March is for mending

in which our plucky heroine is gradually recovering...

My eye is much better than it was a week ago, thanks to the use of multiple antibiotics and the assistance of the digital alarm on my phone. Still not sure what else the wakey wakey every three hours is doing to me other than keeping the level of medication as evenly distributed as possible, reckon that will be more obvious once it isn't necessary to get up and be functional quite that frequently. 

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~ cloud spirals~

Rather than drawing, cutting, and stencil-printing a new 3 part cave horse decoration for the pocket of the brown linen pinafore, my eye fell on this cloud motif from one of the 2023 stitchbook pages, and there will be a subtle bas-relief chain stitch embroidery instead. Eventually a new cave horse stencil as well (assuming that the old stencil remains mysteriously missing) to be used on a different pinafore, as the process of refurbishing the closet contents continues

Have been putting together "sewing kits" for garments - grey Chinese landscape shirt, teal floral blouse, 1 pr teal long janes, 2 pr brown long janes, brown/black pinafore overdyed waffle weave, teal pinafore overdyed herringbone, grey chambray linen pinafore, taupe/black shirt overdyed pinstripe. Blue black textured pinafore... This sounds like a lot, but almost all the current pinafores in my closet are wearing out, after anywhere from five to seven+ years of steady use. If I had more clothing, each individual garment would last longer as they wouldn't be worn as frequently. My goal is to have approximately 7 or 8 of my wardrobe basics: pinafores, knit tops, shirt/blouses, long janes, and summertime popover dresses; I don't usually meet that intention. There are also a few everyday dresses, a few popover tops and a nice assortment of handknit wool cardigans and pullovers. 

Managed to talk myself out of this very desirable fabric from Blackbird - brown black gingham linen!! (It is lovely but do not need to spend over $75 on shirt fabric, see above list of many potential new garments that are all using fabric currently on the resource shelves here in the "sewlarium")

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The original plan to use Ariadne's handmade lampwork glass buttons on the Chinese mountain print shirt didn't look great in the light of day. The taupe/black buttons got lost in the fabric rather than being the interesting focal point they really deserve. Instead, they will be used on a shirt made from the micro-stripe linen, which will be overdyed to be taupe/black, and have black pick-stitching along the edges. Just enough remains of that stripey fabric to cut out the shirt.

As part of my planning, have been looking over the assorted yarns on hand and thinking about what knitted accessories get worn the most often. Am always happiest to have various handwork projects set up so can work on things "as the spirit moves". The Murano Squares Bandana is a frequent first choice in cool weather, the pointed cowl shape, and the feel and drape of the Noro Kiri yarn combine to make it so. In June of 2025 I overdyed a skein of grey Noro Kiri to dark chocolate as contrast with vivid turquoise. 

My current thought is that the remainder of the chocolate brown yarn has good contrast with the grey; if knit counterchanged from the Cloud Mountain bandana (grey with dark brown spots instead of dark brown with turquoise spots) it will coordinate nicely with the grey/black/taupe section of my wardrobe. Note: was trying to figure out how much of each color was used the first time, so as to know if there was enough for a second go round... occurred to me to use my kitchen scale! If a whole skein weighs 4 ounces, and the finished scarf weighs less than that, and there are 2 ounces left of the already dyed dark brown, then it will all work out neatly. I am certain there is an algebraic equation that could be written to be more precise, but in the intervening decades, my algebra has all fled.

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~ not dogs-breakfast ~

This just doesn't look as photogenic as the Smitten Kitchen recipe images, probably since I accidentally overcooked the cauliflower.  Nonetheless, it is delicious. Even though I made a half-recipe of the "Cauliflower Tomato Masala with Peas", the greater portion of it is now in freezer cubes after a dinner, a lunch, and even using the last bits in the dish for breakfast, topped with egg and a slice of Havarti; it is quite filling. I did substitute snap peas for the regular peas called for, in order to use what was already here. This is tasty enough that it will be added to my hardcopy recipes as a template.

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this weeks whinges: Went all the way downtown to the Federal Building to the IRS office to pick up forms and instruction manuals for taxes this year... Bah! Despite all that time spent, and having to take off shoes/daypack/phone/charger/wallet/keys/jacket/wooly cardigan, and go through the x ray and wanding to get inside, when finally at the office, there were in fact no tax forms or their specific instructional booklets AT ALL! The paperwork kiosk was empty, and the singular clerk said, nope... no backstock and not getting more. 

