Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine reads and naps, and does chores, and cogitates...

Today I washed the grids and cleaned the blades of the box fans, and remembered that after three weeks of taking my allergy meds, the pollen should no longer be incapacitating. I've not needed it in the summer before, but usually have managed to keep the backyard less of a jungle. So, start the meds now, and make a note in the bujo for next year about being better about yardwork once the grass starts.

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Read two different post-change books this week. Ariadne had recommended Station Eleven, and though I can only sometimes bear to read post-viral post-apocalyptic tales, this one was richly told and well worth reading.  Libby links from that novel led to Arboreality, set in a future Vancouver Island. I'll be recommending that one back to her the next time we chat.

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Doing a rolled hem on the black cotton voile headscarf is even more tedious than on the white one, since it is more difficult to see clearly, might be worth adding an extra lamp while working on this one. Am about a quarter of the way done, probably by the end of next week it will be ready for blockprinted decoration. If it didn't make such a significant difference in appearance (to me) I would machine hem them.  Current plan is for opaque white printing of 5th god motifs on the black scarf, and the white scarf will be overdyed first with either pale brown or pale blue, and I'll revisit the breeze block print design in chocolate brown printing.

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Whoops I forgot that B&K were getting ready to leave for Junefaire and therefore no video chat this morning. Zoomed home from the launderette (shrink-drying the new rayon batik fabric) only to look at the crossed out note on my calendar. Sigh... Multiple nightmares last night so didn't manage to get up early enough for yardwork, shall have to check on temperatures in the crepuscular evening and maybe get some done then? (early evening note: 90°F/32°C at 6pm on the front porch, so no yardwork tonight, it won't be cool enough until it is too dark for yardwork)

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Unearthed the missing utility bill hiding under origami paper?! Since today the post office is closed for Juneteenth, tomorrow's chores will include taking all the bills to the post office and then the library as a treat.

Several of my holds are in, including the Alice Starmore book of Aran knitting. It seems contrary to think about knitting this time of year heading into even hotter weather, but planning a future textured cardigan for later in the year is on my mind. Between Knitting In The Old Way, several Elizabeth Zimmerman books, Norah Gaughn's book of textured patterns, and what I hope to harvest from Alice Starmore, it might be possible to assemble my favorite parts of Aran style knitting into a future cardigan. I mostly knit colorwork, but greatly admire the textured knits my dear friend Ariadne makes for her family. I've been perusing Ravelry and tagging my favorites in that genre to gather ideas about what best pleases me...

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

today's gratitudes -
- ebooks 
- the scent of linden, and of summer jasmine
- remembering that I still have friends

Time of Isolation - Day 2170

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine has been keeping busy...

Probably the best thing this past week was Sunday when I gave an online presentation about "Objects of Affection - a 100 day drawing project". As it is a topic I'm quite familiar with, I sat down at the worktable Sunday morning to turn my outline (and summary of the talk I gave three years ago "what is a 100 day project and why you might want to do one") into six pages of coherent notes, then gave talk at noon. It was well received and generated plenty of discussion, which are my goals...

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~ Eryngium giganteum? ~

despite my attempts to identify what variety of plant this flower belongs to, it is still a mystery, though the internets did let me know it is some flavor of Eryngium aka "sea holly" My best guess is Eryngium giganteum based on the light coloring. It is in fact very spikey, though unrelated to holly the tree.

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This morning managed over two hours of yardwork effort in the backyard, including pruning hacking back feral grape overgrowth, (which made obvious how prolific the grape bunches are this year) and more string trimmer effort around the apple tree. Also managed to pull up enough of the huge really tall weeds to fill the remaining space in the wheelie bin. The grass pollen was so bad that despite my "yard armor" (knee high boots, leggings, long sleeves, denim pinafore, gloves, hat, and P100 mask) and immediate shower and hair wash when returning indoors, compulsive sneezing was the result.

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a new Becky Chambers book will be released this coming October

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All the experimental unders have now have supplemental elastic added to their waistbands, and are much more secure than they were with only cotton lycra. (probably jersey with a stronger lycra content would have worked) Have added a note to the pattern about the best length to use for that particular type of elastic, and it might be worth checking out what other elastics WAWAK has on offer...   

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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	replace elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	replace more elastics	-
4	enamels for John	-	-
5	tie-dye pillowcases	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- cold air from heat pump
- brine fermented pink daikon pickle: tasty and really pretty!
- Podiatry as a new closer location, so will be only one bus line away instead of two starting in September

Time of Isolation - Day 2169

egg-centricity

in which our plucky heroine considers the importance of proportion...

