taxman

in which our plucky heroine has a dining table awash in papers...

but managed to ride to the post office early this morning and get each of the four Envelopes of Payment hand-canceled and photographed so as to prove they were posted today. I'll be organising the receipts and paperwork copies into an envelope labeled 2025, and very much look forward to getting my table back again!

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~ hold it! ~

Last week a recent tutorial post from @bookhou caught my eye and I couldn't wait to try making this little accordion pouch/bag. It is the perfect size to hold my transit pass and card case, and let me use a special scrap of embroidered fabric so I can enjoy it every day!

 . 
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Not sure when I'd run across information about a new podcast "In Your Spare Time". Various different writers and folks will be reading each of the blog posts that Ursula LeGuin wrote starting in 2010. There are 130 posts, so as a once a week podcast, there will be over two years of things to enjoy. I am planning on enjoying the ride...

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My sleep schedule is entirely out of whack. Am now in some sort of only sleep for about five hours or so at night, then can't get back to sleep, and end up tired all day and taking afternoon naps. Shall have to research how best to improve this; suspect that starting off by setting some kind of regular "bedtime" might be where to begin...

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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	-	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 -
- 4 envelopes of payment safely posted and documented
- Wrote another verse for my filk, now there are three. It might be done. Two wasn't enough, but three might be enough to go on with...
- Managed to fit all my errands, and my grocery shopping between the stormy weather. Now safe at home listening to the rain and thinking about a short nap.

Time of Isolation - Day 2106

short but very sweet

in which our plucky heroine is delighted...

Most of my Mud Bay pals were headed south this week so Kestrel could visit her great grandmama, and they stopped off briefly on their two day trip south for a bit of a porch visit/drive-by hugging from three of my favorite humans on the planet. Took some time to walk around the yard, stretch their legs, and eat some snacks. I got to meet Leche, their new dog. I love all of them so much (as well as Maeva who was staying home to mind the garden and the chickens) and hope that someday visiting with them in person will be possible again.

※※※

~ proto-pears ~

In January of 2025 I planted the Bosc pear tree in the front yard that was my response to the Urban Forestry permit requirement for replacing the ornamental plum tree removed in 2024 While I suspect it isn't large enough yet to really support fruiting, it has done well enough to open a singular cluster of flowers this year!  The Shipova and the Seckel seem to be doing well but of course are about half that size. With luck, there will be some of my favorite tree fruit in a few years, though I expect to have to baby them and hand water every summer for quite few years to come, particularly given how hot it already is and that the forecast is for a dreadful El Niño season...

Bosc pear planted in 2025
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The disorder in the house is getting to the point where it is interfering with my ability to function. My thought is that once my taxes for the year are done (in the next ten days) I will then take at least the next six weeks or more and focus time every day on creating more order from the current chaos. If I focus each week on one aspect or room, it should make a big difference, and maybe allow me a chance to get some of the refurbishment projects underway as well. I am going to go ahead and order the window awnings that have been on my wishlist for years now; aluminum is only going to get more and more spendy, and while the prices are a lot higher than last year,  it is not yet in the "unobtanium" category, and shading the east and west windows will make a big difference in the summertime .

※※※

Brenda Dayne has connected all her past catalog to her current Substack site. This means that I have a lot of audio content I can enjoy (again). Cast On was one of the first podcasts I ever ran across, and despite looking, I have yet to find any that I like anywhere near as much. Her voice, selection of music, and mixture of content just feeds something in me that nothing else does. I wish I could articulate what about Cast On makes it just right.

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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	-	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Beloved friends Bill, Jen, and Kestrel stopping by on their trip south
- meeting Leche the dog, large and quiet
- "Cast On" with Brenda Dayne

Time of Isolation - Day 2097

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine keeps warm...

on another cold and blustery day. Wearing all of my newly made and recently refurbished garments all at the same time, and also the multi-fabric flannel and batik slip from last year. I'd rather wear layers indoors than turn the heat further up. The new long janes (cut out yesterday) only took about an hour to stitch together, other than the elastic waistband which I am going to tackle after eating dinner. Am tempted to also add a strip of simple decorative Alabama Chanin style hemline trim for them, but that can be done afterwards, as a handwork project...

