finally back...

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

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

※※※

~ incremental progress ~

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

※※※

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

※※※

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

※※※

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

※※※

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

※※※

February SMART goals (x=extra)

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

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

Time of Isolation - Day 2047

baby bears chair and other miscellany

in which our plucky heroine makes plans...

There are eversomany projects here that need done or that would be desirable. The next few days I'd like to finish the flannel shirt, and finish sampling the raincoat toggle spacing (for my personal projects) and finish the tiny bezels for the Babs brooch project... Maybe find the tarp pieces intended to bridge the gap between the porch and the walkway; getting that built will be very helpful.

※※※

~ the past brought forward ~

This small Chinese rug holds some of my very early memories. It was originally my Nana's, possibly a wedding gift a hundred years ago, and now warms the floor next to my bed, one of the few objects salvaged after my parents demise that made it here to Acorn Cottage. The colors are vivid yet subtle, and looking at it carefully to draw it today, I also was surprised to see that some of its shapes and patterns that still reverberate in my own artwork. 

This is the only sewing machine I purchased new. Prior to this Bernette 330, once I left living with my parents, I had assorted machines from yard sales or thrift stores, none good enough to put money into repairing them when they broke down. I have been using this machine for almost 40 years now, and while it isn't fancy, it is wonderfully reliable, and has sewn everything I've asked it to, from a canvas tent to lightweight lingerie. Past Me was clever enough to buy a walking foot for the machine at the same time, and that attachment is in use several times a year at the very least

The furniture in my home comes from four different places... there are a few pieces that I've had all my life, two small bookcases and two chests of drawers, all rather battered by now, but full of memory. I believe they were bought from one of those "unfinished furniture" stores back in the 50's and furbished by my dad. I have a fair amount of "Ivar" and various other solid wood pieces from IKEA. I have a table, several small shelves and most especially my wooden bedframe that were handmade by friends. 

However, at least half of the furnishings here at Acorn Cottage are vintage or salvage of some kind. When I found this chair at the local resale shop, I could tell it was something special, firstly because it was just my size. Most chairs are too tall, and the seats are too deep for my petite self. On closer examination, the graceful shaping, and the beautiful through wedges of the legs were very worthy of notice. It had at that time a label on the back of the back rung that said "Ercol", a manufacturer uncommon here that I was not familiar with. I feel lucky to have found this unexpectedly affordable gem in a shop where it was not appreciated. It is my favorite chair.

※※※

The switch to my bedside lamp stopped working on Monday.  I headed out yesterday to the hardware store in hope that they might have a replacement switch. Fortunately, they did. In the process of taking the lamp all the way apart to replace the broken switch, I noticed that the harp framework that holds the shade to the light socket was falling to pieces, with three of the four welds broken.

While I have a lot of skills, welding steel isn't one of them. But I do have a useful assortment of chemical bonding agents aka glue. It seemed like a good job for "Milliput", a very superior sort of epoxy putty, and that proved to be the case. After mixing up a tiny batch, I used it to sandwich the broken pieces together in the correct position, and after a few hours the putty set stone hard, and once the lamp was reassambled, it was back in service.

※※※

Our winter weather is being odd. Nowhere near as much rain as would be ideal, and not as cold as previous years, though still plenty cold enough for wooly cardigans and layered leggings. And, as we head towards February, the patch of snowdrops in the front yard are blooming, and I saw two honeybees busy there.

※※※

Today I happened to see a newspaper, a NYT business section lying on the table at the floral counter of the grocery store. The headline was something like "Gold tops $5000/oz". Of course I had to look more closely, for while I don't use gold, I have been using silver in my metalwork for many years. Probably not so much going forward, since silver too has skyrocketed in price. A few months ago it was under $30/oz, but it is now over $100/oz! I don't ever keep metal on hand, but only purchase just enough for a project if a client commissions me and pays a deposit, because silver has always been volatile in price, but in all my many years, I have never seen fluctuations or prices like this. I suspect I shall have to learn a new way to work, for the most part without silver. This will create serious technical challenges, as enamel behaves differently and changes colors depending on the substrate. 

※※※

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

Monday's gratitudes -
- a beautiful Chinese rug that graces my bedside floor
- a very tasty Thai dinner
- Mikki is patient and kind

Tuesday's gratitudes - 
- finding out what is probably causing my tech trouble, and incidentally also finding out it is NOT my laptop
- early bedtime
- unexpectedly saw Helga at the grocery store, and she was able to give me my eye drops from Costco.