I wanted to try making some of the cottage cheese/almond meal/egg "protein bread/rolls" that seem to be currently popular on social media, but made the mistake of using the first recipe that showed up. The photos looked very appetizing, but I suspect that there was either a significant typo, or the whole thing was AI. Instead of a dough that could be formed into a disc, the mixture was more like cake batter, and baked up more like a large piece of flatbread than "biscuits". Still tasty, and suitable for pseudo-sandwiches, but it would have worked better with only one egg instead of two. Further research showed a wide variety/proportion of egg to dry ingredients, but none that were as egg-centric as the initial online recipe.

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~ hot pink ~

Summer is here. This morning before it got too hot, bicycle errands were on the agenda. First up was a trip to the library, to drop off former books and pick up the new T Kingfisher novel "Snake-Eater" which had been on my holds list for weeks. Checked the drug store and the mundane grocery looking for binder clips (no joy), but my heart lifted at the vivid color of this potted plant. Geranium??

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What a delight to read about humans putting effort into doing good for the planet.... McKenzie River Watershed restoration

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Almost finished with the hand-rolled hem* on the unbleached cotton voile headscarf. It will get overdyed to a light/medium brown as that color is sorely lacking in my headwear collection. The other color option is a very light blue overdye, and then block print the design motifs in a dark/medium brown... Either way, the next home handwork project will be a hand-rolled hem on the black voile, which will get block printed with the 5th god motifs in opaque white.  

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Found the folded up shade cloth in the SCA closet, and refolded it to a suitable size and hung it over the west facing window. Four layers. It makes a difference, and will do moreso this weekend. Maybe even adding a few more reflectix pieces to fit into the corner panes of the living room window wall, where sunlight beams in (even through the double layered curtains) in the middle of the day.

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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	replace elastic	recycle bin
3	5th god corner block	-	-
4	enamels for John	-	-
5	tie-dye pillowcases	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- reflectix mylar bubblepack
- blogland is still full of interesting things
- solar attic vent fan

Time of Isolation - Day 2164

* sigh and alas, it turns out I cannot work on the rolled hem while riding transit, since a vital part of the process is licking my finger before rolling the fabric. Can't do that without removing my P100, which would be foolish while out in close quarters public world. However, embroidery has no such necessity, so my next transit project will be the tiny floral embroidery panel for my batik dress.

old-school makerie

in which our plucky heroine plans another early bedtime...

The upcoming week will be busy. Among several many assorted other things that need to happen in the coming week, I plan on finishing the layout for my 2026 calendar and getting over to the copy store to get them all printed so I can mail out the ones to faraway, and have ready the ones I will be handing out in person. Today I finished inking the last of the 12 drawings, and also found the non-repro blue "layout" graph paper, so should be able to move steadily forward on this. All the month names, dates and days will be handwritten, as a statement: actual artwork by an actual human, using their actual hands (analog paste-up and design).

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~ day 4 ~

a pair of leaf shaped handmade kitchen knives, made by our plucky heroine herself more than 40 years ago, when she was a student at Evergreen... just like when I was the only senior girl in a high school wood shop class of freshman boys, once again the only woman in a class full of men. In the Evergreen tradition, we went around the circle introducing ourselves and sharing what we hoped to do/learn in the class. Among the various deep voices hoping to make "a hunting knife", or "a skinning knife" there was mine, higher pitched, hoping to make "a knife to cut vegetables..." All these years later, both knives still grace my kitchen.

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currently reading - "Turning Point 1997 - 2008", a book of (translated) interviews with Hayao Miyazaki. It is very interesting to read more about what this master animator/storyteller has had to say about his life and the thoughts behind and about his works.

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Ongoing housey lost and founds. I'd misplaced Nandina's little felt boots, which turned up today wedged under the edge of the laptop shelf!? Still hoping to find Opal's little Birkenstock sandals somewhere, since they are not in the tinyfolk houses, or in the picnic tote that holds their wardrobes. 

Then during Crafternoon went looking for my Foxpaws scarf and couldn't find it in any of the places I normally keep knitwear. I hope it turns up, it took months to knit. As to why was I looking for it in the first place, to show my Crafternoon pals, since I had self-indulgently bought a knitting pattern yesterday by the same designer (Xandy Peters) who used the same sort of motifs as edge borders on the shawl. 

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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 -
- I found Nandina's missing boots.
- forecast for tomorrow is cold and damp but not active rain
- handmade tools that last a lifetime

Time of Isolation - Day 2016

a few tiny Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine is grateful for homegrown bounty...

