Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine sees something pretty...

... it moved too fast for a photograph, but might have been a Western Tanager? There was a bird on the japanese maple, and it looked a bit like a goldfinch with a reddish head. Not as bright as some I've seen in years past, but late April early May is the right time of year

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~ a favorite motif ~

This is the cast iron door knocker here at Acorn Cottage. I found it years and years before ever moving here, and carried it around in my "hopeless chest" in addition to other less weighty bits of wishful thinking. Never expected it to have a door to grace, though it has now been here for over twenty years. Acorns and oak leaves, in various configurations, have been one of the oldest of my resonant decorative motifs, (along with the running horse reguardant), long before my SCA activities where they are now part of my personal heraldry.  

Being quite close to finishing the slow Sophie scarf, rather than my initial idea of finishing off the pointy tips with pom poms as a few folks have done, it occurred to me that small knitted acorns and oak leaves might be an even better embellishment. I've used those on prior knitted projects to decorate a hat, a tea cozy, and as brooches. I was hoping I'd copied out the "recipe" for them; there are two folks ahead of me in the library line for "100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet" which is the book that contains the directions.

While I only intermittently remember to add index data to my BuJo, after failing to find any helpful blog posts, and hoping not to have to wait weeks for the library book, it occurred to me to try and cross reference between when I made various projects, and the various years of journals on the shelf. Bingo! et voila!! surprisingly I had even made a specific notation in the rudimentary index. Directions for both acorns and oak leaves are both where I can access them.

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Ten years ago I was deeply into carving blocks to print on fabric, and making clothing for my Blue Cedar House SCA pals; I miss those good times we had... still, might be a fun single crafternoon one of these days to print some trim for decorating next winters long janes.

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Have been trying out two of the glucose hacks today. A spoonful of vinegar in a glass of water before meals isn't a treat, but isn't horrible either. Figuring out how to start each meal with something vegetable-ish is challenging, but possible, particularly breakfast. My usual morning museli is a bit odd following some steamed veggies! Although the protein/fiber/carb balance for my museli is pretty sane. (adding whey protein and flaxseed meal to 2T soaked rolled oats)   

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My left foot is intermittently painful again. Not all the time.  Dr Google suggests it might have a broken small bone, and is not the most accurate of diagnosicians. But wouldn't that hurt all the time, and wouldn't that have some sort of injury as a cause? So hard to figure out what response is appropriate. If every intermittent ache or pain sent me to medical care, I'd be living in their waiting room. OTOH, I don't want to foolishly ignore something either.  

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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	recycle bin
5	-	tax papers	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- a dark almost black blood orange that was really fragrant
- helpful Past Me wrote down the directions for tiny knitted acorns and oak leaves in an earlier BuJo and indexed the pages
- phoned Poni about getting a lift to the show at the Linfield

Time of Isolation - Day 2117

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine enjoys flowers...

The gradual shift in what is flowering made my first glance out the front door yesterday a real treat. Almost gone but not quite little grape hyacinths in dark purple, along with the ongoing paler purple faux bluebells, and the barely starting dwarf lilac. The further distant dwarf apple blossoms peeking through, and the front garden beds are full of dozens of pink violets. 

There seem to be a few more birds this year, at least there are some I don't recognise, aside from the local corvids and juncos. The grassy spaces in the front and back yard are horribly shaggy, but each time I get ready to try and attack it starts to rain.

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~ apple blossoms ~

There is a random dwarf apple tree next to the driveway, and I have no idea what sort of apple it is, though it has been there for well over ten years. It was likely a giveaway, maybe leftover from some tree planting scenario. It is still not as tall as I am, and last year, for the first time, had one flower cluster but set no apples. This year there are four clusters of apple blossoms, and I will be curious to see if there is any fruit to follow. (there are plenty of bees this year)

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Taking a break from my garment sewing shenanigans, and started transferring the rest of my shirt/blouse/pinafore pattern pieces to Costco cardboard before temporarily storing them away. Time to give my brain some time to mull over what I want to do next. Also, whilst perusing the fabric storage shelves, found some Spoonflower prints that Ariadne sent me when Kestrel was a baby, but never had their chance to become kiddo clothing. Will be taking photos of the various fabric designs so we can ask directly what would be the happiest options for future garments, as K has Definite Opinions. It will be fun to sew for them.

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Good news is that the glucose test strips conundrum has been solved as of yesterday, as part of my quarterly medical visit (My PCP is still on indefinite medical leave alas, I hope she is doing okay) Bree, the PA, very kindly lent me a book about glucose and ten suggestions for ways to hack your metabolism, backed by legitimate scientific research, and not involving exotic and expensive chemical or supplemental interventions. Still reading through it, and there seem to be some changes that would be simple to implement

Alas and OUCH! While I felt just fine yesterday, today my left foot has developed a peculiar and intensely painful ache in the area of the long small bones. I have not fallen, or twisted my ankle or foot or done anything out of the ordinary, but the pain is "loud" enough to be distracting. There is no visible change from the usual appearance or difference from the other foot. Just making a note of it here as a way of tracking the issue, in case that turns out to be useful. Bodies are weird, and do things for reasons I don't always understand.