Wednesday's gratitudes -
- one major admin task is finally completed
- got over 8 hours of sleep due to early bedtime last night
- found some tiny alder cones for the miniature trinket shelves

Time of Isolation - Day 2029

end of an era

in which our plucky heroine considers colors...

This morning I met Gersvinda and Ursel at the MetroPaint outlet. After over 30 years, the facility is closing down; they are selling all the remaining paint at 75% off: gallons are $4, quarts are $1, and some colors are already completely sold out. It seemed like a good time to pick up enough of this excellent paint for the Acorn Cottage exterior. Deciding from what colors were still available, (and what didn't match my immediate neighbors houses) the new future outdoor wall color will be "Pebble Path" a sort of warm taupe/grey. I also chose an assortment of their other colors for various uses inside the house; a total of 8+ gallons (and two trim brushes) for less than $45 total cost.  At that price for most of the paint, I can justify the future expense of acquiring a brighter color for doors and dark brown/black color for the trim. 

※※※

~ days 14 to 17 ~

More delightful advent trinkets in the last few days: a translucent penguin?, a color changing ring, a sealing wax bas-relief, and a tiny jar of "cosmic pickles" no bigger than my thumbnail that will be a perfect addition to the tinyfolk's larder shelves.

※※※

Last night I noticed that the stitching holding the shoulder straps on my denim daypack were coming loose, so I transfered the contents to the other one. Backups are useful. This evening I opened up the seams to get access to the attachment points, and stitched all the loose bits back in place. Both of my daypacks are looking "well broken in", not surprising since one or the other get used every day. The denim one was made about two years ago, and the black twill one was made back in 2019

※※※

Gradually working my way through the assorted produce on hand, turning it into ingredients for dinners, freezer meals, or shelf stable preserves for the pantry. The kale will become more kale bulgur feta salad. The remaining quinces will be turned into 4 oz jars of sauce. The persimmons are being dried to last the year. There are cooked greens to be added to either a rice bake or a crustless quiche. All that remains is some carrots, and cabbage which will be added to the chicken broth made earlier along with some yard herbs and the drumstick meat to make a good soup...

※※※

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

today's gratitudes -
- Gersvinda and her trusty truck, who drove me and my gallons of paint back home from MetroPaint.
- a particularly timely break in the stormy weather
- I know how to cook, have a kitchen and all the tools needed

Time of Isolation - Day 1999

sort of slow Sunday

in which our plucky heroine does a fair number of tiny tasks...

... because incremental progress is still progress

※※※

~ many tiny owl boxes ~

All during various weekend zoom meetings, origami does not require much of my concentrated attention, but gives my hands something productive to do... After my earlier dive into making wee owls from painted egg carton cardboard, those owls needed to be packed away to become part the next Advent Of A Better Year swap at the end of 2026. Hence, many many two piece rectangular boxes have been folded. I'm going to put my notes from this year's swap, the master copy about "what the swap is" for including with bonus boxes, and the contact info from participants, as well as my origami box master models, the instructions and preferred sizes. It might be time to give the swap it's own notebook. And think/research setting up a Discord server for next year.

※※※

After rummaging around found a suitable frame, just right for the Cuisine of the Angels print, and made a narrow mat covered in metallic blue and silver Japanese paper to set it off nicely. It will be a perfect addition to my "gallery wall" on the west side of the kitchen above the chest freezer. 

※※※

Not yet attaching the toggles to the raincoat, but did a bit of faffing about with cut paper and the sample toggle. Next step will be making an actual sample of the overlap to sort out specific placement of the various pieces. This is what results from choosing to follow my own concepts rather than following a sewing pattern. I get to figure things out myself, particularly since the various design choices combined in this coat project are no more particularly standard than my own size and shape. When it is done, it may see me out, depending on how long I remain in the bright world. There are already so many aspects of this that make me really happy. The fit is great, the length is great, and the pocket location/style/execution are probably the best I have ever done. Now as long as I can get the front closure to work (and not somehow screw it up at the last minute) I will finally have the raincoat of my dreams. This image of a wool topcoat with leather toggles is my placement reference, since it has been ages since I had a duffle coat, and must needs be paying attention to where the various overlap vs edges vs parts of the toggle should be placed.