The persimmons, picked before tree ripe (because squirrels) have been finally getting to the right stage to be peeled and cut into slices for the food dehydrator. Which is now humming away sitting on top of the washer. I shoved the bag of cement currently in residence there as far over to one side as safely possible to make space to run the dehydrator. There are enough additional persimmons on the folding table in the kitchen to do at least one or two additional batches once the current batch is dried. I also put aside 2 cups of pulp to make spiced persimmon pecan tea bread. 

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I started the "resipei" embroidery (in red on linen) project, and had to hold myself back from just doing that all the rest of the day. The difference once the stitchery follows the marked out lines is so satisfying. I'm using a single strand of the DMC floss, doubled; the stitched lines nice and thin, and chain stitch will smoothly follow the sharp curves of letters and words. This will see me through the December and into the new year at the very least.

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Currently re-reading Digger (the Omnibus Edition) by Ursula Vernon, and Basin and Range by John McPhee. Reading about geology is about as peaceful as reading cookbooks, when it comes to bedtime books. The omnibus Digger is much too LARGE a book to read in bed, but makes a nice mealtime companion. Very grateful to Mischa for sending it to me, back in the Before Times.

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

today's gratitudes -
- "Digger" by Ursula Vernon
- homegrown persimmons = homegrown sweetness
- Helga remembered I wanted eye dropsfrom Costco, they were on sale, but not in stock when we shopped a few weeks ago, so she picked some up for me today while she was there. 
- Gersvinda is going to give Ursel and I a lift from Metro Paint tomorrow. 

Time of Isolation - Day 1998

tiger carousel

in which our plucky heroine holds onto her composure...

The weather is heating up as we head towards several days of Extreme Heat Advisory, so I made sure to get outside early to water the things-in-pots and the young trees. Will do so again tomorrow, but now I'm hiding inside the house with the AC on.

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~ 13+ tiger-go-round ~

The printed tiger patches have cured long enough for stitching together and attaching to the hemline of the indigo tiger popover dress. Thirteen are not quite enough to span the hemline, so the fourteenth will either be a partial tiger, or just some blank black fabric to make up the difference. Still not sure what fabric will be best for the very bottom edge binding, but it has been run through the serger to keep it from fraying until that is sorted out...

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Two excellent books from local little free libraries: A Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell, and Calico The Wonder Horse, a childrens story by Virginia Lee Burton. The former I somehow missed reading in my younger days, though I was much enamored of the animal tales of Gerald Durrell. Gavin Maxwell's writing is really evocative, painting word pictures of a vanished world. The latter has wonderful graphic illustrations that call to mind the block printed style of the Folly Cove Designers, active from 1938 -1969, a group that was led by Virginia. 

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Though the bug bites on my legs look much like flea bites, I have no idea how a flea could have gotten into the house. There have been two flea traps* set on different nights in different places, with zero results. And so currently there are orange peels scattered about in likely spots, a great deal of vacuuming, and next may be some dusting of diatomaceous earth into the carpet. 

* a flea trap is made by setting a shallow pan of water with some dishes soap mixed in atop either a plant start mat or a cat warming mat overnight, the varmints are attracted to the heat, jump into the water and drown. 

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The storage trays are finished, and three of the four lids have been cut out and taped together. Next I'll use the gummed paper tape to finish the edges and reinforce the corners. It is going to be so great to have more of the empty jars neatly stored away instead of on the kitchen countertop. I just found a half dozen more half-pints on the worktable under a stack of fabric, which is so not where they belong!

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 jar storage trays	tiger block	greenwaste bin
2	-	bright rayon top width	recycle bin
3	-	-	recycle bin
4	-	-	window AC
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the little Brother 1034D serger, a birthday gift in 2008, that has been every bit as much of a sturdy workhorse as it was reported to be, and still doing yeoman service here at Acorn Cottage. 
- I printed enough tiger trapezoids to make it most of the way around the hemline of the indigotiger popover dress
- two letters: AC (air conditioning)

Time of Isolation - Day 1846

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine has an overall better day...

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~ well begun ~

Given that the size of this block, at 6" x 8", is almost exponentially larger than my miniature book blocks, it is taking longer to carve. Particularly since my wrist is still sore from the weeks of wrangling my bicycle U-lock attempting to get it to unlock. Still, I think that the print will be fun, both to decorate the extended hemline on my indigo tiger popover dress, and it is just the right size to be a "patch" on a future pinafore pocket

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This morning, unlike last week, there was no problem connecting to the Kryptonite customer service, other than an ordinary amount of wait time. Even better, if all goes well they are shipping me a new U-lock! Not sure how long that will take, but it will be wonderful to be able to lock up my bike without worries and without needing to spend the rest of the day rubbing Voltaren anti-inflammation cream on my wrist.

