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!
※※※
~ 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!
. ※※※
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...
※※※
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...
※※※
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.
in which our plucky heroine embodies incremental progress...
which sometimes is expressed with multiple projects. Sewing for refurbishing my own wardrobe, and sewing pillow shams on commission. Finishing up some heraldic metalwork and enamel regalia orders. Planning to work in February on an abalone inlay horse brooch for Year of the Fire Horse (and meant to replace my beloved brooch that was lost) Adding knitwear storage shelves to the bedroom. Yes, I am polycraftual...
※※※
~ slow and steady ~
The neckline of the flannel shirt is completed.The shoulder yoke lining is Liberty lawn, as is the bias binding that finishes the inner edge of the collar seam. The symmetry in this shirt front pleases me greatly, including the unintentional very fortuitous location of the plaid stripes in the button bands.
Once I made the button bands and attached them to the bias fronts of the shirt, my next step was to cut out a bias strip from the Liberty lawn long enough to finish the inner neck edge. It occurs to me that the way I sew my collars in place is not standard and rather peculiar. I don't know where I first got the idea but I have been finishing inner collar edges this way for quite a few years. Depending on what fabric is used for the bias strip it can either blend in or be an accent. I find it easier to get a result I like with this technique rather than the more common turned facing.
The one remaining "challenge" for this project is the next step, the tower placket. Last night I re-read the directions, and think that making a sample later today before tackling the actual sleeves is a very good idea. The notes for the placket suggest that once one is familiar with the process it goes very quickly.
Yet to do: plackets, armscye seams, cuffs, side seams, waist seam (attaching peplum). Oh, and buttons and buttonholes. Need to decide which of the two sets of dark teal buttons is for the flannel shirt and which for the print blouse. Just might also prepare the peplum for the print blouse as well, while the serger is threaded with teal thread...
※※※
Throwback Thursday - one of my blog posts from January 2019, that still rings true today:
"Some friends and I were having an online discussion earlier today, about the inevitable planetary disaster that we are all in the middle of. My own ending comment was "I feel helpless to shift anything on a macro scale, and soaking in that feeling doesn't activate anything for me save a desire to die sooner. Instead, I do what I can to live lightly and thoughtfully, and bring tiny modicums of brightness and beauty where I am able. Will that turn around the train wreck we are living inside of... surely not. Will that help me to be able to lie down at the end of my life and say I did what I could, the best I could manage... hopefully just a bit."
※※※
~ day 20 and 21 ~
This is one of my two favorite little ceramic cups. This one is unglazed red clay, with the decoration created by painting the background of the Laurel wreath design with the same black glaze that lines the cup. It was made by my pottery pals at Reannag Teine, and is often my choice for starting the day, as filled with homemade kombucha it is the right size for taking my vitamins.
I wear hats. Almost all the time, especially when outdoors. If it is sunny summertime, keeping the sun from my eyes and scalp, and if it is cold winter, keeping the sun from my eyes and keeping me warm. (well, and if it is raining, doing the obvious and keeping the water from my spex and off my head)
This wide brimmed shape is my preference, and I have two almost identical, this dark denim hat, and one in some grey canvas that matches my chore jacket. They only differ in the assortment of brooches pinned to their hatbands, which offer a significant "canvas" for decorations, and an optional home for various small handwork projects.
※※※
This afternoon seemed like a good time to bike to the hardware store and see about picking up some shelf brackets, now that I've the appropriate shelving to create storage for my handknit pullovers and cardigans. Alas, their inventory has been sadly diminished in the last few years, and the only "intermediate" size of shelf brackets they have any more are fancy ones, not the basic (and therefore inexpensive) style. I shouldn't complain too much as at least there is still a hardware store within biking distance. Wishing I had checked the brackets at the lumberyard, or else thought to measure the board purchased; should have remembered that of course a 1 x 10 is not actually 10" wide (and hence my 10" shelf brackets overhang by about an inch)
There may be some clever solution to this dilemma, will continue to give it some thought. As I began mulling over while riding my bike home, after dropping the bills at the post office and picking up two lemons to add to the blood oranges for marmalade making. The sun was going down, and the temperature dropping, when tapping on my helmet and sleeves was not rain, but tiny lumps of sleet! There hadn't been any such thing in the forecast for today...
