt and which for the print blouse. Just might also prepare the peplum for the print blouse as well, while the serger is threaded with teal thread... 

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Throwback Thursday - one of my blog posts from January 2019, that still rings true today:

"Some friends and I were having an online discussion earlier today, about the inevitable planetary disaster that we are all in the middle of. My own ending comment was "I feel helpless to shift anything on a macro scale, and soaking in that feeling doesn't activate anything for me save a desire to die sooner. Instead, I do what I can to live lightly and thoughtfully, and bring tiny modicums of brightness and beauty where I am able. Will that turn around the train wreck we are living inside of... surely not. Will that help me to be able to lie down at the end of my life and say I did what I could, the best I could manage... hopefully just a bit."

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~ day 20 and 21 ~

This is one of my two favorite little ceramic cups. This one is unglazed red clay, with the decoration created by painting the background of the Laurel wreath design with the same black glaze that lines the cup. It was made by my pottery pals at Reannag Teine, and is often my choice for starting the day, as filled with homemade kombucha it is the right size for taking my vitamins.

I wear hats. Almost all the time, especially when outdoors. If it is sunny summertime, keeping the sun from my eyes and scalp, and if it is cold winter, keeping the sun from my eyes and keeping me warm. (well, and if it is raining, doing the obvious and keeping the water from my spex and off my head) 

This wide brimmed shape is my preference, and I have two almost identical, this dark denim hat, and one in some grey canvas that matches my chore jacket. They only differ in the assortment of brooches pinned to their hatbands, which offer a significant "canvas" for decorations, and an optional home for various small handwork projects. 

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This afternoon seemed like a good time to bike to the hardware store and see about picking up some shelf brackets, now that I've the appropriate shelving to create storage for my handknit pullovers and cardigans. Alas, their inventory has been sadly diminished in the last few years, and the only "intermediate" size of shelf brackets they have any more are fancy ones, not the basic (and therefore inexpensive) style. I shouldn't complain too much as at least there is still a hardware store within biking distance. Wishing I had checked the brackets at the lumberyard, or else thought to measure the board purchased; should have remembered that of course a 1 x 10 is not actually 10" wide (and hence my 10" shelf brackets overhang by about an inch) 

There may be some clever solution to this dilemma, will continue to give it some thought. As I began mulling over while riding my bike home, after dropping the bills at the post office and picking up two lemons to add to the blood oranges for marmalade making. The sun was going down, and the temperature dropping, when tapping on my helmet and sleeves was not rain, but tiny lumps of sleet! There hadn't been any such thing in the forecast for today...

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	final alphabeast drawing	painted mini tree	recycle bin
2	calendar master pages	new bin for  cedar shakes	orangeflower water
3	5+ jars fig mostarda	drawstring cords	large broken bin
4	page 2 resipei	workbench tidy	2 bags paper
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -  
- my neighbors bird feeders, in the side yard between our houses
- I rethreaded the serger with no difficulty, and reset the tension to a smoother result for the next sewing project. 
- an assortment of soup cubes in the freezer... today's choice was carrot coriander, along with some leftover lamb roast and some of the new kasha, it made a good dinner.

Time of Isolation - Day 2033

fragments and snippets

in which our plucky heroine accidentally sleeps in...

Somehow forgot to set the alarm clock last night, so slept in until well past time for our fortnightly sewing zoom. Which fortunately was still happening when I signed in, so I was able to see all the usual suspects as well as Glenda who just joined us. Always an inspiration to meet with friends online...

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~ day 12 and 13 ~
.

Two more tiny treats... yesterday was a very small painting of fish attached to a magnet, and today was a carved crystal bead in the shape of a turtle.

