workable Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine hopes for improvement...

I ordered a kitchen faucet from Home Despot, and also an actual "deck box" to replace the tatty plastic tote that lives on the front porch and has magic marker instructions to the postie written on top. While the faucet isn't my ideal dream option (which doesn't exist, apparently) it seems to meet enough of my criteria, and after months and months of looking I remind myself that done will be better than perfect. Progress on my goals for this summer is proceeding.

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~ a distant memory ~

At some point when I was young there was assorted Strombecker dollhouse furniture. The images I've seen of various pieces of this distinctive wooden furniture are peculiarly resonant, though I've no idea when I played with them, or where they ended up over distant years and many many moves. There once was a table lamp similar to this one, but with a green base, so when I found two for sale on Etsy at an affordable price I clicked "purchase"... 

Unfortunately the interface had already sold them to a different buyer but didn't tell the seller, who was most apologetic, and offered me this yellow base one instead, at a discount. It was in "as-is" condition, and it was obvious on arrival that the lamp base had at some point met up with teething, either a puppy (or maybe a child?) 

My first stage repair was to fill in the multiple divots with wood putty, and once that solidified, carefully sand it back to smooth with 400 grit abrasive paper. While I was originally going to repaint it a solid color, it is tempting to just leave it as is; the variegated color reminds me of a large pottery lamp we had back in the 1960's

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Today began the process of spray painting the mailbox dark bronze. Every exterior side has been sanded with fine sandpaper, washed, and dried, as per the 0.7mm tiny instructions on the back of the can of Rustoleum. The mailbox has been removed from the wall and is currently attached to the clothesline next to the chain link fence and propped in place to allow each surface being painted to be vertical. 

Astonishing how something so quick makes such a difference. It still needs at least a second coat all around, but the hammered finish dark bronze is already so much more attractive than the former patchy appearance. The second coat should deal with the one spot where I touched the paint before it was fully dry; I'll spray it in situ (after the mail is delivered tomorrow) instead of removing it to the the side yard, and tape up plenty of newspaper around the area to protect against overspray. Then it can sit there overnight until truly dry. 

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Still mulling over the 7in7 earrings challenge since #7 has not been made (and I also missed #1). This afternoon while chatting with Mischa I remembered bells! I have two different tiny sizes, stored for some reason in the in the drawer of washi tape?! that might be perfect components for a pair of dark brown earrings. Hmmm...

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 Talenti shelves	Talenti shelf up	greenwaste bin
2	acorncap earrings	2nd pot lid rack	recycle bin
3	teaspoon earrings	painting mailbox	-
4	glass button earrings	-	-
5	poppy pod earrings	-	-
6	red cube earrings	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- chainmail pot scrubber, also can hold paintbrushes to dry vertically
- Home Despot has free home delivery
- homemade kombucha

Time of Isolation - Day 2220

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine...

Spent enough so much time Sunday combining the various "cats invade" images into a single page printable image, that by the time I finished the local copy shops were all closed. My plan is to make a miniature "large scale art book", at 1½" tall it would be about an 18" full size book. It will be an edition of at least two, since my miniature library needs a copy in addition to the one I plan to send to Kestrel

Guess a miniature coffee table will also be needed! For some reason I've been imagining something midcentury style with a partial mosaic tabletop, (maybe using the colored eggshells I've been saving) Time for more image research, maybe Sunset Magazine's "Furniture You Can Build" will have something inspiring?

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~ well worth it ~

I rode again to the St Johns Library this morning, inspired by the most recent post in "Slowpoke", Carson Ellis' substack journal. She mentioned that there were coloring sheets available, which sounded like fun. Her post has much better photos and information about the mural in the children's room as well.  While the librarian was busy tracking down where the coloring pages were, I looked carefully at the other details of the remodel I'd missed on my first visit, things that my pal Ursel (the architect) had mentioned, like the ceiling treatments in the transition hallway. Overall I am really glad seeing "our tax dollars at work" as refurbishing and making more accessible and beautiful such a needful public good as libraries makes me happy.

(photo above is of a small detail on one of the two new colorful outdoor sculptures at the St Johns Library)

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Discovered Adam Cleevely's conversation with Xandy Peters a wide ranging interview. I'm going to have to check out more of Adam's podcasts. I was a tiny bit familiar with Xandy Peters since knitting their renowned pattern Fox Paws back in 2014...