※※※
January SMART goals (x=extra)
#
THINGS MADE
THINGS FIXED
THINGS GONE
1
final alphabeast drawing
painted mini tree
recycle bin
2
calendar master pages
new bin for cedar shakes
orangeflower water
3
5+ jars fig mostarda
drawstring cords
large broken bin
4
page 2 resipei
workbench tidy
2 bags paper
5
-
-
-
6
x
x
x
7
x
x
x
8
x
x
x
9
x
x
x
today's gratitudes -
- my neighbors bird feeders, in the side yard between our houses
- I rethreaded the serger with no difficulty, and reset the tension to a smoother result for the next sewing project.
- an assortment of soup cubes in the freezer... today's choice was carrot coriander, along with some leftover lamb roast and some of the new kasha, it made a good dinner.
...in the hope of sleeping through the midnight boomstick and 'splosion foolishness... no luck, as there was such a shake-the-windows loud noise just after 11 that I may have levitated up off the bed out of my sound sleep. And now I am awake, and will wait until the intermittent adrenaline junkies get it out of their systems. My tiny festive meal for tomorrow is all prepared, and the black eyed peas are simmering in the crock pot overnight; I've prepared cooked greens, and spiced corn pancakes, and this year I made a saffron cream sauce sweetened with golden syrup to put over the carrot coins.
※※※
~ always ~
"The verses are a roadmap of how to live a good life and be a good person, each of them punctuated with that rousing chorus:
Ring the old year out
Ring the new year in
Bring us all good luck
Let the good guys win "
- Charles de Lint
※※※
2025 has been the 11th year of using SMART goals as a tool for personal accountability and well being, and it continues to be helpful.
I actually do what is more of a slight variation on SMART goals (which are intended to be "Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely"), but I change out the "Achievable" to "Achieved". I only include what I have done, not what I hope/intend to do in the future. This keeps my interaction with record keeping positive, while also encouraging me to continue to act in ways that can be recorded as positive actions.
Training theory says that X-ing out tickey-boxes is a Useful Signal and helps in changing habits. That as certainly proved true over the last decade... For me, the combination of a monthly active chart that I add to with every blog post, and a larger whole year chart that is filled in every month with progress, continues to work well to encourage my efforts to move forward over the year, as well as showing me both where I am investing my time, and where I could use a bit more attention.
There is something very satisfying about seeing the actions of a whole year delineated, and to notice all the things that were created, or repaired, or let go of in the last year, despite how little it felt like, and how much still remains undone or unfinished...
SMART goals challenge 2025
#
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
passport applied for
recycle bin
5
pot lid rack
pattern longjanes
recycle bin
6
aluminum stitch markers
pear tree planted
recycle bin
7
"wing it" vest
stripe sleeves
squirrel nest
8
tiny valentines
milliput handles
recycle bin
9
heartfelt ornament
horse earring
yard waste bin
10
dragon garland
more broach handles
art exchange
11
strawberry rhubarb sauce
black keyboard covers
many dead weeds
12
running horse prints
turtleneck collar
recycle bin
13
6 dozen cookies
rainbow fibulae
yard waste bin
14
lino block carved
bucket handle
recycle bin
15
tiny faux patchwork quilt
grey pinafore
recycle bin
16
quince pie
pruned marjoram
yard waste bin
17
multiple lino proofs
slipper soles
recycle bin
18
6 quince breads
bicycle derailleur
yard waste bin
19
flooring Caer Cardboard
"a-y-a" replaced
recycle bin
20
mocha cake
worm bin bedding
yard waste bin
21
6 button books
cleaned hallway air grilles
recycle bin
22
blue skirt Opal
hem long janes
2 arborvitae
23
2 pr undies toiles
points on fibulae
plastic trash bin
24
model for F.L.A.G
pruned baby persimmon
greenwaste bin
25
heraldic fern painted
weeded half the SWP's
recycle bin
26
XP2 sun protection
shipova planted
recycle bin
27
heraldic plaque
smoothed half side gate
greenwaste bin
28
spicy peanut sauce
got TDaP vaccine
recycle bin
29
3 prs undies
persimmon mulched
greenwaste bin
30
pendant for Cricket
pruned figs
recycle bin
31
2 more prs undies
2024 taxes
danger bug
32
2 amanita softies
hip joints for tinyfolk