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Yesterday I rode my bike to the hardware store to use the $5 discount coupon to help pay for a food grade storage bucket. My recently acquired 10# bag of lentils will be happier stored more securely. As, like yesterday, today was another unseasonably dry warm day, this afternoon I headed out to TAP Plastics to get a Gamma lid for said new storage bucket. (Gamma lids are wonderful! They are a two-piece secure mostly airtight lid for 3½ or 5 gallon buckets. The outer ring snaps into place, and the inner disc is threaded and easy to spin open and closed) I am tempted to invest in a number of bucket and lid combinations for water storage, as it would be eversomuch easier to deal with than other suggested options...

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I really want to turn Kestrel's kid art: "resipei for straberie ice cubs" into an embroidered panel to hang in the kitchen here at Acorn Cottage, which requires my transferring both 8½  x 11" pages of drawings onto the fabric.  A bit large for me to tape to a window and trace. It was possible long ago to buy a transfer pencil that let you draw on the reverse side and iron your motif(s) on fabric, but no one local has that particular writing implement. Then I remembered that several years ago, when sewing my quarter circle Viking banner, I did some sort of DIY blue transfer ink  made from sugar syrup and paste food coloring. Given that was a successful solution, my intention is to do it again, and take notes for future reference. Always useful to have an alternative option that does not require purchasing additional supplies!

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I didn't write this essay, but it makes some very important points and is worth reading...

" In the United States, the problem is not that people cannot read. It is that fewer and fewer people can remain with what they are reading long enough to understand it. We live inside words. Contracts, portals, policies, emails, headlines, warnings. And yet comprehension is slipping through our fingers. The nation that insists it runs on information is quietly losing the ability to sit with meaning.

America continues to reassure itself with a comforting statistic. By the most permissive definition, adult literacy in the United States exceeds 99 percent. That number measures the ability to read and write a simple sentence. It does not measure whether someone can understand a lease, a medical consent form, a ballot initiative, or an economic argument. When literacy is measured as functional literacy, the ability to use written language to navigate modern life, the picture darkens. Roughly 130 million American adults read below a sixth grade level. About one in five struggles so significantly that reading becomes an obstacle rather than a tool.

Federal assessments confirm that this is not a marginal issue. Nearly 28 percent of American adults perform at the lowest levels of literacy proficiency, meaning they have difficulty locating basic information in short texts. Even more unsettling, average adult literacy scores declined sharply between 2017 and 2023. This is not stagnation. It is regression.

This decline shows itself in small, dispiriting ways. I see it every time I publish a long form essay. Readers often engage with the first few sentences and then stop. Some comment that the piece is too long. Others argue passionately against claims I never made. The conversation detaches from the text almost immediately, as if the act of sustained reading itself has become too heavy to carry. What follows is not debate, but projection.

One example lingers because it was so clean. I wrote about a CNBC economic interview in which McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski described declining traffic among lower and lower middle income consumers. His point was stark. People under financial pressure were eating out less, even at fast food restaurants built on affordability. He framed it as evidence of a two tier economy. The essay did not argue about whether fast food was a good deal. It examined what it means when people who once relied on it no longer can. Yet many responses angrily rebutted a value argument that never appeared. The text itself went largely unread.

This is not a failure of manners. It is a failure of reading. It reflects the erosion of deep reading, the ability to follow an argument across paragraphs, hold context, and distinguish between what is written and what is assumed. When readers cannot do this, public discourse becomes hollow. Arguments float free of evidence. Meaning collapses into vibes.

The educational pipeline offers little comfort. Reading scores among American students have fallen to their lowest levels in decades. By the end of high school, fewer than one third of students meet proficiency benchmarks. These declines began long before the pandemic and continued through it. The damage was already done. COVID merely exposed it.

Literacy is often discussed as an educational outcome. It is something far more foundational. Low literacy shapes who can protect themselves in systems that do not slow down. Adults with low reading proficiency face higher unemployment, worse health outcomes, and diminished civic participation. Economists estimate that low literacy costs the United States trillions of dollars each year in lost productivity and increased public spending. But numbers do not capture the quiet humiliation of not understanding the document that governs your body, your home, or your job.

