Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine is delighted!...

Exciting news! The first package of this years advent swap goodies has arrived here at Acorn Cottage today ~ Huzzah for Courtney Jensen !! I was surprised and pleased to find a package waiting in the new "delivery Box Of Holding" on the front porch here

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~ autumnal ~

Sometimes I cannot resist getting myself a treat, rather like the lolly pop after doctor visits as a child. Since there were 2 difficult tasks in the last week, I now have two different botanical punches, a small one that makes a sort of fern, and an even smaller one that makes oak leaves. I've not yet found the right sort of paper for them, but the oak leaf punch works wonderfully on actual autumn leaves...

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I woke up with a headache. I hope I am not sick with the dreaded virus; took my temperature since usually headache means I have a fever, but nope. Just an all day headache. I don't feel sick, but I don't feel my usual self either. Early bedtime tonight and fingers crossed that helps. Several folks I know (though not local to me) got COVID in the last week or so.  

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Yesterday I rode my bike over to PCC and used the laser cutter on some 3mm birch plywood for the miniature MCM rocking chair sides and arm pieces. I've since been smoothing the perpendicular cut edges into a more rounded sculptural shape similar to the original. Really pleased at how much of a difference that makes. Next step will be to rummage in my fabric scraps for some suitable fabric to upholster the seat and back. Since BaharMiniature mentions in their comments that the rocker was based on the (vintage John Lewis) "Hendricks" chair, I was able to locate an image of the original for additional inspiration: 

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Wishbone chair	wheels for 2nd RÅSKOG	greenwaste bin
2	laser cut trinket shelves	tidy living room	recycle bin
3	vortex bottles	-	recycle bin
4	2 wee Dala horses	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- rounding the edges of the 3mm laser cut plywood definitely makes it look more like furniture...
- made good use of the unseasonably hot weather today by washing and line-drying all the pillowcases and the Moody Blues coverlet
- my friend Cricket has completed her cancer treatments

Time of Isolation - Day 2281

mindweek miniatures

in which our plucky heroine appreciates the small things in life...

My current "obsession" with tinyworld creations is in direct contrast to the larger bright world. It harms no one to take some time every day to do creative or whimsical activity, as long as daily care tasks also get done, and effort also towards leaving the world in as good or better shape as before. I do my best to fulfill all those directives.

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~ so very small ~

In the remaining time in the library makerspace workshop yesterday, after printing out the tiny planter design I created in TinkerCAD, I decided to try to extremely shrink a Dala horse design (from the free files) down to a bit less than 1cm. The limiting factor was the size of the extrusion nozzle in the equipment, which is why they appear slightly "grainy". It was a successful experiment none the less, as these little horses, barely bigger than my morning vitamin pills, will make great tinyworld decor for a dollhouse shelf or mantel.

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I an a materialist. my memories of the world are material concepts, not sounds or images, or people. I woke today just before 5 am from a dream of the 70's world. I am in a room with a hifi and I carefully clean the next record with the little brush made of plush and walnut. The sofas are low upholstered wood with integral storage backs for the records, there are hanging plants and low ceilings. It is an analog of the Radlos house in Boxborough. I am brushing my hair, but I am an analog me with thick dark straight hair. We are waiting for more friends to arrive. Then I wake up in my own bed, in this other 21st century dumpsterfire timeline. I wonder, as the sun rises in my east facing bedroom window in the bright world if my being a materialist is related to my aphantasia, and which came first...

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Today was my appointment to see the podiatry doctor about my cranky left foot. He asked a few questions, moved my foot in several directions, and had me push against his hand with my foot also in several directions. The diagnosis is peroneal tendonitis in my left foot. The treatment is to wear a brace to limit the movement in the left ankle for a month in the hope of seeing improvement.

It was quite difficult to handle the layers of lacing and velcro elastic that comprise the brace to my foot, due to the combination of very short dinosaur arms and not being particularly limber. I needed to  catch my breath and sit for a few minutes afterwards to let the pain in my hip and shoulders abate. As well, I was barely able to squeeze my now braced foot into my everyday shoe to go home afterwards. Still, if it helps my foot heal, without causing corollary damage elsewhere, it will be a worthwhile effort.

Once home my very first act was to remove my shoes and put on my felted wool slippers. Much relief. It turns out also possible to wear my plastic Birkenstock garden clogs, but I'm thinking about ordering another pair of wool Glerups clogs, since they now have a version with a rubber sole suitable for outdoor use.   