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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 -
- tax paperwork has all had fair copies made and is tidied away
- all the spring flowers in the front yard
- what appear to be 1 or 2 potential baby pears on the Bosc

Time of Isolation - Day 2112

March is for mending

in which our plucky heroine is gradually recovering...

My eye is much better than it was a week ago, thanks to the use of multiple antibiotics and the assistance of the digital alarm on my phone. Still not sure what else the wakey wakey every three hours is doing to me other than keeping the level of medication as evenly distributed as possible, reckon that will be more obvious once it isn't necessary to get up and be functional quite that frequently. 

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~ cloud spirals~

Rather than drawing, cutting, and stencil-printing a new 3 part cave horse decoration for the pocket of the brown linen pinafore, my eye fell on this cloud motif from one of the 2023 stitchbook pages, and there will be a subtle bas-relief chain stitch embroidery instead. Eventually a new cave horse stencil as well (assuming that the old stencil remains mysteriously missing) to be used on a different pinafore, as the process of refurbishing the closet contents continues

Have been putting together "sewing kits" for garments - grey Chinese landscape shirt, teal floral blouse, 1 pr teal long janes, 2 pr brown long janes, brown/black pinafore overdyed waffle weave, teal pinafore overdyed herringbone, grey chambray linen pinafore, taupe/black shirt overdyed pinstripe. Blue black textured pinafore... This sounds like a lot, but almost all the current pinafores in my closet are wearing out, after anywhere from five to seven+ years of steady use. If I had more clothing, each individual garment would last longer as they wouldn't be worn as frequently. My goal is to have approximately 7 or 8 of my wardrobe basics: pinafores, knit tops, shirt/blouses, long janes, and summertime popover dresses; I don't usually meet that intention. There are also a few everyday dresses, a few popover tops and a nice assortment of handknit wool cardigans and pullovers. 

Managed to talk myself out of this very desirable fabric from Blackbird - brown black gingham linen!! (It is lovely but do not need to spend over $75 on shirt fabric, see above list of many potential new garments that are all using fabric currently on the resource shelves here in the "sewlarium")

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The original plan to use Ariadne's handmade lampwork glass buttons on the Chinese mountain print shirt didn't look great in the light of day. The taupe/black buttons got lost in the fabric rather than being the interesting focal point they really deserve. Instead, they will be used on a shirt made from the micro-stripe linen, which will be overdyed to be taupe/black, and have black pick-stitching along the edges. Just enough remains of that stripey fabric to cut out the shirt.

As part of my planning, have been looking over the assorted yarns on hand and thinking about what knitted accessories get worn the most often. Am always happiest to have various handwork projects set up so can work on things "as the spirit moves". The Murano Squares Bandana is a frequent first choice in cool weather, the pointed cowl shape, and the feel and drape of the Noro Kiri yarn combine to make it so. In June of 2025 I overdyed a skein of grey Noro Kiri to dark chocolate as contrast with vivid turquoise. 

My current thought is that the remainder of the chocolate brown yarn has good contrast with the grey; if knit counterchanged from the Cloud Mountain bandana (grey with dark brown spots instead of dark brown with turquoise spots) it will coordinate nicely with the grey/black/taupe section of my wardrobe. Note: was trying to figure out how much of each color was used the first time, so as to know if there was enough for a second go round... occurred to me to use my kitchen scale! If a whole skein weighs 4 ounces, and the finished scarf weighs less than that, and there are 2 ounces left of the already dyed dark brown, then it will all work out neatly. I am certain there is an algebraic equation that could be written to be more precise, but in the intervening decades, my algebra has all fled.

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~ not dogs-breakfast ~

This just doesn't look as photogenic as the Smitten Kitchen recipe images, probably since I accidentally overcooked the cauliflower.  Nonetheless, it is delicious. Even though I made a half-recipe of the "Cauliflower Tomato Masala with Peas", the greater portion of it is now in freezer cubes after a dinner, a lunch, and even using the last bits in the dish for breakfast, topped with egg and a slice of Havarti; it is quite filling. I did substitute snap peas for the regular peas called for, in order to use what was already here. This is tasty enough that it will be added to my hardcopy recipes as a template.

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this weeks whinges: Went all the way downtown to the Federal Building to the IRS office to pick up forms and instruction manuals for taxes this year... Bah! Despite all that time spent, and having to take off shoes/daypack/phone/charger/wallet/keys/jacket/wooly cardigan, and go through the x ray and wanding to get inside, when finally at the office, there were in fact no tax forms or their specific instructional booklets AT ALL! The paperwork kiosk was empty, and the singular clerk said, nope... no backstock and not getting more. 