greenwaste bin
33
Laeriel enamel
added pea trellis
recycle bin
34
Laeriel setting
planted Seckel pear
recycle bin
35
12 tiny Totoros
Juliet tomato planted
greenwaste bin
36
Cloud Mountain cowl
marigolds planted
greenwaste bin
37
Raven scroll
pear branchlets weighted
greenwaste bin
38
black floral scarf
turtleneck to Eames top
recycle bin
39
4 jars strawberry-
rhubarb preserves
more trellis for peas
greenwaste bin
40
sunblock mitts
concrete blocks moved
recycle bin
41
catch tarp for porch
planted sprouty taters
persimmon prunings
42
mini 3D plant stand
dyed yarn brown
greenwaste bin
43
7 pebble kittens
replace clothesline
recycle bin
44
4 jar storage trays
new smoke alarm battery
recycle bin
45
4 jar storage lids
repair ropechain clasp
window AC
46
dried basil
6 prs Beth pants
apple tree prunings
47
3 jars apple/quince rosewater sauce
prune² Wanda plum
greenwaste bin
48
3 kitchen towels
mulch peartrees
recycle bin
49
4 barkcloth tea towels
Eames top
greenwaste bin
50
yellow triangle pouch
filter box legs
big apple tree prunings
51
knitted pony
new house roof
greenwaste bin
52
8 jars quince apple rosewater sauce
defrost chest freezer
greenwaste bin
53
6+ jars fig lemon marmalade
repair garden hose
recycle bin
54
dried pears
right eyeglass temple
greenwaste bin
55
4 jars pickled beets
tiger block
recycle bin
56
11 jars salsa verde
bright rayon top width
greenwaste bin
57
5 jars strawberry rhubarb
indigotiger popover hem extension
recycle bin
58
5 jars spiced applesauce
bike rear wheel
recycle bin
59
6 lunaria pod ornaments
new apron straps
recycle bin
60
5 more lunaria ornaments
frame for Pyle cartoon
LFL books
overflow SMART goals!!!
#
THINGS MADE
THINGS FIXED
THINGS GONE
61
5 golden origami dragons
box fan grille
recycle bin
62
5 mini amanitas
needle gauge herb stripper
greenwaste bin
63
18 penny luck envelopes
pruning elderberry
greenwaste bin
64
10 holly&bells ornaments
pruning nandina
recycle bin
65
more penny luck envelopes
picked moar figs
greenwaste bin
66
clothespin bag
picked plums
recycle bin
67
5 jars pickled beets
small radiator foot
recycle bin
68
1# hand weights
spex temple
fridge science experiments
69
a dozen owls
got Novavax jab
yard waste bin
70
many jars of Awesome Sauce
wheelbarrow tire
recycle bin
71
24 more owls
cardigan cuffs
recycle bin
72
7 jars of Awesome Sauce
reattach wheel to wheelbarrow
recycle bin
73
8 dishcloths
vegetable steamer leg replacement
-
74
mat for angels print
leather scissors sheath
-
75
2 pairs undies
chopshop cardigan mended
-
76
knitted shrew
horse kerchief dots
-
77
1 pair undies
more chopshop repair
-
78
2 alphabeast drawings
printer connection
-
79
1 alphabeast drawing
black knit slip
-
80
phone pouch
15 origami giftwrap
-
81
transit pass case
case for phone
-
82
-
horse kerchief details
-
83
-
much pruning
-
84
-
angels print framed
-
85
-
vegetable steamer legs
-
86
-
shrew eyes
-
88
-
Gamma bucket lid
-
89
-
one page of the embroidery transfer
-
90
-
daypack mended
-
91
-
cleaned keyboard
-
92
-
undie waistband
-
93
-
Otterbox case
-
today's gratitudes -
1. good folks near and far
2. all the blessings the bright world still offers
3. hope, the gem at the very bottom of the box
Last night my sleep was interrupted with about a two hour long visual migraine. While it is a blessing that it is only the visuals and not the pain that so many of my friend experience, it is very distracting. What it looked like (irrespective of if my eyes were open or closed) was what started out as a flashing star shaped hatch mark in one corner of my peripheral vision, and gradually spread out in an ever expanding curve across my entire field of vision, looking very much like multicolored flashing lights of a carnival or fun fair. It was impossible to return to dreamland until the neuro-storm had finally finished and drifted away beyond the range of sight.
It is a peculiar phenomenon, that only happens very rarely, maybe once every five years or more. The first time it occurred, back in the mid 80's, I had no idea what was wrong and why I suddenly could not see anything in my surroundings. The school nurse was convinced that the sudden flashing blindness was caused by my "hyperventilating" (which was her diagnosis for almost everything other than active wounds). I am grateful that my first migraine happened in the classroom and not as it did for my mother, who first had one while driving on the freeway in Los Angeles!
