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.

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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"...

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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.

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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"...

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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.

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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

international frivolity and other snippets

in which our plucky heroine is a bit at loose ends, as it were...

This year's Advent of a Better Year Swap is done and dusted, at least my part of it. Now all that remains is the actual daily dopamine portion, 31 days of opening gifts, which I intend to enjoy to the fullest. Currently mulling over what sort of shadowbox decorations I may put together for this year...

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~ "no such thing as too much rainbow" ~

Back in June of 2023, I took the remnant of the rainbow striped gauze and made a cowl scarf. The multicolor marled yarn I ordered has arrived, and I can start on making tiny rainbow tassels to embellish the edges. This wool yarn is so soft it will be delightfully not-scratchy! This may be the last of the international frivolity for the forseeable future, as the linen gauze came from Lithuania, and the wool yarn from Denmark

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I am mending one of my pairs of long janes... for some reason, the hemline trim was added as an extension to the edge, rather than an overlay, and consequently kept getting caught in the bike chain. I've cut the entire thing off, trimmed of the mangled bits (and trimmed the other one to match, and am now reapplying the trim properly. This means I need to get the larger hemline gathered in to fit, which I am doing with a series of small tucks along the edge, which will create a very slightly poofy effect on the bottom of the long janes. Not my usual choice at all, but inoffensive and I have hope that this fix will get me another few years of wear.

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I saw an unfamiliar raptor in the hedge around Karla's yard, but it flew away before I could manage a photo. It was not a Red Tail, so after much looking up of online images, I suspect it was a Cooper's Hawk? I know that there are birds of prey around, but I rarely see them in the neighborhood!

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I don't know why Google is now requiring me to not just sign in each time in order to post on my blog (which is normal), but also to verify each time with a random code on the mobile phone. This is new, and rather extremely annoying. Is there some kind of setting that causes this, or turns it off? I have tried searching online, with no useful data to be found??.

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Halloween cushions	repot spider plants	recycle bin
2	applesauce	harvest persimmons	yard waste bin
3	cat head graphic	moar pruning	recycle bin
4	6 jars to ferment	grape pruning	yard waste bin
5	lime curd	mailed advent boxes	recycle bin
6	x	long jane hems	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Had a pleasant conversation at the farmer's market today, with a woman I spoke to once, a number of years ago... She remembered me because of my quirky clothing, and I remembered her because of her very clever wheeled market basket cart.
2. the rainbow yarn I ordered is wonderfully soft and thin, perfect for edge tassels!
3. Maple syrup...

Time of Isolation - Day 1594

so much hand stitching

in which our plucky heroine slowly finishes the denim hat...

The hat should be finished in another hour or two. I have been intermittently stitching, so as to let my hands relax between bouts of pushing the needle through layers of denim and interfacing, and grabbing the needle with my small needlenose pliers to avoid stabbing self when pulling it back out again. The hatband, from waffle weave cotton in black and indigo, looks particularly spiffy. The blue decorations made earlier, the acorns and oak leaves, the little embroidered bird, and the blue wool felt rose (imagine this, but blue...) will finally be home, instead of tucked into the advent calendar shadowbox.

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~ scribal art sidewalk ~

This lovely bit of scrolling vine and flower artwork was on a nearby street I rarely walk down for some reason, but the little dog decided it was a good direction... I will have to go back again later today to try and get a photo of the mandala drawn by the same artist...

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Wednesday morning the tree care people will be here with all their large machinery to remove the big ornamental plum with the split trunk. I still cannot really imagine the front yard once it is gone. I will have to be sure to take process and progress photos, and figure out what to do with the wood chips (for mulch) and larger bits that cannot be chipped...  The only thing I do know is that I want to use the stump as a place to put an insect water bowl, some sort of shallow dish with stones, so bees and birds etc can safely drink...

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This afternoon I looked through the digital files from Acantha, and decided to watch "Wolfwalkers" while I was determinedly hand stitching away at the denim hat. The animation was quite distinctive in style, which always delights me. While the story line didn't affect me as deeply as some of my favorites, it was very worth watching for the beautiful artwork alone...

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The internet access here has become intermittently unstable or missing. Not to the point that we had years ago with Comcast, where keeping a log book of  "unsuccessful attempts" was necessary, but often enough to be annoying. Last night it stopped long before I was done, so no Sunday blog post or email replies; I had hoped it would be better in the morning that was not the case. Looking online (via the phone, which uses text points), let me see that it was probably Century Link being down and not something wonky here at home. The irate comments were epic. Eventually around lunchtime it started connecting again, so here we are...

