Friday fragments - day 49 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine couldn't sleep last night, again...

but mostly becasue the book I chose for my bedtime reading was too good! On of my friends posted a comment about the book "Lab Girl" (by Hope Jahren), and I can't remember how long it has been since I couldn't stop reading a book. Intending to just read the first chapter as I wound down towards sleeping, instead stayed up way too late, until there were no more pages to read, (and am about to dive right back in and re-read it) She has such a way with words and phrases, and her writing gave me an entirely new way of thinking both about plant life, and about the life of scientists...

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A bit more than an hour of effort (with online company) and the soldering workbench top is entirely cleared, wiped down, and reorganised with only the things that are supposed to live there. In the process, I found a tiny disc anvil tucked inside a cupboard) that I've been looking for for several years! I've about a large handful of random bits to find homes for. Rather than despair about how long it will take to actually declutter and reorganise Acorn Cottage, I'm reminding self to be pleased at every additional bit of square footage that becomes a place of clarity and function.

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beauty in the time of isolation:

pink dogwood on a sunny spring day
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I've been filling in some of the random chunks of time with painting away on the group of Adiantum charters that Michael dropped off here. The charter artwork was quite challenging to paint, for several reasons, partially because the actual xerox quality was not great, and partially because the line art did not actually lend itself to being painted. We are doing our best to help our neighbors. I wish that more folks knew that there are actually parameters that help make charter art paintable. Photos tomorrow...

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~ creativity challenge ~

Me-Made-Miniature-May: instead of the full size challenge, make garments, accessories and artifacts for Nandina's world. There's a Mix and Match May wardrobe challenge going on over at Tiny Rag Doll Nation, which inspired me to return to the world of the small... I'm going to start by knitting a tiny placket tee, using this pattern. Tested my ability to knit so small by making a sample tee to share with Gwen, the doll that lives next door to us, and the knit top for Nandina will begin tomorrow. It  might be good to acquire some Lykke size 0 double pointed needles, the smallest I have are some Clover Takumi size 1...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wire planter cage	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	prototype mesh wash bag	cover larger sleeve board	recycle bin
3	5 jars blood orange marmalade	baby plants repotted	bag of fabric
4	3 jars Awesome sauce	skirret cage adapted	bag of fabric
5	4 jars strawberry rhubarb sauce	temporary biffy	bag of fabric
6	two large blue planters	remove thumbhole cuffs	bag of fabric
7	two bone Viking threadwinders	planted herbs	bag of old fur
8	original Luttrell-inspired scroll	pruned forsythia	yard waste bin
9	two Adiantum charters	pruned persimmon	recycle bin
10	red Laurel enamel	x	yard waste bin
11	tiny placket tee for Gwen	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - words with friends long out of touch. The pandemic has played hob with contact, and not everyone is on social media. There are people I never had their phone numbers because I saw them almost every day in my past time daily routines. I can't do much to fix the broken world, but I can persist in doing what I can to keep connections alive.

back in the saddle - day 48 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine catches up on some long delayed work...

It has been a long while since I fired up the enameling kiln. A commission, initially started prior to pandemic, is finally getting finished, and I am enjoying getting back to it.  It would be better, if as in the past, if there was a second piece to work on at the same time, since there is a fair amount of sit and wait for the enamel to dry before it goes into the 1500F box for a few minutes at a time, over and over again...

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beauty in the time of isolation:

the color contrast between the euphorbia and the burgundy foliage really caught my eye today....

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I'm thinking I need to cut bread from my weekly meals, at least in the form of "sandwich" or "toast"...I will do this as an experiment for the duration of this challenge at least. I don't eat most wheat foods, but there is one type of sourdough that I found I can eat without digestive issues, and I started adding it to my groceries this year of isolation, because comfort*. Just like I have given up "milk as a beverage" (my lifelong habit), switching to plain water had about a fifteen pound difference on the scale. I am wondering if moving bread to "occasional rare occasion cooking ingredient" from it's current multiple times a week food might have a similarly useful result for me...

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~ creativity challenge ~

unset completed Laurel medallion enamel... the setting is finished but unpolished. Tomorrow I will put it all in place, polish it, and mail it off to the recipient. Actual size 1¼" diameter.