※※※
~ sparkle in snow ~
The ditsy printed design on the oldest of my knit turtleneck tops is apparently meant for christmas; it took me a number of years to notice that scattered amongst the wintery scene, here and there a few of the ¼" conifer trees have colorful decorations.
※※※
As planned yesterday, today's dinner was an Eastern European-esque version of spinach rice bake: barley, cabbage, mushrooms, onion, cheese, eggs. It was tasty, but as suspected, would have been improved with a different cheese. Maybe kashkaval, maybe chevre, or some combination of the two. Tillamook was too bland.
this recipe from my childhood is become a staple breakfast dish, or
equally well as a potluck contribution, should we ever have social
gatherings again...
~Spinach Rice Bake ~
1 C cooked starch (rice, kasha, bulgar etc)
1 C shredded cheese
1 c cooked veg, chopped
2 eggs
2 T melted butter
2 t chopped onion
⅓ C milk (or 1 T dry milk and ⅓ C water)
½ t Worcester sauce
½ t dried herbs (or such fresh herbs as seem pleasing)
10 x 6 baking dish, 350°F, 20 - 25 min
※※※
I've found the missing miniature bed with the hand painted canal boat roses, in a "somewhere safe" that wasn't really deeply hidden, huzzah! Now all that remains missing from the tinyworld is shoes, Opal's birkies, and two pair of winter boots. Those can all be remade much more easily than furniture, so I am relieved. Just as I am thinking and planning for various human scale refurbishments and project for 2026, am also looking over how things stand in the tinyworld and what projects come next...
※※※
wishing joy to all who celebrate:
※※※
December SMART goals (x=extra)
#
THINGS MADE
THINGS FIXED
THINGS GONE
1
2 pairs underwear
vegetable steamer legs
fridge science experiments
2
knitted shrew
shrew eyes
yard waste bin
3
1 pair undies
Gamma bucket lid
recycle bin
4
2 alphabeast drawings
one page of the embroidery transfer
recycle bin
5
1 alphabeast drawing
daypack mended
recycle bin
6
phone pouch
cleaned keyboard
x
7
x
undie waistband
x
8
x
x
x
9
x
x
x
today's gratitudes - - reliable recipes, the cooking equivalent of TNT sewing patterns
- sewing machine walking foot
- Mischa reading "A Child's Christmas in Wales" aloud - finding the lost tinyworld bed
in which our plucky heroine misses the Before Times...
which is really nothing new, I'll probably feel that way more or less for as long as Fortune lets me continue walking in the bright world. Doing what I can, with what I have, where I am, right now as the saying goes, is the best I can manage.
※※※
~ W is for... ~
wolf, and wisteria, the calendar illustration which I just finished inking today. And a bit more time tonight has been spent working on the last of the drawings for the AlphaBeast calendar for 2026. Currently pencil sketching the design for the final motif: "O is for otter and orchid". Once that is completed, I can start putting together the actual pages with months and dates... Fingers crossed that this year I manage to get it all completed, printed, and mailed out before the end of the year.
※※※
Found a tutorial online to sew a simple cross body, three-pocket folded pouch to hold a mobile phone, and decided that would be a great option to let me easily keep music and podcasts handy, but also easily move said phone safely out of the way when doing things that involve water, like washing hands, or dishes
Combined some linen from a former SCA gown, some extra large vintage snaps, a length of the colorful twill tape from B&K, and finally an embroidered OCF peach patch that has been living on my pinboard for years. Very satisfying to give a second or third life to textile bits and bobs... I'm planning on a matching small case for my transit pass, to fit in one of the pockets, inspired by this tutorial, and this tutorial, and this one as well. None of them are perzactly what I want, but each has tips that will be useful.
※※※
Tomorrow I plan on making an "Eastern European" version of my standard spinach rice bake, substituting purple barley for the rice, and cabbage and mushrooms for the spinach. If I had had the time, a different cheese than the usual Tillamook sharp would have been better, but needs must. I may try substituting a mixture of farmer cheese and kashkaval next time.
today's gratitudes - - more progress on the resipei embroidery
- The internet was only out for a few hours, and Sister and I had a phone chat instead of a video chat.