※※※

November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	clothespin bag	horse kerchief dots	greenwaste bin
2	5 jars pickled beets	more chopshop repair	recycle bin
3	1# hand weights	printer connection	greenwaste bin
4	a dozen owls	black knit slip	recycle bin
5	many jars of Awesome Sauce	15 origami giftwrap	recycle bin
6	24 more owls	case for phone	x
7	7 jars of Awesome Sauce	horse kerchief details	x
8	8 dishcloths	much pruning	x
9	mat for angels print	angels print framed	x

today's gratitudes - 
- all the bits and bobs on hand to frame the kitchen angels print: a thrifted frame, bristol board, decorative Japanese paper, and glue stick adhesive
- visible progress on the knitted shrew, have made it all the way to the top of page 5 (of 19 pages, but still progress) 
- the new electric toothbrush is noticeably smaller and lighter than the previous one, hence more comfortable to use. 
- my weirdly achy ribcage pain (rolled over wrong in bed?) is less intrusive than yesterday, and there were brief chunks of time when I didn't feel it.  

Time of Isolation - Day 1982

wistful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine remembers...

If we are Very fortunate and very determined we may be able to build a liveable world among the ruins of the collapsing current systems. Being an adult is when you know that there are some parts of current reality that can't be shifted, while still doing what you can to shift what only seems to be immovable. I know that no matter how much I wish it so, I will always be short. And no matter how much I wish it so, and however bitterly I miss the life I worked so hard to create, the careless ease of the Before Times will not come again. But I also cannot say that there is no chance we can create a future worth living in, for the children that come after us.

※※※


※※※

Today there was a new-to-me, though actually common, butterfly amongst the insects enjoying the mint blooms, a gray hairstreak butterfly. Very elegant grey coloration, with some subtle dark/light lines, and a vivid orange "false eye" at the rear end of the wings, and pointed "false antenna". Am enjoying looking at the varied life that is gathering nectar and pollen? from the mint underneath the side yard clothesline...

※※※

Currently under an Extreme Heat Watch for Friday through Sunday, with the forecast in the triple digits. Have been doing what I can to prepare, it may be frivolous but extra ice cubes in the freezer will be welcome, as will meals cooked ahead that can either be eaten cold or merely heated in the microwave. Little Wellington will be here Saturday morning for a long dog sitting visit, but there will be no midday dog walks, only early morning and at dusk or later. Puppy must needs become crepuscular as much as our own plucky heroine is...

※※※

~ nature was fun... ~

Stopped in at the local Goodwill, and found a square frame that was a good size for this favorite Strange Planet cartoon. With the frame painted black, it can join all the other water themed artwork on the bathroom walls...

※※※

August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 jar storage trays	tiger block	greenwaste bin
2	4 jar storage lids	bright rayon top width	recycle bin
3	dried basil	indigotiger popover  hem extension	recycle bin
4	3 jars apple/quince rosewater sauce	bike rear wheel	window AC
5	-	new apron straps	-
6	x	frame for Pyle cartoon	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- mobility and sight, and paying attention
- it is cool enough tonight to open the windows and deploy the fans
- my life allows me to nap when tired

Time of Isolation - Day 1857

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine enjoys a bit of nature...

Along the narrow north side of the yard here at Acorn Cottage there is a concrete pathway bordered by a chain link fence. Years ago it seemed good to attach some brackets to the fenceposts and support clothesline (the brackets last, the line needs replaced every few years) In the narrow space between the path and the chain link, various weedy things grow, and usually get clipped back when they encroach on the vertical space reserved for laundry. 

There is, among the cat's ears and rapunzel, a sizeable patch of some feral variety of mint. It never gets watered, so it spreads Very Slowly indeed; in twenty years it has maybe doubled in size and still only a few feet long. Brushing against it is a small pleasant sensory experience. For the last few weeks it has grown taller and been blooming like mad, making necessary a bit more thought than usual to laundry placement, since much to my delight it is very much a pollinator magnet. There are honeybees, probably from the hives a few door down the street, but also what look a bit like miniature hornets, but are likely to be hover flies according to the internet, and also some unusual wasps. I move carefully around that part of the path, doing my best to not disturb the insect folks who are so hard at work.

※※※

~ a prime number ~

Each tray holds one dozen wide mouth pints or half-pints... or nineteen quarter-pints or narrow-mouth half-pints. The lidded trays will be stored underneath the sideboard and bakers rack in the kitchen. Once the four storage trays and fitted lids are all fabricated, any remaining jars can be stored in delivery boxes in the pantry area (I'll probably turn those boxes inside out as well, because plain kraft paper is nicer than adverts). 

The big roll of gummed paper tape that turned up on the hardware shelves will be very useful indeed, both for reinforcing the lid edges, and sealing up the open corrugations. The last step will be an internal grid to keep each jar just a bit separated, and it may be that a salvage trip to Trader Joe's will serve that purpose very well, at least it is worth taking a looksee to check sizes, since they always have a huge stack of wine boxes to give away. 