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On Saturday, started an attempt experimental batch of lactofermented garlic... salt brine and whey, in a jar with two heads of peeled garlic cloves. (sterilised all the glass etc with boiling water)

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wire planter cage	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	prototype mesh wash bag	cover larger sleeve board	recycle bin
3	5 jars blood orange marmalade	baby plants repotted	bag of fabric
4	3 jars Awesome sauce	skirret cage adapted	bag of fabric
5	4 jars strawberry rhubarb sauce	temporary biffy	bag of fabric
6	two large blue planters	remove thumbhole cuffs	bag of fabric
7	two bone Viking threadwinders	planted herbs	bag of old fur
8	original Luttrell-inspired scroll	pruned forsythia	yard waste bin
9	two Adiantum charters	pruned persimmon	recycle bin
10	red Laurel enamel	x	yard waste bin
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - there was enough propane to finish soldering the enamel setting... like a number of other staple supplies, it has not been replenished for the whole of the pandemic, and is on the list of things to deal with once it is possible.

*sure wish I could figure out a comfort for me that didn't involve food, or human contact...

more than a mouthful - day 42 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine bites off more than she can chew...

So, my friend Hlutwige, StormMaker of Stromgard, has been setting monthly challenges, and the one for April was Scribal Arts. Initally, my thought was to complete at least two original scrolls for the week-long challenge. Didn't realise that getting jab #2 would rather put paid to that idea, as it was half the week gone with feeling under the weather, and painting and calligraphy need rather intense focus.

Normally, original scrolls in An Tir are made specifically for a particular recipient, and part of the fun is finding ways to customise the design and motifs to the person. This was a different sort of challenge, making scrolls but leaving blank spaces for the person's name and date of the honor being awarded . I chose two different psalters as my examples, but did not have time to complete the scroll for Stromgard. The completed Three Mountains scroll, for the Order of the Mountain Sun, is inspired by the motifs and palette of the Lutrell Psalter.

After about the equivalent of three full days of work this is the completed scroll blank.The empty gaps for the name and date are clearly visible, as is the space for the Baron and Baroness to sign and the seal to be located.

What I learned (aside from don't try and do too much at one time): There are many things I'd wish to have improved... calligraphic hand, spacing (both horizontal and vertical), more accurate paint matching, density of ornament, etc. The original manuscript is half again as large, which both allows for more detailing, and makes the fineness of the white line work more to scale. While I have an adequate Gothic style calligraphy, the particular and distinctive Luttrell Psalter hand is one I have not yet mastered, a task for the future. Given that the whole scroll is on an 8"x10" sheet of bristol board, and the text block is 3¾" x 4½", it will take time for my writing to become as evenly spaced as the examples I see in period manuscripts. All in all, my hope is that the various aspects will all improve with more time spent with pen and brush

So, how this all began was with my looking through the digitised manuscript, and creating a sketch combining various appealing border elements that seemed to work together, a no less useful challenge than direct copying of a single page. I chose the upper border from f.20v, the foliated intial from f.300r, the lefthand border from f.92v (which allowed a neat little roundel for the badge of the Order of the Mountain Sun), and the elaborate combined line filler and righthand border from f.14v:

Next step, prior to any drawing on the scroll, is to lay out and calligraph the text. Learning how to use an Ames Guide for guidelines has saved me much preparation time, but it still takes several hours of steady writing with ink and dip pen. I used a ¾ mm Brause nib, and Calli Jet Black India ink, on

Next, the decorative borders are sketched in place around the text, and the various basic colors are painted in. This step is where it is really important to try and have the colors look balanced around the page, and looking at the medieval originals is very helpful as a guide. I had some difficulty with this in the first three words, and ended up needing to mix a third color in order to have it all work out neatly. If I only remembered to do some color sketches ahead of time, much difficulty would be avoided... remember that for future scribal efforts.

Once the base layers of paint are in place, the outlines are reinforced. I tend to use  01 and 005 black Sakura Pigma Micron pens. All the white line decoration is also added, using permanent white gouache, and my best sable brush. It isn't a small brush, but it holds a very fine point.

A closer look at the finished detailing on the foliated capital "T", and the assorted upper left, and central right border decorations. I mostly use Holbein gouache paint, though the blue is Winsor Newton sky blue. I used Fintec Arabian Gold metallic watercolor, and Holbein pure red, terra verde green, permanent white, and two mixed pale colors: terra verte + white and alizarin crimson + white. The foliage was shaded with emerald green, or burnt umber.