And in the further enshittification of Walgreens saga: The prescription ordered a week ago (with 7 still left in the container) had still not arrived, and they couldn't say when it would show up. Maybe by the end of next week? They apparently only order things once a week nowadays. It sure would have been be good to know that, so as to request refill several weeks earlier. Am now trying to transfer that scrip to a different pharmacy, further away but still accessibly by bike, that is open 7 days a week instead of 5, and that has what I need in stock (I called and checked first)

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	ruffle pillow shams	cardigan length	recycle bin
2	clothespin bag	cardigan button bands	recycle bin
3	brown linen pinafore	cardigan ribbon facings	-
4	-	planted rhubarb	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- line dried laundry, even in the city it still smells wonderful, plus yesterday was dry and breezy, so laundry chore is just about caught up, save for putting it away
- found two Talenti tubs of pecans stashed in the bottom of the freezer. Breakfast museli will be much nicer now.
- this is the children's book I really enjoyed this week: "The Puppets of Spelhorst" by Kate DiCamillo

Time of Isolation - Day 2087

QID

in which our plucky heroine is still slightly off balance, but improving...

Not sure what waking every three hours does to one "proper" sleep cycles, and I've never timed how often my non-alarm-driven night waking occurs. There were no nightmares last night, though. And most remarkably, in my final dream before getting up today, I dreamed I could skip! Would that it were true, as I've been peculiarly disturbed by the loss of that coordinated ability, and have tried from time to time to re-learn it.

There was also a benign verbal interchange with an analog dreamland person (who was reminiscent in ways to both G and to B) concurrent with my skipping down a woodland pathway similar to but not OCF... (it most certainly wasn't OCF or analog OCF, as it was empty of any other human people)

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~ 3 color stenciling ~

My intent had been to stencil a patch for the pocket of the new brown linen pinafore with a cave horse, just like the one that is "worn to a ravelling" and past re-use. However, apparently my cave horse stencil set has been misplaced, alas... Fortunately I did write up the process used to create the stencil, and posted it to my blog years ago. Making up a new stencil likely guarantees that the missing one will show up soon; it will also be good to have a second stencil, albeit slightly different. Before long, there will be a new cave horse patch for the pocket, just requiring a few additional steps.  

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I put up various foods in shelf stable jars all year long, as a way to have things otherwise unobtainable, or just for the frugal pleasure of storing local bounty. The few apples from the backyard tree, and the quinces from the side yard often end up as "sauce" for pantry storage, and are usually brought out as a special treat for dessert from time to time. This week, however, those jars are a necessity. Antibiotics four times a day ie every six hours, that are best taken with food, but not with dairy. The dairy, in the form of live culture yogurt, is also every six hours, on an alternating schedule. (My phone alarms every three hours 24/7 for the next week, sigh) Other than the doses that line up with mealtimes, food with pills seemed a bit challenging, as string cheese or cottage cheese are my snack of choice. Turns out that a few spoonfuls of applesauce, or in my case quince-apple sauce is both easy to deal with nocturnally, and light on the tummy. 

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Today there was also a midafternoon trip to the store to get some crackers, and Toby's Tofu Pate, which will work well for another speedy middle of the night micro-meal option. I rarely keep crackers in the house, and rarely eat soy products, so ditto for Toby's, and they are spendy for how "easy to eat" they are. I tend to forget though, how delicious they are. Somewhere I have a recipe for DIY tofu pate that is very similar to Toby's, and it is likely time to return to making my own version of "Goddess Dressing", which has completely vanished from the local grocery stores One recipe lasts me for about a week of everyday salad dressing, and is also delicious instead of mayo for use in tuna, egg, or noodle salads:

Tahini Goddess Salad Dressing

⅓ c oil 2¾ T tahini 2½ T cider vinegar 2 t tamari 2¼ t lemon juice ¾ t salt 1 T minced parsley 1 T minced chives 1 minced clove garlic (or ¼ t garlic granules)

Mix together the tahini and the oil first, to allow the tahini to be smoothly incorporated. Then mix in all the other ingredients. You can add some water at the end, if the dressing is thicker than you prefer.

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	ruffle pillow shams	cardigan length	recycle bin
2	clothespin bag	cardigan button bands	-
3	brown linen pinafore	cardigan ribbon facings	-
4	-	planted rhubarb	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- homemade apple-quince sauce
- a useful and useable search box on my blog
- single use bandage scissors turned into kitchen scissors, still going strong ten years later
- the metal lid I found at Goodwill that fits venerable crock pot perfectly  

Time of Isolation - Day 2082

tiger tiger indigotiger

in which our plucky heroine has a basically mundane day...

Is it winter? Is it early spring? depends entirely on where you live and on where you look... I'm calling it late winter, as we've gone from almost warm enough to go without a jacket back to almost cold enough to snow. There is the tiniest bit of green showing here and there on the tree limbs, not leaves yet of course, but signs of where there will be buds. There are snowdrops flowering in the front border, and under the Wanda plum. (saw a video yesterday about how to lift and transplant snowdrops to spread them around the yard; must needs remember that once ours are done flowering

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~ burning bright ~

tiger 7" wide, 6" tall

The teal linen pinafore is done, and I have decided that it does in fact want to have the bodice pocket added... This is one of the sample block printed tigers from last year used here as decoration, needle-turned applique onto some of the teal linen. Being able to leave just an edge of the black background around the tiger helps set it off from the almost but not quite the same teal color. Once the applique is finished, it will be faced with another layer of linen to protect the hand stitching, and then the whole thing top-stitched in place as the front bodice pocket. 