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pillowcases	nut chopper handle	yard waste bin
2	yak print	elderberry harvest	-
3	tiny bell-bottoms	refurbish Felco	-
4	tiny camisole	-	-
5	small pressing tools	-	-
6	tiny playset	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes-
1. the digital files Acantha sent me, with a great assortment of films and books and videos I have not seen yet!
2. stick blender - I don't remember who brought it as a housewarming gift twenty years ago, but it is so durable and so useful that I wish I could thank them again...
3. The internet returned around lunchtime... it is a utility that I find has become as easy to become accustomed to as running water is, and while not a necessity for survival, it is a mode of connection much vital to my mental health...

Time of Isolation - Day 1493

recent reading and other random bits

in which our plucky heroine is bemused...

I've begun to read Shirley Hughes' autobiography "A Life Drawing", and am enjoying it very much. One small surprising factoid is that when she was a student at Oxford, she lived next door to Tolkien! 

I recently finished reading "Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern", which was delightful; it connected her clothing (much of which she made herself), her home(s), and her lifestyle with her artwork, as they were all informed by her distinctive point of view.

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~ chalked cat head ~

This cat head is more than a yard in diameter, taking up almost all the driveway ramp in someone's yard. Is it not wonderful and whimsical? I am wondering if it is a portrait. I particularly love the righthand ear, how the blue eye patch just continues onto the ear, but only part way...

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Cathy sent me this video, of a very simple dress all made from asymmetical patchwork. The style reminds me of my own popover dresses, and of the Japanese pattern that was their inspiration. I think this might be a clever way to use wonderful fabric pieces that are much too small to make a whole garment, without looking too much like the Patchwork Girl of Oz

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~ 1¾ # black elderberry clusters ~

Yesterday in the cooler part of the early morning, I went out to pick elderberries... cutting off as many clusters of ripe berries as I could reach. (The upper part of the elderberry has already had many hungry avian visitors...) There were many more berries this year than in any previous year, enough that I'm going to try making immune support elderberry syrup.

My pal Leslie suggested freezing them first, to avoid crushing berries when removing from the stems, so these are all now in the chest freezer. They can safely wait there until the weather is a bit cooler, when simmering the syrup and boiling the jars will be more appealing...

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I started making another dolly playsuit, this one for Kestrel's tiny folks. I wanted to experiment with Dawn's reversible camisole pattern, which has a different shape and construction than Ann Wood's camisole. I think the sewing is easier, if still fussy at 1:12 scale. My first attempt at patterning turned out wearable, but I think it needs to be just a bit wider in the front bodice. Might have to make another playsuit set (pants and camisole top) just to test that out.

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pillowcases	nut chopper handle	-
2	yak print	elderberry harvest	-
3	tiny bell-bottoms	-	-
4	tiny camisole	-	-
5	small pressing tools	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
1. Salad Nicoise sans lettuce is still good
2. Advent swap just gained another participant, that makes 20 total!!
3. I had been wondering where to store the tiny pressing tools, then I realised I could just tuck them into my bentwood sewing box!
4. harvested 1¾ # black elderberry clusters! Now in freezer awaiting de-stemming and turning into immune tonic syrup

Time of Isolation - Day 1488

it's doggone cute

in which our plucky heroine has been thinking about creating a "little free art gallery" to put in my front yard next to the sidewalk. I think the one in St John's is the only one in NPDX, and it would be so much fun to have one right here!!...

I rode my bike to the post office this morning to send a large envelope with week one of the dolly clothing to Kestrel's dollies, and a letter for her. She has been wanting to receive mail, and I figure that letters from "auntie" Alison, and treats for her tinyfolk, will be a fun option for her this summer.

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~ little free whimsey ~

This just showed up on the next block, in front of a formerly vacant house that recently had folks move in...

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I found out where to take the steel defunct light fixture to be recycled, since it doesn't fit in the wheelie bin. Now all I need is to ask someone with a car to give me and it a ride, as none of the places are close enough to walk or bike. I miss when we had a small local neighborhood recycle center. It was on the site of a former gas station, and was torn down a number of years ago and has been a vacant corner lot surrounded by chain link fence ever since. Not as useful, and rather an eyesore. I'm sure it will eventually turn into a tall apartment building filling up all the square footage, with no setback and, alas, with no green spaces, or anything else nice for the neighborhood.