All in all, exploring the Luttrell Psalter is an activity that never becomes stale, there is always more to see and learn. I am particularly wanting to dive into examining the tiny line fillers, and also add the various ways of representing foliage to my scribal pattern model book. I need to do more calligraphy practice, in the hope that more frequent writing will help my letters become more consistent. I'd really like to figure out what color, or combination of colors, will give me that pinkish color that isn't bright warm red... That said, this scroll does meet my personal test, of "would I like it if it were hanging on my wall" and I can only hope that whoever does receive it feels the same way

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beauty in the time of isolation:

a different view of the Luttrell Psalter

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wire planter cage	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	prototype mesh wash bag	cover larger sleeve board	recycle bin
3	5 jars blood orange marmalade	baby plants repotted	bag of fabric
4	3 jars Awesome sauce	skirret cage adapted	bag of fabric
5	4 jars strawberry rhubarb sauce	temporary biffy	bag of fabric
6	two large blue planters	remove thumbhole cuffs	bag of fabric
7	two bone Viking threadwinders	planted herbs	bag of old fur
8	original Luttrell-inspired scroll	x	yard waste bin
9	x	x	recycle bin
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - I have good paints, and a few good brushes, and access to the British Library, as well as other international libraries, all without leaving my living room. Twenty years ago none of that would be true!

*assorted clips from the Luttrell Psaltervarious pages I looked at:

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between first and second sleep - day 38 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine has oddly disordered bedtimes...

so, Saturday was my second jab (Pfizer), for which I am extremely grateful. The same efforts as for jab #1, extra range of motion arm movement and increased hydration, while they surely made a difference, did not stave off the noticeable effects of my immune system learning how to protect me from the virus. While the first twelve hours or so were uneventful, by the time Saturday night rolled around, my arm was quite definitely sore.

Sunday, after my before-breakfast walk, there was generalised malaise and vague aches + headache, brain fuzzier than usual.  As the day went on, feeling "under the weather" increased, with the sense of  almost as if someone had turned the gravity dial up to a higher number than usual. Finally at about 7:30 I gave up and went to bed, falling asleep almost immediately, only to wake again at about a quarter to midnight. Still feeling puny, but not really able to fall back asleep.

Rather than lie abed fretting over insomnia, an hour or so washing the dishes (that I'd been too tired to deal with earlier) seemed like a useful and not strenuous midnight task. In ages past, most humans did not sleep a solid eight hours, but their sleep was divided in two parts. HOPEFULLY MONDAY WILL BE A BETTER LESS REACTIVE DAY

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 today's gratitude - being home, being able to rest as needed, being able to get vaccinated

dry bones - day 35 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine restarts a project...

in the before times, one of my SCA goals was to create plausible contents of a Viking Age sewing kit*. Since deciding to participate in Athenaeum later this year, I want to make some new artifacts, and get back to doing a bit more research

These are Viking Age style threadwinders, based on finds from Birka (8 - 10th c). The two originals are made from antler slabs; as I do not have antler slabs on hand to work with, these are made of cow bone, but actual dimensions. Bone is easy to work with hand tools, as long as you take careful precautions to not inhale the fine dust created when sawing/filing/drilling etc. Once I did the rough cutting to shape, I switched to using my alundum hand grinding stones used under running water, for my lungs safety sake. While alundum is a modern compostite of aluminum oxide, in the Viking Age, sandstone and other abrasive rocks were available (whetstone pendants have been found) though I do not know if they were used in shaping bone and antler.

Here is an image of the larger of the two threadwinders from Birka:

Links to the museum website pages with the originals: small thread winder and large thread winder

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wire planter cage	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	prototype mesh wash bag	cover larger sleeve board	recycle bin
3	5 jars blood orange marmalade	baby plants repotted	bag of fabric
4	3 jars Awesome sauce	skirret cage adapted	bag of fabric
5	4 jars strawberry rhubarb sauce	temporary biffy	bag of fabric
6	two large blue planters	remove thumbhole cuffs	bag of fabric
7	two bone Viking threadwinders	x	bag of old fur
8	x	x	yard waste bin
9	x	x	recycle bin
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - Back in 2017, in the Before Times, my friend Drusa made me this exquisite Scandinavian style workbox, which while it isn't exactly the type made in Viking times, is too precious to me to leave sitting on a shelf. Objects of beauty are made to be used...

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To be of use - by Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.


I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.


I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.


The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

little bit further than you gone before - day 34 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine makes another bit of progress...