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Finding online TinkerCAD tutorials is very similar to finding online knitting tutorials - some are more easily understood than others for the same tasks. I've been rebuilding digital files for my very basic decorative MCM planter. Eventually there will be a nice assortment of  "vintage" furniture for Kenya Ogidni's tinyworld space. Also have been looking at tutorials for 1:12 scale house plants, which are very appropriate. While at the grocery store today I remembered seeing a while back that there was local brewery beer can decorated with a Carson Ellis blue on white harbor scene. How could I resist? Even though I loathe beer, it can be cut open to make a 5" wide x 4" tall mural for some tinyworld wall. Maybe a kitchen, or bathing room?

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Wishbone chair	wheels for 2nd RÅSKOG	greenwaste bin
2	laser cut trinket shelves	tidy living room	recycle bin
3	vortex bottles	-	recycle bin
4	2 wee Dala horses	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- a very pretty lampwork bead found in the bike lane
- my sad left foot probably has tendonitis, not something worse
- the 3M abrasive discs for my flex shaft, useful for more than metal.

Time of Isolation - Day 2279

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine notices visible progress...

Decided to go to the large farmers market today to use the remaining senior scrip before it expired, hoping for some of the farm exchange dark maple syrup. Flying Coyote brings it in from Vermont. Since it cost less than I remembered, was able to also get some beautiful Japanese eggplants*.  I also remembered to check the model train hobby store and was able to acquire a strip of 1/32" basswood to cut up to back the trinket shelves. All before noon. 

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~ faux Noguchi ~

Thursday afternoon decided that a visit to the PCP makerspace would improve my mood. Was able to cut out pieces for two different MCM miniatures: the frame for a rocking chair (very much like one Rois and Chance had) and the base and top for a faux Noguchi coffee table. All the wood parts for both pieces will need a fair amount of finish work, but with sanding and staining they should turn out quite lovely and a good accompaniment to the Wishbone chair. 

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In the desire to not be limited by models others have created, our plucky heroine has been trying to become familiar with TinkerCAD. May have successfully created two objects: a planter pot to be 3D printed and a pot riser to be laser cut. I won't know until I can get to a makerspace next week to find out if they will actually turn out as I hope, but after several hours of online efforts, they seem to look as I desired, and are hopefully the right size. Wish me luck...

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Thursday started out scrambled, as my appointment with Dr N was not at the new location and there was no way for me to get to the old office in the time remaining. Bah! Had to reschedule. Next time I will double check location when scheduling an appointment. Had to reschedule, fortunately the following week. Saturday my left foot was really bad again. I wish I could figure out why it is unhappy.

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Body doubling is probably my favorite effective task initiation strategy. It seems to work for me even over video chat. On Thursday spent several hours online with Ursel, doing my best to tidy up the  living room and kitchen. While the impetus for this effort was the imminent arrival of the tax accountant on Friday afternoon, the tidy space has vastly improved my sense of well being. Got enough done that day and the next morning to return the room to "company ready"

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny Wishbone chair	wheels for 2nd RÅSKOG	greenwaste bin
2	3 laser cut walnut trinket shelves	tidy living room	recycle bin
3	vortex bottles	-	recycle bin
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- was able to locate a new Luci solar bike light on eBay
- tiny trinket shelf layers are glued together, and I was able to kitbash pieces of the miscut to enlarge one (which will add variety)
- managed to time my excursions today to avoid being rained on

Time of Isolation - Day 2275

*

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

about 2# long skinny eggplant 

1 tablespoon salt 

1½ tablespoon tamari 

1 tablespoon vinegar 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 teaspoon cornstarch 

2 tablespoon oil 

+ hotness as desired

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine is sore and sleepy...

Am still feeling wiped out after my first round shingles vaccine yesterday morning, slept poorly and still achy today... did all my usual pre- and post-vaccine actions (plenty of water, gentle movement, range of motion on vaccinated arm) but instead of my usual barely noticing it, my arm became more and more painful as yesterday progressed. The actual injection was also much more painful than usual too. Still tis better than having shingles, and worth it for also lowering chances of dementia... 

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~ boots in boxes ~

The finished three pairs of felt dolly boots are now packed into boot boxes made from grocery sack paper and folded with my standard masu box origami. It is quite fortuitous that the size happens to be just right for this project. I'll be making additional pairs of boots for my four tinyfolk, have already made a brown pair and have cut out a blue pair...