And in the further enshittification of Walgreens saga: The prescription ordered a week ago (with 7 still left in the container) had still not arrived, and they couldn't say when it would show up. Maybe by the end of next week? They apparently only order things once a week nowadays. It sure would have been be good to know that, so as to request refill several weeks earlier. Am now trying to transfer that scrip to a different pharmacy, further away but still accessibly by bike, that is open 7 days a week instead of 5, and that has what I need in stock (I called and checked first)

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	ruffle pillow shams	cardigan length	recycle bin
2	clothespin bag	cardigan button bands	recycle bin
3	brown linen pinafore	cardigan ribbon facings	-
4	-	planted rhubarb	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- line dried laundry, even in the city it still smells wonderful, plus yesterday was dry and breezy, so laundry chore is just about caught up, save for putting it away
- found two Talenti tubs of pecans stashed in the bottom of the freezer. Breakfast museli will be much nicer now.
- this is the children's book I really enjoyed this week: "The Puppets of Spelhorst" by Kate DiCamillo

Time of Isolation - Day 2087

not the sparkle you desire

in which our plucky heroine wakes up to scintillating scotoma...

I've gone for many years at a time without seeing any of these, but this is the second one in as many months. Fortunately only annoying and distracting, and by the time I was done with breakfast, it was mostly beyond my peripheral vision.

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~ tiny trinkets ~

The compartments in these 3D printed trinket shelves are only a bit taller than ⅛", small enough that finding suitable denizens has been quite challenging. The littlest of seashells, turquoise chip beads, some very tiny alder cones, and fragments of a crystal geode are some of what fits. It is tempting to try and create a tiny sculpture of some kind; tried to use some of the leftover Milliput, but couldn't manipulate it well at that scale. Wondering about Very Tiny mushrooms? 

I'd really like to get the file to print a few more of these shelves, but just a bit larger. My friend Sam printed these for me last year, and if he can share the instructions, the library has 3D printing...

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Found an online source to get charging cables for my phone that have a right angle bend where the plug joins the wires, which will make a big difference in how easy it will be to use.

Spent over an hour on the phone trying to get some help from Century Link re the problems with my (albeit ancient) wifi modem etc. The repair tech person insisted that everything was working just fine, and that the only problem was that I hadn't signed a subscriber agreement?! (despite my having had an account for over twenty years) and that they would send it to me as a text. Only problem with that is that my account with them is for a land line, not a mobile. So called the customer service person, to try and get that sorted out. Still SNAFU'd. after almost another hour talking to them. Will try again in the morning. Dunno how "never having signed a piece of paper" would cause my wifi to suddenly stop working properly a few weeks ago, after years and years of more or less okay service.

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Not exactly "Swimming Rama", but combining leftovers with some various frozen cubes made a tasty dinner: there were two cartons of extra rice from the Thai takeaway food Mikki and I had for dinner, so a bit of that, plus a frozen cube of chopped cooked power greens, one of cooked mashed yellow squash, and one of spicy thai red curry sauce... If I had thought to cook up some chicken or shrimp it would have been even better, but it was fine! 

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2026 calendars are cut up, holes punched and cords threaded... all the envelopes are counted out ready to be addressed and stamped. I keep thinking of more folks who might enjoy one, but want to get these at least in the mail before the end of January. Better late than never... 

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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	-	bedside lamp	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- just as I suspected, chevre is a fantastic companion to the fig mostarda made earlier this month
- a wide variety of freezer cubes of veggies, sauces, and suchlike
- I like how this year's AlphaBeast calendar looks more than I did at first. The style has a very different look than my previous ones, but still distinctively my own. Which is sort of the point.

Time of Isolation - Day 2030

go get your eyes examined

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

As indeed, my visual fields test was the first task on the list this week. So, up before 6, got to eye office at 8 when they opened, along with rather a lot of other folks so there was a long line to check in. Unfortunately my mask doesn't cooperate with the machinery, so had to change to a KN95, which only added to my stress. Thankfully as far as test results can discern, my eyes are okay... I always worry, because family history, and more so after my dreadful corneal tear last year, but as long as I keep using eye drops, the doctor said there appears to be no significant changes.

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~ day 5 ~

My electric teakettle is terribly useful, and is filled multiple times a day. Not just for the obvious, but also when washing dishes, or cooking. For years I had either a saucepan, or the sort of teakettle one filled and put on the stovetop, but after the time I absentmindedly walked away from the kitchen and came back far too late to find the heat coil red hot and the enamel base of the kettle melted into the burner (which necessitated discarding both and replacing the burner) my pal Elfrida gave me this electric teakettle that cleverly turns itself off when the water has boiled.

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Valerie of the custom pillow shams came by today having found the specific edging trim for the next set of shams. I still need to get suitable 24" zippers, which will first of all entail phone calls to see if anyplace local has something suitable. Bolt is closed for the next few days, but maybe Modern Domestic? Otherwise will have to venture further afield. 

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Put in time cutting out more pieces for the plaid flannel shirt. The peplum sections, and I decided that mirroring the two ends of the collar would make enough of a difference that it was worth the trouble. There is a whole lotta math in sewing, as I calculated the various rectangles needed for collar and cuffs and front button bands. My next step on this project is to read the instructions for the tower placket, as adding that before sewing the sleeves to the body will be easier.