In general, I prefer to design my garment embellishments so that they can be worked on separately from sewing the clothing, and added on afterwards, and/or removed at the end of a garment's life span, and used on another piece. I'll be doing that with the "time is a dressmaker" hemline applique from my (made in 2019, and now sadly threadbare) brown corduroy pinafore, which is planned to be replaced with a new brown linen one this year...

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A day to cook up an assortment of things, so as to have an assortment of new things to eat. Kale from yesterday's produce delivery will become some kale bulgar salad, and the rest of the cilantro and green onions will season the greens and rice bake breakfast casserole, and seasoning for some of Sister Gigi's corn pancakes. Right grateful that I have so many good recipes, and really need to get on with creating hardcopy of all of them!

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

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

today's gratitudes -
- handwork, ever consoling, ever satisfying
- mulitcraftualism
- Quah, 1974, Jorma Kaukonen
- the knitting needle size gauge, rarely used for its intended purpose, but ideal for stripping cilantro leaves from their stems

Time of Isolation - Day 2051

these are not the colored lights you are looking for

in which our plucky heroine sleeps in...

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!

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~ 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. 

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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

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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...

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wishing joy to all who celebrate:

























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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	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

Time of Isolation - Day 2007

Saturday snippets and bits

in which our plucky heroine goes to the farmers market...

The last market day of the year, and there were fewer food vendors and more handcraft vendors, not surprisingly. I had been hoping for some leeks, but got there too late in the day. Instead, I brought home what looked like skinny leeks but was actually young garlic; I'm guessing the farm was thinning the garlic crop? I also brought home some locally grown Purple Karma barley to try; it is whole rather than pearled, so takes longer to cook, and has a very different texture than the mucilaginous pearl barley...

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~ not bigger than a breadbox ~

But in fact it started out as just that... but now is in the process of being converted into a studio apartment for Opal. Not really set up yet, just some of the Caer Cardboard furniture moved in temporarily. Kenya and Sequoia are visiting while Opal puts her feet up for a few and thinks about what to deal with next... I'm thinking maybe a worktable, at least one bookcase, maybe an armchair instead of the couch, and a single bed insted of the big double clothespin bed. The flooring is contact paper on bristol board, and will anchor future color choices. Opal really likes "Danish Modern" MCM style, which isn't surprising given her heritage.

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The resipei embroidery project is perfect handwork to take with me when on transit. I get to fill some otherwise useless time with satisfying progress, and it isn't so absorbing that I miss my stop!

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Note to self (and to share)... do not use or purchase again "Anchor Hocking" brand lids for waterbath canning, even if they are $2 cheaper (and what is usually a reputable brand). Of the 12 lids in the box, tried using them with several recipes, more than half the lids did not seal. All the "Ball" brand lids used at the same time sealed properly. I have been canning for years, and never had this kind of problem before. Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action...

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Yesterday when I was chatting with the B's about food over the phone, Barb described her "Green Soup" which sounded so appealing that I had to pick up some broccoli and some potato just to make a version of it myself. (she was telling me how she had to adapt due to them having an all day power outage; she used Mom's hand food mill instead of a stick blender) 

I had made some good strong chicken bone broth earlier in the week, and used that as a base. Added the broccoli, the yellow Finn potato, and all the other greens from the fridge (spinach, garden mix, and the remnants of bok choy). Cooked a small onion and half the bunch of green garlic then added that as well. Seasoned with some of Penzey's "Justice" mixture and a good spoonful of chicken better-than-boullion. Once it was all cooked and softened, the stick blender turned it into a fragrant green-flecked pot of delicious dinner (and several future meals). Since it was originally a broccoli-cheddar soup in theory, I added a few cheese cubes for garnish and was happy.

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This evening my laptop started behaving in a most peculiar way... it repeatedly threw up a banner across a quarter of the screen letting me know it was trying to "cast", while not allowing me to do anything else. I have never seen that before, and AFAIK had not told it to do so or pushed any new buttons?? Fortunately I was able to call Karen, and ask if John was free and could help with my computer problems. Once he called me back, he was able to talk me through poking around in the settings folder and turning off a bunch of stuff I never use, which seems to have at least stopped the giant banner from obscuring the screen, and lets me type again. It is a bit alarming how dependent I've become on the pixel world to keep in contact with the human world.

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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	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 -
- my sister in law is wonderful, I would be her friend even if she wasn't married to my little brother!
- John was able to do remote tech support on the phone, and we got my laptop to stop filling the screen with peculiar messages
- asking for help instead of panicking, and getting help 

Time of Isolation - Day 2002

throwback Thursday

in which our plucky heroine remembers when the world was different...