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~ if I fits, I sits... ~

One of the several maneki-neko from this year's Advent Swap has found their spot, inside one of the origami treat storage boxes...

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The final relic of the end of an era. Whilst clearing through a pile of random papers, found a cut out article from the NYT Style magazine "The Magicians Flight" dated 12/5/21, about Miyazaki the animator/filmmaker. For most of my adult life, once I was no longer living in my parents home, they would clip articles they thought would interest me, and mail them to wherever I was living at the time. I remember that my mother first introduced me to Miyazaki's works by taking me to the movie theater, certain I would enjoy Spirited Away! Somehow, finding this cut out article left me with a lump in my throat, remembering all the years of them both reaching out to me in what way they could, saying "we see you, we know you, we appreciate who you are..." and now knowing that those days are gone forever.

※※※

It has been a while since I last read Super Supportive, which is now up to chapter 272 (I stopped at 269, when I lost internet access). Twice I've gone back to reread it from the beginning, as it is pretty complex and really long. Well worth reading, despite not being my usual preferred sort of tale.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	plaid flannel shirt	rice bags	greenwaste bin
2	23 postcards	INTERNET!!	recycle bin
3	teal linen pinafore	hydration station	greenwaste bin
4	bedroom shelves	grey felt slipper	recycle bin
5	tiger pocket	teal turtleneck	greenwaste bin
6	teal long janes	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Mikki took some time today to explain, in a rough and ready fashion, a bit about how electrical current flows, all in reference to my conversation about using extension cords and or power strips. I'm feeling reassured about safe useage.
- the very last article cut from the NYT and sent me by my parents
- new teal long janes

Time of Isolation - Day 2054

not just for pretty

in which our plucky heroine continues catching up...

Doing extra drawings, to make up for what I missed during the internet fast... finding assorted bits and bobs that need mended, including the leather sole of one of my felt house shoes, coming unstitched after six years of wear... basically diving into assorted projects that promise and deliver an abundance of dopamine in proportion to the effort required.

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~ hydration station upgraded ~

Why, you may be wondering, did I head out to Ikea Saturday morning?... The original vision for the hydration station was a pretty blue pottery water dish, and this new iteration is much closer to my idea. Despite searching locally all last year, there weren't any just-right glazed flowerpot saucers, or thrift store platters, so using the big serving platter from my dishes set was the best option at the time. Said serving platter now is support for the new slightly smaller dinner plate purchased from Ikea.

It was worth the long Tri-Met trip out to Cascades Station and braving the crowds of Valentine's Day shoppers, as the variegated blue glaze with dark brown edges is lovely, and very close indeed to my first concept. Plus, unexpected free chocolate bar!!

※※※

Finished the teal linen pinafore; note to self - remember that the basic pinafore is an easy and fairly fast sew, taking about three days or less of spare project time. Preparing the bias strips (marking, cutting out, and sewing the lengths together) to bind the raw edges was Monday's task, and takes about as much time as cutting out the entire rest of the pattern. Not sure if I want to add a front bodice pocket, it is wearable without, but that extra pocket is handy, and a good spot for embellishment.

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This project, long planned, was another of the "must needs feel like some sort of progress is happening"... The boards for the shelves, and then the shelf brackets and cleat lumber were acquired when friends were visiting in January. Once I'd marked and cut away the outer corner to a smooth curve, rasped and sanded down the edges, it only took moving all the various bags and boxes out of the corner of the room to make space to install them... 

This allowed for moving the handknits, the lightweight jackets, and the popover huipil tops into the garment zone next to the shirts, dresses and pinafores, and will free up the Ikea IVAR shelf to eventually move into the righthand side of the linen closet. All part of the grand plan to turn the linen closet, full of random "stuff" into Useful and Necessary pantry storage.

※※※

CW: this dance piece is beautiful, and political, and references the horrific murders of Renée Good and Alex Pretti. It brought tears to my eyes.