※※※

The last few days, there is a droning whine whenever I'm outdoors. It is racing season at PIR, and even though it is on the other side of the slough, it is loud. I can't imagine what it must be like for folks who live closer. There are many who enjoy that activity, as either participants or spectators, but all it brings to my mind is how finite a resource petroleum is, and of the many vital uses it could be put to, the decadence of just burning it for amusement

※※※

Eventually the jar storage trays will have handles, to aid in pulling them out from underneath. Karen showed me some that she had made by braiding remnants, and using lid plastic scrap as washers to prevent pulling through the cardboard. It occurred to me today that I have a wonderful assortment of colors of wide twill tape, that will be ideal for making handles, needing only to be folded over once or twice and stitched to be really sturdy. In a house full of stuff that "may be useful for something, someday" once in a while, that something someday actually happens!

※※※

August SMART goals (x=extra)

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

today's gratitudes -
- found an entire LARGE roll of gummed paper tape in storage!
- Feral mint is a wonderful attractant for pollinators
- an assortment of various colors of twill tape

Time of Isolation - Day 1845

well begun, maybe half done?

in which our plucky heroine transmogrifies cardboard...

It is very frustrating that canning jars have for many years been no longer sold neatly enclosed in cardboard boxes, but rather in a cardboard tray wrapped in plastic. Cheaper for the manufacturers, but less useful for ongoing storage. Not having great luck with even sourcing appropriately sized plain boxes, since even the purpose-made storage is designed more for quarts and pints, rather than my preferred half and quarter pint jars...

For at least some sizes of empty jars, they fit fairly neatly into the produce boxes, with the only issue being the butt-ugly pink/yellow/black exterior printing. So, taking Karen's suggestion as inspiration, I've been turning the cartons inside out, to show a plain kraft paper exterior. There still needs to be some additional reinforcement, and probably cardboard box lids as well, but there are now four partially completed shallow boxes, just right for four dozen jars to live under the kitchen sideboard and bakers rack, instead of scattered on the countertop and worktable. 

※※※

>

We've had few days respite from the intensity of summer, with cool grey mornings and even a day with actual rain, but the weekend is forecast to necessitate an "Extreme Heat Watch", though thankfully with nighttime bringing at least some cooler air... Time to become crepuscular again.

※※※

This is interesting, and I plan to watch the various episodes as time allows: "Patternmaking in Public Places"

※※※

While talking to Leslie yesterday, we somehow got on the topic of tetra-pak drypoint printing, and it seems to me that would be both a fun art form to try, and something that could be used for yet more of the tiny Advent Swap treats. I've been wanting to try out the little "Open Press Project" printing press, and have an assortment of pieces of tetra-pak saved from former containers of broth. There is even a jar of the right sort of ink that was a sample/gift from the art store a while back. Here are a few links:
Tetra-Pak drypoint tutorial , tutorial (what Canson paper to use), and information from the Open Press Project on juice box printing...

※※※

August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	tiger block	greenwaste bin
2	-	bright rayon top width	recycle 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 -
- experimental chicken with cashews: "edible though not choice"
- Ursel has an Oxo salad spinner she doesn't use and will give to me
- reconfiguring produce boxes to store canning jars

Time of Isolation - Day 1844

Wednesday whatnots

in which our plucky heroine enjoys some colorful treats...

...starting this morning, when the Sugar Magnolia peas had opened their first pink and purple flowers!

※※※

~ very vegetal ~

Carrot coriander soup, via a BBC Food recipe ... Surprisingly mild, but very flavorful, and well worth adding to the keeper recipes. It makes a good starter or light meal; I turned the rest of the pan into frozen cubes for future meals. 

※※※

Had appointments today for talking to two roofing estimators today, and am currently waiting on written estimates. Have a clearer idea of what probably needs done, though each one had different suggestions about how to best repair the damages, and different favorite brands of shingles. When we have all the numbers in hand, it will be challenging to make a choice.

※※※

~ overdyed ~

1:3 vinegar to water ratio plus paste food color (in this case mostly brown with a bit of sky blue to keep the color from heading off towards orange) works so wonderfully to dye protein fiber, particularly wool. This grey Noro "Kiri" yarn is a 45% silk, 43% wool, 12% mohair blend, and I wanted some chocolate brown. I expected/hoped the lighter portions to shift more brown, and the darker sections to warm up, which is basically perzactly what occurred. Very very pleased!