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All the bits ordered online for refurbishing the shower here have already arrived from the Showerhead Shop in two days! Impressed with both the speed of shipping and with the apparent quality of the pieces. Each piece is packed in drawstring or bubblewrap bags, and comes with plumbers tape and instructions for installation. Once back to my usual functionality will attempt taking existant shower setup apart and installing the new improved fixtures.

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Have made much progress on the batik summer dress. All the pieces have been attached together, the neckline bound, and the sleeves hemmed. Only glitch was that when the hemline was leveled, the whole dress is dang short, being just at knee height rather than my preferred calf length. There is no more suitable batik fabric here, so had to go hunting online to find something to add length.

The batik shop rayon is all out of both the original color and motif, and the alternate one I added later (after it was obvious the garment had gone awry). This dress is very much an example of getting caught up in sunk cost, all because of being so terribly fond of the first choice batik rayon colorway and motifs.  

Ordered some different rayon batik at a different online shop that should work for a 3" hemline extension band.  It is lighter and a bit more green than the teal/turquoise/taupe of my original fabric, but I figured that using rayon (to maintain the drape) rather than quilting cotton (to maintain the colorway) was a better option going forward. 

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I've attempted to set up a Discord server, so I can use that for Advent Swap and other creative connecting with folks. I still haven't figured out how to set up the various internal divisions, and will have to ask for help on that, once I feel better. Today is rather a bit of a nothing happening other than time to rest and not do anything that requires mental or physical exertion. Easy stuff like washing dishes or folding laundry is okay though...

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 small jars plum sauce	plums in freezer	greenwaste bin
2	printed 3D plant stands	heavy extension cords properly coiled	recycle bin
3	printed tiny Dala horse	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- shower fixtures from Hammerhead appear excellent
- plums, plums, and more plums
- online shopping

Time of Isolation - Day 2247

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine is feeling tired...

Though insomnia has got its claws into me, am doing my best to notice the good, appreciate kindness, and manage what self care is possible these days. More sleep would help, though.

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~ kitchen motto #2 ~

Made this ages ago, when I was first learning enameling and taking classes from Oma Michele at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle and it has graced my kitchen spaces ever since. The sentiment "when in doubt, add onions" still rings true, all these years later.

For those who may be curious: kitchen motto number one is "never argue with a woman with a knife in her hand"...

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The earrings I made earlier, from acorn caps and miniature mushrooms, already needed repair. The tiny loops I glued into the acorn cap to attach to the earwires began slipping out of place. Superglue is both strong and brittle, so not the right adhesive for the task. Fortunately it happened while I was at home, so no pieces lost. Epoxy was used to reattach the loops, and once it hardened after several hours, a few minutes with a 3M bristle wheel on the flex shaft dulled the shine to match the rest of the acorn cap. I'll use a bit more of the epoxy to reinforce the other tiny loops that hold the mushrooms in place, for security sake, and all will be well. Glad to have figured this out prior to my Calder-esque earring project.

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Was thinking earlier about how so many of my age peers are getting various body parts replaced with better functioning aftermarket options. So far I have managed all original body parts (with some missing, and greater or lesser amounts of  wear and tear). I suspect that giving up my car, which forced me to walk and ride my bike more, have been of more help than annoyance as far as my mobility. I am remembering what Dr Rockstar (Dr Winter) my oncology surgeon said to me when I asked him how best to recover from my surgery and he told me: "use it or lose it, walk as much as you can manage to". I continue to take that approach as best I can, knowing that luck as well as determination have both helped

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Learn something new every day. Friday when I turned the corner there was a flicker right on the sidewalk about ten feet away from me. It seemed to be eating ants. Apparently they are mostly ground feeders and ants are a preferred food! The photos from my phone aren't that great, but the first one shows the flicker digging into the cracked sidewalk and the second one is most identifiable as a local flicker... 

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Well dang insomnia has come for an extended visit and my usual strategies are not helping. Been going to bed before 11 and  waking up anywhere between 1245 to 3am in the deepest of gloom. I plumb hate that. Even in the BeforeTimes 3am was always a Bad Thing full of bad thoughts, and now that waking life is not always an escape from that, it is an ongoing struggle.