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My old overalls pattern has some very mysterious leg gusset pattern pieces that it isn't clear to me perzactly how they join the rest of the legs. My original overalls made from this pattern are long gone, but hoping that the oldest pair of overalls I made for Beth years ago will maybe have helpful information. Karen and I plan to look tomorrow during our regular Tuesday video chat.

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	15 tiny masu boxes	earrings recombined	greenwaste bin
2	black scarf hem	replace C O alarm	recycle bin
3	Brambly Hedge slip	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes- 
- an almost two hour phone call with dear friend Rois
- beautiful beads for future froggies arrived today 
- I found some Japanese-style printmaking paper at the art store today that should work well for pages in the "Cats Invade" tiny book

Time of Isolation - Day 2191

a colloquia of corbies

in which our plucky heroine slept better than expected...

The holiday explosions started before it was even full dark, but it seemed less dense than last year? The windows, which are usually kept narrowly open for fresh air were all shut tight last night. The rarely used white noise app helped partially mute the thumps and bangs. Turned that off sometime in the wee small hours as it was no longer needed. The closed windows also allowed me to sleep until not tired; hungry corbies were still there when I woke up at around 8, quite a few gathered in the lilac, and on the garage roof next door! 

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~ cats invade the garden for catnip ~
.

One project started this weekend has been to begin converting all of  Kestrel's very delightful "Cats Invade" drawings to a format suitable for making tiny books for the tinyfolk that live at her house and also here at Acorn Cottage. I plumb adore the whole series of pictures, of which these are the first two...

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One of the early garden addition here was a little Nandina domestica, (now almost 7 ft tall); a shrub I loved as a child, and tinyfolk Nandina Ogidni's namesake. I nowadays remove the berries that form, as they can be toxic to birds and mammals, but apparently the flowers are very attractive to bees... Today, despite the lack of a breeze, I noticed quite a bit of foliage movement, and there were many bees of several different species  going from flower to flower.

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The 5 gallon bucket of beads is now slightly less disorganised, as I took part of today to sort through it organising beads by color. Mostly the beads that were already in hanks or bags of one color, if randomly distributed. There still remain several large ziplocs full of assorted mixtures, individual beads, trinkets, and artifacts, but now specific colorways are much more accessible. Also it is curious that there seems to be an overlap between taupe, purple, and grey, which I suspect has to do with the chemistry of creating glass colors. 

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	15 tiny masu boxes	earrings recombined	greenwaste bin
2	-	replace C O alarm	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- did not wake up at 5 AM from hungry noisy corbies
- Maeva sent me more Kestrel drawings today
- internal collywobbles seem to have dissipated
- Nandina flowers attract bees

Time of Isolation - Day 2184

recombinant refurbishment

in which our plucky heroine takes time to play...

Today decided to refurbish and reconfigure two pairs of earrings into one. Back in 2013 dear Ariadne gave me these lampwork beads she made, knowing that I enjoy wearing grey and black together. I turned them into earrings of course, but the floss tassel finial wasn't quite right.

Even earlier, sometime back in the 90's at OCF, I acquired some black porcelain horse charm earrings... they were quite heavy, so in 2009, some "time with the wet grinder thinned them to no more than 3mm thick; while some of the whimsical sculptured detail was lost, they are now light enough for comfort"... A vintage whiteheart bead and tiny sky blue enamel coordinated with my (OCF trading circle) turquoise beads, but still for some reason they were rarely worn.

I'd been hunting through my bucket of beads recently looking for frog materials, and cogitating for quite some time prior about what might combine well with the Ariadne lampwork beads, when my black horse earrings caught my eye. Aha! and it was the work of a few minutes to deconstruct them. As a way to further embellish the horses I decided to add a few spots to each in decorative triangles, carefully grinding away with the smallest round diamond burr in my little box from Harbor Freight. Once they dried (always grind under water for safety) the tiny dots were subtle, but visible. Wirework combined beads and horses into a pleasing pair of new earrings! Photos tomorrow when it is daylight...