Today started off most excellently, with a package in the mailbox that was an unexpected treat. I then managed to go out for a walk before breakfast, if only about a mile. Might go for another walk after dinner, it is crazy warm and sunny here! (why did I not get sunglasses last year when I ordered new spex?) Thursday afternoons K and I connect via video and focus on declutter or other challenges, so much easier with someone else "there"; today I cleared the mess from my workbench, either putting things away, or finding better ways to store things. It now looks inviting rather than dreadful. I have an idea of making a sawblade holder for the benchtop, that will allow for labeled sections for each different fineness of tooth. Every small improvement makes a big difference.

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~ creativity challenge ~

Tuesday night was a Caid College of Scribes class on drolleries in the Luttrell Psalter, and we practiced both copying examples, and creating our own combinations... it was fun! Today I spent an hour or so in the middle of the day watching a presentation on Manuscript Crafts put on by "The Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North: A student-organized conference intended as an interdisciplinary forum for students of Old Norse and medieval Scandinavia." Learned some new things about pigment availability, and some additional details about bookbinding. Hoping to learn more in the future about Carolingian style calligraphy.

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at the very end of 2020 I did some pattern hacking to my TNT knit top pattern. Adding a turtleneck option was very successful, as most of the time when wearing a long sleeve knit top, extra warmth is the idea. Adding "thumbhole cuffs" turned out to be a less desirable hack, as it turns out that for me my handknit mitts are preferable to the longer integral thumbhole cuffs, which I find are somewhat awkward to wiggle out of for hand washing, and which look quite odd when folded back. Since I dearly love my mushroom print tops, I decided to remove the offending portion, which left the cuffs narrow but acceptable. Cut off the thumbhole edge, leaving the cuffs as long as possible (1¼"), basted the raw edges inside on the outer and inner layers, basted them together, and then hand stitched in an overcast as close to the edge as possible, Alabama Chanin style. It was relaxing handwork during an evening Zoom meeting, and the knit top is much more pleasant to wear now.

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beauty in the time of isolation:

there are a few outliers in the assorted springtime flowers in the front border. The only tulip, and a red that clashes with everything else in the yard, but I cannot bring myself to remove it. Some Queen of the Night tulips, in almost black, would look quite splendid with the hyacinths and violets... perhaps the red tulip could get relocated to the front corner planting, and given a few colorful friends to add delight to the sidewalk passers-by

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wire planter cage	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	prototype mesh wash bag	cover larger sleeve board	recycle bin
3	5 jars blood orange marmalade	baby plants repotted	bag of fabric
4	3 jars Awesome sauce	skirret cage adapted	bag of fabric
5	4 jars strawberry rhubarb sauce	temporary biffy	bag of fabric
6	two large blue planters	remove thumbhole cuffs	bag of fabric
7	x	x	bag of old fur
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - a care package arrived today from my Mud Bay pals: an assortment of Japanese stationery stickers, a lovely little notebook with three different kinds of paper inside, and a card from Kestrel, decorated with Totoro stickers. There is little that I love more than I love kid art.

gathering - day 33 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine takes a baby step towards the opposite of feral...

today I woke up with an actual positive task in mind... creating a private outdoor biffy spot behind my carport next to the back door to Acorn Cottage. That spot is already fairly screened from view, and once there were taut paracord lines tied in, or closet rod wedged between the downspout and the fence, I was able to use various fabric pieces as "curtains" and enclosed a space actually larger than the indoor bathroom here. I hung some toilet paper from the back of the potting bench, put out some hand sanitiser, and added a wastepaper basket, which covered everything except the actual commode. My good friend Ursel had acquired an extra "luggable loo" and once that arrived, now there is a safe and socially distant spot for friends to deal with bio breaks!

This plan had been in the works for quite a while, but it has been much too cold and rainy for any sort of extended outdoor visiting. Today though, was very warm and sunny, and Ursel, Gersvinda, and Claire all converged in my front yard for a wonderful outdoor social (which we had discussed the possibility of at the most recent online Saturday Shindig) All of us have had at least one vaccination. It was almost like Earth That Was, except for the not-hugging,  the six-foot-or-more distance, and the mask-wearing. (we did remove them briefly for eating of snacks, and for hydration maintenance) While I was still a bit jumpy, it was a good baby step towards being safely around other people.