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Am currently listening to the audiobook "The Book of Hope - A Survival Guide for Trying Times" by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams. I very much enjoy hearing books read by their authors, as this one is...Much food for thought, and have only listened to about 20% into the content so far.

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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 -
- knowing that the rainbow snake bench was there made heading out to catch the bus much nicer. Being able to sit down in a shady spot is really nice compared to standing on the concrete sidewalk in the sun.
- being able to nap when tired
- Kryptonite is going to send me a new U-lock
- the 1:12 miniature display shelf (1¼" square) that Sam printed out for me arrived in the mailbox here today. I am eager to find Very Tiny things to decorate it with...

Time of Isolation - Day 1827

Trapezoidal tiger

in which our plucky heroine prepares...

Tomorrow is the start of the roof replacement. Today an assortment of roof things were delivered to the side of the driveway, and a porta-potty on a tiny trailer is now in residence next to the driveway ramp. I still need to rearrange the front porch, so as to have suitable space for cold drinks and salty snacks. After chatting with Mikki this afternoon, I decided that adding some homemade cookies into the offerings would be a good idea, so am making quince crisp bars, being right out of any other suitable frozen fruit.

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~ just a sketch ~

My indigo tiger popover dress is too short. There are several possible fabric options for adding a bit of length. The turquoise rayon that could work is really too bright, compared to the printed fabric. In the end, it will probably be the black silk noil skirt taken from the lace top dress; cut into many trapezoids in an attempt to fill in the hemline. Inspired by some gift wrap I saw, and by the dress fabric motifs, this recent sketch will be transfered to either lino or soft-cut rubber, carved, then block printed in teal on the black, to best echo the smaller more varied indigo tigers on the dress...

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"The River Has Roots" by Amal El-Mohtar... not sure where the recommendation came from, but the story evokes a classic ballad while remaining original, and the writing is beautifully complimented by truly lovely illustrations. It was a pleasant surprise that the audiobook also goes beyond the ordinary, with sound effects and singing interspersed with the reading in a way that feels right rather than excessive. I enjoyed them both.

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So tired right now, even though it is only a bit after 6pm, and much too hot  try and re-energise with a walk or a bike ride. Had a very hard time falling asleep last night, and then woke a bit before sunrise. The good part of such early rising was getting the fans going, and being able to do a small amount of yard chores before it was time to hop on my bike to the medical center for my annual physical. Dr E suggested a bone density baseline test, given my age. I was appalled to find out that I was shorter than I had been last year, which is common, but distressing. Still, older is better than the alternative, at least for now!

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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	-
5	catch tarp for porch	filter box legs	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- it is 77°F in the living room, it is 100°F on the porch outside
- the audiobook of The River Has Roots has some delightful audio embellishment, sound effects and songs, in addition to the reading   
- I found the other folding table, hidden in plain sight in the workroom, the one that is about 2 ft by 4 ft. This will be very helpful tomorrow.

Time of Isolation - Day 1822

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine continues crepuscularity...

It is another hot day - about 96°F on the front porch again this afternoon. Some really early morning Wellington walkies, and a bike ride afterwards for more dinner salad ingredients, but by 8am even though it was only a bit more than 70°F according to the outdoor thermometer it felt hotter. 

The only pleasant thing about my morning ride was the scent of linden and jasmine, which bloom around this time of year, and are floral scents that smell absolutely delicious. La Fermiere even makes a jasmine yogurt, though it is hard to find locally. I suspect that in France, jasmine ice cream might be a thing, and I have heard of, but never tried, linden flower tea...

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~ rabbit rabbit rabbit ~

May leaping luck follow you all throughout the month of July!

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Tonight, after sundown but before full dark, on my bike near the Max line, and the subtle colors lit with neon signs and strands of LED, combined with the passing train cars all illuminated made the neighborhood look like an anime film, almost Miyazaki-esque. Tiny bits of whimsical beauty.

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This scroll for my friend Raven has been a project of incremental almost infinitesimal progress, but is now as complete as I can make it. We first started talking about design ideas all the way back in 2021, and I first began the process of learning a new calligraphic hand and laying out the lettering in January of 2023. Between then and now there has been effort in fits and starts, and the further along in the process, the slower it seemed to go, as I got tangled up in worrying that I'd make some grievous error and need to start again, or other imposter syndrome stories... 