Literacy also maps neatly onto inequality. Communities with underfunded schools, limited libraries, and scarce adult education programs show the lowest proficiency rates. Literacy does not exist apart from material conditions. It rises where stability exists and falls where life is precarious. When people are exhausted, anxious, or scrambling to survive, reading becomes harder, not because intelligence disappears, but because attention does.

There is a cruel paradox here. Americans are surrounded by more text than any generation before. Notifications, disclaimers, captions, feeds. Words everywhere. What has vanished is patience. Digital environments train us to skim, to react, to scan for affirmation or threat. At the same time, institutions continue to raise the complexity of what they demand we read. Contracts grow longer. Policies grow denser. Responsibility for comprehension is placed entirely on individuals, even as the texts themselves become increasingly unreadable.

Adult literacy education exists, but barely. Programs are scattered across libraries, community colleges, nonprofits, and workforce initiatives, many with long waiting lists and unstable funding. Only a fraction of adults who need help ever receive it. The work is essential, but invisible. It does not trend. It does not scale easily. It simply helps people understand the world they are being asked to navigate.

None of this is inevitable. Research points to clear interventions. Early reading instruction. High intensity tutoring. Well funded libraries. Adult education tied to real opportunity. Plain language reforms that treat clarity as a public responsibility. But these solutions require something unfashionable: patience, investment, and a belief that understanding matters.

The United States does not suffer from a lack of intelligence. It suffers from a slow thinning of comprehension. As the demands of written systems rise and support for literacy erodes, the distance between those who can read the world and those who cannot continues to widen. That distance becomes power. It decides who understands the rules and who is punished by them.

When literacy declines, democracy does not fail loudly. It fades. It fades in unread paragraphs, in misunderstood arguments, in debates that happen against claims no one actually made. And beneath it all is a quieter loss, one that rarely shows up in policy discussions.

If we do not read, we never reach what comes next. We never arrive at the meaning that rewards patience. We never discover the story beyond the opening line. If we stopped reading, we would never know what comes after, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”

And a society that no longer reaches beyond the first sentence should be deeply afraid of what it is choosing not to understand."

~ Genny Harrison 

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	-	Gamma bucket lid	recycle bin
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -  
- double pane windows
- found the 5$ hardware store coupon
- Gamma lids

Time of Isolation - Day 1995

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine sits in on a free webinar...

Nature Journaling workshop online tonight sponsored by the Multnomah County Master Gardener Association. It was very well taught, the instructor gave good examples and also did well at tying concepts and encouragement to what folks would be likely already comfortable with. (Unfortunately, my internet was having connectivity issues, and kept dropping my online connection, which made for a choppy viewing.) 

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~ day 9 ~

Today's Advent swap trinket treat was this bundle of 4 bone "hair pipe" beads... wondering about using them to make earrings...

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"I've given it a lot of thought, and here's what I think art is: it starts with an artist, who has some vast, complex, numinous, irreducible feeling in their mind. And the artist infuses that feeling into some artistic medium. They make a song, or a poem, or a painting, or a drawing, or a dance, or a book, or a photograph. And the idea is, when you experience this work, a facsimile of the big, numinous, irreducible feeling will materialize in your mind."

~ Cory Doctorow

... from this essay from their blog.

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Much better progress on the knitted shrew. Both arms have been completed and stitched in place. Currently working on the left leg, which gets the toes added in a sort of stumpwork fashion rather than knitted on.

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While talking with Leslie this morning, I was telling her about my idea for a new 100 day project - "Objects of Affection" to start January 1st. She wants to also spend more time drawing, so I've committed to actually do the thing: one 15 minute drawing per day for 100 days. Probably the easiest way to prepare would be to get a bundle of index cards - having the project not be "precious" is best.