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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	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- holiday lights in the darkness
- the busdriver recognised me, and noticed I was "going the other way" from where he usually sees me on the bus. I guess my attire is pretty distinctive
- my eyes got a basically clean bill of health, in that they are not any worse than they were a year ago, and the optical technicians and doctor were willing to mask at my request.
- Gersvinda came by this evening with a grocery sack full of winter veg from Acantha; onions and potatoes and squash oh my!
- A belated birthday gift package of treats from Iceland, several skeins of blue Lettlopi, a delicate pierced metal tree of life ornament, and a bar of soap encased in felt with a pony design. 

Time of Isolation - Day 2017

these are not the colored lights you are looking for

in which our plucky heroine sleeps in...

Last night my sleep was interrupted with about a two hour long visual migraine. While it is a blessing that it is only the visuals and not the pain that so many of my friend experience, it is very distracting. What it looked like (irrespective of if my eyes were open or closed) was what started out as a flashing star shaped hatch mark in one corner of my peripheral vision, and gradually spread out in an ever expanding curve across my entire field of vision, looking very much like multicolored flashing lights of a carnival or fun fair. It was impossible to return to dreamland until the neuro-storm had finally finished and drifted away beyond the range of sight. 

It is a peculiar phenomenon, that only happens very rarely, maybe once every five years or more. The first time it occurred, back in the mid 80's, I had no idea what was wrong and why I suddenly could not see anything in my surroundings. The school nurse was convinced that the sudden flashing blindness was caused by my "hyperventilating" (which was her diagnosis for almost everything other than active wounds). I am grateful that my first migraine happened in the classroom and not as it did for my mother, who first had one while driving on the freeway in Los Angeles!

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~ sparkle in snow ~

The ditsy printed design on the oldest of my knit turtleneck tops is apparently meant for christmas; it took me a number of years to notice that scattered amongst the wintery scene, here and there a few of the ¼" conifer trees have colorful decorations. 

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As planned yesterday, today's dinner was an Eastern European-esque version of spinach rice bake: barley, cabbage, mushrooms, onion, cheese, eggs. It was tasty, but as suspected, would have been improved with a different cheese. Maybe kashkaval, maybe chevre, or some combination of the two. Tillamook was too bland.

this recipe from my childhood is become a staple breakfast dish, or equally well as a potluck contribution, should we ever have social gatherings again...

~ Spinach Rice Bake ~
1 C cooked starch (rice, kasha, bulgar etc)
1 C shredded cheese
1 c cooked veg, chopped
2 eggs
2 T melted butter
2 t chopped onion
⅓ C milk (or 1 T dry milk and ⅓ C water)
½ t Worcester sauce
½ t dried herbs (or such fresh herbs as seem pleasing)

10 x 6 baking dish, 350°F, 20 - 25 min

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I've found the missing miniature bed with the hand painted canal boat roses, in a "somewhere safe" that wasn't really deeply hidden, huzzah! Now all that remains missing from the tinyworld is shoes, Opal's birkies, and two pair of winter boots. Those can all be remade much more easily than furniture, so I am relieved. Just as I am thinking and planning for various human scale refurbishments and project for 2026, am also looking over how things stand in the tinyworld and what projects come next...

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wishing joy to all who celebrate:

























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December SMART goals (x=extra)

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

today's gratitudes -
- reliable recipes, the cooking equivalent of TNT sewing patterns
- sewing machine walking foot
- Mischa reading "A Child's Christmas in Wales" aloud
- finding the lost tinyworld bed

Time of Isolation - Day 2007

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine feels right clever...

Today was my first PT visit to get advice on maintaining and improving my bone density health. I came home with three simple exercises to start with, and will gradually increase the repetitions and sets as I become stronger. The arm and shoulder exercise should be done with a one pound weight in each hand; tonight while I was tidying up a box of randomness, there were some large bolts and hardware which reminded me of the fancy weights at the PT facility. The thought being the parent of the deed, it was the work of a moment to weigh out the right amount and use the nuts and washers to put together a pair of hand weights that each weighed a pound.

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~ it's a sign ~

After several days, it occurred to me that the postie was not seeing or looking at the LARGE blue tote box I put directly under the mailbox, despite my writing instructions on the top. So I made an additional sign from box cardboard, tied the sign to one of the porch chairs, and set it next to the blue tote which I moved just opposite the mailbox, right where the large puddle forms that has been their chosen dumping ground for my parcels. Success at last! There was a tiny parcel left between the door and the screen door this afternoon! (I hope that the other two items on today's "Informed Delivery" list arrive tomorrow, and not that they have been delivered somewhere else)

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Getting really exciting here, four Advent Swap packages arrived yesterday, and another box today. The card table used for stacking the contributions is starting to fill up! We have 18 folks who have sent boxes so far, and 9 more folks have said they intend to participate...