Finally there was an internal shift, reminding self that Done is Better Than Perfect, and that Comparison is the Thief of Joy. I do love doing scribal artwork, and nowadays more than ever need that meditative space where hand and eye and self intersect. There are, if my count is right, another four scrolls I've promised to folks, (plus a replacement scroll for Countess E, of the one that I made years ago, that was lost in the post) I intend to put in some amount of time each week on these, and will hold fast to savoring the incremental completion.

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I've been currently reading the web serial: Super Supportive. It is a very long book, so far up to chapter 226, and I have been reading like a madwoman the last few days. It is unexpectedly enjoyable, as it is and isn't my type of story preference. The writer does a really good job of world building, and there are enough descriptive bits of daily life to keep me happy. I don't usually enjoy "teens at school stories, but Alden's challenges, both inward and interpersonal, are fascinating rather than tedious. I can imagine the tale as a graphic novel, done in the style of Moebius

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Raven scroll	-	-
2	-	-	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the scent of linden flowers
- a Scythian scroll completed, finally!!
- LED light strands make the neighborhoods look festive

Time of Isolation - Day 1807

a cut above...

in which our plucky heroine says goodbye...

...to the arborvitae that former owners planted much too close to the house. Should have removed them years ago, but hindsight is 20/20. Had Honl Tree Care come out and do the deed, they are excellent and careful workers.

The yard feels a bit peculiar right now, but not having trees literally mashed into the house will make tasks like getting the house painted much easier. And, the south half of the yard is sunnier, which bodes well for future food garden beds, at least in the short term. The half load of wood chips will be helpful in the back yard as well, for mulch and to partially smooth out the lumpy areas.

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~ several hours this afternoon ~

truck and chipper taking the alleyway to backyard


they opened the alley gate for better access


assorted tools used: hand pruning saws, chain saws, pole
chain saw, as well as climbing spikes and ropes for safety


The smaller clump was the first to go


The larger clump needed a different approach


bit by careful bit, it all came down... away
from the yard fencing or the phone lines


both arborvitae clumps cut back to 6'


many chips dropped in backyard, this will
save me innumerable trips back and forth
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Just read the novella "The River Has Roots" by Amal El-Mohtar - it is an exquisitely written gem of a tale (with gorgeous illustrations by Kathleen Neeley) in the fairytale/mythology genre. I might need to own this book.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blue skirt Opal	shipova planted	yard waste bin
2	2 pr undies toiles	smoothed half of side gate base	recycle bin
3	-	got TDaP vaccine	yard waste bin
4	-	persimmon mulched	recycle bin
5	-	pruned figs	2 arborvitae
6	x	2024 taxes	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Honl was willing to move the chipper into the alley, which meant they could dump the load of chips into the backyard, saving my having to make innumerable trips back and forth from the driveway with 5 gallon buckets!
- a surprise drive by hello from Gersvinda and Ursel
- 5 flavor eggplant, so yummy
- all the large trunks of the arborvitae clusters are cut off at about 6 ft, which means I can use them as Useful Posts for things like attaching clothesline. The trunks that were really close to the house were removed, which will make eventual house painting easier

Time of Isolation - Day 1732

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine is full of designs...

and today I trust that my cold is really fully on the mend, as my energy is beginning to return. Since it was the last day for a while without rain, I chose to head over to Ikea for a most self-indulgent treat, a whimsical glowing Dala horse lamp. Which turned out to be a fairly frugal indulgence, since it was marked down to $7.99! It will make a good nightlight for the hallway here at Acorn Cottage

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~ believe ~

The random carousel that is my designerly brain tossed this image to me earlier this week as I was drifting off to sleep. I had to immediately leap out of bed and do a quick sketch, lest the concept be lost before the next day. This idea will become number 4 in my "Making Art For A Change" series...

I did three postcard size block prints back in 2020 and 2021 as the start of the series. My idea was to have folks contribute to a particular cause, and in exchange, I would mail them an art postcard. A sort of triangular good works... they get a bit of original sart and can deduct the donation, a good organisation gets some extra money, and I get to help facilitate more donation than I could on my own, by sharing my creativity

Back then I had folks donate to "Don't Shoot Portland" which was a black led group working for social justice, while PDX was in the middle of being occupied by police and paramilitary disruption because of the protests happening

Nowadays, there are so very many directions that are being damaged both on purpose and from inherent change to the planet I am a bit at a loss to suggest just one group... I have some time to think about it though

.
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I was surprised to find out that John D. MacDonald, known for the Travis McGee series, as well as other writings, wrote a book "The House Guests" about the two cats he lived with! I had no idea, and when it turned up in my Libby app in the "if you liked James Herriot we recommend these other books..." I was curious. Turns out that I have no cognitive issues with reading at all, I just get bored and DNF if the writing is poor. MacDonald is an excellent wordsmith and storyteller (I already knew this), and though I would not normally have put "cat biographies" as one of my preferred reading genres, it was a most enjoyable book.