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I just love this artist's interpretation of the Lascaux horses... for more of their work, see Natee (they/them) on BlueSky

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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	-	shrew eyes	yard waste bin
3	-	-	recycle bin
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- I gave my snacks to the young man at the bus stop who was cold. He was only wearing a hoodie and said he wished he had a jacket; I have a jacket, so I gave him the hot snack I'd bought. But what was impressive is that after he finished eating, he went all around the bus stop area using the bag from my hot snack to gather up the junk folks had left on the ground: old drink cups, deli containers and suchlike. There are no trash deposit bins anywhere near, so he put the trash in the little can at the front of the bus instead.
- Tried out the make rice "noodles" from a few layers of rehydrated rice paper wraps stuck together and cut into strips. Worked fairly well, though not as delightfully succulent as my beloved Chow Foon...
- Found pale peach color laceweight wool in my box of wool embroidery floss. Used double is perfect for shrew feet, toes, and fingers, and removed the necessity to dye yarn, which made the very slow project a bit faster.

Time of Isolation - Day 1991

hummingbird and moon

in which our plucky heroine reiterates...

Noticing the beauty of the natural world is one thing that sustains me in these times. As does noticing that others also take joy in seeing the same. Last night and this morning both, strangers commented to me about the especially large and beautiful full moon, and my dopamine reservoir gauge no longer registers empty. We are all in this world together.

And later, while walking next to a rosemary shrub taller than me, there was a small buzzing sound. At about face level, a dark green hummingbird, busy with the blue flowers, hovered watching me for a moment before turning back to their breakfast.

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Ellie Cordova is a performer of original skits and music, and this thought experiment video of hers came across my online feeds yesterday. Reminded me of the point of the practice of "daily gratitudes" aka "three good things"...

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My neighbor Karla seems to take great joy in decorating her yard in various ways with lighting and inflatables, some of which remain all the year round (an assortment of twinkling and moving LED colored lighting turns her backyard into the memory of festival spaces every night), and some just for holidays. Christmas and Halloween in particular, and as we are almost a week into October, there are new delights arriving almost daily. New this year, strands of purple lights are adorning her entryway today. S ome of the "spooky" dragons from last year are already starting to arrive. These all make me so happy.

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This origami envelope is another useful way of wrapping flat or mostly flat things for the Advent of a Better Year Swap. It will require a bit of experimentation to figure out the best size of square to start with for whatever you want to wrap. Ive played a bit to start with: 5"=3"x1¾" or 4⅜"=2⅝"x1⅝" or 3"=1⅞"x1⅛"...

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Returning to my digital camera might be my next step. If the venerable card reader can be found (put it away "somewhere safe"), it might be possible to send images to the laptop from the camera, process them, and put them onto a memory stick, along with plain text content, and take frequent bike rides to the library to upload actual posts. This was how I did it for several years before home internet. And both my digital cameras are much more adaptable for photography than the phone. Just means carrying another thing around, but either one is Very Small and comparatively light.

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Moomin movie - Rebecca Sugar!

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 very tiny lunaria decorations	-	greenwaste bin
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Karla's joyful yard decorations
- LED lights
- medical tests from last week came back a-okay

- hummingbirds 

Time of Isolation - Day 1934

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

wishful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine is feeling a bit over her head...

Today was very wintery, it barely got up to 40F here, but I did go out on my bike in the middle of the day, because it was also dry, and must needs take advantage of the dry days to be active!

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~ small pleasures ~

Day 3 and Day 4 - a very pretty blue and purple swirled singular dice, and a soft cozy kawaii blue crocheted fish...