- 5 years ago was well into the first year of isolation, and a struggle.
- 10 years ago Acorn Cottage got a new refrigerator, the same one currently in use
- 15 years ago was the last month of the year of Tigress Can Jam, and I was busy making quincemeat preserves, yum! and thinking about making pear persimmon cake (recipe below scavenged via the Wayback Machine, dunno if I ever made it, but would be a good time of year to try it now)
- 20 years ago, I had not yet started writing in a blog, but I was busy with moving into Acorn Cottage, which happened in early December

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~ Day 4 ~

Not just the fridge door is steel, but so are the house doors, and the kitchen cabinets, so there are plenty of places here at Acorn Cottage for decorative magnets to live. This magnet might be vitreous enamel; the reflections and gradations doesn't really look like resin, and the blue is just right for me... Thank you unknown artisan for this tiny addition to my home!

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Got back to some knitting on the Very Complex Shrew pattern, and have finished knitting the head, which puts me at the bottom of page 6. I need to rummage in the bead bin and find some small black beads for shrew eyes, which get attached at this point. The next step will be to pick up and knit from the neck downwards, creating the back of the shrew...

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Pear persimmon cake with maple cream cheese icing

2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 cups milk
1 cups pear puree or pear sauce (you can use apple, but the pears add a nice texture)
1 cups pureed soft persimmons (freeze and thaw fuyu persimmons to soften)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1 tsp. ground cardamom

Prepare a bundt pan with buttter & a light sprinkle of flour. Preheat oven to 325°F. With a mixer, cream butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine pear & persimmon purees with milk and ginger. Add ½ c of the liquid ingredients to the butter/sugar and mix for 30 seconds, then add ½ c dry ingredients, mix for 30 seconds and repeat, alternating between wet & dry, scraping the bowl down after each addition. Pour batter into prepared bundt and bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake pulls away from the edges of the pan. Invert out onto a rack, cool completely, and glaze with cream cheese icing (recipe follows).

whiskey cream cheese icing

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. Irish whiskey
2 tbsp. powdered sugar

Beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and whiskey until fully incorporated. If too thick to pour over cake, whisk in milk or cream, one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Pour over cake and enjoy!

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Being curious, I turned to the internet to find out what the writing on the medallion on Lucky Robot's torso signified. Apparently 招财 (Zhāocái) is an inscription meaning "to attract wealth/treasure", which is quite appropriate given the rest of their component parts!

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	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 -
- online image search
- steel doors (of various sorts) are a good home for decorative magnets
- the Wayback Machine of the Internet Archive

Time of Isolation - Day 1986

Five-fold Lucky Robot

in which our plucky heroine is feeling satisfied...

So far, there have been a number of posts online of folks being pleased with their tiny Advent Swap treats, which makes me happy. I've done another admin task today, and a number of necessary cooking tasks: the quinces are all par-baked enough to cut up tomorrow for processing, and all the sweet potatoes have been oven roasted for future meals. Having soup cubes in the freezer has become a vital part of my everyday meal plans, and since there was one more leek hiding in the fridge, some more lentil barley leek soup will also be on the hob tomorrow... (I could put the lentils to soak tonight and start the day with kitchen tasks) 

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~ day 3 ~

Today my day started with this wonderfully personable tiny robot pendant as my advent treat! With a wishbone antenna, lucky elephant arms and maneki neko legs, they are a five-fold good luck charm, and I am pretty sure that someone had a lot of fun putting all the pieces together... 

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When it was obvious from the solar sign at the bus stop that there was a delay further up the line, a short visit to the art store filled the time nicely, and I was able to pick up a very tiny Rhodia graph paper notepad, and a really inexpensive pen, both of which will be good for EDC. Taking my regular Bujo with me is heavier than I want to carry, and a tiny pad to do things like write down transit routes, shopping lists, or note topics for next blog will be perfect. And supporting local shops is the best way I know to keep them in existence, at least the best possible for individual effort.

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Last week's produce box had a half dozen very green Bartlett pears, which are now at that just perfect stage... which usually lasts a day or two at most. Some were today's snacks, and one went into the faux cheescake. I might have to make a pear tart.

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	vegetable steamer legs	fridge science experiments
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- new Pentel pen has a pleasing somewhat triangular shape
- managed to get the remaining quinces par-baked tonight
- the delightful tiny flower vase (day 2) was made by dear Ariadne
- Bartlett pears

Time of Isolation - Day 1985

six years is a long time

in which our plucky heroine makes a somewhat festive dinner while attempting to keep in contact with folks faraway...

The wind is howling outside as I finish up writing here tonight, before doing the last of the evening chores and heading off to dreamland. I am right grateful that the wheelie bins are weighted at the bottom, else my recycle bin would surely have blown over and into the street by now!

