while I still struggle with "isolation brain", there has been at least one notable improvement in the surroundings. This afternoon my friend Elanor and I spent two hours connected on video, each working on particular projects, but with "company" while doing so. It worked surprisingly well, and now the standing work table in the workroom has been completely cleared off. Been meaning to get to that for weeks, nay, months... 95% of what was there has been relocated, either properly put away, or tidied onto a shelf. I have a surprising amount of block printing stuff: ink and blocks and carving tools and blank blocks. Need to figure out a better way to store all of those supplies.
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~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 91 ~
2nd charter painting of the year... I particularly love this design, of stylised Scythian horses, and had saved painting the saddle blanket until last, so as to look at the original artifact for inspiration. However, instead of just copying the entire historical design, I was inspired to paint the badge of the Order of the Mountain Sun* on the saddle blanket instead...~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 91 ~
* "Given in recognition of exceptional performance in the Arts and/or Sciences in the Barony."
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Late last night finished putting up six jars of mixed citrus marmalade, mostly from the mutual aid, with one large, very dark, blood orange mixed in, as well as the frozen cubes of leftover pink grapefruit. Now that I know to cook marmalade just until it reaches 219°F, the results are a slightly thinner set, but nice soft peel, which is my preferred result.
Next up in the preserving kettle will be applesauce, as about two dozen apples need dealt with soon. Been thinking about my preserving year "calendar"... first is citrus (late winter/early spring), then strawberry rhubarb (late spring), then a long gap until tomatoes, and plums, and tomatillos (late summer/autumn) and then quince and apple (early winter/winter). Other things are preserved as they show up, things like garlic scapes for pickling, or the various herbs and mushrooms that sometimes arrive unexpectedly and need a good spin through the dehydrator, as do the parking-strip persimmons (late autumn)
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Updating some of my face masks, as a few of the ones I sewed earlier last year have had the very thin fabric I used for the liner actually fall to shreds in the laundry. In addition, switching to a round the head tie instead of ear loops has made them much less painful to wear. There was a length of some kind of synthetic/lycra knit fabric on the shelf here which when cut into 3/8" strips is perfect for ties, just as stretchy but much softer than regular elastic... Also cut and shaped a bunch of nose wires; I find that adding a narrow casing at the top for the wires allows them to be removed before laundering and washed in the sink separately. Now if only mask wearing did not aggravate my rosacea.
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Medical news of friends and family: My friend Sharon's condition is not improving, despite it being long enough since from her cranial surgery for the swelling to have subsided, she still is unable to communicate effectively either speaking or writing. My friend Mickey has been having symptoms (peripheral numbness combined with intense back pain) consistent with the possible failure of his spinal fusion of a few years ago, and we are all greatly worried. My mom is making incremental improvement in walking further in the apartment, and seems more alert than previously, though still with memory impairment. My dad had minor side effects from his second vaccine, basically sudden need of napping.
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March SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | Kestrel kuspuk | darned Totoro gloves | recycle bin |
| 2 | 6 jars orange marmalade | power bar kitchen | random books |
| 3 | 5 jars applesauce | power bar workshop | recycle bin |
| 4 | horseradish | long power bar computer | - |
| 5 | charter #1 | rain capelet binding | - |
| 6 | Black Ice cardigan | new mask elastics | - |
| 7 | charter #2 | new mask nosewires | - |
| 8 | 6 jars sumo marmalade | x | - |
| 9 | - | x | x |
| 10 | x | x | x |
| 11 | x | x | x |
| 12 | x | x | x |
| 13 | x | x | x |
| 14 | x | x | x |
| 15 | x | x | x |
today's gratitude - it was a warm sunny day, and the second time that it has been possible this year to put laundry out on the line to dry!