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~ 1⅜" x ⅞" ~

Between other errands downtown, stopped off at Clay Commons yesterday afternoon and could not resist bringing home this exquisite hand painted ceramic vessel. An addition to the tinyworld art gallery.

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Excellent news about the knitting pattern quest... Cocoknits very generously sent me a PDF copy of the Oakleaf Family Tree pattern complete with all the charts. Huzzah and vast gratitude!

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Initially my thought was that the carbon monoxide alarm needed a new battery, but when replacing that made no difference at all to the chirping beeps, I thought to read the VERY small print on the back of the battery door... Oh, five chirps in a row means "end of life" (not for the humans) but the gizmo itself. So off to the hardware store this morning. I forgot to bring my monthly discount flier, but asked the cashier if it was possible to look up online, and so she tried, but that didn't work. When I said, "well then, I guess I will come back again tomorrow instead" she generously offered me a $5 off coupon, which being the same as the flyer coupons was just as good!!  Now all I need to do is decide where to install it; the old one plugged into the wall, but this one does not. The internets say 12" below ceiling in the hall outside bedrooms, but not too near a bathroom, or air vents, which makes me think most people have bigger houses than Acorn Cottage. 

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"Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place, but there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around."

~ e. l. konigsburg

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	earrings recombined	greenwaste bin
2	-	C O alarm	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Cocoknits sent me the knitting pattern I've been seeking
- mango slaw (modified from smitten kitchen)
- kindly cashier at Ace Hardware
- the man at the hardware store wearing silver and black dotted knee socks with black bike shorts and a silver brocade jacket... there is whimsy in the world!

Time of Isolation - Day 2181

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine reaches for bootstraps...

The warm weather on Monday was a fluke, as going forward throughout the week the weather returns to the more usual for this time of year. It has been grey, and drizzly and not particularly warm. Which is fine. 

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~ not buttons but tiny shelves? ~

There are many tutorials online about turning avocado pits into buttons, and how sturdy the inner seed becomes as it dries. Out of curiosity, decided to slice up the most recent one... These little semi-circular slices, while they could be trimmed into small discs and drilled with holes, rather call to mind miniature wall brackets, and could without much difficulty be repurposed into 1:12 scale rustic decor for the tinyworld. Hmmmm....

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With my focusing on completing unfinished projects, the ruffle-edged pillow shams have been completed, and hopefully soon be on their way to their new home, and the bank account a bit more pleasantly enlarged.

The Icelandic cardigan has been ungrafted into pieces, and is getting marked center back and either side in order to better line up the upper and lower sections. Sister made the sweetest interpretation, that once it is altered to fit me, 'twill be like "a warm hug from Dad".

While there are more of my own personal wardrobe projects eagerly awaited, my immediate next effort is to finish Bab's heraldic brooch. Maybe the experimental abalone inlay project will get its turn not too long after that (to replace the lost Mexican silver horse brooch), that is, once I finish with the small enamel award pendants for John. Those enamels are the last thing in the workshop line, my queue is almost empty.

Time to experiment as well with what sorts of enameling I can do without using silver. I switched to a fine silver ground over four decades ago, for technical reasons. Copper has always been less spendy, but much trickier for cloisonne. Now that silver (never inexpensive) has more than tripled in price, it is really affecting the choices artists must make, and it is probably time to switch back to copper... I'm considering moving away from  my beloved cloisonne to limoges style enamel for regalia, as one example.

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The last week or so have been particularly rough. Aside from the multiplicitous dumpster fires that are our current timeline, which are more than enough for anyone who is paying attention, there is no obviously immediate personal reason. Doing my best to seek and pay attention to small joys and bits of goodness is sometimes enough to contradict the brain weasels. But not always; recently the weasels are winning. Plucky heroine is Very Stubborn about not giving up, though. I seem to remember an idea of making an actual ARTifact of anti-brain-weasel serum, maybe time to revisit that idea. I think Acantha had some relevant ideas...

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It is always a small thrill when my internal database tosses out a word that fits my writing perzactly, and the spell check says nope, but double checking several online real dictionaries says yes, and then that dopamine moment of clicking "add to dictionary"

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Month SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	ruffle pillow shams	-	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Super Supportive - Chapter 274 !!!
- using chevre as a feta substitute (not quite the same flavor profile, but an improvement on a bike ride in the cold rain)
- quince rosewater applesauce
- that dopamine moment of clicking "add to dictionary"

Time of Isolation - Day 2066

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine keeps warm...