※※※

Moved the bike from the usual hallway spot to the bedroom temporarily, to make it easier for estimators to get up into the attic. I always forget how spacious it is when the bike is not in the hallway, and wonder if there is a different place to store it?

※※※

June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	aminita softy	planted sprouty taters	-
2	-	dyed yarn brown	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- overdyed yarn turned out really well
- I had two roofing contractor consultations today, which took hours, since they were so thorough
- carrot coriander soup is really tasty
- the first Sugar Magnolia flowers are so pretty 

Time of Isolation - Day 1780

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine girds her loins...

April is going to be a very full month indeed, but shall do everything possible to be effective and timely. Today was mostly about getting downtown to get hardcopy paperwork from the IRS office in the Federal building...

※※※

~ precocity ~

It is much too young to bear fruit, but these are quite distinctively flower buds on the baby Bosc pear tree in the front yard!

※※※

John Lithgow reading "Twenty Lessons" (Key selections from "On Tyranny" by Timothy Snyder) Food for thought, guidance for action, and words of wisdom...

※※※

Years ago I ordered a 100ml sample tin of Farrow and Ball Estate Emulsion paint, in the color "OVAL ROOM BLUE No.85"... it is an exquisite color, a soft rich dull green/blue/grey. The difference in pigment density in such high quality paint is very obvious to me, though at over $125 USD/gallon, it is a little spendy for, say, painting my room... I painted the Advent shadowbox with some of it, and just decided this evening to also paint the exterior of Caer Cardboard.

※※※

March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 dozen cookies	grey pinafore	art exchange
2	lino block carved	pruned marjoram	many dead weeds
3	tiny faux patchwork quilt	slipper soles	recycle bin
4	quince pie	bicycle derailleur	yard waste bin
5	multiple lino proofs	"a-y-a" replaced	recycle bin
6	6 quince breads	worm bin bedding	recycle bin
7	flooring Caer Cardboard	cleaned hallway air grilles	yard waste bin
8	mocha cake	hem long janes	recycle bin
9	6 button books	points on fibulae	x
10	x	pruned baby persimmon	x
11	x	weeded half the SWP's	x

today's gratitudes -
1. was able to get all but one of the hardcopy paperwork schedules and instructions from the IRS office today
2. found a partially full sample tin of paint and the outside of Caer Cardboard is now a lovely subtle blueish greenish greyish color...
3. oddly, wearing my plastic garden clogs today seemed to relieve the ache in my right foot?!? (I did that so as to make getting through the security screening in the Federal Building, and then they didn't even make me take my shoes off this time??)

Time of Isolation - Day 1716

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine is full of designs...

and today I trust that my cold is really fully on the mend, as my energy is beginning to return. Since it was the last day for a while without rain, I chose to head over to Ikea for a most self-indulgent treat, a whimsical glowing Dala horse lamp. Which turned out to be a fairly frugal indulgence, since it was marked down to $7.99! It will make a good nightlight for the hallway here at Acorn Cottage

※※※

~ believe ~

The random carousel that is my designerly brain tossed this image to me earlier this week as I was drifting off to sleep. I had to immediately leap out of bed and do a quick sketch, lest the concept be lost before the next day. This idea will become number 4 in my "Making Art For A Change" series...

I did three postcard size block prints back in 2020 and 2021 as the start of the series. My idea was to have folks contribute to a particular cause, and in exchange, I would mail them an art postcard. A sort of triangular good works... they get a bit of original sart and can deduct the donation, a good organisation gets some extra money, and I get to help facilitate more donation than I could on my own, by sharing my creativity

Back then I had folks donate to "Don't Shoot Portland" which was a black led group working for social justice, while PDX was in the middle of being occupied by police and paramilitary disruption because of the protests happening

Nowadays, there are so very many directions that are being damaged both on purpose and from inherent change to the planet I am a bit at a loss to suggest just one group... I have some time to think about it though

.
※※※

I was surprised to find out that John D. MacDonald, known for the Travis McGee series, as well as other writings, wrote a book "The House Guests" about the two cats he lived with! I had no idea, and when it turned up in my Libby app in the "if you liked James Herriot we recommend these other books..." I was curious. Turns out that I have no cognitive issues with reading at all, I just get bored and DNF if the writing is poor. MacDonald is an excellent wordsmith and storyteller (I already knew this), and though I would not normally have put "cat biographies" as one of my preferred reading genres, it was a most enjoyable book.