- new handy phone carrying pouch
in which our plucky heroine hangs on... while we swing around the Sun towards lengthening daylight
※※※
~ seasonal song ~
TIL that there is two degrees of separation between our plucky heroine and Cat Farber! The musician was one of the founding members of the Caer Lutris SCA household (along with three of my good friends) though she had left before I ever joined ...
※※※
Finished all of line 5 on the resipei embroidery and begun line 6. There was a lot of time on zoom today, and embroidery is perfect handwork. Eventually this portion will be done and I will start on the other half: lines 1 - 4, and the ingredient list
Tomorrow I'll be back at working on the final two drawings for the 2026 calendar, and will check in at the copy store to find out what my printing options are; my timing was off yesterday, and I arrived after they were closed. I'm hoping for some resume weight stock in a warm Kraft paper color, or barring that, light cardstock. We shall see...
※※※
"The Shortest Day", with the venerable words by Susan Cooper (first written for Christmas Revels in 1974) and with gorgeous illustrations by Carson Ellis, is my very favorite picture book...
"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, reveling. 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 so do we, here, now, This year and every year. Welcome Yule!"
~ Susan Cooper
※※※
Young friends coming to visit in person is a wonderful treat. That they had made gifts for me (and for all the tiny folk who live here) was extraordinary, and made this longtime birthday feel very special indeed. They made a miniature lighted tree, and a tiny rosebud brooch, a fancy apron for Almandine, a soft dog bed for Sequoia (though he also claimed the sparkly tiara) a palette of paints and an assortment of paint brushes no longer than ½", a garland of glittery origami stars almost taller than I am, a hand embroidered "Sign of Iron" from The Dark Is Rising, and a terrarium ornament with a mushroom cap lid. How I am worthy of all this generosity I don't know, but will accept with as much grace as I can.
※※※
December SMART goals (x=extra)
#
THINGS MADE
THINGS FIXED
THINGS GONE
1
2 pairs underwear
vegetable steamer legs
fridge science experiments
2
knitted shrew
shrew eyes
yard waste bin
3
1 pair undies
Gamma bucket lid
recycle bin
4
2 alphabeast drawings
one page of the embroidery transfer
recycle bin
5
-
daypack mended
recycle bin
6
x
cleaned keyboard
x
7
x
x
x
8
x
x
x
9
x
x
x
today's gratitudes - - the younger Olympia friends, who brightened my birthday with an in-person visit and many many handmade gifts
- phone calls from family far away
- leftovers for dinner that were very tasty and meant I could spend my time being social and not cooking dinner
in which our plucky heroine works on small projects...
Well, I almost always do small projects, so that isn't a surprise. The coming week my plan is to see how many of my unfinished tasks get checked off the list, in the hope that doing so will brighten my dispirited outlook. If only I could remember where I put that bottle of Anti-Weasel Serum, lost somewhere in the clutter and disorder. Remind self that cannot begin any sooner than right now, that doing one thing is an improvement on doing no things, and that comparison is the thief of joy. I persist in making an effort to push past how I feel, to notice the fragments of odd quirky delight that still exist in the world, but it gets harder every day.
※※※
~ R is for reindeer and rose ~
Progress has been made on drawings for the 2026 "AlphaBeast" calendar, finished two this afternoon: serval/snowdrop, and reindeer/rose. After I get otter/orchid and wolf/wisteria inked in, it will be time to do cut and paste to make the numerical monthly grids...
※※※
My first attempt with sugar syrup/food coloring transfer was unsuccessful. I don't know if it needs more food coloring, or a higher proportion of sugar, or ???. Could experiment further, as there is still some blue paste color left. Or I could go downtown to Blick and look for Saral Transfer paper in blue or red (I have some, but white, which absolutely does not work for this project - I already tried) To do prick and pounce transfer on this size would be very tedious indeed, and pencil graphite transfer doesn't work well on this particular fabric. This is a learning opportunity (sigh)
※※※
※※※
Gradually improving the undies toile whilst using up various remnants of cotton lycra. My goal is to have a weeks-worth, including all the samples that have turned out wearable... The most recent toile isn't particularly elegant looking, with a different remnant in each of the parts, but the pattern is getting closer to my preferred fit. Using cotton/lycra for the leg bands works very well; getting the waistband comfortable and also functional is a bit more of a challenge. Each different piece of cotton/lycra has a different amount of stretch and return, which makes length and width more variable in a frustrating way. I'm wondering if some of the wider elastics from Bra Builders might be a better option, that would allow me a consistent result.