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

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~ if I fits, I sits... ~

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

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

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

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

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

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

Time of Isolation - Day 2054

not the sparkle you desire

in which our plucky heroine wakes up to scintillating scotoma...

I've gone for many years at a time without seeing any of these, but this is the second one in as many months. Fortunately only annoying and distracting, and by the time I was done with breakfast, it was mostly beyond my peripheral vision.

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~ tiny trinkets ~

The compartments in these 3D printed trinket shelves are only a bit taller than ⅛", small enough that finding suitable denizens has been quite challenging. The littlest of seashells, turquoise chip beads, some very tiny alder cones, and fragments of a crystal geode are some of what fits. It is tempting to try and create a tiny sculpture of some kind; tried to use some of the leftover Milliput, but couldn't manipulate it well at that scale. Wondering about Very Tiny mushrooms? 

I'd really like to get the file to print a few more of these shelves, but just a bit larger. My friend Sam printed these for me last year, and if he can share the instructions, the library has 3D printing...

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Found an online source to get charging cables for my phone that have a right angle bend where the plug joins the wires, which will make a big difference in how easy it will be to use.

Spent over an hour on the phone trying to get some help from Century Link re the problems with my (albeit ancient) wifi modem etc. The repair tech person insisted that everything was working just fine, and that the only problem was that I hadn't signed a subscriber agreement?! (despite my having had an account for over twenty years) and that they would send it to me as a text. Only problem with that is that my account with them is for a land line, not a mobile. So called the customer service person, to try and get that sorted out. Still SNAFU'd. after almost another hour talking to them. Will try again in the morning. Dunno how "never having signed a piece of paper" would cause my wifi to suddenly stop working properly a few weeks ago, after years and years of more or less okay service.

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Not exactly "Swimming Rama", but combining leftovers with some various frozen cubes made a tasty dinner: there were two cartons of extra rice from the Thai takeaway food Mikki and I had for dinner, so a bit of that, plus a frozen cube of chopped cooked power greens, one of cooked mashed yellow squash, and one of spicy thai red curry sauce... If I had thought to cook up some chicken or shrimp it would have been even better, but it was fine! 

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2026 calendars are cut up, holes punched and cords threaded... all the envelopes are counted out ready to be addressed and stamped. I keep thinking of more folks who might enjoy one, but want to get these at least in the mail before the end of January. Better late than never... 

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

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

today's gratitudes -
- just as I suspected, chevre is a fantastic companion to the fig mostarda made earlier this month
- a wide variety of freezer cubes of veggies, sauces, and suchlike
- I like how this year's AlphaBeast calendar looks more than I did at first. The style has a very different look than my previous ones, but still distinctively my own. Which is sort of the point.

Time of Isolation - Day 2030

fragments and snippets

in which our plucky heroine does a bit more than the last few days ...

Still not quite back to proper sleep wake, but is improving. Had fun introducing my tinyfolks to Mischa's salon guests. Mt Dishmore is significantly eroded though not yet gone. Rode out to St Johns to the post office, and then out to check on the Free Art Gallery. The gallery is gone!! there is nothing there any more other than the post and the QR code for Sidewalk Joy. Very sad.

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~ day 2 and 3 ~

I have a number of handmade ceramic bowls, this one is my favorite. The inside is glazed a soft green-blue , and the outside is unglazed, with little sgraffito motifs around the middle. My friend Acantha made it back in the Before Times. It is just the right size, a bit bigger than a custard cup, and has the perfect shape for preparing my breakfast museli. I can soak the rolled oats overnight, and the double curve of the sides holds them in place while I pour off the excess water.

I was rescued by friends and taken to their beach home to escape the dreadful heat dome in 2021; 116°F+ (46.6°C+) temperatures melted trolley cables, buckled streets, and killed over 250 people in the PNW. This chunk of waveworn bone, so pleasant to touch and so difficult to draw, is a souvenir of time spent walking the beach, and a reminder that our connections are the true wealth.