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beauty in the time of isolation:

It is springtime, and flowers bloom everywhere. Grape hyacinth and wood hyacinth, tulips and pink violets, the last of the forsythia, and todays warmth brought open the first of the quince blossoms. There were honeybees, and bumblebees buzzing loudly around the yard. Sneezing is endemic.

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With the intention of creating larger raised planters for things like growing more tomatoes, it seemed like a useful idea to convert at least one of the currently unused blue 55 gallon barrels. A sharpie marking the halfway point, Claire then used her special oscillating saw to cut through the plastic. Hooray for power tools! Then I remembered I had a hole saw set, which seemed like just the right thing to add drainage holes to the bottom. While I'd never used a hole saw before, it was not too difficult to figure out how to set it up, and it worked a charm.

There are now two 27 gallon planters which need filled with garden soil and compost, and will add substantially to the growing space in the back yard. My hope is to grow additional tomatoes this year, and some cucumbers, to restart the salad table, and to put the Patio Baby eggplant somewhere I can keep an eye on it... The baby nightshades had an excursion outside today, as it was really warm, and I figured that the increased light and warmth would do them good.

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wire planter cage	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	prototype mesh wash bag	cover larger sleeve board	recycle bin
3	5 jars blood orange marmalade	baby plants repotted	bag of fabric
4	3 jars Awesome sauce	skirret cage adapted	bag of fabric
5	4 jars strawberry rhubarb sauce	temporary biffy	bag of fabric
6	two large blue planters	x	bag of fabric
7	x	x	bag of old fur
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - a gathering of four friends, nearly normal... and so very grateful for Claire's help with the barrel to planter project today

Sunday snippets - day 30 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine is still struggling...

small exhaustions and allergies and despair. I want to sleep all the time, but when lying down to rest it proves evasive. My spring pollen allergies have suddenly come roaring back and only that I remember how this happens every year keeps me from asking for a covid test. Despair, because the situation with my mom does not improve, indeed this is an ongoing series of gates that only move in one direction.

Yesterday I woke up with my left eyelid all puffed out and slightly sore, though fortunately I have no other concerning symptoms and can open the eye and sight is no different than normal. No idea why, allergies? infection?. The consulting nurse hotline was not much use as far as how to proceed. It is no worse today, though only maybe a little improved. I shall continue with the compresses, and hope that by tomorrow it will be obviously on the mend, else some medical attention is needed.

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beauty in the time of isolation:

spring unfolds... the plum thicket is beginning to flower, there are flower buds just barely peeping out on the quince and the apple tree. The star magnolia is mostly done, and the white lawn violets have given way to the more prevalent pink ones in the walkway bed along with accents of grape hyacinth... the one red tulip, and signs of future wood hyacinth as well. The forsythia in the parking strip is beginning to fade, and the ornamental plum flowers on the big front yard trees have fallen, leaving the yard strewn with a lighter pink snow and the light dappled by the new grown dark red leaves

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the mini-poncho I made back in 2017 just sat in my closet unworn for the better part of seven years. The yarn was quite nice, but it never fit me quite right... the shoulders too broad, and the collar was too high and mighty to be comfy. Now that is is turned back into balls of yarn, perhaps a cardigan instead, with some colorwork added. Or maybe a variation on that stripey sleeve bolero.

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The skirret plant that Eleanor gave me last autumn has survived the winter, and now is showing strong new growth. I am so pleased. Since the leafy bits are getting too tall to be crushed under the flat mesh and weighted bicycle wheel I used for squirrel deterrence all winter, I wrestled with more of the wire mesh to make a tall cylinder to protect the growing plant. I've no idea how large skirret will become this year, must ask E for advice, but this should hold it for a while...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wire planter cage	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	prototype mesh wash bag	cover larger sleeve board	recycle bin
3	5 jars blood orange marmalade	baby plants repotted	bag of fabric
4	3 jars Awesome sauce	skirret cage adapted	bag of fabric
5	4 jars strawberry rhubarb sauce	x	bag of fabric
6	x	x	bag of fabric
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - Although I missed their visit early this morning, Randal and Leah came by, and left me with two artichoke plants, and assortment of flavored vinegar, and a new pottery mug of carved multicolor clay! I was sad I was asleep when they came by, as visitors are rare and precious.

The new mug will be very welcome, as yesterday gravity took its toll when I bumped my favorite vintage mug off the counter while doing the dishes. That mug is shards, but the empty space on the wall will have a new denizen...