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I'm wanting to rearrange various storage aspects here, but being stymied by lack of infrastructure, which has been a sore point for nigh on the last twenty years, ever since I moved here. Part of the solution is to discard or give away what is not being used, but for things that are in regular use, needs must to somehow rearrange current spaces and create some small cabinets or shelves to better use the easy-to-reach spaces towards the back of the countertops. Were I taller, the upper cabinets would be more accessible. As is, I can barely reach the back of the very lowest shelf, or the front of the next, so am forever folding and unfolding the stepladder.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	recycle bin
3	heartfelt ornament	turtleneck collar	-
4	-	laptop drivers	-
5	-	rainbow fibulae	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Whilst zooming with Ursel, we somehow stumbled upon the whimsical Dala horse translucent light from Ikea
2. the self checkout attendant at Ikea was not helpful at all, but the customer service clerk was a gem... able to track down my venerable "Ikea Family" card, (issued before I had a mobile phone) and thereby saved me more than half the cost of my purchase (two Dala horses - one for me and one for a friend)
3. creative designing brain is conjuring up various possibilities for artwork as well as for small home improvements.
4. - Stef's surgery went well today, huzzah!!

Time of Isolation - Day 1680

Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine indulges in heartfelt creativity ...

Now that Wellington has gone home, I find myself looking towards the chair that he usually inhabits with a sense of loss. Companionship, however briefly found, is a sad thing to lose.

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~ tiny valentines ~

This afternoon I made three 1" sq handpainted valentines, and matching envelopes made from laminated origami paper. For the tiny folk that live with Kestrel in Olympia, from the tiny folks that live here, these will be sent out in Monday's post.

The owl says "OWL always want you for my valentine!"... The bee says "please BEE my valentine?"... The fish says "you are my o-FISH-ial valentine pal!"

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A week and a half ago, after finding this tutorial to make spun cotton hearts, I glued up their armatures from Q-tips. Tonight I mixed white glue with water and began to adhere the first layer of cotton. It really is pleasing how quickly even a thin layer of fiber turns them into heart shapes. Rather than bake them in the oven, I will just let them dry naturally overnight and see how they look.

These will, once all the layers and decoration are completed, become a set of ornaments for the Advent Swap at the end of the year. So far I have six rainbow fibulae for January, and these hearts will be for February. If steady progress happens, I will be prepared by October with enough for two complete sets of tiny gifts.

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This afternoon I started a new audiobook "Remarkably Bright Creatures"... Only on the second chapter so far; hopefully it will continue enjoyable and I will be able to add it to my list of books for this year.

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	"wing it" vest	more broach handles	recycle bin
2	tiny valentines	black keyboard covers	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Clover wonder clips for sewing (instead of pins)
2. free tutorials on YouTube for all sorts of makerie
3. I enjoy doing "spun cotton" as a sort of easy inexpensive sculptural activity, and making things for the future Advent Swap is a way to tell myself I believe there will be at least that much future!

Time of Isolation - Day 1668

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine makes slow if steady progress...

This morning I noticed the snowdrops blooming. If it hadn't been so damp, and very cold, I might have tried to kneel down and take their picture, but they are nonetheless a cheering sign that spring will eventually show up. The pink hellebore shows signs of eventual buds, but nothing much yet.

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~ part of the cloverleaf ~
.

Yesterday I did a dry run to the county offices... the directions have you get off at a really odd bus stop literally in the middle of a cloverleaf on ramp, but there is a narrow walkway that continues to the actual sidewalk. Glad I checked it out ahead of time!

Consequently the trip to the passport acceptance office today had no surprises. I arrived about half an hour early, but since things were going smoothly, my number was called immediately. All my paperwork was in order, and the clerk even complimented me on my "tidy handwriting". If all goes well, I should get my old passport back fairly soon, and the new one following on a few weeks after that.

The photos show where the bus first leaves one off, and then once the peculiar interesection has been traversed, looking west across the street at a different part of the complicated roadway interchange heading onto the Hawthorne Bridge. Not sure what the story is about the large openwork sculpture...

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Since I was out and about on transit anyway, I spent another few hours going all the way to Mill Ends, as they had some specialty waterproof fabric that I needed a half yard of for a particular experimental project. I resisted the temptation to wander about the store lest I be tempted to add more "someday" fabric to my already abundant resource shelves.