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Further experiments with my iron gall ink project. I divided the liquid into two pint Talenti tub containers. Into one, I poured the rusty iron water from the tiny cauldron. The gall water looks maybe a bit blacker, but not much. I tried applying it to paper, and it is a pale greyish brown, not very different than before adding rusty water. Neither of the gall water samples are anything like what I could call ink. I am wondering if I had too little gall to too much rainwater to begin with. I only have about 1 oz. of oak galls remaining. Am considering a course of further steeping, adding the final ounce of oak galls to only one pint of gall water, before then trying any further additions of ferrous sulfate (hopefully available at the local garden store) and the gum arabic (already purchased last year from the art store).

some links about making ink:
from The Huntington
from The Axbridge Museum Artist's Blog
from Ian the Green (mka David Roland)

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Somewhere I'd acquired a turned wooden evergreen tree, about 4" tall. Probably meant for a holiday ornament, as it still has a drilled hole in the very top. It now has painted foliage in three shades of green, and a base in black bordered with red dots, very festive, and intended as tinyworld seasonal decor, if a bit late for this year. It fits neatly on an end table in Opal's studio apartment, and I plan on making a star topper for it from the Advent Swap "gold star"

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Today got another scam prescription bill purporting to be from Walgreens. It is identical to the one that arrived here in November 2025. Again I was worried at first, then noticed the same date and data. Took it to Walgreens today and they concurred. 

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	paint turned holiday tree	recycle bin
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- 3 days so far where I kept my promise to draw, and kept my promise to go outdoors and move my body
- video chat with Jen, and very glad I am that she is starting to recover
- delicious leftovers (why do I only remember to make black-eyed peas once a year when they are so good?!)

Time of Isolation - Day 2015

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

tiara Tuesday

in which our plucky heroine is making plans...

Time to think about projects for 2026. Though there are several major categories that need my attention, today my daydreams were mostly about wardrobe sewing, as it has become obvious that some of my everyday clothing is becoming noticeably threadbare. While not yet unwearable, some will be better suited to yard and garden duty rather than wearing out and about in the bright world, once I stitch up fresh new replacements.

Back in the halcyon days of Stitchers Guild, the clever Dr E came up with the concept of a 6PAC, being multiple smaller groups of garments than SWAP, and spread throughout the year. I was not the only one who took this idea to heart, and over time used this concept to build my wardrobe.  With that thought in mind, my current intention is to use fabrics on hand in brown and teal, and make 2 pairs of long janes (brown jersey and teal jersey), 2 heavy linen pinafores (solid brown and solid teal), and two shirts (plaid and floral)

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~ rather rakish ~

When Sequoia saw the tiny tiara, he was certain that it had been meant for him, and none of the other tinyfolk had the heart to dissuade him... (also, new floral dog bed courtesy of Mackayla)

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Apparently I've somehow misplaced the whimsical tinyworld bed that I assembled (from a laser-cut solid wood kit), painted, and decorated with canal boat roses sometime in 2022 or 2023. I was even thinking last night for a while that I had simply imagined the whole thing, but found photographic evidence here on the blog. I hope to find wherever the "someplace safe" it was put away is, as all of the usual spots are coming up empty, and the kits were a limited run from an artist in the UK.  

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Took time today to work on the remaining unfinished calendar drawings. Wolf/wisteria is almost completely inked, which leaves only otter/orchid left to sketch and ink. Checked in at the copy store and the per page charge for not-color card stock copies is only about 40¢, which means I can probably send more folks calendars than I did last year (when I printed full color images from the 100 day stitchbook project) Yay!

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Discovered the online magazine "Craftsmanship" when I followed an article link to the essay: "Could Small Still Be Beautiful?" an interesting read. I am going to enjoy poking around and reading other available articles.

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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	x	cleaned keyboard	x
7	x	undie waistband	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- some of my memory is preserved here in the blog universe
- according to UK gardening sites, one can still plant crocus bulbs on Christmas Day, though they may bloom later than usual. (since there was a crocus bulb in one of the advent swap gifts)
- the rainbow jingle-heart is an audible pocket reminder of connection

Time of Isolation - Day 2005

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

things of unexpected size and other tidbits

in which our plucky heroine takes advantage of a sunbreak...