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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	painted mailbox	greenwaste bin
4	glass button earrings	Strombecker lamp	recycle bin
5	poppy pod earrings	reglue earrings	-
6	red cube earrings	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- epoxy is more robust than superglue. Remember this and don't use superglue on earring components
- Not having a car for the better part of 20 years has forced me to remain more physically active. This is a good thing.
- I chose well when picking my neighborhood when I moved here. That remains the good thing about living here, that it is walkable with much of what I consider necessary. Groceries, a library, a post office, and bus lines. (The art supply store arrived later but is an unexpected benefit)

Time of Isolation - Day 2225

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine finds a new temporary obsession...

Yesterday was the second day of the 7in7 earring challenge, (which I just discovered late Wednesday night...) Lately I've been playing with found materials and recombinant parts of some of my older pieces anyway, so am using this challenge as a springboard to additional random creativity. When I saw these unusual acorn caps while out walking I had an idea for woodland themed earrings, added some cast and enamel mushroom charms Bill and I collaborated on decades ago and these will be just right for autumn.

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Today is day 3 of the 7in7 earring challenge... This single small silver-plate teaspoon has been languishing in my tableware drawer for over three decades, and now has a new destiny as a pair of earrings. The bas-relief of oranges has always charmed me.. The spoon was thicker than I realised, so a bit difficult to saw through, but once cut into pieces each earring blank weighed only about 3 grams, so not too heavy for comfort.Some small silvery baroque freshwater pearls turned out to be good accents to add additional movement and catch the light.

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~ found beauty ~

Blue lacecap hydrangea, seen halfway down the back parking lot stairs at Providence hospital. On my way back to the bus stop early yesterday morning, after my annual skin checkup, these blue flowers were very eyecatching. Awake at 5am in order to coordinate transit,  tired but spirit now good since my exam was all clear and the odd spot on my hand is a solar lentigo and not something dire...

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The diseased leaves on my pear trees are caused by "rust" fungus which is alternately hosted on junipers, of which there are many around the neighborhood including the far side of my own driveway (mostly in the corner neighbor's front yard). Dang! My bigger Bosc tree has some damage, the baby Seckel pear is badly hit, and the baby Shipova seems untouched. There don't seem to be any good non-chemical way to control it, and I doubt that neighbors would be keen on my removing a chunk of their landscaping...

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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	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- spot on hand is solar lentigo and not melanoma. Whew!
- neighbors moved their car, managed to harvest more elderberries
- chopped up cilantro stems and a bit of yellow onion diced make a decent substitute for green onions in Sister Gigi's Corn Pancakes.
- in the kale/bulgar/feta salad kasha makes a great substitute for bulgar in terms of texture (and of course adds tasty kasha flavor)

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Sister Gigi's Sweet Corn Cakes

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

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

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Time of Isolation - Day 2215

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine is absent-minded...

While the art store does not, the hardware store does have 28ga brass wire, and I'd only enough left on the current spool to make 8 more frogs. Forgot there was a whole box on the workshop shelf of  "thin wire", including several spools of 28ga brass. And now I've run out of suitable beads. Monday spent part of the day out looking for frog beads size 8/0. There were none, and if more frogs are desired, beads will need to be ordered from an online shop.

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~ "3rd times the charm" ~

Assorted printed rayon pieces, along with the wee floral embroidered piece will all be stitched together as a long narrow panel to embellish the center front of my new summer popover dress.

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Visited the newly reopened St Johns Library. The Carson Ellis mural in the children's room is spectacular! It covers all four walls from the top edge of the shelves to the ceiling, and I must return again just to take the photos I was too dazzled to get at the time.

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Homeostasis. Never not grateful for the ongoing efforts. The cut on my left hand from pruning last week is almost completely healed. While not deep, it did require several days of bandaging while the inflammation did its job, and continued to itch ferociously for several more days. Now there is barely even a scarred place for most of the line, and a small centimeter long section still busy transforming back into me again... and I just learned that the muscular part of the palm below the thumb is called the "thenar eminence". What a great term!!

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After failing to locate any suitable beads on Monday, whilst heading to catch the bus towards home, Village Merchants resale shop caught my attention and I'd not intended to, but came home with a set of very melodic (and not very spendy) wind chimes. I have always wanted some, and shall enjoy the random pleasant sounds very much.