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Not only did I make a fresh blue tape "pattern" for the full length narrow leg long janes, but I also found the previous iteration of the very same thing! I suppose now I needs must try each of them, to find out what works best. Fortunately I still have some cotton jersey sheets to make samples from.

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I've read five books so far this month, which doesn't include books I started and decided not to read. Now that I have figured out a bit about was making reading less enjoyable, and conversely what I do like, I feel free to not finish books. Overall, I seem to prefer "character-driven" to plot-driven fiction; if I don't find the characters engaging, reading seems pointless. Hopepunk rather than grimdark, always. I retain hope for F/SF labeled "cozy" but most (though not all) of what I've perused with that label has been more like "romance + nonhumans" and I am not terribly drawn to romance novels.

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blood orange marmalade	bike headlamp	yard waste bin
2	heraldic enamel	passport photo	recycle bin
3	crayon roll	crystal necklace	recycle bin
4	xp2 undies	pattern longjanes	-
5	-	passport applied for	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I took the time yesterday to do a dry run of the bus routes to get to the county offices... made today's actual trip easier
2. snowdrops are the very first frontyard flowers to return each year...
3. The passport office clerk admired my tidy handwriting

Time of Isolation - Day 1645

septugenaria

in which our plucky heroine says hippo birdy to me...

and how did I not notice that I have the same birthday as Will Stanton? I have read "The Dark Is Rising" by Susan Cooper every year as a seasonal ritual since I was first introduced to it... Now there is also a beautifully done BBC radio drama in twelve parts, and I have also been listening to the chapters as I do my morning chores...

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This is just plain lovely... happy Solstice one and all!

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"And so the Shortest Day came
and the year died.
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, revelling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - listen!
All the long echoes, sing the same delight,
This Shortest Day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year."

~ Susan Cooper

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I ordered my favorite Grateful Dead album "American Beauty" as a CD (from their webshop so as to bypass the Behemoth), and it arrived today, a timely birthday treat!

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I had been really hoping to get one of the pretty koi ornaments as one of my Advent Swap treats, et voila! The silvery colors of this fish are perfectly complimented with the sparkle of the golden and translucent beads.

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some experiments are more successful than others... I wanted braised oxtail for a special rare treat, for dinner tonight, but the store said none available til January at the soonest. (and they didn't have any black cod, which is my other special rare treat)

The butcher suggested using a piece of beef short rib instead as a likely substitute. Cooked with the same recipe as I would have the oxtail, it filled a similar niche for flavor, but shrunk to about half the original size in the cooking! The texture was more like brisket than succulent oxtail.

Given that I almost never splurge on beef, I think that if/when I do that again, I will simply get a tiny bit of bavette steak, cut it into crosswise strips and add it to a veggie stir fry. More bang for the flavor buck, as it were...

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~ Solstice sweets ~

After seeing the little cakes Beth made, I wanted to also make something sweet and sunlike for Solstice, but didn't feel up to making pastry. Karen explained how simple shortbread is to make, and since I'd never made it before, I gave it a try. 1 part sugar : 2 parts butter : 4 parts flour. I used gluten free baking mix, pressed the mixture into the bottoms of silicone cupcake liners, and baked in the convection oven for 20 minutes at just under 300F. Filled them with some blood orange marmalade. I particularly like how the corrugated liners left a decorative pattern on the sides of the shortbread.

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	rainbow cowl tassels	more clothesline	recycle bin
2	85 origami squares	cardboard down	random book parts
3	heraldic potholders	set up paperwhites	recycle bin
4	pine needle stars	grey linen pinafore	yard waste bin
5	solstice sweets	bandanna hem	yard waste bin
6	x	x	recycle bin
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. solstice sweets: shortbread tarts filled with marmalade
2. several short sweet zooms with friends and family
3. Grateful Dead, studio or live...

Time of Isolation - Day 1620

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine does her duty as a citizen...

...I voted, and decided to take my ballot to the public library because they have an indoor locked ballot deposit box, given the appalling arson vandalism of outdoor ballot boxes in both WA and OR. I doubt that (at least currently ) anyone is going to light a deposit box on fire INSIDE the library, so it felt like a more secure if less convenient option...

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~ almost here ~

Alphabet noodles - they are not just for soup... one of the things I am making (for the Tiny Rag Doll Nation "Spooky Season" prize collection) is another miniature holiday bunting, but a bit different style than the one above... Instead of gluing letters directly to the thread, I have added many little paper flags first, then glued the "trick or treat"to each individual one.