Yesterday when speaking with Maeva about if the quince might be ripe, her advice was to go outside and have a good sniff, and if they were, that would make it clear! Sure enough, when the weather allowed earlier today, not only was it obvious even before immediate proximity, but one of the larger ones was on the ground next to the downspout. (Wondering if they were thinned early this year, as the ones on the tree now are so MUCH LARGER than any prior year) The one windfall quince weighed over 1½ pounds and is about the size of a baby's head. There will be much preserving this year.

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~ no bigger than my own wee paws ~

Time for a bit of exploration and adventure, an excursion to part of the city far from Acorn Cottage. PDX Dinorama had mentioned online a "tiny Little Free Library, and sure enough, it was so small, being only a bit taller than my (admittedly stumpy) hand length. And there was an assortment of very small blank books, one of which came home with me to eventually join the other volumes in the Shadowbox Library, once it acquires some content...

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Next week there will be three days of free ephemeral online presentations as part of  "Block Printing Fest 2025"... I'll definitely try and find time to view some, betwixt and between. 

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(whinges) Day four of medication. Less heartburn (which was not my main complaint), but throat "lump" sensation (which was) is, if anything, more bothersome, and appetite has not returned. Sigh. 

Further attempts but still the laptop doesn't know there is a printer. Deleting and reinstalling Photoshop did not give me a useable program, so now there is no image processing program either. Snapseed on my phone can do some image correction, but the photos remain too large in dimension and in data.

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Lovely alternating rams horn variation card weaving pattern, seen on FB's "suggested" and managed to track down. Has me wanting to set up a band loom of some kind again. The pattern is from Cerelle Woods, who says "Picks 1-16 repeated yield the band pictured. Picks 17-32 repeated will reverse the twist." There's S threading, which is when the thread comes through the holes from the back side of the tablet, and there's S slant, which is when the threaded tablet, when it's tensioned in the warp and viewed from above, has the same slant as the letter S (\). For Z threading the thread comes through the holes from the front of the tablet, and for Z slant, the warped tablet has the same slant as a Z (/). So! Depending on the weaver, S and Z can mean one thing OR its exact opposite. When I use S and Z, I'm referring to the threading, not the slant." 
If I try this, I will have to experiment to figure out if the threading shown in her diagram matches or is opposite from the Applesies and Fox Noses notation for threading, which is what I prefer.

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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	leather scissors sheath	-
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 scent of quince fruit
- having Mindy show up at Crafternoon
- found a free online utility to resize JPEG images (one of the several tasks that I'd normally use Photoshop for, sigh)

Time of Isolation - Day 1951

just a few Friday fragments

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

Moderately productive, modestly social, and still enthusiastically mulling over the possibilities suggested by yesterday's 3D printing class. Why are there so few Craftsman-style/Arts and Crafts era/Bungalow type files... Wondering how difficult it would be to learn to use Tinkercad, which was recommended if we want to make our own files for 3D printing

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~ whimsical wall ~

Paying attention... sometimes is rewarded with something lighthearted!

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Managed to get the most egregious watersprouts pruned away from the parking strip persimmon, in time to get them into the greenwaste wheelie bin before Friday morning pickup... next up is tackling the very overgrown backyard apple tree. Pruning is an ongoing task here at Acorn Cottage. It would be useful to start a reference notebook of care suggestions for the various fruit trees and plants.

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It was challenging to find information online about best practices for painting PLA printed objects, particularly since I've no desire to buy a big "rattle can" of spray primer, which seems to be the common suggestion. A trip to the local art store turned up a different suggestion, albeit one that was currently out of stock: using Golden Hard Modeling Paste to smooth and prepare the surface. While I'm now on the "notify when arrives" list, I also asked about just using acrylic gesso as a primer... Since it could work, that was the work of less than an hour to try out this afternoon. After wiping down the plastic with some alcohol to remove any oils from handling it, the gesso adhered well and left a nice matte surface that will be given a sort of faux wood grain finish with several colors of brown paint to add to the Craftsman-style fumed oak effect... Fingers crossed! 