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So far have been struggling to access Knitter's Magazine #45 Winter 1996 which contains the pattern with the acorn and oak leaf cable pattern. Not via the library, which has it in their collection but lost somewhere in "offsite storage", not via ILL; and not on Ravelry or for sale online somewhere. Have put in another ILL request for just the pattern and not the whole magazine, and also an email request to "cocoknits" which is affilliated with the designer, and answered my Ravelry query. We shall see... I did locate a similar oak leaf cable here though sans acorns, and a blog post and photo of a different oak leaf cable from a Japanese knitting pattern book. In other knitting news, my Lettlopi order arrived yesterday and soon it will be time to begin knitting the northern lights cardigan 

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June SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Babs brooch	thinned apples	greenwaste bin
2	5th god lino block	add under elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	white scarf hem	recycle bin
4	enamels for John	add more elastics	greenwaste bin
5	tie-dye pillowcases	Viking bag strap	greenwaste bin
6	bead frogs	x	recycle bin
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- public libraries 
- after many years, finally lovely windchimes
- homeostasis

Time of Isolation - Day 2179

Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine sees something pretty...

... it moved too fast for a photograph, but might have been a Western Tanager? There was a bird on the japanese maple, and it looked a bit like a goldfinch with a reddish head. Not as bright as some I've seen in years past, but late April early May is the right time of year

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~ a favorite motif ~

This is the cast iron door knocker here at Acorn Cottage. I found it years and years before ever moving here, and carried it around in my "hopeless chest" in addition to other less weighty bits of wishful thinking. Never expected it to have a door to grace, though it has now been here for over twenty years. Acorns and oak leaves, in various configurations, have been one of the oldest of my resonant decorative motifs, (along with the running horse reguardant), long before my SCA activities where they are now part of my personal heraldry.  

Being quite close to finishing the slow Sophie scarf, rather than my initial idea of finishing off the pointy tips with pom poms as a few folks have done, it occurred to me that small knitted acorns and oak leaves might be an even better embellishment. I've used those on prior knitted projects to decorate a hat, a tea cozy, and as brooches. I was hoping I'd copied out the "recipe" for them; there are two folks ahead of me in the library line for "100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet" which is the book that contains the directions.

While I only intermittently remember to add index data to my BuJo, after failing to find any helpful blog posts, and hoping not to have to wait weeks for the library book, it occurred to me to try and cross reference between when I made various projects, and the various years of journals on the shelf. Bingo! et voila!! surprisingly I had even made a specific notation in the rudimentary index. Directions for both acorns and oak leaves are both where I can access them.

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Ten years ago I was deeply into carving blocks to print on fabric, and making clothing for my Blue Cedar House SCA pals; I miss those good times we had... still, might be a fun single crafternoon one of these days to print some trim for decorating next winters long janes.

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Have been trying out two of the glucose hacks today. A spoonful of vinegar in a glass of water before meals isn't a treat, but isn't horrible either. Figuring out how to start each meal with something vegetable-ish is challenging, but possible, particularly breakfast. My usual morning museli is a bit odd following some steamed veggies! Although the protein/fiber/carb balance for my museli is pretty sane. (adding whey protein and flaxseed meal to 2T soaked rolled oats)   

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My left foot is intermittently painful again. Not all the time.  Dr Google suggests it might have a broken small bone, and is not the most accurate of diagnosicians. But wouldn't that hurt all the time, and wouldn't that have some sort of injury as a cause? So hard to figure out what response is appropriate. If every intermittent ache or pain sent me to medical care, I'd be living in their waiting room. OTOH, I don't want to foolishly ignore something either.  

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	accordion pouch	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	bone acorn earrings	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	stripey pinafore	shirt sleeve length	recycle bin
5	-	tax papers	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- a dark almost black blood orange that was really fragrant
- helpful Past Me wrote down the directions for tiny knitted acorns and oak leaves in an earlier BuJo and indexed the pages
- phoned Poni about getting a lift to the show at the Linfield

Time of Isolation - Day 2117

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine enjoys flowers...

The gradual shift in what is flowering made my first glance out the front door yesterday a real treat. Almost gone but not quite little grape hyacinths in dark purple, along with the ongoing paler purple faux bluebells, and the barely starting dwarf lilac. The further distant dwarf apple blossoms peeking through, and the front garden beds are full of dozens of pink violets. 

There seem to be a few more birds this year, at least there are some I don't recognise, aside from the local corvids and juncos. The grassy spaces in the front and back yard are horribly shaggy, but each time I get ready to try and attack it starts to rain.