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~ a singular feast ~

It was a meal in parts, not a "sit down all at one time dinner". The festive part was attempting to have at least one ingredient in each thing be homegrown. Probably the best of the bunch was the kale bulgur feta salad, where some cubed up persimmon stood in for my more usual tablespoon of raisins. If only fresh persimmon was not so perishable... the taste, texture, and color were a delightful change. (remind self to include fresh persimmon in salad more often in the next week or so). The additional tiny green salad featured some of the last homegrown Juliet tomatoes and home pickled farmers market beets. The roulade, last out of the oven, is stuffed with a local sourdough roll cut into tiny cubes, and seasoned with herbs from the front yard.

Making the turkey thigh roulade is quite a process. Not difficult, just time consuming. First step is to de-bone the turkey thigh, which would have been easier if the thigh purchased had not also included a good-sized chunk of the spine. (Indeed when first unwrapped, my first thought was chicken breast not turkey thigh; not amused to have paid thigh prices for backbone). Marinate overnight in a buttermilk brine: 1 C buttermilk/ ½ tsp salt. (I've been keeping dried buttermilk on hand since 2020, very convenient for things like pancakes, or in this case, marinade) Then remove from the marinade, pat dry, layer a small amount of stuffing over the meat surface, roll and tie roulade into a tidy bundle and roast for about 1½ hours @ 350°F until the skin is crispy and interior is 165°F. 

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Cut up one of the more well used vintage terrycloth towels: half to squares for dishcloths and half as a hand towel/hair towel. The overlock machine makes it really quick to do enough finishing to the edges for their second life. Some of the dishcloths made this way 7 years ago are starting to be worn to a ravelling, but their serged edges hold up quite well. (I pretty much only use paper towels for cleanup too gross for reuseables, but often use more than one cloth dishcloth per day.

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Just saying... Two factor authentication is beyond aggravating. I appear to have turned it off in all the settings (which seems to do as much as pushing the crosswalk button, which gives an illusion of having an effect, while doing nothing), but it persists every gorram time I log into the book of face, AND to my email accounts, AND to my blog. Yes, I understand it's "purpose", but to have to spend sometimes HOURS jumping between various devices typing in numbers too slowly for their preference, having to do it over and over again, and trying to delete links to broken mobile phones I no longer own. Visiting the land of Face is not so much delightful that this gate is worth repeatedly jumping over, though I am loath to give up my emails or my years long hobby of blogging. Such intensive security might be useful for someone with vast numbers of followers, or famous, or an "influencer" but I am not any of those. Sorry not sorry for the yelling, but I am almost tempted to turn Luddite at this point

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Have made a bit more progress on the knitted shrew project, am now all of 13 rows in, and almost to the point of beginning some really complex head shaping. This is probably the most complex knit pattern I have chosen to make; while Fox Paws is a complicated pattern, it has a limited number of rows and repeats, the Shrew has almost every single row different, and the gauge is miniscule. Not much to see yet, just a bit of the pointy end of the muzzle. By doing just a few rows each day, it is remains satisfying to see the small amounts of progress, and keeps my hands happy. (knitting for any length of time with tiny needles makes for unhappy wrists and fingers)

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	clothespin bag	horse kerchief dots	greenwaste bin
2	5 jars pickled beets	more chopshop repair	recycle bin
3	1# hand weights	printer connection	greenwaste bin
4	a dozen owls	black knit slip	recycle bin
5	many jars of Awesome Sauce	15 origami giftwrap	recycle bin
6	24 more owls	case for phone	x
7	7 jars of Awesome Sauce	horse kerchief details	x
8	8 dishcloths	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the discarded autoclave-safe German stainless steel bandage scissors Nicole gave me years ago, ever since a handy pair of kitchen shears...
- my everso handy overlock machine, one of many thoughtful birthday gifts from my parents
- one of the random, not yet discarded, pot lids fits on the little crock pot, as a (temporary?) substitute for the broken original lid, hopefully it will work well... metal instead of glass should be okay, I use metal lids on all of my other pots and pans

Time of Isolation - Day 1980

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine feels right clever...

Today was my first PT visit to get advice on maintaining and improving my bone density health. I came home with three simple exercises to start with, and will gradually increase the repetitions and sets as I become stronger. The arm and shoulder exercise should be done with a one pound weight in each hand; tonight while I was tidying up a box of randomness, there were some large bolts and hardware which reminded me of the fancy weights at the PT facility. The thought being the parent of the deed, it was the work of a moment to weigh out the right amount and use the nuts and washers to put together a pair of hand weights that each weighed a pound.

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~ it's a sign ~

After several days, it occurred to me that the postie was not seeing or looking at the LARGE blue tote box I put directly under the mailbox, despite my writing instructions on the top. So I made an additional sign from box cardboard, tied the sign to one of the porch chairs, and set it next to the blue tote which I moved just opposite the mailbox, right where the large puddle forms that has been their chosen dumping ground for my parcels. Success at last! There was a tiny parcel left between the door and the screen door this afternoon! (I hope that the other two items on today's "Informed Delivery" list arrive tomorrow, and not that they have been delivered somewhere else)

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Getting really exciting here, four Advent Swap packages arrived yesterday, and another box today. The card table used for stacking the contributions is starting to fill up! We have 18 folks who have sent boxes so far, and 9 more folks have said they intend to participate...