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Ordered a new seat for my bike, since the current seat was purchased well over 20 years ago and has not just lost a good deal of the fabric cover but a substantial amount of the foam underlayer. The VSEAT is a different sort of design, intended to support you on your "sit-bones" and without the long nose that most seats have. My hope is that a seat that doesn't stick out as far towards the front will allow just a bit more room between the seat and handlebars. Our plucky heroine has short little dinosaur arms, so the seat must needs be set quite forward, and at every stop when I jump down to standing, my torso is squashed between the point of the seat horn and the handlebar post. 

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Raven scroll	6 prs Beth pants	recycle bin
2	black floral scarf	prune² Wanda plum	greenwaste bin
3	4 jars strawberry- rhubarb preserves	mulch peartrees	greenwaste bin
4	sunblock mitts	Eames top	greenwaste bin
5	catch tarp for porch	filter box legs	recycle bin
6	mini 3D plant stand	new house roof	greenwaste bin
7	x	defrost chest freezer	recycle bin
8	x	repair garden hose	persimmon prunings
9	x	right eyeglass temple	x

today's gratitudes -
- talking with Mischa
- my box full of gesso and acrylic paints
- leftover bulgogi rice bowl for breakfast

Time of Isolation - Day 1831

well that was fun

in which our plucky heroine tries something new...

Today was the "Creative Learning: Intro to 3D Printing" class at the Albina Library. I'd headed out for my transit time a bit early, so stopped at Cà Phê on the way. In the interest of doing new things, decided to try one of the black sesame gluten-free "mochi donuts", which aside from topological shape, were not what I would describe as a donut, but rather a delicious tender cake that may have been soaked in syrup? 

There were eight people in the class, of varying ages and experience. Our instructor was thorough and enthusiastic. There were 5 printers, so very little time waiting our turn, once we had completed the conceptual part of the instruction. With practice, it seems that just as with image processing, it will become more comprehensible and familiar. It was a bit awkward to use a mouse instead of a trackball, and the library iPads are very different than my laptop at home. Still, I was able to not only print out the Altoids tin insert (one of the five pre-set options for us to choose from) but also was able to find, download, and print the 1:12 scale plant stand from a website of free designs...

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~ old meets new ~

This tiny (1½" x ¾") plant stand echoes the shapes of Arts and Crafts Bungalow style furniture. It was the second thing I made* at the Intro to 3D Printing class at the library today. I like the shape and details, and will try some layered paint colors to add subtlety to the bright green plastic.

*To be clear... I was able to find a free file online, download it, and get it into the correct program and send it to the printer. I did not design or create the file myself

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Somehow, at some point, the right side temple wing of my spex was bent at the attachment point, though fortunately the headband elastic of my P100 held them in place on my noggin. Once back home, one of the first tasks was to carefully bend the frame back into shape. Much better now!

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A sweet if short visit this evening from my OlyWa pals Beth and Karen. They were in town to pick up some pieces of Marmoleum for the kitchen refurbishment they are gradually having done. They brought me dinner: a chicken bulgogi rice bowl from a food cart down near where Mindy lives (they stopped to visit Mindy on their PDX loop as well, because friends!). We sat very far apart in the front yard having a meal together, I was about 20 feet away with the breeze at my back, so safe enough for my comfort. 

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Raven scroll	6 prs Beth pants	recycle bin
2	black floral scarf	prune² Wanda plum	greenwaste bin
3	4 jars strawberry- rhubarb preserves	mulch peartrees	greenwaste bin
4	sunblock mitts	Eames top	greenwaste bin
5	catch tarp for porch	filter box legs	recycle bin
6	mini 3D plant stand	new house roof	greenwaste bin
7	x	defrost chest freezer	recycle bin
8	x	repair garden hose	x
9	x	right eyeglass temple	x

today's gratitudes -
- GF black sesame mochi donut
- inspiring and successful 3D printing class
- an unexpected visit from Beth and Karen

Time of Isolation - Day 1830

weekend whatevers

in which our plucky heroine wakes up early...

... since apparently the fence near the bedroom window is now a favored spot for a hungry young crow alarm clock.  There were other birds to be seen in the yard as well, once I was dressed and out and about: a pair of hummingbirds darted away from the hardy fuschia when I opened the front door, and the drumming high on the electric pole was probably a downy woodpecker (identification assist by pal Karen, as well as time spent looking up bird sites online - downy woodpeckers are more common in neighborhoods, hairy woodpeckers more common in woodlands)

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~ rainbow snake bench ~

For the most part, Tri-Met has removed much of the former seating and shelter infrastructure from bus stops over the last howevermany years. I was delighted to find this privately created bench at one of the local stops. Neatly placed in a sometimes shady niche between two shrubs, and with enough visiblity to be able to see the bus coming, it brightened my day.