“ResistDance” - a tribute and act of artistic dissent
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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	plaid flannel shirt	rice bags	greenwaste bin
2	23 postcards	INTERNET!!	recycle bin
3	teal linen pinafore	hydration station	greenwaste bin
4	bedroom shelves	grey felt slipper	-
5	-	-	-
6	-	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- found the long missing striped indigo fabric for Karen
- a lovely bit of ephemeral lunar new year collage and flame artwork
- the half size oil filled radiator that fits underneath the computer desk, that keeps my legs warm 
- the block printed tiger sample from last year is almost, but not quite the same color as the new teal pinafore... may become a decorated pocket.

Time of Isolation - Day 2050

it's log...

in which our plucky heroine knows all good things must end...

at least for the moment. My visitors had to pack up to go home in the middle of the day, and return to their everyday life. It was lovely having guests, particularly my dear friends with whom I've been sharing a story for so many decades now.

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~ day 19 ~

This "stump" is about hip height on me, and 12" in diameter. It was a kind and thoughtful gift from my dear friend and former studio colleague Bill, who knew I'd always wanted one ever since I moved away and set up my own workspace.

Why a stump? It is an alternate work surface for tasks that are improved with a stable high-mass non-resilient surface, (for example, stamping designs or using drive punches on leather or metal. A bouncy surface like an ordinary table, makes such tasks a lot harder...

 
※※※

Given how long it took to clear out the space to (temporarily) store Ikea BEKVAM, and how long it took to tidy my workbench, it may realistically take me a month or more per room for sorting, tidying and decluttering, since I am unlikely to be able to allocate anything like whole days at a time. This is Useful Information, and I can use pixel-world body-double time to help me continue progress.

BEKVAM, a wooden Ikea kitchen cart with shelves, is a gift from B&K to be used in my future/someday kitchen reconstruction, that for now, is living in the corner of my living room. At some point it will need it's tabletop cut narrower, and the legs fitted with proper full rotational casters, but for now, it will be useful out of the way storage, in a former clutter haven. 

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~ a vast improvement ~
.
before and after

The other declutter/tidy task I really wanted to work on while I had in person companionship was returning my workbench to an orderly state of being. It seems as if it shouldn't take that long, since the surface area is fairly small, but it was several hours in before the results in the "after" photo. This is not only much more appealing and functional as a work space, but my friends also had several useful suggestions for additional/alternate storage for some of my tools. I now have clear decks to begin some work that needs doing, and a few simple changes to implement next.

I'm going to make some storage "pockets" for my metalworking files and rasps that can hang on the wall next to the workbench, add a small pinboard or bulletin board to the back of the workbench for notes about current project(s), and turn the vintage sewing machine drawers I bought years ago into a kind of narrow-but-tall rolling tool chest.

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

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

today's gratitudes - 
- my workbench restored to tidy pleasant useability makes me want to go do some metalwork and enameling, which I have been avoiding for ages
- I might be able to use BEKVAM's lower shelves as temporary canned goods storage space, which would clear counter spaces in the kitchen! 
- listening to various tributes to Bob Weir and his legacy
- several chances over the last few days to walk around the neighborhood with company of Beth and Karen; I miss being able to walk with friends, as most of my most local pals have moved away...

Time of Isolation - Day 2030

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine gets unwelcome news...

Today I got a "denied payment" letter telling me that my emergency room visit in October for my injured left eye is not an insurance covered service! WTF!?! I am going to challenge this denial, of course...(not that adding an additional metric crapton of dealing with paperwork and bureaucracy was on my bingo card, but what else can one do?)

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~ sour, savory, salty, spicy, sweet ~

Doesn't this look delicious? Just realised it is another "five flavor" recipe... Made enough salad on Thursday to have for lunch for the next several days...The fresh persimmon is so pretty and so tasty!!

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This evening had a visit from Ashe & Co - and an exchange of unexpected gifts. They kindly brought me the half pound of organic black-eyed peas from OFC, and the swift from Karen, both of which I'd asked if they would be willing to bring me from Olympia. They were coming down here to pick up their Advent Of A Better Year boxes, but also brought some surprises: one of their Halloween Trick or Treat bags full of treats: homemade crayons and coloring pages, a fancy pencil, stickers, a glowstick, and a few mini candies. They also made me four little advent surprise packages to make up for how I only accidentally gave myself 27 instead of 31 of the tiny gifts.... Awww, they are so thoughtful! Plus I got hugs!!

※※※

Today was sunny in the middle of the day, and after hanging laundry out to get partially dry, pruning seemed like a good next thing to do starting by cutting back the overgrown mint under the clothesline. Moving a bit further east down the chain link fence, the feral grapevine got quite the haircut. Not only as much as I could reach of what has grown into the neighboring yard, but rather a lot of the vines as well. Next in the wheelie bin, valiant Juliet, the tomato plant met her end. Late November is beyond tomato season, and while she was still attempting to get her remaining fruit to ripen, the rain was causing it to split open, and the leaves were beginning to look rather blighted. (I imagine that in a greenhouse, one could keep tomato plants going far longer than out in the open: I remember that Chuck and Joan had a little room upstairs in Boxborough with a huge cherry tomato growing under lights all winter.)  Finally, as there was still plenty of space in the bin, I got the pruning saw and cut away some of the excessively tall elderberry branches, and the larger end of what I'd already pruned away from the green fig.  Not pruning related, but in outdoor news, earlier in the day I saw two hummingbirds, both with a vivid red spot on their necks that flashed when the light hit it just right...

※※※

An interview with Naomi Kritzer, a SF/hopepunk writer I enjoy very much, and some links to two of her stories... 

"So Much Cooking"
"The Year Without Sunshine"
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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	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- Ashe & Co came to visit, bringing unexpected gifts
- a new yarn swift from Karen to replace my broken one
- found six yards of waistband elastic in the notions cupboard, which will make my intention of several new pairs of long janes much easier to accomplish, having all the materials needed already on hand 

Time of Isolation - Day 1981

a successful Sunday

in which our plucky heroine speaks about how...

"Homegrown Tree Fruit Can Be Easy"... This morning I gave an online presentation based on my own experiences and the knowledge I've gained from "Grow A Little Fruit Tree", and it seemed to be very well received. There was plenty of discussion afterwards, which is always a good sign.

※※※

~ Escheresque ~

Out and about on a cold wintery day yesterday, on the way to the farmer's market, before the rain returned...

※※※

Oak gall progress report: the liquid contents of the jar full of crushed galls in rainwater are becoming darker, as the water slowly leaches the tannins from the galls. The plan is to give it several weeks to a month of steeping before taking any of the further steps to turn it into ink.

※※※

※※※

many plans for future projects - sewing garments (long janes, slips, pinafores, undies, and a flannel shirt), sewing cross-body holders for phone and camera, finishing studio work commissions, an abalone horse brooch, insulating windowshades, etc etc.

※※※

Much to my surprise, there are yet additional Juliet tomatoes starting to turn color on the plant in the backyard; perhaps the salad to go with the turkey roulade needs to be a tomato salad!! It has gotten close a few times, but not yet had an actual frost, though it is cold enough at night that I am making good use of two half size oil radiators, one under the computer desk while working online, and one in the bathroom for warmth while showering. 

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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	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	-
6	24 more owls	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- My presentation this morning went quite well, and I did all the specific prep work writing earlier this morning (a benefit of talking about a subject I know well and am excited to share information about)
- have finally transcribed all the contacts into my mobile phone
- a surprise porch visit from Beth and Karen, who made an unexpected unplanned trip to Gresham and stopped by here on their way home

Time of Isolation - Day 1976

hummingbird and moon

in which our plucky heroine reiterates...

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

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

※※※

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

※※※

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

※※※

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

※※※

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

※※※

Moomin movie - Rebecca Sugar!

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

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

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

- hummingbirds 

Time of Isolation - Day 1934

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine purposefully focuses on what is positive...

As it had cooled off a bit before sundown, a bike ride along the edge of the bluff seemed like a pleasant idea. High clouds were patterned like the fur of a mackerel tabby cat, which according to the internet precedes a change in the weather, and the forecast for the weekend is dreadfully hot once again. We shall have to see, but tonights bike ride at dusk was just delightful

※※※

~ a beautiful windfall ~

The great benefit of thinning apples on the tree is that with fewer apples total, the resources available allow individual apples to grow larger. There will be more quince apple sauce in a few days

※※※

making gradual progress on clearing the dining table of detritus and random papers... the box of sewing patterns returned to the sewing shelves, and the 8 page tutorial on sleeve plackets I'd printed out has been carefully placed in sheet protectors, which I cleverly in the past had bought a whole carton of, and stored with the printer paper. (that tutorial still needs the photo images to be redrawn or detailed, as the quality of the printing isn't as clear as would be desirable)

※※※

that was baffling: while out riding my bike, saw a sign on a large fig tree for "free figs" but the whole tree only had (many many) unripe small second crop figs, nowhere near ready to eat. Indeed second crop figs almost never ripen here, and don't easily detach from the branches either.

※※※

The podcast interview with T Kingfisher aka Ursula Vernon is now available online, and I look forward to listening to it soon! 

※※※

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	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- two beautiful windfall apples
- Past Me cleverly bought a box of 100 sheet protectors
- completed the second of four admin tasks (for this week)

Time of Isolation - Day 1856

Friday fragments and Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine takes a break from watering...

The weather yesterday was been reminiscent of New England early summer, if without the thunder and lightning. The night sound of rain on the window awnings, then sun and clouds enough to tease me into hanging laundry on the line, followed by dark sky, downpour and hail! Today has been all rain all the time! I love it, and it might soften the ground enough to allow for digging a spot for the mock orange (still in a pot on the porch).

※※※

Thursday I spaced out that it was a holiday, and rode all the way to the post office only to see the parking lot empty. Sometimes I am a flake, though the extra riding time was very pleasant...

Friday I rode to the post office once again, cleverly timed between the unseasonable precipitation, and posted the assorted utility bills, and also sent back the Crushgrind Mill to Lee Valley for a refund. In all my many years purchasing things from their catalogs, this is the first time ever needing to take advantage of their no hassle return policy. Unfortunately, despite the encouraging photo on the website showing the mill grinding flax seeds onto breakfast porridge, it does not work at all well for grinding flax seeds. I turned and turned it for over fifteen minutes, without more than a tiny pinch of ground seeds in result. (shall consider small Krups electric grinder instead)

※※※

Aline mentioned that Flambards had been adapted for British TV decades ago, and I've been watching it on youTube... I'd enjoyed the books years ago, but somehow forgotten all the political subtext in addition to the period drama.

※※※

I've ordered Ann Tilley's "Magic Pants" pattern, with the hope that perhaps the unusual construction will result in something more comfortable to wear  than the common bifurcated garment. While I've not worn pants in years now, there are times where suchlike would be a Useful Option. Apparently this is a year of trying incremental new things. My knitting project added two new skills to my set, and these pants offer that possibility as well.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	Laeriel enamel	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	Laeriel setting	replace clothesline	danger bug
4	-	new smoke alarm battery	yard waste bin
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- three tubes of my favorite, albeit discontinued, hand cream (via Ebay)
- Aline mentioned that Flambards had been adapted for British TV decades ago, and I've enjoyed watching it on youTube...
- the Totoro origami set has several additional pieces of paper, with tiny motifs that will be suitable to use for miniature wall art or advent treats

Time of Isolation - Day 1797

deadheading the sage

in which our plucky heroine considers becoming crepuscular...

By midafternoon, it was just over 100°F (38°C) on the front porch in the shade. I gave in and turned on the heat pump to the cool setting, as it was over 80 inside the house and I was feeling ill from the heat. I'll be taking additional water out to the new young trees and vegetables this evening

First thing most mornings these days is to take a look around the yard and garden, and pick a few small tasks to do. Today that was getting the pruning saw and cutting away the chunk of the Wanda plum that is definitely defunct. Also adding some more water to the skirret in the side yard, and finally taking time to cut away at least some of the spent culinary sage flower clusters. Sage is beloved by pollinators when in full bloom, but once the flowers drop, they are just sticky and prickly between the driveway and the front door ramp.

※※※

~ so tall ~

Along the edge of the bluff, someone planted an agave in their parking strip, and it is not quite starting to flower. After many years, agave send up a TALL flower spike, bloom, and then die. I must needs use the zoom function on my phone, as the spike is probably between 15 to 20 ft tall. You can observe how they are in the same plant family as asparagus...

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Last night managed a few more rows on what I am calling my Cloud Mountain bandana. The turquoise Noro Kiri yarn is actually much more variegated than I realised, with deep teal, bright turquoise, grey, and even flecks of white, in a very Noro-ish blend. I often name my Ravelry projects after what aspects of the natural world they evoke (for me), which I find amusing... Do other folks do this, I wonder? Thinking ahead to when it is time to bind off, I may attempt a two color I-cord bind off, to best echo the two color selvege on the other side of the bottom edge, rather than the MC bind off suggested in the pattern...  

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Today on her blog, Stephanie mentioned the idea about taking time to do small “artist date” travel locally which gave me the idea to try something similar in around the city, more than my usual bike rides or walks in my own neighborhood. I’ve read that finding ways to add “novelty” to our daily life is a way to extend time, in that routine becomes unnoticable sameness and time feels like it is passing in the blink of an eye, but doing something new can almost bring us back to that child state where time and days last for ages. When I am not bound up in work, and when we are not in the middle of a heat advisory, I shall do some urban exploration!

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This creative public art/climate initiative THE HERDS will have a myriad of life-size puppet animals making a 20,000 km journey from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle this year. Here also is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the puppets are made

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 amanita softies	planted sprouty taters	yard waste bin
2	-	dyed yarn brown	recycle bin
3	-	-	danger bug
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- getting a bit braver or else just more accustomed to making phone calls
- the teal Noro Kiri yarn turns out to be pleasingly variegated
- one of my small metal mixing bowls, that has a hinged ring handle, works quite well as a second yarn bowl

Time of Isolation - Day 1785

Wednesday whatnots

in which our plucky heroine takes care of assorted kibbles and bits...

Having to spend time at the beginning of the week dealing with an online data breach, though fortunately it seems my identity and dosh are all accounted for... it did entail a visit to the bank, where they combed through my records but found nothing amiss, and a call to the credit company to shut down my card and issue me a new one, which will take some time to arrive. Whilst coming home from the bank, the Tri-Met bus took a wrong turn, into a residential neighborhood, which rather delayed all my other activity on Monday evening.

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~ a very small succulent ~

Karen brought me a start of "Shrek's Ears", which is actually one of the current common names of  Crassula ovata 'Monstruosa' a variant on the common "jade plant"... This particular one is not quite 1½" tall, and lacking a suitable home for it, I drilled a drainage hole in a very small ceramic pot, and can keep it on the windowsill. It reminded me of the scene in Miss Happiness and Miss Flower when they are given two bonsai trees, and will be a lovely prop for future tinyworld photo sessions.

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"Ethel and Ernest" I never saw this when it was released, and it isn't on any platform I can access easily. I'm tempted to track it down in DVD form, as it seems like my sort of media.

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This isn't new, but it is lovely, and I was charmed by the sentiment

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Using the string trimmer to whack the lawn is strenuous, probably as the shoulders are still sore from tumbling off my bike on the 15th. Decided to start closest to the sidewalk, to have the best effect on passers by, and got about halfway done with the front yard. Will return to the effort tomorrow, in hope of getting the rest of the front yard done. I know from past effort that the back yard takes three passes, so it will likely be a weekly effort for the next month or two. My plan is to also us the cardboard Karen picked up for me, cover it with wood chip mulch, and create a pathway around the front yard, which should reduce significantly the actual mowing needed. Incremental progress is still progress.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blue skirt Opal	shipova planted	yard waste bin
2	2 pr undies toiles	smoothed half of side gate base	recycle bin
3	model for F.L.A.G	got TDaP vaccine	yard waste bin
4	-	persimmon mulched	recycle bin
5	-	pruned figs	2 arborvitae
6	x	2024 taxes	x
7	x	hip joints for tinyfolk	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- The scent of lilac blossoms around the neighborhood, and that the dwarf lilac in the front garden here is starting to bloom
- Managed to get the part of the front yard closest to the sidewalk cut back with the string trimmer.
- Game tonight went really well! It feels like we really got into the spirit of Wanderhome.

Time of Isolation - Day 1738

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...

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~ 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!

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

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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.

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

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

Weekend whatnots

in which our plucky heroine is a bit under the weather...

intended to do more today, but instead it is likely that my sleep wake imbalance is about to be shifted towards the side of rest.

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~ isn't this wonderful! ~

A letter, sent in 1913, from artist Alfred Frueh to his fiancee Giuliette Fanciulli, which unfolds into a miniature art gallery...
(more images and more info here; from the Smithsonian Archive of American Art)

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Since the tiny hearts (for February's share of the Advent Swap preparation) are completed, the chosen item for March will be tiny books with buttons for covers. After a good rummage in the button basket, there were enough mother-of-pearl buttons to make a set of at least six. Now to figure out contents for the little books... maybe botanical?

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Ugh!I am coming down with a cold? or ?? Nose is stuffy and I feel generally "off". Had a headache Friday. Napped Saturday afternoon, then took one of the expired covid tests Saturday night - it was negative. Early to bed, and will be activating all my self care modes: hot broth to drink, Emergen-C, ColdCalm tablets, etc... It isn't flu, which as I recall usually comes on like a load of bricks, but a gradual malaise. I shall continue to monitor all my health metrics, and treat self very gently...

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Flow - directed by Gints Zilbalodis... I just watched Flow last night, and recommend it without reservation to those who would enjoy an exquisitely detailed animation, in a wordless film (there is instrumental music, but no dialog) I liked it so much I want to watch it again. If I can find the DVD for sale (somewhere other than Big A or Big W), I will add it to my small collection

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While looking at the two sets of finished objects for the future Advent Swap, I realised that the final two steps for the fibulae were never completed: very thin beading wire needs wound between each of the rainbow beads, and the currently blunt pin points need to be forged to a point and sharpened! Well, better to figure that out now mid-February than sometime in October.

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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	-
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. noticed that the fibulae from January were not all the way finished, and worked on that (better now than in October)
2. found out that Flow is available on one of the platforms I can access, so I was able to watch it! Superb animation!!
3. zoom with Jen and Bill, plus Kestrel liked the valentines for her dolls
4. leftover chicken from the fridge can be added to a cup full of hot bouillon to make impromptu chicken soup, and the heat transferred after a few minutes means everything is pleasantly warm, not too hot and not too cold.
5. The snap attaching pliers work really well
6. Several years ago I was gifted with a festoon of color changing LED spheres, which still delight me. I usually set them to slowly shift through the spectrum they have available

Time of Isolation - Day 1676

septugenaria

in which our plucky heroine says hippo birdy to me...

and how did I not notice that I have the same birthday as Will Stanton? I have read "The Dark Is Rising" by Susan Cooper every year as a seasonal ritual since I was first introduced to it... Now there is also a beautifully done BBC radio drama in twelve parts, and I have also been listening to the chapters as I do my morning chores...

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This is just plain lovely... happy Solstice one and all!

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"And so the Shortest Day came
and the year died.
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, revelling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - listen!
All the long echoes, sing the same delight,
This Shortest Day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year."

~ Susan Cooper

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I ordered my favorite Grateful Dead album "American Beauty" as a CD (from their webshop so as to bypass the Behemoth), and it arrived today, a timely birthday treat!

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I had been really hoping to get one of the pretty koi ornaments as one of my Advent Swap treats, et voila! The silvery colors of this fish are perfectly complimented with the sparkle of the golden and translucent beads.

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some experiments are more successful than others... I wanted braised oxtail for a special rare treat, for dinner tonight, but the store said none available til January at the soonest. (and they didn't have any black cod, which is my other special rare treat)

The butcher suggested using a piece of beef short rib instead as a likely substitute. Cooked with the same recipe as I would have the oxtail, it filled a similar niche for flavor, but shrunk to about half the original size in the cooking! The texture was more like brisket than succulent oxtail.

Given that I almost never splurge on beef, I think that if/when I do that again, I will simply get a tiny bit of bavette steak, cut it into crosswise strips and add it to a veggie stir fry. More bang for the flavor buck, as it were...

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~ Solstice sweets ~

After seeing the little cakes Beth made, I wanted to also make something sweet and sunlike for Solstice, but didn't feel up to making pastry. Karen explained how simple shortbread is to make, and since I'd never made it before, I gave it a try. 1 part sugar : 2 parts butter : 4 parts flour. I used gluten free baking mix, pressed the mixture into the bottoms of silicone cupcake liners, and baked in the convection oven for 20 minutes at just under 300F. Filled them with some blood orange marmalade. I particularly like how the corrugated liners left a decorative pattern on the sides of the shortbread.

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	rainbow cowl tassels	more clothesline	recycle bin
2	85 origami squares	cardboard down	random book parts
3	heraldic potholders	set up paperwhites	recycle bin
4	pine needle stars	grey linen pinafore	yard waste bin
5	solstice sweets	bandanna hem	yard waste bin
6	x	x	recycle bin
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. solstice sweets: shortbread tarts filled with marmalade
2. several short sweet zooms with friends and family
3. Grateful Dead, studio or live...

Time of Isolation - Day 1620

throwback Thursday

in which our plucky heroine appreciates a sunny day...

I mentioned that my bicycle was in need of some professional help? This morning I found a bike shop that was only a little ways on the other side of the highway, and after speaking to the proprietor on the phone, rode over there to have it looked at. It was satisfying to hear that my diagnosis of what was wrong was basically correct, and I was just delighted when they offered to fit my small repair in right away, which let me avoid spending several additional hours on the bus going home and then back again. Fingers crossed that this bike shop remains in business for a while longer.

It only needed a new spoke and being re-trued; I was told it should give me a fair bit more good service, but warned however that the wheel itself is not in great condition, and that should it do this again, it is probably due for replacement. This doesn't surprise me, given the bike is probably thirty years old.

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~ day 19 ~

another lovely crocheted bookmark, this one is the perfect size to fit my Leuchtturm 1917 dot-grid journal that I use every day

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Kat and Grendel stopped by around lunchtime for a porch visit, and she brought over some of the quick breads she made recently, including one using some of the persimmons I had given her earlier...

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~ a venerable gadget ~

I have our ancestral one of these, the one from when I was a child back in the LongAgo. We didn't live in Hawaii, but rather in various places in New England and Los Angeles, and we just called the neat rounds "toas-tites" and ours were mostly filled with just plain cheese,... they were particularly tidy for school lunches, and my very favorite was when Mom included some bacon along with the "American cheese". I dug it out from the bottom of the cupboard and gave it a try for making lunch today, and though I was lacking the correct bread, and substituting sharp cheddar and a slather of mustard as filling, it worked just as well as I remembered.

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I've finished the rolled hem, so the bandanna is now ready to be overdyed. I also finished up my pine needle stars. I suspect that type of weaving really is easier with willow shoots, as the larger scale would be much easier to handle and less fragile!

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	rainbow cowl tassels	more clothesline	recycle bin
2	85 origami squares	cardboard down	random book parts
3	heraldic potholders	set up paperwhites	recycle bin
4	pine needle stars	grey linen pinafore	yard waste bin
5	-	bandanna hem	yard waste bin
6	x	x	recycle bin
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. found a good bike shop close enough to ride to (even though on other side of I-5), and they offered to fit my repair in right away, so I could avoid a fairly long bus ride home and back again to pick up the bike. Extra plus - friendly dog.
2. Porch visit from Kat and Grendel
3. breezy and partly sunny day meant that laundered bedding got mostly dried.
4. my experimental weaving pine needle stars was a success.

Time of Isolation - Day 1618