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I managed to get to the Hollywood Farmer's Market on Saturday, and bought some "Habanada" peppers to try... they have a unique flavor, complex but not hot, and I want to try lacto-fermenting them. Also try out some of the lower bok choy stems, that are thick and crisp, but not hard like carrots.

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currently reading:

The Art of Dying Well by Katy Butler... I read this a number of years ago, and found it valuable enough to keep in my own library. Now that I am having to deal with various aspects of aging, advance directive updates and the complexity of my parent's legacy, it is obvious to me that a re-read would be useful, but it is proving more difficult going, as the topics covered are more immediately relevant. The book talks about the various stages of "as we age" and things to think about as  good to prepare in our thoughts and in our actions, and how we set up our surroundings both internal and external.

and Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway (a guide to home-scale permaculture) This book is so full of content that I know it will take me a while to even begin to digest the ideas. I am pleased to find out that there is a whole concept, that of the "keyhole" that explains the vague idea I was trying to articulate about how I wished the outside of my house was structured. I suspect that I will learn a lot in the reading and re-reading

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Most of the mutual aid apples were turned into applesauce, which will be most welcome addition to meals this winter.

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October SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	ScribeTober 1	removed frost	yard waste bin
2	blue wolf enamel	prune persimmon	old light crap
3	shibori scarf	tidy walking onions	recycle bin
4	robin and holly acorn cap ornaments	string trim parking strip	yard waste bin
5	Kenya skirt	long jane waistband	recycle bin
6	pumpkin overalls	black winter slip	yard waste bin
7	Textile Livestock	harvested quince	recycle bin
8	applesauce	pruned apple	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. a surprise porch visit from Ashe and his family! (I got to meet Mackayla and Isao!!)
2. Heather came down to PDX this weekend, and brought me some more of her excellent sourdough bread
3. my Fiskars papercutter is very useful

Time of Isolation - Day 1568

Thursday things

in which our plucky heroine notes what progress has happened...

I'm going to take a break from millinery (for the time being) and return to garments that have been on the back burner: a new summer popover dress from this pretty teal rayon batik, and finishing the raincoat project (time to make some sample frogs for that)

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~ more than half done ~

I have been modifying the "official" chosen garments of the wardrobe challenge to suit my preferences, though still following the overall plan of the Vivienne Files "Whatever's Clean 13" which is what inspired the challenge in the first place...

• Week 1 - slightly gathered skirt (straight skirt)
• Week 2 - knit top
• Week 3 - reversible flared skirt
• Week 4 - reversible sleeveless top
• Week 5 - knit vest (short sleeved cardigan)
• Week 6 - pants
• Week 7 - reversible sleeveless top (reversible camisole)
• Week 8 - poncho (shrug)

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Naomi Kritzer won two Hugo awards this year: Best Novelette "The Year Without Sunshine", and Best Short Story "Better Living Through Algorithms". Both well worth the time, links go to online reading ...

Also T Kingfisher won Best Novella for "Thornhedge" and Moniquill Blackgoose won the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book for "To Shape a Dragon’s Breath", both of which I borrowed from the library and enjoyed very much. Moniquell Blackgoose has a unique take on the boarding school trope that I found so satisfying I am eagerly awaiting the next book in her intended trilogy (this despite that I normally have less than no use for boarding school tales)... T Kingfisher has been a favorite writer of mine since I first discovered her as Ursula Vernon via the graphic novel "Digger"

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When I headed out for my morning bike ride, it was bin day in the adjacent zone, and I saw a pile of large cardboard shipping boxes on the street, topped with an enormous piece of pristine foamcore. I turned around, rode back home, and returned on foot with my folding luggage cart. The trucks were on the next block, so I hurried to bundle all the boxes and foamcore on the cart, and toddled off back to Acorn Cottage.

The big sheets of cardboard will be an excellent base to put underneath mulch, and foamcore, which I use in various crafts and miniature building, as well as when matting pictures to be framed, has become quite spendy. The edges of the boxes can go into my own wheelie bins for tomorrow's recycle pickup.

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pillowcases	nut chopper handle	yard waste bin
2	yak print	elderberry harvest	plum tree
3	tiny bell-bottoms	refurbish Felco	driveway moss
4	tiny camisole	-	recycle bin
5	small pressing tools	-	yard waste bin
6	tiny playset	x	x
7	denim hat	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Foraged/salvaged cardboard and foamcore! I am not too proud to snag discarded but useful materials
2. The vitamin D I ordered last week arrived with the shipping carton crushed, but fortunately the corn foam peanuts inside cushioned the contents so that there was no internal damage.
3. I am really enjoying playing Golden Sky Stories with my southern pals Mischa and Steff...

Time of Isolation - Day 1496