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Years ago I learned from Charlotte how to make an easy meal she called "kluski". It isn't quite what the internets describe, a Polish soft dumpling, but rather was a mixture of sturdy noodles, cottage cheese, and stir-fried and steamed mixed vegetables.  I now cook chopped onions till soft and golden, then add chopped mushrooms, while those continue cooking, the broccoli steams... At the same time, cook some robust noodles until they are the texture you prefer, when they are done, mix it together and eat!

When I lived in Massachusetts, one could buy "kluski" noodles at the grocery store, they were much thicker and narrower than "egg noodles" but the same sort of wiggly chunks. In my attempt to avoid wheat, recently noticed tinkyáda brand fusilli brown rice pasta, and while the style of pasta (thick hollow curly spirals) isn't the same, it is sturdy enough to have an appropriate mouthfeel and works really well as an alternative.

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	clothespin bag	horse kerchief	greenwaste bin
2	5 jars pickled beets	-	-
3	1# hand weights	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

Yesterday's gratitudes -
- tinkyáda fusilli rice pasta, very toothsome
- took advantage of sunbreak to get laundry mostly dry
- microwave "rice bags" warm the bed
Today's gratitudes -
- managed to get some serious fig tree pruning done despite the drizzle, and filled the wheelie bin. 
- finished up the rest of the cooked veggies in a second batch of kluski for lunch, so tasty.
- figured out a way to DIY one pound hand weights from large washers, nuts, and bolts. Using what is here, rather than shopping, makes me happy!

Time of Isolation - Day 1961

a modicum of satisfaction

in which our plucky heroine reaches a goal...

As of today there are 23 folks that have said they want to play along in the Advent Swap this year! (not sure they all will, and there may be folks that haven't yet contacted me...) And today I finished the final 13 things for the *four* sets (one for my own, and three more for "bonus" sets) I committed to do for the Advent Swap.

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Took this photo yesterday before the rain and wind blew in, and probably that will be the last of the morning glories till next year. Remember: look up, look down, look all around, while we still have beauty in the world...

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One minor thing really needed, better clothes peg storage. Tired of trying to wrangle assorted plastic tubs of them into my pinafore pockets when hanging laundry up. When this cross body peg bag from Blue Cat Sewing showed up online, it seemed a much more useful idea than the sort that hangs from the line. When not in use it could be stored hanging up in the laundry area... And goodness knows there's certainly enough random remnants and twill tape around here to create something similar. Time to do some sampling to figure out the best size and strap length for my ownself.

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I've started using various bits of baking equipment to keep handcraft projects contained or set aside as needed. Not just the obvious use of cupcake or muffin tins to organise small items. For example: when block printing the origami pinwheels, the ink needed to dry before being refolded; much better to set them out all on a sheet pan than loose all over the work table, they can then be picked up all in one batch and set aside safely.

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Gah! in the "one damnthing after another" digital graphical chronicles here at Acorn Cottage... the printer does not work as a printer, in that it does not communicate through the magic of wifi to the laptop, or else the laptop has annoyingly lost the ability to recognise that there is a printer just on the other side of the room. (so, if I want a document printed, it involves a journey to the public library) And, for some reason, my very very venerable Photoshop, which has been working quickly and delightfully for years has suddenly today become alarmingly slow to open. In this case I deleted it from the laptop and reinstalled it, since when I turned on the machine this morning it was unable to open Photoshop at all! I'm wondering if I need to "remove" the printer from the laptop and reinstall it as well, along with whatever updated drivers it needs?

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Today I adapted the Kale Bulgar Feta recipe to better suit my tastes and what I keep on hand. Cut the bulgar portion by half. Substituted Chinese Rice Wine (pantry staple) for the white wine. Used 1 Tablespoon of canned green chilies instead of 2 jalpeno peppers. Added a tablespoon of raisins at the end for more of a five flavor effect. (Savory, Sour, Spicy, Salty, Sweet)

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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	5 golden origami dragons	reattach wheel to wheelbarrow	recycle bin
4	5 mini amanitas	vegetable steamer leg replacement	recycle bin
5	18 penny luck envelopes	-	-
6	10 holly&bells ornaments	x	x
7	more penny luck envelopes	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- the delight of conversation with Mischa
- enough tiny treats for my contribution for the Advent Swap assembled
- a better (to my taste) version of Kale Bulgar Feta salad
- using baking gear to organise handwork

Time of Isolation - Day 1950

Weekend whinge

in which our plucky heroine has her hopes dashed...

yey another day without internet access, and no idea when it will return. Couldn't join any of my regular weekend pixelworld social activities.

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~ savory and easy ~

(photo from earlier this year)

Carrot coriander soup, via a BBC Food recipe... first made this back in June, and it is just as good as remembered, There were no white taters in the fridge, but one of several garnet yams made an easy substitution.