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The new roof was completed in one long day on Thursday, and the project manager came by on Friday to do a final walk through and collect the balance due on the job. He brought a hardcopy folder with all the relevant paperwork, and a folder with the various colors of shingles, as I had asked for an actual sample to help when choosing future paint colors (I'll put the chosen "Silverwood" sample in the housey files, but not save all the rest) I had him check in the attic as well, to make sure that there was no damage to the heat pump ducts, and that the solar vent fan was working. Indeed, apparently the attic temperature was noticeably lower than the previous week, so the new fan and vents are working as intended!

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Ann Wood, of  the"Tiny Rag Doll" pattern, and "Miss Thistle Society" has shared a charming new tutorial for a miniature wheelbarrow! I think my tinyfolk and their Mud Bay pals may both need this addition to their abode and environs. (Now to find a local source for ditalini pasta...)

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Yesterday was dedicated to an attempted adventure, which saw our plucky heroine visiting not one but two libraries. First was a trip to Midland, near the late lamented Fabric Depot. The surrounding area seems to be further deteriorated than when I was last there years ago, but Midland Library has been impressively and pleasingly remodeled. More artwork inside and out, a much more welcoming entrance with book display space being what you see first, the information kiosk off to one side rather that seeming like a barrier... I was there to meet up with local SCA scribal folks who were having a paint charters activity all day in one of the newly remodeled meeting rooms.
 
I was already rather hungry (having forgotten to eat breakfast) so I picked up a few charters to take home with me and headed out towards my next destination. Unfortunately, the Burgerville formerly across the street from the bus stop was gone. Two more legs of the transit journey and I was only a few blocks from the Albina Library, which was having a weekend long reopening celebration. Fortunately, there was a Vietnamese cafe on the corner, and a bahn mi sandwich made for an excellent brunch option. 

The newly remodeled library was quite crowded with folks and families, and there were all sorts of activities in the various meeting rooms, the central open air courtyard, and even a photo opportunity in the central hallway. It was rather a bit much for my reclusive self, but I did want to attend the program on 3D printing in one of the meeting rooms, so I did my best to endure. The space itself is full of light and art, and would surely be a treat to explore if when not quite as crowded. 

I was most impressed by how the designers integrated the gender-neutral barrier-free bathroom zone. A hallway open on each end with one side of the hallway having  individual room cubicles with solid floor to ceiling doors, the accessible one with the same kind of pushbutton opening as outside doors have. The hand washing station was on the opposite wall with one long sink with three sets of soap, water, and air dry automatic spigots. Maybe a funny thing to have noticed, but careful universal access is rare.

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Defrosting the chest freezer is a time consuming though not difficult job, ideally done once a year. That doesn't always happen. But, since my good neighbors lent me their large cooler to keep drinks cold for the roofing crew and said I could borrow it all weekend, it seems a propitious time to tackle the task. It took over an hour to transfer the contents into temporary storage, both of my (smaller) coolers,the larger borrowed one, and two styrofoam boxes. A fan running facing into the disconnected chest freezer will help loosen the ice layer around the upper half; it forms from the moisture that enters when the lid is lifted, the lower half of the freezer box remains clear. This is also the ideal time to pull the entire thing away from the wall, vacuum and mop the floor behind and around where it usually is located.

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Raven scroll	6 prs Beth pants	recycle bin
2	black floral scarf	prune² Wanda plum	greenwaste bin
3	4 jars strawberry- rhubarb preserves	mulch peartrees	greenwaste bin
4	sunblock mitts	Eames top	greenwaste bin
5	catch tarp for porch	filter box legs	recycle bin
6	x	new house roof	x
7	x	defrost chest freezer	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- library taxes making a difference
- large cooler borrowed from neighbors
- a pleasantly grey day
- rereading SuperSupportive is being just as good as the first time

Time of Isolation - Day 1826