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~ apple blossoms ~

There is a random dwarf apple tree next to the driveway, and I have no idea what sort of apple it is, though it has been there for well over ten years. It was likely a giveaway, maybe leftover from some tree planting scenario. It is still not as tall as I am, and last year, for the first time, had one flower cluster but set no apples. This year there are four clusters of apple blossoms, and I will be curious to see if there is any fruit to follow. (there are plenty of bees this year)

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Taking a break from my garment sewing shenanigans, and started transferring the rest of my shirt/blouse/pinafore pattern pieces to Costco cardboard before temporarily storing them away. Time to give my brain some time to mull over what I want to do next. Also, whilst perusing the fabric storage shelves, found some Spoonflower prints that Ariadne sent me when Kestrel was a baby, but never had their chance to become kiddo clothing. Will be taking photos of the various fabric designs so we can ask directly what would be the happiest options for future garments, as K has Definite Opinions. It will be fun to sew for them.

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Good news is that the glucose test strips conundrum has been solved as of yesterday, as part of my quarterly medical visit (My PCP is still on indefinite medical leave alas, I hope she is doing okay) Bree, the PA, very kindly lent me a book about glucose and ten suggestions for ways to hack your metabolism, backed by legitimate scientific research, and not involving exotic and expensive chemical or supplemental interventions. Still reading through it, and there seem to be some changes that would be simple to implement

Alas and OUCH! While I felt just fine yesterday, today my left foot has developed a peculiar and intensely painful ache in the area of the long small bones. I have not fallen, or twisted my ankle or foot or done anything out of the ordinary, but the pain is "loud" enough to be distracting. There is no visible change from the usual appearance or difference from the other foot. Just making a note of it here as a way of tracking the issue, in case that turns out to be useful. Bodies are weird, and do things for reasons I don't always understand.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	glass button shirt	apple tree pruned	recycle bin
2	accordion pouch	tiny beaded star	greenwaste bin
3	bone acorn earrings	electric bill found	recycle bin
4	stripey pinafore	shirt sleeve length	-
5	-	tax papers	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- tax paperwork has all had fair copies made and is tidied away
- all the spring flowers in the front yard
- what appear to be 1 or 2 potential baby pears on the Bosc

Time of Isolation - Day 2112

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

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

go get your eyes examined

in which our plucky heroine is up and about before dawn...

As indeed, my visual fields test was the first task on the list this week. So, up before 6, got to eye office at 8 when they opened, along with rather a lot of other folks so there was a long line to check in. Unfortunately my mask doesn't cooperate with the machinery, so had to change to a KN95, which only added to my stress. Thankfully as far as test results can discern, my eyes are okay... I always worry, because family history, and more so after my dreadful corneal tear last year, but as long as I keep using eye drops, the doctor said there appears to be no significant changes.

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~ day 5 ~

My electric teakettle is terribly useful, and is filled multiple times a day. Not just for the obvious, but also when washing dishes, or cooking. For years I had either a saucepan, or the sort of teakettle one filled and put on the stovetop, but after the time I absentmindedly walked away from the kitchen and came back far too late to find the heat coil red hot and the enamel base of the kettle melted into the burner (which necessitated discarding both and replacing the burner) my pal Elfrida gave me this electric teakettle that cleverly turns itself off when the water has boiled.

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Valerie of the custom pillow shams came by today having found the specific edging trim for the next set of shams. I still need to get suitable 24" zippers, which will first of all entail phone calls to see if anyplace local has something suitable. Bolt is closed for the next few days, but maybe Modern Domestic? Otherwise will have to venture further afield. 

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Put in time cutting out more pieces for the plaid flannel shirt. The peplum sections, and I decided that mirroring the two ends of the collar would make enough of a difference that it was worth the trouble. There is a whole lotta math in sewing, as I calculated the various rectangles needed for collar and cuffs and front button bands. My next step on this project is to read the instructions for the tower placket, as adding that before sewing the sleeves to the body will be easier.

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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	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- holiday lights in the darkness
- the busdriver recognised me, and noticed I was "going the other way" from where he usually sees me on the bus. I guess my attire is pretty distinctive
- my eyes got a basically clean bill of health, in that they are not any worse than they were a year ago, and the optical technicians and doctor were willing to mask at my request.
- Gersvinda came by this evening with a grocery sack full of winter veg from Acantha; onions and potatoes and squash oh my!
- A belated birthday gift package of treats from Iceland, several skeins of blue Lettlopi, a delicate pierced metal tree of life ornament, and a bar of soap encased in felt with a pony design. 

Time of Isolation - Day 2017

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

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