Friday fragments and a bit of unboxing - day 28 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine oscillates...

While in some ways, seem to be gradually pulling myself together, in other ways not so much. I have been catching up on sleep, a midday nap only went a few hours, and I feel almost my former self, but the nights are still difficult. This ongoing isolation has really sapped my resilience, and I don't seem to have found any way to refill that. Fortunately? I am hella stubborn, and persist in continuing through this shadowed valley step by step.

made good progress on the current batch of preserves: five jars of blood orange marmalade cooling down on the countertop, awesome sauce is mostly thickened up and ready to process,  and strawberry rhubarb  needs a bit more time...

working on a prototype of mesh lingerie laundry bag...  My current wash bags, from Amazon, have shredded apart in the washing machine, not along the seams, but in the middle of the fabric? Some medium mesh from Seattle Fabrics seemed a way to DIY something a bit more robust. (a Very Old mesh wash bag made of similar fabric that is still in useable condition after more than 15 years)...,

Neighbor Alan digging up the ground next to my alley fence in the backyard found some giant roots today, which slowed things down. I am definitely going to give him a good tip, as the project has been a lot more work than he or I expected. I found the folding saw a wonderful help in cutting the largest roots to a size to fit in the yard waste bin.

One of the first necessary things to do when fully immunised is to revisit getting my dental and periodontal work done. I am fearful that the year plus delay in getting surgery is going to result in my losing the molar that was in dire need of help. From time to time there are "twinges" when I chew, which never happened before, and surely the perio problems have not solved themselves, despite my brushing/flossing/waterpik, none of which can have any healing effect on the underneath of the tooth roots and inside my jawbone... sigh...

thinking about the Storm Maker Challenge for April - Scribal which would be fun. I so miss interactive creative activities, and making things in tandem with other folks. Plus there is this amazing beautiful medieval manuscript (the Peterborough Psalter) I recently found online access to, which is very inspiring...

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Today these nightshade babies arrived on my doorstep, two different roma tomatoes and a wee patio eggplant, a gift from A... It is still much too cold for them outside, so they've been repotted in larger temporary digs, and for tonight are under lights in the kitchen. (I found some taller pots, to use for the tomato babies so I can bury them deeper in the pot to get more roots... I am learning so much!

Going to move them to the worktable, lower the shop light for some auxillary lighting, and plug in the heat mat... I'm quite pleased with the quality of these seedlings, the root balls inside the tiny pots were PERFECT! The roots were just starting to get all the way down to the bottom, but not to the point where they coil around and get all root bound. I am impressed with their timing for shipping, (even if it is rather too chilly here for outside) Fingers crossed I can keep them happy and growing well indoors for the next few weeks...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wire planter cage	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	prototype mesh wash bag	cover larger sleeve board	recycle bin
3	5 jars blood orange marmalade	baby plants repotted	bag of fabric
4	3 jars Awesome sauce	x	bag of fabric
5	x	x	bag of fabric
6	x	x	bag of fabric
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - remembering that my friends love me, and that they choose to do things to bring joy into my isolated life. I am not forgotten...

Monday miscellany - day 24 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine still tries to reset the sleep wake cycle, unsuccessfully...

Things have not been going with with my mom, lately, which has necessitated much time on the phone, and worries play hob with my nighttime sleeping. I tried twice today to take a nap, being much exhausted in body and spirit, but each time I dozed off, there was another phone call, so finally threw in the towel and got back up, when in the middle of phone call number two, the doorbell rang!

Unexpectedly, it was the neighbor Young Alan, a high school student from a few houses over, who I'd spoken to about doing spot of digging in the back yard for me. He has started a yard and garden help business, and I figured that hiring him to dig out around the alley gate would be of mutual benefit... a bit of dosh in his direction, and less chance of an unhappy back or knees in mine. I'm going to have him pile up the layer he removes into two piles to become raised beds in the backyard near the alley gate. A trip out to the compost bins this evening showed his beginning efforts, which will continue later this week when he has another day off from school.

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Finished up the padding and covers for the large/small sleeve board, so now it can be a useful part of my sewing gear, rather than just hinged wooden shapes. Should be very handy for future garment sewing... someday...

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beauty in the time of isolation:
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Fritillaria meleagris
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I found this delightful...