※※※
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
-
-
-
5
-
-
-
6
x
x
x
7
x
x
x
8
x
x
x
9
x
x
x
today's gratitudes - - tasty Ethiopian seasoning blend from B&K - I sprinkled it on some chicken legs before roasting them.
- more Cory Doctorow
- a few of my other friends, in addition to Leslie, may want to join me in my 100 day drawing challenge.
in which our plucky heroine wonders if different challenges would be easier...
Patting myself on the back, I just spent the whole afternoon doing financial admin tasks, and though not even halfway done, have made some significant progress. Still have a lot to do before the end of the year, and I feel right foolish for procrastinating so long on what turns out is not dreadfully difficult, just tedious and complex. I shall do my best to remember this tomorrow, when more of the same is on my task list. If only one could be removed, not sure which character flaw would be my first choice, imposter syndrome or procrastination. They work together as saboteurs...
※※※
~ final foot ~
Last night figured out how to use a yarn needle to make loops through the cast off edges (as if to pick up stitches) since the scale of the shrew haunches is too small to do so easily with the knitting needles. Shrew is very close to being finished, just needs the right leg stiched up, toes made and tail knitted on... so kawaii that I'm almost tempted to make another one as a friend to the tinyfolks, said desire tempered however by a clear memory of how I feel about knitting with the 4/0 needles
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Still have some homegrown persimmons in the right stage (firm enough) to cut up and add to kale bulgur feta salad... and am wondering if in the summertime, could do the same thing with peaches or nectarines? I will also try it with a few of the frozen plums. The original recipe is just savory/spicy, not sweet at all, but the tiny addition of fruit sweetness adds so much. While my original change was to add a spoonful of dried currants, then switched to raisins, and I suspect my original inspiration was when 17 year old me was learning about cooking while mostly working as a dishwasher at Smoky Joe's Cafe in Saratoga Springs, and watching Gordon stir fry vegetables and adding in all kinds of ingredients that never would have occurred to my limited experience and palate...
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December SMART goals (x=extra)
#
THINGS MADE
THINGS FIXED
THINGS GONE
1
2 pairs underwear
vegetable steamer legs
fridge science experiments
2
-
shrew eyes
yard waste bin
3
-
-
recycle bin
4
-
-
-
5
-
-
-
6
x
x
x
7
x
x
x
8
x
x
x
9
x
x
x
today's gratitudes -
- homegrown persimmons in the kale bulgur feta salad
- got past my anxiety and procrastination to begin admin tasks
- cooked up half the produce on hand into various partial or completed meals. This is always a goal of mine (though not always accomplished) as it makes everyday life easier.
I've been making toys for longer than I can remember, well more than fifty years, and should by now remember not to panic when pattern directions are lacking. A bit of restitching today (and not continuing to work on a project when it is really time for sleep) will yield much better results and a calmer happier self...
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~ day 8 ~
a pair of whimsical earrings, which appear to be little plates of faux sweets? (assuming that the spiral item is gingerbread roll)
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My left hand is still sore from stabbing the palm with the 4/0 knitting needle last night. Still, I went ahead and stitched up the shrew, doing my best to make front and back match up okay. I stuffed the body and head with bits of wool fleece prior to sewing them up. Little shrew-ling looks pretty odd without any front legs or rear feet, or tail...
Words of wisdom: add the eyes last, the placement is better. Since I'd sewed the eyes in place when suggested by the pattern (prior to knitting up the body back and body belly and assembling the torso) my guesstimate of eye placement was incorrect. It was easy enough to cut the yarn holding them in place and replace them more symmetrically, at the same time as I embroider the nose. Much cuter shrew face:
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Still sorting out the best way to substitute cotton lycra fabric as a substitute for waist and leg band elastic, since it varies so wildly in both lycra content and "stretch and return" factor. I thought I had it dialed in after the last batch of undies, but the current fabric seems to stretch more and not be inclined to return to it's original length. I'm going to have to redo the two pairs just finished, as knickers that fall down are not the desired finished product.
I miss when it was easy to know what to purchase for good waistband elastic; when one could go to Fabric Despot, or one of the other large independent shops and see the options for oneself, and buy it per yard instead of pre-packaged lengths. (I feel the same way about blister packed hardware, FWIW).