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	-	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 -
- the song overhead of geese flying south...
- carrot coriander soup
- knowing just enough HTML to be able to adjust my blog posts

Time of Isolation - Day 1932

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine perseveres and preserves...

The last few days have been a bit of a struggle, as my body is not being cooperative despite my best attempts at nourishment and hydration. Despite that, there has been some progress made on both the dealing-with-harvest-season and on the flat piping conundrum.

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~ a worthwhile experiment ~

This year, not only did I manage to keep the Juliette tomato alive and happy in a big pot in the backyard, but as decoration, bought a six-pack of basil and a six-pack of marigolds, and planted them in a circle around the edge. So pretty to look at, and the basil grew well enough that I picked quite a bit earlier this summer and dried it for wintertime cooking. Today, noticed that even where it had been cut back, it was still putting on more growth, so another basket full went into the dehydrator today.

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Since there was a bunch of beets... well three big beets... in the produce delivery this week, and there were no more jars of pickled beets in the pantry, my mission was obvious. (abbreviated recipe for future reference)

1½# beets, 2c 5% ACV, 1c sugar, ¾t pickling salt, ¾cH₂O, 1cinnamon stick, ½t whole allspice, ¼t peppercorns. Boil beets a half hour until totally cooked through. Let cool, slip off skin and trim, then cut into slices or cubes and set aside. Mix all together syrup ingredients bring to boil, add beets and bring to simmer. ½" gap, process 30 minutes

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The detachable stabilising foot for the tiny underdesk oil filled radiator snapped in half ages ago, run over by my desk chair. While it works just fine sans foot, repairing it turned out to be feasible. Super glue held the plastic pieces together, and the break was reinforced with the Milliput epoxy putty acquired earlier this year

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Hopefully one of the farmers markets this weekend will have some organic tomatillos for less than the $7# that they are asking at the grocery store. This recipe for salsa verde is a good one, and every few years another batch or two needs made to replenish the pantry storage...

1# tomatillos ¼ c chopped onion 1 large green jalapeño ¼ c chopped cilantro 1 small clove garlic 1 t salt 2 T lime juice

Remove husks, wash, and simmer tomatillos till softened and color changes. Blend them with all the other ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. five 4oz. jars - ½" headspace - process 25 minutes

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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	needle gauge herb stripper	greenwaste bin
3	knitted pony	pruning elderberry	recycle bin
4	8 jars quince apple  rosewater sauce	pruning nandina	-
5	6+ jars fig lemon marmalade	picked moar figs	-
6	dried pears	picked plums	x
7	4 jars pickled beets	small radiator foot	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- picked more plums and am gradually filling gallon ziploc bags in the freezer with frozen plum halves
- Milliput epoxy putty
- the scent of basil

Time of Isolation - Day 1916

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine is grateful...

... for being able to smell the appetizing scent of tasty waffles wafting out into the street from the FLAVOURspot. (some folks I know have lost that ability due to viral damage in the last five years) That scent takes me back through the years, to the Sunlight Cafe in Ravenna, when Mark and I would go there for brunch and a "Belgian waffle" as big as the plate, topped with strawberries and whipped cream, and years earlier, when I was in my teens our family sometimes went to the IHOP (near the Fresh Pond rotary on the outskirts of Cambridge) where waffles were a special treat, and there were three chefs in the kitchen that could have posed for the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. It wasn't till I was an adult that it occurred to me that waffles could be made at home, that only required a functioning waffle iron. A dysfunctional waffle iron, OTOH, is a dreadful thing indeed!

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This morning I went to two different farmer's markets... first was Hollywood, since their email featured 15# flats of organic paste tomatoes from Flying Coyote Farm at a very good per pound price. Used my entire "Senior Farm Direct" coupon book, and a bit extra, for some just gorgeous nightshade fruit (I added a few Japanese eggplant as well as the tomatoes) My wicker shopping cart was pretty full, so it was time to take those home before any further adventures... then I headed out to St Johns on my bike. After looking at my Awesome Sauce recipe, peppers and garlic were now on my list, which Happiness Family Farmwas happy to provide. This marks the real beginning of preservation season.

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Currently making a pink-themed triangle pouch for Kestrel's toy "Fishlet" who apparently is really fond of that color. I needed a break from the troublesome popover dress, and these are fun to make and quick to finish. Some remnants of quilting cotton in bright or soft pink leafy prints that make me think of seaweed. A vintage pink button from the 50's that looks a bit like sea glass. Braiding cord for it from dark and light pink embroidery floss in a four strand spiral, and realised that the sewing bird is of great assistance. I can sit and watch a film at the computer, and just braid away...