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Years ago I learned from Charlotte how to make an easy meal she called "kluski". It isn't quite what the internets describe, a Polish soft dumpling, but rather was a mixture of sturdy noodles, cottage cheese, and stir-fried and steamed mixed vegetables.  I now cook chopped onions till soft and golden, then add chopped mushrooms, while those continue cooking, the broccoli steams... At the same time, cook some robust noodles until they are the texture you prefer, when they are done, mix it together and eat!

When I lived in Massachusetts, one could buy "kluski" noodles at the grocery store, they were much thicker and narrower than "egg noodles" but the same sort of wiggly chunks. In my attempt to avoid wheat, recently noticed tinkyáda brand fusilli brown rice pasta, and while the style of pasta (thick hollow curly spirals) isn't the same, it is sturdy enough to have an appropriate mouthfeel and works really well as an alternative.

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	clothespin bag	horse kerchief	greenwaste bin
2	5 jars pickled beets	-	-
3	1# hand weights	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

Yesterday's gratitudes -
- tinkyáda fusilli rice pasta, very toothsome
- took advantage of sunbreak to get laundry mostly dry
- microwave "rice bags" warm the bed
Today's gratitudes -
- managed to get some serious fig tree pruning done despite the drizzle, and filled the wheelie bin. 
- finished up the rest of the cooked veggies in a second batch of kluski for lunch, so tasty.
- figured out a way to DIY one pound hand weights from large washers, nuts, and bolts. Using what is here, rather than shopping, makes me happy!

Time of Isolation - Day 1961

biphasic sleep

in which our plucky heroine is slightly less tired...

Does it count as a full nights sleep if it is in two widely separated chunks? In the historical past,"two sleeps" was not uncommon. Recently my sleep/wake pattern has been dogged by insomnia, and yesterday exhaustion came over me around 5:30; to the point where going to bed was the only option. I fell asleep almost immediately, woke about five hours later with enough energy to deal with the kitchen and laundry chores left undone earlier, then returned to the Land of Nod. Woke up this morning a bit later than usual, after a memorable pleasant adventure dream about an SCA camping event, and felt more like getting out of bed than had in quite some time...

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~ all tools need a home ~

Somewhere online, I'd seen a cross body clothes pin bag, with the front having two large pocket openings like "teacher" pinafore pockets. My attempt to create something similar to the remembered concept turned out somewhat awkwardly constructed, though entirely functional, and using up assorted remnants is always satisfying. Then, after my first sleep of the evening last night, it occurred to me to look through my saved Instagram images, and there found my original inspiration: the cross body peg bag from Blue Cat Sewing! Her method of construction, kindly shared in a YouTube video, is eversomuch simpler than my kludgy efforts, and had my first attempt not turned out a useable creation, I would start completely over.

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Spent a bit of time yesterday planning the cream/teal/brown plaid flannel shirt, which will be a cozy addition to the wintertime wardrobe. There is plenty of fabric to lay the pieces out, so I will go ahead and use my favorite bias front pattern, which will have the plaid lines forming a vee in the front rather than horizontal bands. Rummaged about in the box of "pretty fabric" remnants and found a large-enough piece of what feels like Liberty Tana lawn printed with birds and flowers in similar colors, that will work well for the accent pieces (yoke lining, cuff linings, undercollar, and neckline bias). Sadly I've no memory where that remnant came from, perhaps a gift?

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I wish I had a way to get the current postman not to leave packages on the one part of the front porch that is always soaking wet when it rains. In the past, the postman would either leave the packages directly under the mailbox next to the house wall (away from the edge of the porch) OR even better, tuck them between the storm door and the front door, which kept them well protected. I tried leaving a note, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

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The faux stone floors of the tinyworld conservatory, and the stone facing on the fireplace in my advent calendar shadowbox are both made from flat sections of cardboard egg cartons, which are a useful craft material. When I saw these little owl ornaments, they seemed perfect for next year's Advent Swap, as well as a charming Halloween decoration for my tinyworld folks. 

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Now that the number at the bottom of my blog posts evoke the middle of the 20th century, it has been interesting to notice what memories are attached. Somewhere, there is a little girl sitting on the side of a hill behind her house. The sun is shining, and there is a piece of paper in her hands with the number 1961 written on it. Someone had explained to her that the numerals of that future year look the same rightside up as they do upside down and that aspect would not come again for centuries. It is mysterious.

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

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

today's gratitudes -
- Bartlett pears, so succulent and delicious
- demonology soup (avgolemono courtesy of autocarrot)   
- three more Advent Swap packages arrived today, and one contained three extra sets of 31 treats, so we can add even more people to the "bonus" list. It makes my heart happy how folks are being so generous!

Time of Isolation - Day 1959

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine remains a bit discombobulated...

For some reason, kept thinking on and off that it was Friday? Probably because I had a video chat this afternoon with my pal Mischa, which we usually do on Fridays.