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wire planter cage	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	-	cover larger sleeve board	recycle bin
3	x	x	bag of fabric
4	x	x	bag of fabric
5	x	x	bag of fabric
6	x	x	bag of fabric
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - several years ago I planted various small flowering bulbs, which are gradually returning and spreading. I am particularly fond of the grape hyacinths, and the very small clump of fritillaria. In addition, there are the violets, the few white violets in the lawn, and the masses of pinkish ones, all of which I didn't plant, but which simply showed up here

Sunday snippets and fragments - day 23 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine does not give up...

...sleeping brain has been sending me on all kinds of strange adventures, including a trip to a formerly unknown part of the dreamlands, filled with narrow pedestrian streets, analog strip malls, and odd shops stacked atop one another, rather like a cross between an Old World city and Japan. In one of those small shops, I found a stash of deadstock canning jar lids and was really delighted. When I got to the register to pay for them, I woke up.

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~ creativity challenge ~

almost finished with a new planter cage... should be squirrel-proof. My hands are sore from hours of cutting wire mesh, bending it to shape, and cutting and twisting wires to connect the pieces. I'm hoping to be able to plant edible greens here, soon. Inside the planter, the current "crop" of deadnettles (which I just found out are actually edible?!) will be replaced with a layer of compost, and some planter soil. and then I may plant some peas, or radishes...

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started the process of adding a cover to the sleeve board that has been floating around my sewing space for a number of years now. Layers of melton cloth wool padding, and then a linen cover held on with a drawstring. Did the smaller side first, and have some idea of how to improve it for the larger side... 

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Auntie K and I have been spending some time just hanging out on video as "body doubles" for one another. We did this one time before, with good results, as I was able to clear the surface of an entire workbench, while she worked on her own project. This time I was able to clear away all the fabric that had piled up atop the guest futon, (ever since early in the pandemic when I was in a frenzy of mask making). Four grocery sacks full of fabric scrap are ready to leave the house now, and while it isn't anywhere near as much declutter as desired, it is a start.

Though mostly as body doubles we don't do a lot of back and forth chat, K had a good question for me: "how do you envision this room? and does what you are picking up add to that vision?" I want the floors to be clear with only enough fabric and supplies on the shelves, not SABLE*. I only want mostly lengths of fabric that can be turned into garments, as I am not really into patchwork for clothing or as a handcraft. It will take time, but it is POSSIBLE

*Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy

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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wire planter cage	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	-	-	recycle bin
3	x	x	bag of fabric
4	x	x	bag of fabric
5	x	x	bag of fabric
6	x	x	bag of fabric
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - an unexpected book delivery yesterday. My sister sent me "The Art of Dying Well" by Katy Butler, and "Advice For Future Corpses" by Sallie Tisdale... both books I have borrowed often enough from the library that adding them to my reference library makes sense. Food for thought, as I navigate being a good daughter to my ageing parents, and as I consider and make choices about my own ongoing life as an elder

rule of thumb - day 20 (year 2)

in which our plucky heroine has a good breakfast...

starting the day on a brighter note, my kitchen experiment with swapping out cooked kasha (buckwheat groats) for the cooked rice in Spinach Rice Bake* was an unqualified success! I've already tried from time to time changing out the vegetable for what I have on hand, but this was the first time with an alternate starch. Since I adore kasha, and try to be sparing with my rice useage because arsenic, this is a win win.

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I have long found apron straps to cause trouble inside the drum of the washing machine by entangling other clothing into stupid knots... and finally came up with a solution: instead of laundry day tangles, detachable straps/ties!

My first step was to create a leather spacer to keep the crossed straps tidy. Two layers of fairly thick leather glued together, then cut to shape, the holes punched at the ends where the cut slits are serve the same function as grommets, to distribute the strain and keep the leather from tearing out.

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the strap guide keeps them neatly centered in the back (without the guide, straps tend to cross right behind the neck, which I find most uncomfortable), and the straps then go through loops at the waist, cross one more time, and either buckle or tie closed.

the entire apron strap assembly is detachable, as it connects to the bib of the apron with this clever swivel/snap hook hardware... The whole system now works like a charm to defeat the laundry day blues, and I can have several work aprons in rotation but only need the one set of straps. I now will be making a heavy shop/gardening apron, in addition to the lightweight kitchen aprons

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beauty in the time of isolation:

callery pear flowers, they don't fruit and are common street trees...
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April SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	cover smaller sleeve board	yard waste bin
2	-	-	recycle bin
3	x	x	-
4	x	x	-
5	x	x	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - 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