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 jar storage trays	tiger block	greenwaste bin
2	4 jar storage lids	bright rayon top width	recycle bin
3	dried basil	indigotiger popover  hem extension	recycle bin
4	3 jars apple/quince rosewater sauce	bike rear wheel	window AC
5	3 kitchen towels	new apron straps	apple tree prunings
6	x	frame for Pyle cartoon	greenwaste bin
7	x	x	recycle bin
8	x	x	greenwaste bin
9	x	x	big appletree prunings

today's gratitudes -
- the sewing bird works really well to anchor fiber for four strand braiding
- half the day was grey and cool
- the world of scent is still available to me, which unlocks memory

Time of Isolation - Day 1896

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine notices subtle change...

Whilst walking Wellington just before dawn this morning I found several very overgrown rhubarb plants in the partially abandoned community alley garden, and picked one stalk. My plan is to make a small batch of strawberry rhubarb sauce with the pint of strawberries in the freezer.

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~ art is for everyone ~

These were in the parking strip, right near yesterday's message...

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Sewing thoughts: Ruthie suggested that small tucks or darts could reshape the popover neckline, which I'd not thought of. Some experimentation pinning tucks in places might will be a useful experiment. I think I've figured out why the issue occurred, the question is how to ameliorate? I'm also remembering a rayon dress I made back in the 90's where I pleated the entire upper bodice and then embroidered down the pleats, which was a very decorative effect. Design challenges are the opposite of boring!

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One of the other benefits of the years of blogging, is being able to look back at what happens in various months, repeatedly, over time. This gives both a sense of what to expect, and to notice what changes. Example being that early September often remains dreadfully hot, but by the end of the month it is often cooler and somewhat damp. And plums ripen mid-September as well, so planning for that now is a good idea (though the last time I walked down the alley, that two-legged bandits had picked all of the visible easy-to-reach unripe but already colorful plums from where the trees overhang the fence. I hope the fruit went to hungry folks)

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Palestinian purslane stew: this recipe looks interesting, simple, and tasty. Since there is a little purslane growing in the backyard, it'd be fun to try!

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 jar storage trays	tiger block	greenwaste bin
2	4 jar storage lids	bright rayon top width	recycle bin
3	dried basil	indigotiger popover  hem extension	recycle bin
4	3 jars apple/quince rosewater sauce	bike rear wheel	window AC
5	3 kitchen towels	new apron straps	apple tree prunings
6	x	frame for Pyle cartoon	greenwaste bin
7	x	x	recycle bin
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- a stalk of rhubarb from Very Overgrown plants in a neglected alley garden
- very much enjoying reading Saving the Season by Kevin West (reviewed here at "Food In Jars) 
- even a ten degree difference makes a difference

Time of Isolation - Day 1864

still too warm

in which our plucky heroine remains crepuscular...

and little Wellington, here for more than a week, is not pleased with this. This is the 2nd day pushing 102°f (39°c); the inside surface of the west-facing mylar bubblepack window block is hot, and I've been thinking it might be good to add a second layer, which has long been a plan.

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~ wtf ~

Been making ice in the freezer for during the heat wave. Been making ice in the freezer for decades. Never seen anything like this before... (spike of ice is maybe 1 ½" tall extending from the top of the ice cube) Apparently "ice spikes" are a known, if rare, phenomenon...

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Friday was a trip to Costco with Helga, always nice to have a bit of a visit with her... and most but not all of what I was hoping to restock was in the store. I don't keep chocolate chips on hand in my pantry, but saw this recipe for a chocolate zucchini loaf that seemed like it would be a good way to use the large zuke in my produce box. Alas there were no Kirkland brand chips at all, only Nestle, and I have not bought anything from that conglomerate since the first boycott in the late 70's. I'll see if I can get some other chips at a different store, and divide the recipe in half so as to use pans I currently have in the kitchen... we shall see...

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Ate the last of the pickled beets today, and none of my blog posts have either a recipe or links to a recipe. Will have to wing it, once beets are acquired, with science/proprotion aid from the National Center for Home Food Preservation and flavor inspirations from various cookbooks

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Oh my goodness, the salad spinner that Ursel brought me is HUGE. Well maybe not if you are making salad for a big family, but it is a lot bigger than the small one that formerly was in use here at Acorn Cottage. Still, it will work well for washing greens and herbs, and I'm most grateful for it!

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Sewing progress on the rayon batik popover dress: most of the body panels are sewn together, still need to finish the neckline, sew the side seams, hem arm edges, and add pockets. Might be done tomorrow.

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 jar storage trays	tiger block	greenwaste bin
2	4 jar storage lids	bright rayon top width	recycle bin
3	dried basil	indigotiger popover  hem extension	recycle bin
4	3 jars apple/quince rosewater sauce	bike rear wheel	window AC
5	-	new apron straps	apple tree prunings
6	x	frame for Pyle cartoon	greenwaste bin
7	x	x	recycle bin
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Costco run with Helga Friday morning, before the heat ramped up high
- little Wellington is here for a long visit
- on of the small flex arm lamps is a good substitute for the integral LED sewing light on the serger.

Time of Isolation - Day 1859