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This is not good... The smoke alarm went off Monday night; I was not in the kitchen cooking, but I was drying some laundry. I suspect that there is something wrong *inside* the tumble dryer; this will require me to take the gorram thing apart and try to diagnose the problem. (And it may require a new dryer, depending on what I can figure out... this one is at least 20 years old, so certainly past it's best used by date)

Ugh! I tried turning the dryer on to "air fluff" which should just turn the drum and not blow heat at all, but it quickly heated up. So I cannot use it until it is either repaired or replaced. As Mr Dawson said: "Homeownership is a time consuming and expensive hobby"

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Not sure what it will take for me to disassemble the tumble dryer, or if it will turn out to be repairable. So, I decided adding a temporary clothesline to the back yard, in the part of the yard that gets sunlight, would be good. I was able to run a line from one of the stupid arborvitae, to the chainlink fence near the plum thicket, back to the tree, and from there to the side post of the alley gate. Good thing I am so short, though the part tied to the tree is up as far as I can reach. There are only some winter days where it is dry enough to line dry clothing, but I will be ready just in case.

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Executive Function Theft

Spending hours at a time on hold, I remembered this article... the concept explains a great deal (though certainly not all) of why executive function seems so limited nowadays for so many of us...

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	rainbow cowl tassels	more clothesline	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Karen helped me think about a different (and better) way to add a temporary clothesline to the backyard. All of us together are smarter than all of us separately.
2. There is a gaming shop in town that has in stock the book of the game we are probably going to do next. I might treat myself, as hardcopy book is eversomuch easier for me to read and refer to...
3. I was able to use the coupons that Ace Hardware sends out to make the cost of the new 100 ft length of clothesline a mere $3.

Time of Isolation - Day 1603

a start on the shadowbox

in which our plucky heroine is cooking and crafting...

This will be the fifth Thanksgiving* holiday I have spent far from friends and family; so I spend the day attempting to focus on what I am grateful for and making myself a slightly fancier meal than my everyday cuisine. I miss the Before Times...

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~ redecoration ~

I've started changing out the shadowbox diorama on my advent calendar... Instead of last years "woodland" theme complete with my Playmobil badgers, this year I'm going with a "cozy library" theme, making use of some of the furnishings from Caer Cardboard. Visible are my entire collection of miniature books, (almost all of which have readable interior pages), as well as the "miss thistle society" fireplace made from painted egg carton cardboard. I've had the tiny Dala horses since I was a young thing, the artworks are from various Free Little Art Gallery sites, and I made the moth orchid a few years ago from a kit. I made the strand of bunting from golden origami paper, and I want to try making an LED tea light into a fire for the fireplace. December will be here in the blink of an eye!

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I've started cooking my small if somewhat elaborate meal... The turkey thigh came out of the freezer on Monday, thawed all day in the fridge on Tuesday, and Wednesday it was boned, brined (1c buttermilk: ½T salt) and went back in the fridge... Next it is rolled up with a bit of homemade stuffing inside (which provides another opportunity for the homegrown, as I add sage, thyme, marjoram and rosemary, all from the yard), tied into a neat bundle, and then roasted in the oven at 350°F for about an hour and a half, until it reaches and internal temperature of 165°F. I first made turkey roulade in 2020, and it is a nice festive treat, just big enough for one meal, and often sometimes a bit left over for the next days lunch.

The rest of my meal takes less faffing about to make. I'm going to make a little green salad to showcase my final (of four) homegrown tomato, steam some green beans and reheat a sweet potato slab I baked last week. I think I am also going to make a Very Small quince crisp in a custard cup for dessert, to further acknowledge my gratitude for the homegrown

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Interesting food for thought: Science and Storytelling

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this just makes me smile...
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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	Sidewalk Joy books	renew worm bin	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
1. As weird as the weather is being, yesterday was dry and cold, and I was able to get in a few miles of bike riding
2. As the posted boxes of Advent Swap goodness continue to arrive in folks mailboxes, I keep seeing the folks who got "surprise" boxes sharing the joy on their social media... which makes me all kinds of happy, to have helped facilitate adding brightness to the world, even in such a small way
3. Enough is really as good as a feast... I cooked more than enough, because leftovers are wonderful, but only ate part of today's cookery. There is enough roulade for at least two more meals, and half a custard cup of quince crisp is just right. Homegrown goodness in the meal today: tomato, herbs, and quince

Time of Isolation - Day 1597

*There are valid issues with with what is basically taught and presented as a celebration of colonialism, and one thing to be thankful for is more information, and that alternative ways to honor the indigenous side of the story are available

Thursday throwbacks and Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine is happy to see friends...