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~ "...these truths to be self-evident..." ~

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Today my eye feels like it has almost returned to focused vision, and is mostly pain free. Tomorrow is the last day of 7 days of antibiotic drops. Two more days of steroid drops and then I go back for a second optical followup. Fingers crossed there is no permanent scarring.

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~ more than halfway done ~

Working on a set of "jingle bell" ornaments to add to the Advent Of A Better Year in 2026 Swap treats. Quite pleased with how they look, very similar to my initial concept sketch. When I finish these 10, and the "lucky penny" set (waiting for me to carve a four leaf clover stamp to decorate their envelopes), I only need to make or find 23 more wee gifts of some kind to meet my goal of three "bonus" sets of 31 by the end of the month. And several other participants are also contributing "bonus" sets, which makes me so happy; we will be able send advent boxes to even more folks

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The afternoon weather was very cooperative, so managed a bike ride to Groc-Out, brought home two packages of chicken legs, roasted them, then put the meat in the fridge and the bones are currently cooking down in the crock pot to make some nice strong bone broth. (It will be even nicer than Better Than Boullion, which has been the base of egg drop soup for the last two breakfasts, as I try and soothe my poor ibuprofen abused insides...)

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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	-	recycle bin
4	5 mini amanitas	-	-
5	18 penny luck envelopes	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- chicken bone broth cooking overnight in the crock pot
- enjoyed a good bike ride today
- seeing some of my Sewing Nomads pals online this morning

Time of Isolation - Day 1945

Friday findings

in which our plucky heroine appreciates positive momentum...

My left eye continues to slowly improve each day, with more ability to focus, and less pain. Still very sensitive to sunlight, moreso than my usual. Hopefully by next week it'll be possible to get back to studio work and sewing tasks. Most delightfully, there are a number of new participants in the Advent of A Better Year in 2026 swap, not quite sure how many, but significantly more than seemed likely a few weeks earlier. As I told Mischa tonight: "I feel like if I have done nothing else worthwhile, the Advent Swap has continued to be congruent with my life purpose"

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~ this is not a bar ~

When eyes do not focus, what is observed is not always what we expect. This was not a porch front bar, with dark ghostly patrons quietly imbibing. I was much reminded of the shadow people on the train in Spirited Away. It was a surprise when on closer view I found it to be a line of shrubs..

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Progress on the additional two sets of Advent Swap treats continues apace. Eighteen origami pinwheel boxes, each containing a wheat ear penny wrapped in a paper "fortune": see a penny - pick it up - all that day you'll have good luck, will also be stamped with a four leaf clover motif. Found a few uncarved erasers and will do a bit of carving this weekend.

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The mobile phone charges very slowly, but eats up charge quickly. Not sure if it is a problem with the phone, a problem with the charger, or a problem with the cable(s). Will start by replacing cable(s), and think about acquiring or finding where at least some of the former wall plug in chargers have gone. At some point will probably need to replace phone, because I suspect that the spot where the cable plugs into the phone is slightly damaged. 

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the lid to my beloved Drusa-made bentwood sewing box, missing for several weeks now, turned up buried behind the serger in the sewing zone. No idea why there, but delighted to have them reunited

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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	-	recycle bin
4	5 mini amanitas	-	-
5	18 penny luck boxes	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- found the long-missing sewing box lid
- left eye, while still sore, almost has clear focus again!
- Julia's vintage pennies, surplus from prior Advent Swap 

Time of Isolation - Day 1944

moderately miserable Monday

in which our plucky heroine is no Arisaydia...

Though hopeful that in time my damaged eye will heal, it has remained quite problematical today. My phone alarm goes off every three hours round the clock so I can take either NSAIDs, or Tylenol + antibiotic eye drops alternately. My sleep wake cycle is destroyed. I have an appointment to follow up with my regular opthamology clinic. As far as I have been able to discern, there is no magic way to help the eye hurt less or heal more quickly, but as long as I recover without damage, I will continue to gird my loins and persevere. It is frustrating to not be able to do much of anything at all. No work, no handcraft, no bike riding, and even this small amount of computer writing is difficult and tiring. (even after I've enlarged the text considerably) It is surprising how much we depend on binocular vision... 

today's gratitudes -
- I can access medical care for my eye, and we live in modern times so with luck I will recover
- I've not entirely lost my sense of humor
- I can open my left eye, even though it feels like it is full of gritty molten lava, and there is eyesight, albeit completely blurred and out of focus

Time of Isolation - Day 1940

heart on my sleeve

in which our plucky heroine appreciates the everyday...

...starting with somehow managing to get 8 hours of sleep. A very rare occurrence, probably related to the 6½ miles of walking yesterday. Around the autumnal equinox is when the summer percale sheets get folded away and the cotton flannel sheets take their place. It is almost time to switch from the coverlet to the duvet, the last step before turning the heat pump to warming the house instead of cooling it.  

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~ stacked skeletons ~

These are more horrific folded on shelves than ever seen in folks yards...