※※※

I'm wanting to rearrange various storage aspects here, but being stymied by lack of infrastructure, which has been a sore point for nigh on the last twenty years, ever since I moved here. Part of the solution is to discard or give away what is not being used, but for things that are in regular use, needs must to somehow rearrange current spaces and create some small cabinets or shelves to better use the easy-to-reach spaces towards the back of the countertops. Were I taller, the upper cabinets would be more accessible. As is, I can barely reach the back of the very lowest shelf, or the front of the next, so am forever folding and unfolding the stepladder.

※※※

February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	recycle bin
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	-	laptop drivers	-
5	-	rainbow fibulae	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Whilst zooming with Ursel, we somehow stumbled upon the whimsical Dala horse translucent light from Ikea
2. the self checkout attendant at Ikea was not helpful at all, but the customer service clerk was a gem... able to track down my venerable "Ikea Family" card, (issued before I had a mobile phone) and thereby saved me more than half the cost of my purchase (two Dala horses - one for me and one for a friend)
3. creative designing brain is conjuring up various possibilities for artwork as well as for small home improvements.
4. - Stef's surgery went well today, huzzah!!

Time of Isolation - Day 1680

tiring Tuesday

in which our plucky heroine goes back and forth...

Today was chilly, but I am mighty, and I have a funky bicycle that lets me run errands without always having to take transit. Today, well over 5½ miles according to the pedometer.

Also gradually checking out which of the stores around here carry at least some of what I was formerly buying at New Seasons. (none of them have "bulk" bins, sigh...) Safeway has a decent Bobs Red Mill section, including sesame seeds, which I have not seen elsewhere. Freddies has Fage yogurt. Grocery Outlet has mixed organic greens in the big prepack. I will try and arrange a Costco run, and also check out Trader Joes, neither of those are anywhere nearby, Costco requires a friend with a car, and TJ is about an hour away by bus...

※※※

~ clever recycling ~

This house in my neighborhood has most of the porch half-walls sided with carefully flattened aluminum cans, which give a "fish scale" effect. I love the way it looks, but since I never drink anything that comes in cans, would be hard pressed to duplicate it on something around the home place. When I had hens... would have been nifty roof shingles on a chicken house

※※※

A standard steel tape measure is an awkward tool to measure the outdoor spaces here, but it is the only one available. Spent about an hour or so trying to hold down the wiggly thing with my feet, while stabbing a piece of rebar into the ground as a measuring point. When I manage to get the numbers all onto graph paper, it will help with outdoor garden space planning.

※※※

Today I was able to get an appointment at the storefront express care that is close enough that I can ride my bike there. The PA agreed that my earlobe looked infected, wrote me a prescription for antibiotic, and told me what to look for that would mean further more immediate care would be needed. Fingers crossed that this first go round does the trick.

After picking the antibiotics up at my regular pharmacy, I then decided that getting my backup prescriptions filled would be a good idea, so rode back home, picked up that paperwork, and headed off to St Johns.

The pharmacy there was really backed up, and told me to come back in about two hours... and since there the library there is still closed for renovations, I rode home, not wanting to wander around outside for several hours in the cold if sunny weather. Back home, took the dog out for a walk, and then back on my bike and back to St Johns, where the pharmacist said it had been so busy that my order was not yet filled, and I could come back later?

It was past sundown and the temperature really dropping, so when I found out that everything would be held there for almost two weeks, I decided to head back home, and return on a different day, (unlike tomorrow, when the forecast is for it to be snowing, or freezing rain) This is why our plucky heroine is tired; the number on my pedometer app says just over 15K steps

※※※

February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	-
2	-	black keyboard covers	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Got it together to order three months worth of backup meds
2. 15 K steps today (some of that on my bike). I am tired, but not destroyed... this is good
3. Decades ago, as a college student, one of my goals in life was to grow up to be an eccentric old lady. Today I was thinking about how I just may have been successful, without purposefully trying to, but just by continuing to be myself!

Time of Isolation - Day 1665

use what you have...

in which our plucky heroine is slow but steady...

and bearing in mind that the perfect is the enemy of the good, there now is a pot lid rack on the kitchen door...

※※※

~ it took three days ~

I've been using the top of the washing machine as a staging area for the assorted tools needed to make this project happen, though there were some detours to the tiny drill press for some nice perpendicular screw guide holes. Relieved the sharp edges of the very small angle brackets with files, as there must needs not be places where a careless hand might get cut.

There is no door between the entryway/living room, but there is a door between the kitchen and the workroom (which several owners ago was a garage). Most of the time, that door is left open, and the noren provide a visual border, though the door does get closed when stovetop cooking happens, because the smoke alarm is a very special snowflake and likes to scream at any steam arising...