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~ jasmine season ~

This is the current season, and here and there the alleyways and entrance gardens are delightfully fragrant...

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	musk ox print	horses blouse edge	yard waste bin
2	green linen Jedi tunic	kitchen light fixture	recycle bin
3	Nandina floral dress	Luxo plug	dead box fan
4	2 tiny knit skirts	plaid flannel slip	recycle bin
5	tiny knit cardigan	oak ebonised	-
6	Salish wooly dog print	x	x
7	bathrobe hook	x	x
8	tiny batik skirt	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. The tinyfolk formerly temporarily known as "Sage" has informed me in no uncertain terms that her name is actually "Opal". I stand corrected...
2. Some of my friends are eager and willing to help with my "little free art gallery" project idea, including my architect pal, who knows more than I do about structure and materials.
3. non-machineable... there is a special stamp for that. Less costly than package rate, but used for small but lumpy envelopes. I was right tickled to find that out, since I plan on mailing quite a few of these over the summer. Oooo maybe I need to make a Lumpy Space Princess stamp to decorate the envelopes?

Time of Isolation - Day 1446

keep on keeping on

in which our plucky heroine does her best to cope...

Tuesday I wrote a eulogy:

Mom's determination and bravery facing all of fortune's turns, and various joyful or challenging choices that life brought her way, have always been an example. Her tender heart, her eye for the whimsical and weird oddities in this world, her ongoing expression of creativity through art and especially through writing, have always been an inspiration. Her years of caring for her family in all the places we found ourselves, of drying our tears and encouraging our growth, these are only some of the ways she made our world better. For myself, I would scarcely be the person I have become without her clever fingers that taught me at an early age so many of the handwork skills that have brought so much enjoyment into my life, without her believing in my worth and ability before I ever did, for the challenging and the cherishing... without her, our story is ever missing a vital voice, and all we can do is our best, to take her myriad gifts forward into the future.

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The neighbor cross the street asked if she could harvest some of the pretty pink elderflower blossoms to make floral syrup - of course I said yes! A day or two later she brought me a small jar of the prettiest syrup to share...

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Who knew?  How the Pre-Raphaelites Became Obsessed with the Wombat

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in the sewing room: I have been making progress handstitching a new pair of long fingerless bike-riding gloves, after my initial toile of the AC pattern was proved useful, particularly with a bit more arm length and a bit less finger zone width. Also, the Star Wars cosplay tunic I made for SR earlier this year has returned here for alterations, and I will be making up a lighter weight tunic for summertime wear (linen instead of wool)

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Began an initial scanning through the three envelopes of Mom's writing, and found some autobigraphical fragments from my father mixed in there as well. There is a family timeline of location (and a few events) year by year, which is something I personally have wished for.

the sky so blue

in which our plucky heroine enjoys the day...

In dreamland last night, apparently the activity of the evening was a creme bruleé cook-off between various friends. I was just getting to taste test the Earl Grey flavored one that Marya had created when I woke up. Sadly, it was only a dream...

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~ out and about in my neighborhood ~

My neighbor Carla built this artistic sitting spot in her front yard garden a few years ago, between the sidewalk and this impressive edgeworthia. A bit behind and closer to her front door is a wonderfully fragrant daphne, and on a sunny day the scent is just delightful. The seat is embossed with the words "be the kind of person your dog things you are...", and the border between the seat and the sidewalk with the words "be the change you wish to see - practice patience - tolerance - kindness - love -  ☮ " which tells you a bit about my good neighbor Carla...

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Tomorrow I will start on the Stromgard enamels, but first I want to give my enamel workbench a really good clear out. It always astonishes me how quickly the tops of workbenches gather random frelch, detritus, and bits of former projects. Also, I found another lazy susan hidden atop the filing cabinet, and want to make space under the benchtop shelf for it; they are just the right thing when using multiple colors of enamel, as each of the little dishes can be accessed as needed.

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~ C is for creative ~

I've been making six tiny books for the Countdown to Summer Solstice miniature swap and I needed a way to press them while the glue dried (books are about 1" x 1⅛" x 3/16")

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	red enamel samples	bathroom undersink access	recycle bin
2	turn buttons	-	yard waste bin
3	6 tiny books	-	recycle bin
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. The light coming back on in the kitchen meant I could confirm which fusebox switch controlled that circut, so eventually I can deal with replacing the light. Once I figure out how to remove the fixture from the ceiling.

2. the paddy cake cats always lift my spirits at least a little bit. It was a rough day yesterday, like most Wednesdays are these days, and I really needed a grin and a giggle...

3. my friend Ursel is coming for a porch visit on Friday afternoon. I am going to bake her a Very Small birthday cake first thing tomorrow. Which will be a nice way to start the day.

4. the rotary blade paper cutter I ordered online Wednesday night arrived on my doorstep this morning. Granted it only needed to travel from the next town on the other side of the West Hills, but UPS can be peculiar, so I am glad. It is indeed just about brand new, and came with some fancy cutters in addition to the basic one.

5. There was enough black cotton velour on the resource shelf for me to cut out 3 sport-style bras, and enough non-roll elastic to make up two of them. I think I bought that velour at least fifteen years ago, maybe more. Over the years it has made leggings, knit tops, and assorted lingerie. It will be hard to find fabric of an equal quality, to eventually replace it as a staple

6. I was able to get outside and do a bit of pruning and cutting back today in the yard. There are a bit less watersprouts on the apple tree, I trimmed some of the overgrowth on the japanese maple that keeps trying to invade the porch, I removed the rest of the nandina berries, and started to cut away the large fern that is far too close to the heat pump. I even managed a bit of progress on removing the moss from the driveway, which is a very very slow process with the metal push broom.

7. I am feeling somewhat less dreadful than I did yesterday. I put in specific effort to pay attention to what is good. And it was amusing to me when I was all focused on pruning the rosemary in the front yard; I heard a gentle thump and looked down to see that The Baby Down The Street had toddled onto the lawn and fallen over into the prunings in my burden cloth. The baby's granny was right behind, and picked them up and dusted them off. We both agreed that the weather today was just about perfect.

Time of Isolation - Day 1342

at loose ends

in which our plucky heroine has an un-holiday...

It was, however, a nice bright not rainy day, and not even much too cold out. I went out for two short walks, one in the morning, and one later in the day as dusk was falling. When I saw the next door neighbors outside, I quickly masked up and gave them a new large jar of Awesome Sauce, which made us both happy. That most recent batch I had made using the tomatoes they gave me earlier this year. It felt odd to be alone, walking around seeing unusual groupings of people, knowing that all over the country folks were gathering with their dear ones to feast and be grateful. Of course, I am grateful as well, for my good fortune, for my good health, and for the good people in my life...

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My first attempt at quince paste, though it won't be the last. It has a lovely texture, although it definitely has occasional grit particles, quinces being even more stony than pears in that respect. Each of the individual bars will be wrapped in parchement for gifts. I may make more, or make puree and process that for shelf storage, for future turning into the more condensed paste as desired. I suspect that the paste itself is too dense to be safely canned, and I am unsure of how long it will be shelf stable on its own.I need to pack it up to send to friends and family, lest I simply give in to greed and eat them all myself. I do love the flavor of quince, indescribably delicious....

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One task I made progress on today was pruning. Not quite sure when the best time of year to prune persimmon is, but as I had time, the weather was cooperative, and the green waste bin was empty it seemed a suitable conjunction. The green waste bin is now full of pruned tree portions, as well as some of the overlapping black elderberry. In a continuing fit of enthusiasm, I then tracked down the broom and swept all the leaves off the front porch. This made the porch look a lot nicer, and will hopefully reduce the amount of dead foliage tracked into the house. Now for just a bit of indoor vacuuming, and the vacuum bag can also go in the rubbish bin before the trucks come tomorrow morning to pick everything up and cart it off to the various places. (Once, years ago, I was able to borrow a truck and get a yard of composted leaf mulch for the garden from the city compost facility, maybe someday again, if I know someone with a truck)

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Sister Gigi's Sweet Corn Cakes

4 ears sweet corn (or 2 c frozen) ½ c cornmeal or masa ½ c flour 1 t salt 1 t sugar ½ t baking powder ¼ t cayenne 1 large egg ¾ c buttermilk 3 T butter, melted and cooled 2 green onions, chopped small

If using fresh corn, cut the kernels from cobs, (you should have about 2 c) Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, combine all wet ingredients in a bowl, mix together and add the corn and the green onions. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least a half hour or more (cornmeal will hydrate, texture will be nicer) Fry like pancakes 'till both sides are golden. serve with green salsa and sour cream

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	skull brooch	vacuum heat intake	broken porch planter
2	salsa verde	new pinback on flower	recycle bin
3	pale grey long janes	26# quinces picked	recycle bin
4	trim for long janes	black embroidered slip	recycle bin
5	large tray quince paste	add turtleneck to tie-dye	yard waste bin
6	6 jars quince jelly	x	x
7	11 jars Awesome Sauce	x	x
8	4 jars vanilla rose quince syrup	x	x
9	black long janes	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 gratitudes -
1. whoever in the distant past figured out how to make masa from cornmeal
2. using masa instead of cornmeal in Sister Gigi's Sweet Corn Cakes makes them more nutritious and have a much nicer texture. (Soaking the cornmeal first is a poor second IMHO.  So I guess I should really be grateful for the time when I didn't have any cornmeal, but did have masa.)
3. So very very glad that my Sewing Nomads pals and I abandoned ship just over a year to meet privately on zoom and discord, as it has now become apparent that Stitchers Guild message board is no longer in existence.

Time of Isolation - Day 995

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine dreams of the world being different...

I worry. I have not spoken to my mother in several weeks now. When I phone the Aged Parents, now it is Dad who answers the phone. I sometimes hear Mom in the background, making comments, but it is such a change from all the years when the stock action on phoning was for Dad to immediately hand the phone to her, saying "here, talk to your mother"... He sounds exhausted, and flat, as their lives have become smaller and smaller, and it breaks my heart.

I am hoping that the new day-caregiver coming twice a week will bring some improvement. I feel so helpless to do anything at all to be of use to them, I don't understand the choices they are making, and I wish with all my heart that there was no pandemic, which took as much away from what made their life pleasant as has my mother's descent into dementia. If there wasn't a pandemic, it would be more possible to arrange small ameliorations and activity of interest, instead of them being basically trapped in the house with only minor excursions for medical treatment and my Dad going grocery shopping...

If only the various technical connectivity tools were not so confusing for them; I miss seeing them and speaking with them, and even the small amount we were able to do last year, like Zoom meetings and my sister and I reading aloud to Mom, now seem like they happened a lifetime ago. Nowadays, my Dad just doesn't have the energy/bandwidth to wrestle with getting the tablet to work. I am hoping to figure out the least dangerous way for me to afford to visit them once I am healed enough from my periodontal surgery.

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~ creativity challenge ~

I am in the middle of making a thing. A new companion for Nandina, with the head of a fox. Somewhat inspired by the Coyote-headed beings in some stories. I'm using the technique of spun cotton, which is more like cotton mâché... I started with a foil armature, and then covered it with thin layers of cotton stuck down with watery white glue. My next steps will be paint, and a body the size that of Nandina... not sure how I will add the foxtail, but there will be one.

In addition, there will be chickens at Caer Cardboard (I found a miniature small livestock hutch in my boxes of random things) and since I don't have the materials called for in the Ann Wood chicken tutorial, I am going to attempt to make some using spun cotton as a base instead...

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Still feeling intense disconnection from not only my life in the before times, but from my friends and family. Can't be helped, as it is becoming more unsafe again being out in the world. Just when I began to dip my toes in returning to grocery shopping, Oregon dropped the mask mandate, so stores no longer ask people to wear masks, even if they aren't vaccinated. Fortunately the medical facilities are (I think) still taking the pandemic seriously. I hope that they are still requiring masks...

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beauty in the time of isolation:

I see odd things sometimes on my walks
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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	fox head blank	fabric stash sorted/culled	yard waste bin
2	-	lower L molar surgery	recycle bin
3	-	Nandina painted shoes	big bag of fabric
4	-	removed burned apples	big bag of fabric
5	-	pruned lower apple limb	big bag of fabric
6	x	resize Kestrel kuspuk	big bag of fabric
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	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 - I cleverly cooked and froze things like mushy roasted zucchini, which means that I can pull out an ice cube of frozen broth, and one of frozen veg, and thawed and mixed with some cottage cheese and whey protein, it forms a slurry that is quite savory and flavorful, and as close as I can get right now to a formerly favorite meal...

cooking, cleaning, and carving

in which our plucky heroine has a slightly better day...

Mt Dishmore has been mostly conquered, at least enough to allow for further cooking; the cool pleasant weather inspired some stuffed cabbage for dinner, which also allowed for putting three further meals in the freezer. I acquired wood filler and sorted out the remaining nail holes in the first bit of bathroom trim. Measured how thick the shims will need to be for the second bit of trim. And a bit more carving progress on the third block print is my after dinner treat... after that I'll do some image research to finish the design for the border foliage... I love the internet!

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~ creativity challenge ~

returned to my Making Art For A Change series of prints, and picking up where I left off. Black Lives Matter, done in the style of 15th c Black Hours manuscripts...

I'll need to finish my border design, and transfer it to the block using transfer paper. The new Flexcut v-gouge is a vast improvement over the Speedball gouges, and makes carving details a lot less frustrating, and a small wee drill bit to make dots

My intention with all my "Making Art For A Change" artwork is for rather than money go to me, that people donate to "Don't Shoot Portland". It is an organization that is working for change. I can't go to protests, but I can make art. Especially last year with all the police violence and murders,  and chemical toxins being spread throughout the residential neighborhoods here I felt so helpless to do ANYTHING to help... these sorts of artwork bits are my starfish... if you know the reference

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beauty in the time of isolation:
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I saw the first tiger swallowtail butterfly of the year. And also I found a nearby family that is raising ducks in their yard... they had a group that were about a month old, and some that were only about a few days old. They also have rabbits. What fun to see something both new to me, and literally new.

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	baby clutch ball	otterface needlebook	paper recycling
2	Nandina leather vest	cleaned iron soleplate	rogue garlic plants
3	baby blanket	dollar store mini table	yard waste bin
4	miniature sofa	single bulb garlic strings	recycling bin
5	Nandina Chinese food	repair broken bowl	-
6	garlic scape pickles	1 trim attached shower	x
7	6 mesh laundry bags	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	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 - Less pain today, and it stopped raining in the afternoon, so I was able to ride my bike to the hardware store, and get some necessary random bits to move forward on a few other projects. Also yummy stuffed cabbage for dinner.

Monday miscellany - 345 days

in which our plucky heroine wonders where the deep end is, and if one can tell if one has gone off it...

in some ways this last week has been a real struggle, and I've not wanted to blog, or write, or anything. But, there was an assortment of small progresses made in various aspects of life

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Yesterday, cooked what is argueably the best lamb stew I've ever made... Extra mushrooms, because earlier this past week I needed to cook up the pound of mushrooms that there just wasn't room for in the coolers when we lost power.... so the stew started with a good sized dollop, (about a cupful) of well-cooked mushroom/garlic/onions (Sauteed in butter and seasoned with herbs, spices, and sherry) then added a pound of the good stew lamb pieces from Su-Dan Farms, and more chopped onion, carrot, and celery, and some broth from the freezer. And about midafternoon I added in a handful of pearl barley. That was yesterday's supper, and there was enough left for another two meals. So nom and warming...

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Not only was it a lot of fun to participate in the Virtual 48 hr An Tir Backlog Scribal Challenge Contest earlier this month, but it was also a chance to learn some new skills and data about scribal arts. Then this weekend I re-learned how to create a Google Slides presentation, so that I could share what I learned with our local scribal group.  Google Slides is a good and fairly intuitive program, and I was able to put together a 26 slide set of images. Now I want to refurbish the only other slide presentation I created, on the history of enameling, so that I can do more to share what I know in these still difficult times

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Last weekend the power went out in the ice storm. It was not great, because the house gets really cold (no furnace without power to run the blowers, no insulation in the walls, no ready cooking appliances and the temperature outside was in the high 20's) It gets dark early here, because of how far north we are, and the first night I relied on my candle lanterns, but didn't want to leave them burning through the night. The second night, I remembered that I have solar camping lanterns! Doh!! ... my Luci Lanterns, after being shut in the closet for the last two years, lit right up when inflated and clicked on. An email will be written to Mpowered, letting them know how impressed I am with their lights. (Also I think that a checklist of emergency actions for cold, or hot, or fireseason weather would be good)

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After the power came back, friends and I were chatting about what went well, what went okay, and what Needed Improvement. Using snow and ice to keep food cold went well. Light in darkness went better when I remembered my lanterns. The two things that were most in need of improvement were that my lower legs and feet got cold and stayed cold, and that getting the bed warm enough to sleep was a challenge; the cloth bags of rice that get heated in the microwave are useless without electricity. Piling all the various wool blankets atop the bed was insulative, but felt rather like being squashed (am not a fan of the "weighted blanket" that is so very trendy).

Wanda and I were chatting about ways to keep warm during the power outage, and the topic of metal hot water bottles came up, which led me down an interesting rabbit hole...

Other friends suggested using Nalgene bottles, which seal superbly and can handle boiling water, though the idea of a large metal hot water bottle is also appealing. As far as the feet and legs go, my thought is some tallish multi-layered insulated slipper boots for indoors...

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missed the live presentation last week, but here is the YouTube video:
and here is the knitting pattern!
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~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 89 ~

Our plucky heroine was cold, and so I put my handknit cowl on my head, like a hat, sort of folded over with the lower edge forming the "brim". It looks rather fetching... (or maybe isolation has just gone on so long that I have gone over the edge)

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	original SCA scroll	pruned persimmon	yard waste bin
2	-	saved my food using snow	some of the branches
3	-	buttonholes on partlet	all the branches
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	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 - I have the best neighbors ever! On Sunday morning, while I was up early, sitting in my bathrobe and watching a lecture videocast from Finland on Iron Age and Viking Age textiles, I noticed that my neighbor was in the front yard cutting up the fallen branches from the ice storm. By the time the class was over, my entire yard had been cleared, including the large massive branch that had been still attached to the tree. (The branches were probably 20 ft long and about 5 inches at least in diameter!)

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine cooks and cleans and fixes things...

but the real treat for today, that I've been saving for a workday, was listening to the new episode of "Cast On". Brenda Dayne returns to podcasting. She was the very first podcast I listened to, and I didn't realise that I was spoiled until I tried to find another favorite when she moved on... She has a lovely voice, a niche topic, and intersperses her presentation with bits of music, interviews and commentary in a way that is a sort of delightfully rich fruitcake of an interlude (assuming one loves good fruitcake as much as I do). And... at the end of the month... she is going to start a second podcast inspired by A Pattern Language, and how she is applying those concepts to her own home. I can't wait. I have loved the work of Christopher Alexander for years...

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The window screen handles I ordered from Ebay arrived this weekend, and today I was able to repair one screen from the kitchen window... peel away the spline, attach the handles, re-insert the spline, and then scrub the screen thoroughly in the bathtub with the scrub brush. The screen is now clipped to the clothesline to dry overnight, and I can replace it in the window tomorrow. Now I have a half dozen spare screen handles, which is good, since they will eventually come in handy.

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beauty in the time of isolation - day 220:

the lights continually shift from orange to purple, and flash in different sequences and patterns, while the giant eyeballs watch over the street...

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Five flavor eggplant freezes well; it was a treat to have on hand while I was recovering from periodontal surgery this spring, as it was of suitable consistency, but intensely flavorful. Indeed, it is a treat to have on hand at all, and I cooked up the rest of the eight pounds today, had another easy dinner, and the rest is in ziplocs in the freezer for future meals.

"5 Flavor Eggplant"
(savory, salty, sweet, sour, spicy)

about 2# long skinny eggplant 

1 tablespoon salt 

1½ tablespoon tamari 

1 tablespoon vinegar 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 teaspoon cornstarch 

2 tablespoon oil 

+ hotness as desired

put the salt in a big bowl, add several cups of water, and then clean and cut up eggplants, tossing the bits into the bowl of salt water - I cut them first the long ways into quarters or sixths, then cut the long pieces into chunks. I try for about ¾" cubes more or less by volume, because big pieces take a long time to cook through, and undercooked eggplant is nasty.

when all the eggplant is in the bowl of salty water, it sits there for a half hour... I occasionally stir it or push the chunks around to make sure they all get drenched... you want to have enough water that they are all floating.

Meanwhile, combine the tamari, the vinegar, the sugar, and the cornstarch. Drain and dry the eggplant bits. (my current innovation is to use my salad spinner after pouring off as much of the water as I can)

In a big frying pan, heat up the oil, then fry the eggplant until it is FULLY COOKED and slightly browned. (Trust me, you want it cooked till it is SOFT, not al dente) Pour the sauce mixture over the eggplant (give the sauce mixture a good stirring up just before you pour it), and cook til thick, which will take only a few moments, because cornstarch...

At this point, I usually add some awesome sauce (spicy chili jam) but you could add a dash of tabasco, or sriacha, or whatever you prefer. The original recipe called for adding jalapeno peppers at the beginning, but that was WAY TOO HOT for me. YMMV, and the spicy aspect is entirely optional for that matter.

Truly, this recipe is almost faster to cook than to read, most of the effort is in cutting up the eggplants, and in waiting while they soak in the salty water. I had always in the past done the sprinkle the eggplant with salt, let it drain, rinse it off thing, which is a whole lot of faffing about. I had never heard of soaking them in lightly salted water, but it works really well!!

 

Tonight's dinner was some of the eggplant, along with some rice and some heated up Trader Joe's frozen teriyaki chicken pieces (sans sauce, the eggplant is flavorful enough without adding anything else)

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	6 jars dilly beans	wheelie bin scrubbed	yard waste bin
2	3 jars vanilla port pears	east window repaired	old window trim
3	Xanthy	replace screen handles	yard waste bin
4	3 japanese books	washed two screens	recycle bin
5	Xanthy hat	moar apple pruning	yard waste bin
6	Xanthy flower skirt	reattached phone cable	recycle bin
7	6 jars St Clements marmalade	repair kitchen shade pull	x
8	6+ jars Awesome Sauce	taller salad table barrier	x
9	8 jars tomato sauce	kitchen window screen	x
10	Xanthy beaded bag	x	x
11	5 flavor eggplant cooked	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - somewhere, a farm grew the eggplants, and last Saturday a woman chose to pick them and bring them to the elementary school and serendipity brought me to where they could be found, and now I have good food

the last BLT of the year

in which our plucky heroine savors the taste of summer...

My neighbors in the house next door have been gifting me occasionally with some of their homegrown tomato goodness, and the last one just met it's final destiny at lunchtime. Said tomato was so large that it had been part of two other sandwiches and a salad already, being large enough that it covered not just my palm, but my whole hand. A good BLT on lightly toasted sourdough is probably my favorite of the summertime treats, and at practically October, summer is about to say goodbye

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beauty in the time of isolation - day 187:

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Just tried out the white "Saral" transfer paper for the first time, and it works a treat... I will be able to transfer my designs onto the lino block, with the simple expedient of first coloring over the block with dark sharpie. The white lines then show up brightly, and the transfer seems pretty smudge-proof. Extra benefit is that the dark background will give the effect of the eventual printing ink!

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Gwen sunhat	removed oven door	old underwindow
2	dozen EQUITY prints	clean one bedroom screen	dead cold-packs
3	tiny deer hat	clean studio screens	yard waste bin
4	Gwen knit cardigan	10# plums processed	recycle bin
5	Nandina coat	felt cover for exhaust fan	favorite saucepan
6	Nandina boots	doors taped closed	oven door glass
7	Nandina felt skirt	15 # plums processed	yard waste bin
8	Nandina red clogs	some tomatoes dried	yard waste bin
9	8 jars asian plum sauce	underwindow foam + tape	recycle bin
10	x	many pears dried	yard waste bin
11	x	wanda plum pruned	x
12	x	some apple pruning	x
13	x	begin plum pruning	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - my burden cloth, a canvas square with webbing handles on each corner, that allows me to do things like rake up windfall fruit, or fallen leaves and handle them easily. I've never seen the like for sale, but made it for myself years ago, when yardwork first became needful. It is a good partner to my flexible rake.

Friday folderol and Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine finds some wonderful fish...

Koi are a symbol of resilience and that is something we all need more than ever these days. A bit of online searching and I found out the artist is Jeremy Novy

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I want to age like sea glass.
Smoothed by tides, not broken.
I want to ride the waves, go with the flow and feel the impact of the surging tides.
When I am caught between the rocks and a hard place, I will rest.
And when I am ready, I will catch a wave and let it carry me where I belong.
I want to be picked up and held gently by those who delight in my well-earned patina,
And appreciate the changes I went through to achieve this luster.
I want to enjoy the journey and let my preciousness be, not in spite of the impacts,
But because of them.
I want to age like sea glass.

--Bernadette Noll
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beauty in the time of isolation - day 149:

 

a new, multi-sided poetry kiosk was installed recently,
next to the driveway at the local shoe repair shop...

the two poems I saw were an old favorite, and now a new one. I have loved Marge Piercy's "To be of use" for many years, but I will say that reading the words of Audre Lourde in "A Litany for Survival" spoke so strongly to me right now.

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	scribal sketchbook	light bulbs replaced	yard waste bin
2	scroll for Countess E	box fan cleaned	recycle bin
3	tiny knitting bag	box fan cleaned	-
4	tiny tote bag	rosemary pruned	-
5	Nandina handknit	box fan cleaned	-
6	Nandina sunhat	organise new paint	-
7	tiny knitting book	x	x
8	Nandina clothing	x	x
9	tiny basket	x	x
10	another tiny rag doll	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 - I have good neighbors, at least that is my assumption about who put my wheelie bins out for the trash and recycle before I got around to it...