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Among today's errands, a stop at Kitchen Kaboodle to get a new gasket for one of the small glass Fido jars. Those sorts of jars are not hard to find, but replacement parts are difficult, and after the fermented onion experiment, that jar definitely needed help. Was also able to pick up a wooden citrus reamer to replace the crumbling plastic one that is no longer useable, and ended with a satisfying conversation with the clerk who had just signed up for a library card. She hadn't known about accessing films through Kanopy  via library, which is a free source for a wide assortment of documentary, vintage, foreign, and modern films...

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A few days ago, the rear left stove burner started not lighting correctly, and then burning with yellow instead of blue flame. Odd, and a bit scary. Went as far as phoning a few places about a service call. I do keep the beloved stove as spic and span as possible, so figured it was something mechanical. For some reason, it seemed like a good idea to double check the moveable lid of the burner, thinking maybe there had been a splash from a spill or??  On closer examination, looking into the small deep central opening where the gas jet is, there seemed to be what looked like spiderweb?... so, with great care, a toothpick, and a tiny brush, our plucky heroine removed the detritus without actually touching any of the mechanism. Yay! The burner now lights and burns correctly, and there is no need to spend over $100 only to be told that apparently cobweb patrol isn't just for ceilings!! 

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Almost done mending the chopshop-style cardigan. It has all new cuffs made from neckband ribbing. There are a few holes still to patch, though some buttonhole stitch, blanket stitch, and stem stitch embroidery turned the largest one into a heart, most appropriately located on the sleeve.

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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	-	cardigan cuffs	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the back stove burner didn't need repair, just needed me to (carefully) remove the spiderweb from inside the mechanism! 
- got my flu jab today, of the special high dose version for seniors. My arm is more sore than it was from the covid jab earlier
- varied layers for bedding comfort, changing with the seasons

Time of Isolation - Day 1936

my arm is a noodle

in which our plucky heroine gets her jab...

Last night a cold front came through, and the weather shifted. Drizzle, some rain, and the ground is damp with droplets. Apparently Wellington does not like the rain. We have repeatedly answered his whining, or little barks, or just sitting and staring at me with attempts to go walkies. Emphasis on the "attempts" rather than the "walkies". Quirky little dog is full of quirks. 

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~ just for fun ~

"above the clouds, the sun is always shining"

...those were words on a card mailed to me the year I lived in Idahell. They are a sort of minor touchstone. Tonight there was an online zoom intended for intuitive artwork, which I didn't really grok, but took to be something like freely artmaking without pre-planning. This is what mixing it up with crayons on a page in my journal turned into. Shapes that could be letters and words and landscapes. 

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When seeking out beads for the lunaria ornaments, an abandoned project also turned up, a bag of assorted black and white felt beads with two vials of japanese seed beads also black and white... intended to become "beaded beads" all counterchanged. Since now there were readily available beading needles, the felt beads have all been properly decorated. They are asking for some sort of appaloosa pendant next. Material objects are demanding, at times. Not quite sure where to take this, but it will be interesting. 

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Shopping news: Today I ordered some back up single vision computer glasses from Eye Buy Direct, since my attempt to repair the temple/hinge with epoxy only sort of worked. And I ordered a pair of backup shoes from Ebay, since the shoes that best fit my feet are no longer being made. And as a treat after my jab, the new Carson Ellis calendar (I love her artwork) which reminded me that it is time to get back to inking in the drawings for my own "AlphaBeast" calendar for 2026...

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After trying to take Wellington for a walk this morning, it was time to head out to the pharmacy in St Johns to try again to get my booster vaccine. Fortunately the little piece of cardboard (Medicare card found yesterday) contained the right bit of data needed for approval. "Make your arm be a floppy as a noodle" is the best instruction for a relatively painless injection. I wish someone had told me that as a child, since the less you tense up, the less resistance and thereby the less pain. I probably looked rather peculiar afterwards, with how I kept waving my arm around, in various range of motion directions while riding home again, but that does help with the aftermath of the jab, as does good hydration. Had I not felt the vaccination initially, I'd be uncertain it had even happened; my arm is not sore at all!

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 barkcloth tea towels	box fan grille	greenwaste bin
2	yellow triangle pouch	needle gauge herb stripper	greenwaste bin
3	knitted pony	pruning elderberry	recycle bin
4	8 jars quince apple  rosewater sauce	pruning nandina	greenwaste bin
5	6+ jars fig lemon marmalade	picked moar figs	recycle bin
6	dried pears	picked plums	x
7	4 jars pickled beets	small radiator foot	x
8	11 jars salsa verde	spex temple	x
9	5 jars strawberry rhubarb	got Novavax jab	x
10	5 jars spiced applesauce	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x

several day's gratitudes-
- knowing that the weather was going to shift, I picked all the figs that were ready, and now have enough to make a 2nd batch of fig-lemon marmalade
- was able to get my Novavax jab for 2025/26 today
- a good long conversation with my old friend Sharon

Time of Isolation - Day 1926

sleep hygiene

in which our plucky heroine attempts to readjust...