... but now, behind the noren, there is a tidy line up of pot lids for those that can't be looped around their pot or pan handles, where they are easily accessible and entirely out of the way. I'll certainly be painting the door later on, when it is warm enough to have the windows open for a few hours, and may add labels for which pot or pan each lid is associated with.

It was pure good fortune that the space available on the door was just right for the four pot lids that needed to be stored there. Now I get to figure out what (if anything) needs to be in the spot above the bakers rack where the lids formerly lived

This is the structure of this whole project, made from bits and bobs from around the house... Since the wooden framework of the hollow core door was less than ¾" wide, the attachment points must also need be no more than ½" wide. Two pieces of scrap lumber cut square and glued and screwed perpendicular form the risers, with appropriate grain direction so all the screws are not going into end grain. Figuring all this out took far more time than it sounds like it should, aphantasia is not my friend.

There was also a fair amount of wrestling the two detached brackets in place, with the yardstick balanced atop so there was a spot to place the level, as the brackets need to not only anchor the cross piece level, but also need to be offset from the actual door edge just enough so the door can close! Our plucky heroine is right pleased that this turned out as well as it did, and that the pot lids will also be much easier to reach now.

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blood orange marmalade	bike headlamp	yard waste bin
2	heraldic enamel	passport photo	recycle bin
3	crayon roll	crystal necklace	recycle bin
4	xp2 undies	pattern longjanes	-
5	pot lid rack	passport applied for	-
6	x	pear tree planted	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Pot lid rack successfully completed
2. A bike ride on a cold day, all the way out past St Johns, for a total of 8K steps
3. Had a chance to talk with my brother on the phone
4. New social media "diet" may be why my chronic nightmares have decreased. I know that correlation is not causation, but am hopeful nonetheless

Time of Isolation - Day 1649

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine keeps warm ...

I'm going to make lasagna tonight, as it is a cozy sort of dinner. I have been slowly cooking onion for the last few hours, there are some rehydrated mushroom in the fridge, and a bit of ground beef. Alas no cooked spinach to add a green layer, but it will still be yummy. I have some of the square rice paper sheets to try out, which should be easier than turning the discs into rectangles! Wish me luck...

※※※

~ from barrette to brooch ~

Years ago, it was fun making and wearing hair barrettes, trying various embellishment techniques such as ribbonwork flowers, or the beaded embroidery shown in the photo above... While it has been quite a while since I'd the abundance of hair to have much use for these, their storage box turned up when clearing off a shelf in the handcraft resource center. It occurred to me that I could slip either end of a hair clip through the neckline stitches of my lopi handknit pullover; the gauge of the knit wouldn't be distorted by the very lightweight beadwork. And, another option would be as additional hatband decorations.

※※※

Spent some time thinking out how best to create pot lid storage racks on the door from the kitchen to the workroom, and have made significant design progress. First off, drilled tiny holes in the back of the door, to find out how much internal structure supports the actual door - the framework under the door skin is only ¾" wide!! Not a lot of width to work with... but I have ideas. Fortunately there are ½" angle brackets in a box on the hardware shelf. Then it was actually sort of fun to play around with bits of things to mock up what depth would be just right to let the lids slide into place, but still catch hold of their knobs/handles... which turns out to be 2¼". The door width between the door jambs is 31". When the right sort of wood scraps turn up, this project will move forward.

※※※

Since we are going into a bit of a cold snap, even if not what folks in most of the rest of the country will have on their plates, and likely have many nights in a row below freezing, it seems a good idea to go ahead and dig the planting hole in the front yard for the pear tree. A few days ago, after chatting with Karen, I looked at the small shovel and while it is as I recall intended for a child, it is very much shaped like a full size shovel, with proper angulation. And when I tried stabbing the front yard, it went in all the way up to the footrest. Of course! The ground is not yet frozen, well softened by the rains.

So, I used the shovel to cut a circular slice in the yard, about twice the diameter of the pear tree pot, then dug away everything inside the cut to about the depth of the pot. I just managed to carry the tree from the side yard around to the front, and slid it out of the nursery pot. It did not look at all root bound, which is good. After much additional effort, I moved most of the loose soil back in around the baby pear tree. Now I am truly worn to a ravelling, but hopefully baby tree will have a better chance of surviving the freeze, and be ready to begin adapting to its new home come spring.