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current domesticated news: Prepared and brined another turkey thigh yesterday, and plan on cooking it for tonight's dinner (Roast at 350°F until interior is at 165°F) There is the last of the roasted sweet potato still in the fridge, and some green beans that will be steamed for veg. Managed to deal with Mt Washmore and Mt Dishmore, and will be putting things away while the turkey roasts this afternoon...
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December SMART goals (x=extra)
#
THINGS MADE
THINGS FIXED
THINGS GONE
1
2 pairs underwear
vegetable steamer legs
fridge science experiments
2
-
-
yard waste bin
3
-
-
recycle bin
4
-
-
-
5
-
-
-
6
x
x
x
7
x
x
x
8
x
x
x
9
x
x
x
today's gratitudes - - having a new roof on the house means not having to fret about the "atmospheric river" of rain that will be dumping water on us for the next few days - an idea: to start a 100 day art project in January: "Objects of Affection". (Very small 15 minute drawings of beloved artifacts)
- TIL that it is possible to place an order with Costco online without being a member, though it does require paying a non-member surcharge of 5%
in which our plucky heroine enjoyed a sunny afternoon...
On Saturday I walked almost three miles (between transit stops) doing various errands, including a trip to Bolt Fabrics where I picked up a different sort of Clover chalk marker, and a half yard of cotton lycra for strips to use as lingerie elastic. By the time I headed home again the clear skies had turned back to drizzle, but the daypack was full of assorted supplies for the rest of the weekend
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~ Advent Swap day 5 ~
A little sparkly ornament, made from beads, glass crystals, and a mother-of-pearl button, with a handmade copper hook for hanging. By next year, with luck and effort, there will be some sort of wreath to display the myriad small decorative ornaments (like this one) from the Advent swaps, both from this year and the previous years...
Yesterday I finished knitting the head of the tiny shrew, and started on the body. Feeling hopeful about finishing this project sometime this month, but today I am so frustrated with this project. I am unclear about how the back and the belly are meant to fit together. Then I somehow stabbed myself in the palm with one of the Very Small Very Sharp knitting needles. OW OW OW OW!! I refrained from throwing the unfinished shrew across the room and went to wash my hand off.
I wish that designers used line drawings instead of photos, so as to make it more clear to my brain. Reading ahead, nowhere in the pattern does it call for adding stuffing to the body of the shrew, yet I am pretty sure it should not remain an empty skin! Had I been a test knitter, I would have so very many many questions. Parts of the pattern are obvious, and others are "as clear as mud"
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One thing that is particularly inspiring to me is seeing the various creative ways folks come up with to wrap their tiny gifts. While our plucky heroine is partial to using origami (since my ability to "wrap" gifts seems to be a weak point in my skill set), I have seen everything from cloth wrappings, to paper cylinders, to reused gum ball containers, as well as tidy (or untidy) paper wrappings. Some fastened with plain tape, with washi tape of various designs, or with metallic or glittery tape, and even with sealing wax! It makes daily December dopamine even more of a delight!!
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David Byrne : Tiny Desk Concert
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December SMART goals (x=extra)
#
THINGS MADE
THINGS FIXED
THINGS GONE
1
2 pairs underwear
vegetable steamer legs
fridge science experiments
2
-
-
yard waste bin
3
-
-
recycle bin
4
-
-
-
5
-
-
-
6
x
x
x
7
x
x
x
8
x
x
x
9
x
x
x
today's gratitudes - - my cranky side back seems to have settled back down, which makes me think that whatever set it off was something out of alignment, that magically realigned in dreamland
- the widely varied Advent Swap treats folks come up with to share, and the creative ways they wrap them...
- today the air was soft for most of the afternoon, and so my laundry got mostly dried. Tomorrow there will be a nice freshly laundered duvet cover, with the scent of line dried laundry, nicer than any perfume
in which our plucky heroine wonders...can she do it?
After chatting with Ursel last night, I realised that there are actually (at least) four folks I really want to send a "bonus" Advent of A Better Year box to, not just the two initially thought of. (We did this last year, as a pleasant surprise for two different folks who whose year had been really challenging. It didn't just make them happy, it made everyone involved happy) So am wondering if by the end of the month I can come up with a good assortment of additional sixty-two tiny treats. I made 5 more lunaria canal rose ornaments already. If I make/find/buy/forage on average five things every two days, it could happen before the October 31st deadline.
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~ "Le plus ça change" ~
Arlo Guthrie song from 1974(50+years ago) ..."Nobody elected your family, and we didn't elect your friends; No one voted for your advisers, and nobody wants the men...