I am making good use of the alarm function on my phone to re-train my sleep-wake cycle. Yesterday was a sort of total mess, with much too long a nap from about 11am to 8pm. Then cooking a much too late dinner, finally sorting out the marmalade, which finally finished up past midnight. So I set my alarm for 7:30 this morning. Then when I was tired by around 3 in the afternoon, I set the alarm to only let me sleep for an hour.

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~ tangy ~

Eight jars, six half pints and two quarter pints. Since I forgot my intention to use part lemon and part orange (to better imitate the flavor of Meyer lemons in the original recipe) the finished marmalade is very tangy. This is not a bad thing. The texture is really good, cooking the lemon+peel first in water (suggested in Kevin West's chapters on marmalade) keeps the peel tender, and tiny fig seeds add just a bit of unexpectedly pleasant crunch. 

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Rode my bike to the hardware store just before lunch, though it was already getting quite hot out. The main street intersections were full of students heading out for lunches at fast food or food carts, so I needed to ride extra carefully; usually I have already done my out of the house errands long beforehand. Picked up some super glue to begin fixing the floor bracket for the little oil filled radiator. The bracket cracked in half, so once stuck back in the correct configuration with glue, I can reinforce and strengthen it with some of the Milliput epoxy putty, and it will be back in service this winter

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One of the housewarming gifts years ago were some cyclamen starts from my friend Kat. They survived underneath the sage and the hardy fuchsia, and have also somehow scattered around the front yard. Originally pink, they have mutated? reverted? to white, and seeing the little butterfly shaped flowers here and there brings happy thoughts about my friend. 

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 barkcloth tea towels	box fan grille	greenwaste bin
2	yellow triangle pouch	-	-
3	knitted pony	-	-
4	8 jars quince apple  rosewater sauce	-	-
5	6+ jars fig lemon marmalade	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- cyclamen are blooming in various places around the front yard, courtesy of a few starts from my friend Kat many years ago
- the bag of latex gloves I got from Nicole years ago is almost but not completely empty; I use them for when I have to deal with hot peppers, or for things like epoxy.
- there is a new episode of the Great British Sewing Bee to watch today, and Kim once again shares a link that works for those of us on this side of the pond...

Time of Isolation - Day 1906

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

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine blinks ...

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

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~ weighted branchlet ~

It is apparent to me that pears just want to grow straight up. The pear tree behind Rosehaven, when I lived on a hillside in Seattle, was tall enough to support a pulley clothesline out the second floor upstairs window. The pear tree in my next door neighbor's yard here is so tall that they have no access to the fruit.  Not only is our plucky heroine a devoted disciple of the "Grow A Little Fruit Tree" creed, but have been learning ways to modify the growth of young trees in various ways, not just by pruning.

In the photo above you can see how the weighted branchlet is not quite horizontal, while if you look closely in the background there are two unweighted branchlets growing vertically. By adding a weight to a new branch it stabilises closer to horizontal, which will encourage the eventual formation of fruiting buds rather than just vegetal growth. The new growth on the Bosc pear is still very tender, but attaching a soft rubber band to a hardware store nut makes a weight that can be looped over the branch without damage. It looks a bit odd, but once the branch growth sets, it can then be removed easily.

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I keep wanting to take a nap for a few hours in the middle of the afternoon, somewhere between 2:30 to around 4pm... is this normal? is this a sign of aging? of stress? or?? Once it gets to be actual summer, instead of sunny over 80°F (27°C) ostensibly "springtime", I will definitely turn crepuscular and nap away the hottest sunniest part of the days.

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Much productive communication back and forth with Laeriel and we have settled on a plan for her medallion. There is a voided quatrefoil stamp in my collection of tools, just about ⅛" wide, and by placing that in the center of the cross hatched background, we can reference her motif without all the faffing about with a green central enamel with gold outlines, and just use a clear transparent blue overall for the background. Her husband Wolfegar will be creating an etched backing plate for the setting, so this will be a collaborative piece of regalia. I am much relieved at the design change, as it will be much simpler to fabricate, and better show the diapered pattern.

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Internet Archive has an assortment of Grateful Dead concert recordings, and listening to Providence Civic Center/1974 while out for an evening bike ride was a real treat, if not as much of a treat as actually being there. (I don't actually remember which concert and what year Charlotte and I drove down from Boston to see them there, back in our younger days...)

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May SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	heraldic fern painted	added pea trellis	greenwaste bin
2	XP2 sun protection	planted Seckel pear tree	recycle bin
3	-	Juliet tomato planted	recycle bin
4	-	marigolds planted	-
5	-	pear branchlets weighted	-
6	-	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- nuts and bands: figured out a simply way to modify branchlet growth
- Internet Archive's collection of Grateful Dead concert recordings
- today's gratitudes - - nuts and bands: figured out a simply way to modify branchlet growth - Internet Archive's collection of Grateful Dead concert recordings - Past me got to hear a lot of great live music back in the 20th century...

Time of Isolation - Day 1754

* from: "The Bug", Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler