Including another day with laundry outside drying. While it wasn't one of the sunny cold winter days, there was so little precipitation by afternoon that it seemed worth doing the next load of laundry and hanging it outside in the dampish wind. Tomorrow should be a bit sunnier, and I figure that taking advantage of Useful Weather is all to the good, and any remaining garment dampness can come indoors and live on the drying racks overnight. This never would have worked ten or twenty years ago, but as overall the climate shifts weirdly, this less rainy winter is allowing me to forgo a tumble dryer, for now at least...
※※※
That was handy! On Saturday, the utility bill I had left hanging from the mailbox here to be picked up by the postie blew out from under the lid and into a puddle. Which I found on the front walkway not too long afterwards. Too soggy to put out to be mailed, I brought it indoors to dry it out and try and flatten it, and by today, it was in good enough shape to attempt to mail it again. This time I decided to hand carry it to the post office. But while I was walking in that direction, I saw a different postie making his deliveries, so when our paths intersected, I asked if I could simply hand the stamped bill to him instead! Much easier. And he turned out to be our former postie, who remembered me, and also told me the location of two other functional drop boxes closer to home than the post office!
※※※
Yesterday, a Talenti tub of rhubarb and one of strawberries came out of the freezer and into a pot on the stove to thaw. Added a cup and a half of sugar, the zest of two blood oranges, and a good sprinkle of Ceylon cinnamon. By the morning, the sugar had drawn out a lot of juice from the now thawed fruit, and it was time to simmer it for a while. After breakfast, the prepared sauce had the juice of one lemon added, and was funneled into a widemouth pint jar and processed for ten minutes (there was a bit extra, which is now in the fridge for spooning over some Greek yogurt tomorrow)
※※※
~ baby pear tree ~
. 
Urban Forestry sent me a query about the replacement tree, planted as a requirement of the removal permit. Photos of the new tree were sent in, and I hope my effort is acceptable.~ baby pear tree ~
. 
※※※
My desktop receipt caddy, that sits on the shelf next to the laptop had gotten terribly muddled, probably due to my less than useful tendency to just shove the paper strips in any old which way... so today they all came out and were put back into neat categories as they ought be, and I made small labels for each of the compartments. (that brown packaging paper from my Lee Valley order is handy for all sorts of things)
※※※
February SMART goals (x=extra)
| # | THINGS MADE | THINGS FIXED | THINGS GONE |
| 1 | "wing it" vest | more broach handles | recycle bin |
| 2 | tiny valentines | black keyboard covers | recycle bin |
| 3 | heartfelt ornament | turtleneck collar | - |
| 4 | dragon garland | laptop drivers | - |
| 5 | strawberry rhubarb sauce | rainbow fibulae | - |
| 6 | x | bucket handle | - |
| 7 | x | x | x |
| 8 | x | x | x |
| 9 | x | x | x |
today's gratitudes -
1. blood oranges, both as an ingredient and as a tasty snack
2. a helpful postie
3. really good chicken soup with rice, all made from leftovers in the fridge: the broth from leg bones from former meals, a bit of rice from what I cooked for spinach rice bake, bok choi from yesterday, and the last of the chicken leg meat.
Time of Isolation - Day 1684