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Lunch today was a delicious improvised egg drop soup. A few chicken thighs were defrosted overnight, then were poached while I washed dishes and did a bit of kitchen cleanup. The cooked meat, mostly intended for dinner options, went into the fridge, and the poaching liquid had a concentrated broth cube added to it (those get made and stored in the freezer whenever there are enough leftovers to warrant it). Next some finely chopped green onions, some Microplane grated frozen ginger, and a about a tablespoon of the cooked chicken chopped small. Since I've a surfeit of carrots currently, I dug out my julienne peeler and tossed in some finely cut orange shreds; they cook in a jiffy! For more protein, a single beaten egg was drizzled in for the egg drops. Lastly, a slurry of cornstarch and water was stirred in and cooked, to thicken. No recipe needed, just appetite!
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~ mistsy moisty morning ~
Euphorbia covered in spiderwebs and spangled with heavy mist. Today was partly damp, and partly grey, and even had a few sunbreaks.
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Back in 2023 I made an improved duvet cover, with the underside from a flannel sheet, and internal corner ties. It is a really simple sewing project, basically two identical rectangles sewn together with an opening on one edge fastened with snaps. The internal corner ties keep the actual duvet properly spread out inside the cover, and with one side flannel side there is no need for a separate top sheet.
This year the plan is to make a second one to make laundry rotation a bit easier. My current duvet cover features a whimsical foxes patterned flannel sheet my friends Beth and Karen found at the bins. Last night was chilly enough that switching to the duvet instead of coverlet seemed wise; it made clambering into bed ever so much more cozy, and the cloud-like down puff duvet really tempted me to stay in bed just a little longer this morning. Some people really like heavy, even weighted, blankets. In case it isn't obvious, I definitely am in the opposite group.
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October SMART goals (x=extra)
#
THINGS MADE
THINGS FIXED
THINGS GONE
1
6 lunaria pod ornaments
wheelbarrow tire
greenwaste bin
2
5 more lunaria ornaments
cardigan cuffs
recycle bin
3
-
-
-
4
-
-
-
5
-
-
-
6
x
x
x
7
x
x
x
8
x
x
x
9
x
x
x
today's gratitudes - - that first night switching to the wintertime duvet is so cozy!
- my julienne vegetable cutting tool
- Friday evening chats with Mischa
In the last few days, my former more or less functional sleep wake cycle has been disrupted with odd insomnia. Three in the morning is not time to wake up and start the day, but returning to sleep doesn't happen, the sleep hacks that formerly helped are of no use. I lie awake, resting quietly in the dark, until dawnlight creeps through the edges of the east facing window. By the middle of the afternoon I fall into an exhausted nap, which only exacerbates the disruption. Time for a reset, somehow...
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~ "Dear Time" ~
cuts right to the heart, brought sobs out loud, so strong and true, worth the listen...
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Not quite done with the fig lemon marmalade, it macerated in two halves overnight, then simmered the lemon for a few hours earlier today to help tenderise the peels, and finally with the sugar-and-figs added. Now it will be time to reboil it and bring it to the setting point. I like between 219 and 220°F, as a balance between a robust set and peel that is still succulent. It looks like there should end up with between four to five jars, we'll see...
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This morning started the actually not impossible process of dealing with the long delayed admin tasks. "Just do the one next thing" is my current motto, which seems to walk hand in hand with my longtime motto "incremental progress is still progress". Never to old a dog to not learn new tricks...
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As we head into September, it occurs to me that rather than continue to faff about with the batik (summer) dress project, it would do more good to work out the sample for the raincoat toggles, and finish that project before winter. It will be very welcome to go into the rainy season with an actual raincoat!
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September SMART goals (x=extra)
#
THINGS MADE
THINGS FIXED
THINGS GONE
1
4 barkcloth tea towels
box fan grille
greenwaste bin
2
yellow triangle pouch
-
-
3
knitted pony
-
-
4
8 jars quince apple rosewater sauce
-
-
5
-
-
-
6
x
x
x
7
x
x
x
8
x
x
x
9
x
x
x
today's gratitudes - - I got to ride the train cross country, several times in a roomette, and once in a room. Being rocked to sleep lying down on the train is the best sleep ever...
- This weekend I was able to find a bit of obscure information online that helped my friend Mr Dawson... - insomnia, but not with nightmares
. 