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blood orange marmalade	bike headlamp	yard waste bin
2	heraldic enamel	passport photo	recycle bin
3	crayon roll	crystal necklace	recycle bin
4	xp2 undies	pattern longjanes	-
5	-	passport applied for	-
6	x	pear tree planted	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. my former beaded and ribbonwork barrettes can have a second life as neckline or hatband brooches
2. did I already mention the truly excellent clothespins that Acantha gave me a while ago. Not only are they stainless steel rather than plastic, but they grip really tightly, much more effective than the plastic ones I had previously.
3. managed to get the pear tree planted before the really cold weather hits

Time of Isolation - Day 1646

making and mending

in which our plucky heroine eats the frog...

well not literally, of course, but I did spend too many hours today doing admin tasks, which is one of my least favorite thing ever. (I'd even rather clean the bathroom fixtures than make phone calls) Got partway through one set of confustication, and made appointments to deal with two more. Will return to the fray tomorrow. Incremental progress is still progress.

※※※

~ so tiny and blue ~
.

On October 6th I mentioned the heraldic blue wolf enamel I had been commissioned to make, to embellish an SCA coronet, and today Cathyn sent me a photo of the completed project that it was made to decorate:

※※※

More mending: one of my wintertime underdress/slips was becoming worn out around the seamline between the skirt and the bodice, and was also too longwaisted. Why you may ask... because I rather cobble together these underlayers from various bits and bobs on hand; this one had originally been made from a thrifted and wonderfully embroidered black jersey skirt and a thrifted black rib-knit tank top. When the tank top wore out, I tried to copy it with a different fabric, which mostly worked but had a different stretch factor. The only part of this that anyone sees is the decorative hemline extending below my everyday pinafores, the rest merely provides wintertime insulation. Folding the slip at the bodice/skirt seam let me use the serger to clean finish the new seam as I cut away the worn parts and incidentally and insignificantly shortened the whole thing by about an inch

※※※

The two big spider plants in the south facing window have been direly in need of repotting, as for some reason they seem to push themselves up and out of the soil? (either that or they somehow consume the soil leaving themselves high and dry in midair, only tenuously connected to their roots?) Anyhow, after dinner it was time to tackle the largest of the three, and a long messy task that was, though satisfying. Now it needs to settle back and hopefully add new roots from the nodes that now are in contact into the fresh damp dirt.

※※※

October SMART goals (x=extra)

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

today's gratitudes -
1. made significant progress on the admin tasks, despite frustration
2. repotted the largest of the spider plants, and it will be able to return to its living room window home soon
3. my second round of testing (post antibiotic) came back clear of any bacteria...huzzah... buh-bye E.coli!

Time of Isolation - Day 1556

make it do

in which our plucky heroine uses what is on hand...

... and so far the only things I have needed to purchase for the porch curtain project were some dowels and cup hooks. This morning I realised that the blue and white striped cotton curtains (formerly covering the sewing room closet) would work well for most of the south side of the porch, so I only needed an angular valance to fill in the uppermost part:

I then decided that trimming the newly made west porch curtains to just under porch rail height would give me enough matching fabric to use as a valance and mostly cover the angled part of the slanted roof on the south side. It isn't perfect, and there is probably a better way to hang the stripey curtains, but for a speedy transformation, it will do for now.

I have to do a little bit of pruning on the weeping Japanese maple, which is encroaching on the front porch. I want to also carefully prune it up a bit on the other side, where it drapes across the ground that should be a pathway to the quince and the wanda plum.

※※※

This week I was the winner in the random prize drawing for week 10 in the 13 week doll wardrobe challenge. I had made a fancy nightdress for Opal, starting with a stitched embroidered camisole, since I don't crochet. For the prize, though, Dawn is going to custom make me a crocheted camisole top for my tinyfolk!  She is going to make it in an orange color yarn, for the TRD vintage style Halloween outfit I want to make later this year. This year all my tinyfolk will have festive outfits!

※※※

August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pillowcases	nut chopper handle	yard waste bin
2	yak print	elderberry harvest	big plum tree
3	tiny bell-bottoms	refurbish Felco	driveway moss
4	tiny camisole	worm bin	recycle bin
5	small pressing tools	plinth wheels	yard waste bin
6	tiny playset	corduroy pinafore	yard waste bin
7	denim hat	pruning fruit trees	recycle bin
8	lots of dolly clothes	porch curtains west	x
9	neon tetra block	porch curtains south	x
10	tiny nightdress	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x

today's gratitudes-
1. The wheelie luggage cart Mark Cornell gave me back in the 80's has served me well all these years. I mostly use it now for moving garden things around, like bags of amendments.
2. I won the prize drawing this week in the doll wardrobe challenge
3. I managed to find enough fabric around the house to kludge porch curtains to help cut the glare in the afternoons.

Time of Isolation - Day 1511