Today Cathy, Jen, and Kestrel stopped by Acorn Cottage on their way south to adopt a dog, bringing assorted goodies with them, but more importantly their beloved selves.

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~ the final bit of spooky season ~

This went well, I think, for miniature spooky season, though I didn't quite manage to get it done on time. A vintage style, 2" wide, graphic cat head, overpainted with gouache and mica paints, then coated with clear nail polish for durability, makes a good wall or window decoration for next year

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This is a very apropos bit of allegorical storytelling, and it did bring tears to my eyes, though tears are always pretty close to the surface nowadays.

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~ an old touchstone revisited ~

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Looking back 5 years ago, I was finishing up my experimental collage cardigan, made from a wide assortment of stencilled and block printed fabrics, both translucent and opaque, knits and wovens.

10 years ago I was finishing my Fox Paws scarf and busy with house related things with help from Blue Cedar House friends

Solitary Foxen

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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	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. the dopamine of Advent Swap packages arriving here, we now have 14 sets of tiny treats... almost halfway there
2. senior flu vaccine found locally and acquired
3. Baked at 400F for about 25 minutes, 2 buttermilk brined chicken breasts (1C to 1/2T) made dinner, and a portion for tomorrow, and bones and bits for broth.
4. figured out a thyroid pill hack, possibly solving a long standing aggravation... If instead of putting those in my daily meds case, I put the singular pill bottle on the nightstand, and drop the next days pill into the upturned cap, I can take it when first awake, or even if I get up accidentally at o'dark-thirty. And by setting it out the night before, it won't be confusing as to have I taken it or not. (Having to take a pill every morning when barely awake, since there must then needs be an hour wait before breakfast is possible, has been annoying me for over 15 years.)

Time of Isolation - Day 1579

partially tinyprint Tuesday

in which our plucky heroine has a more balanced day...

A good mix of social time, creative time, and productive time.

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~ artist proofs ~

I've been working on this print for the textile animal series, and thought it would be good to document some of the steps... Always starting with a little (⅞" sq) pencil drawing that gets transferred to the lino, then carved with various gouges. The first attempt obviously needed some serious attention: the border was so narrow it clogged, the eyes were two different sizes, and the "fuzzy" effect didn't really show well... The second attempt fixed the border, improved the size of the eyes and the contour of the curled tail, and made obvious where the fur outline still needs work. In addition, the dog needs eye "highlights", and a shorter interior contour of the front leg. So, not yet finished, but getting closer...

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Tonight's dinner: stir fried up the thin sliced pork shoulder, with onions, the last of the asparagus, and a bunch of bok choi. Rehydrated some shitaki, and sliced those up really thin. Seasoned it all with tamari, ginger, garlic, a bit of dark brown sugar, and some oyster sauce. Served over rice noodles, and garnished with some cilantro and a sprinkle of toasted sesame oil. Eat it up yum! Actually put enough of the stir fried pork aside for two additional meals, (I cook that separately from the veg and combine at the end) and put about half of the rest aside for another meal)

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~ day 11 ~

It must be my lucky day, the miniature swap was this framed painting of a four leaf clover!

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This essay is very much worth reading, good food for thought, and a different perspective...

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	musk ox print	horses blouse edge	yard waste bin
2	green linen Jedi tunic	kitchen light fixture	recycle bin
3	Nandina floral dress	Luxo plug	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. a really delicious dinner tonight... I used some of the groceries acquired yesterday, and some from my delivery today. So I am triply grateful: for food acquired, food delivered, and for my years of cooking that let me make tasty food improv style...
2. not sure why I first stuck the expansion rod over the kitchen sink years ago, or what inspired my adding the wire shower curtain rings, but is sure has proven a super useful way to hang things to drip dry over the sink, mostly small utensils like peelers etc, but I also wedge paintbrushes into the chainmail scrubber that hangs there so they can dry bristles down
3. A cooler day, and partially overcast. Much more to my liking...

