The smoke alarm just outside the bedroom chose this morning to let me know it was hungry for a new battery. Since there were no 9 volt batteries on hand, it meant an after-breakfast shopping trip. Which was also a chance to acquire a threaded wooden handle for the nylon boat hook, acquired to raise and lower the future insulated curtains on the west facing window. Imagine if you will me riding my bicycle, one basket lined with grocery sacks to prevent the end of the 5 ft dowel from sliding backwards, and the front end poking out beyond the handlebars. Must have looked rather like jousting!
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~ follow the crows #30 ~
Early this morning it was cool enough that a bike ride to the St Johns Library was pleasant. Starting my "Follow the Crows" excursions with the one painted by Carson Ellis seemed very appropriate. Am currently re-reading Wildwood to renew my acquaintance with the story and locations, and also looking forward to rambling around to find as many of the 30 crows as possible in the next few months... (This blog post comments about a few of the crows the writer found)~ follow the crows #30 ~
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Today it feels like I have used up all my earring making creativity in the last five days. That isn't true, of course. But the small wooden wall cupboard that holds my earrings is already much more crowded now. Rather than force a design, I'll continue to trust in my good brain and gently wait a bit while tackling housey chores. (grey/taupe earrings, and a dark brown pair as well, would still be welcome)
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After a rack of dishes gets washed, a bit of a beadwork break is in order, to start on the tiny tricolor guinea pig for Ashe. It is a lot smaller than the fox or the dragon, so might be quicker to finish. It would have made sense to pick up some more of the thin brass wire while at the hardware store this morning, but I forgot... With luck there will also be time to make some of the purple sparkly beaded dragons this week to mail out as gifts to various friends.
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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 | - | - |
| 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 -
- search function on blog, that let me find a precious recipe somehow no longer in my hardcopy recipe box
- hardware store had an inexpensive threaded wooden pole handle
- My friend Leslie found a buyer for her house, so she can move forward with life changes.
Time of Isolation - Day 2219
I must have missed any discussions you've had on insulated curtains. I made insulated Roman shades for almost all my windows but the most remarkable defense against sun and heat this summer has been reflective mylar. I cut up reflective mylar emergency blankets to match the size of the glass in my east, south and west windows. I taped the pieces to the glass. It is almost miraculous the difference it makes in the comfort of my home. In the cool of the night I open windows, putting fans in some of them, so the house starts out cool in the morning. Another big difference: the size of the opening where the air exits the house should be bigger than where it enters. You Tube videos are educational about this.
ReplyDeleteNot sure I ever wrote about my intended plans for the west and east facing windows here, so it isn't surprising that you missed a nonexistant discussion! I have been using double layers of bubblepack in those windows for quite a few years, clear in the winter and mylar in the summer. My additional plan is to purchase and install aluminum awnings on those windows, like the original vintage ones on the south facing windows, but for now have been deploying pieces of bubble pack. I will definitely post about the windowshade project when it happens. I wish I could open the windows at night in the summer and use fans to bring in cooler nighttime air, but Acorn Cottage is a one story house and it isn't safe to leave windows open like that at night. Your strategies are very sound and I'm glad that they are making enough of a difference for you!! Thank you for the tip about sizes of openings, I knew that there was something important about that, but couldn't remember what...
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