Time of Isolation - Day 1433

progress report

in which our plucky heroine is taking a breather...

or, one of the reasons I don't drink coffee!

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~ well done ~

The heraldic enamels for the new Stromgard coronets are now completed; last night I turned off the kiln around 11:30 after the final firing. The white enamel detailing of the "mane" on the sea-horses was some of the most challenging enamel I have done, due to the minute scale and intense focus required. Even with the lighted magnifier, this is near the limit of what I can see clearly, and more importantly what I can manipulate. Just one wobble of the brush tip shaping the lines and it is all to do over again. And after the lines are shaped, the remainder of the surface needs to be very carefully examined to be sure that no grain or haze of enamel is left anywhere else on the surface, lest it be permanently attached in the heat of the kiln.

The painting enamel (finely powdered glass, rather like talcum powder), mixed with lavender oil, is first gently dabbed more or less into place with a 3/0 brush. Then once it is slightly less liquid, a 10/0 brush dampened with water is used to manipulate the oily mixture into more precise alignment to create lines finer than would be possible with cloisonné wire. (this is not the only way that painting enamel can be used, but is the way I most commonly find it useful in my work)

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Tomorrow is Pie Day (3/14) and I've planned to make a pear tart in celebration. I made one last year in January, remember is as really tasty, managed to track down where I copied the recipe, and have several Bosc pears in the fridge...

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This is a most peculiar and Bosch-esque piece of percussion...  (scroll down the video and turn on the sound)

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This essay, by the artist Luann Udell is worth the time to read:

“NATURAL TALENT” VS. PERSEVERANCE: Which Works Best?

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	red enamel samples	bathroom undersink access	some driveway moss
2	turn buttons	-	recycle bin
3	6 tiny books	-	yard waste bin
4	2 velour sports bras	-	recycle bin
5	Stromgard enamels	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I managed to complete the Stromgard enamels, and they look good to me, and hopefully to all concerned.
2. Albuterol. I very rarely need it, but when I do, having an inhaler that does the thing necessary makes a huge difference. My lungs, not my most functional body part, have never been "right" again since got sick while visiting family last year.
3. three good zoom meetings with family and friends

Time of Isolation - Day 1348

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine appreciates each small joy...

This morning I returned to feeling pleased to be starting my day with the "drawing first of all" session. It began to feel helpful again, in the way of encouraging my mind to stop running all the subroutines and just focus on one thing: the hand/eye/mind connection. It is a meditation, but different than sitting and doing nothing...

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~ so small ~

Today there were these exquisite (very tiny, about the size of my pinky fingernail) mushrooms growing in the decorated tray of the salad table. I originally used this tray for my diorama of a miniature Viking Age grave, back in 2022, and liked the random wildness enough to just leave it to see what developed. Over the intervening months, I've added various items: the partially squirrel-gnawed animal skull, a small iron cauldron, a spherical white shell, and finally the glowing tiny mushroom sculptures that were Ånni's contribution to the Advent Swap.

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This article is worth reading about the interface between AI and medieval studies, the uses and the dangers...

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

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

today's gratitudes -
1. Heather!! hugs!! also bone broth! - I've not seen her in person in several years, and they stopped by on the way to Blue's wedding for a really short porch visit and to drop off the frozen broth (beef, and chicken).
2. drawing first of all is making me happy again
3. this morning I was cutting up the huge Ikea box to put in the recycle bin, and managed to get it out the door and into the wheelie bin (that had been put out on the street last night) just as the truck was pulling up in front of Acorn Cottage

Time of Isolation - Day 1310