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

hot town summer in the city

in which our plucky heroine does her best to keep cool...

I keep thinking it is Saturday, not sure why. I've been running the heat pump, as it is 90+ on the shady front porch. So far, the house has stayed at a comfortable temperature. I have my fingers crossed for the next several days, when we are forecast to be in the triple digits. Hoping not a heat dome.

No fireworks stands on every corner means less explosions in the city. While it was rather loud last night, in the better part of valor I waited until morning to run over to the grocery before it got really hot out. I wanted to get some salad greens, and also bought a new tomato plant in hope of some homegrown treats. No Juliet left alas, but they had Oregon Spring, which is also good one, if very different.

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~ festival footwear ~

Opal has the biggest feet of all my tinyfolk! So when it was suggested that Opal needed a pair of tiny tiny Birkenstock sandals, I carefully cut slices from a cork, using a serrated knife, and then sanded a few of the cork slices smooth. Tracing around her feet to start making the pattern. Some thin leather for the uppers, and and black Bristol board for the outer soles.

I started by cutting the prepared slabs of cork to shape, then glued a layer of Bristol board to reinforce them. Once dried, I began fitting the narrow leather strips and glueing them in place to create slide on shoes. I really find the miniature clothespins really useful for tiny clamps; I used Tacky Glue for the whole project, it was setting up fast enough. Once all the straps were attached and dried, I fitted tiny bits of Bristol to level the bottom of the sandals and glued that in place as well. Finally, I added a third layer of the black Bristol board to cover the whole bottom of the sole fully, it really gives the effect of the rubber sole of full size Birkies. Since there was no way I could add an actual buckle to the straps, I approximated it with carefully drawing on each strap with a gold metallic pen. The tiny sandals really add to her outfit - I'll be taking some more photos outdoors, but not until the temperature drops!

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The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, by Ursula LeGuin made it really clear to me about why I adore some novels and find others tiresome. The essay seems to me to reverberate in an adjacent way with The Mushroom Hunters, by Neil Gaiman

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Next in the textile livestock series is "silkworm", and I am going to print the linocut proof later today, and hope there isn't too much revision necessary. Carving a tiny caterpillar is hard!

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Fifty years is a long strange trip indeed...

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	4 tiny knit vests	-	-
2	tiny cargo pants	-	-
3	very smol sandals	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. the house is pleasantly moderate in temperature
2. I had everything needed to make Opal some Birkenstocks
3. The skirret is still alive, I have been remembering to keep it watered.
4. I found another fairly new Little Free Art Gallery that is within biking distance, when it isn't too hot. 4720 NE 26th. Looking forward to checking it out!
5. Someone used my Very Basic (two rectangles of garter stitch) Tiny Rag Doll Poncho pattern that I posted on Ravelry, and came up with their own variation.

Time of Isolation - Day 1454

a snow day

in which our plucky heroine wakes up to a somewhat snowy world...

It was very slippery when I stepped out the front door, if only a few inches deep and very dry snow, so I went no further afield than to sweep away part of my front walkway, after taking time to admire the tracery of tiny tracks. Out the side door: a crust of ice atop snow all the way up to the doorway, which required breaking into chunks with the broom handle before I could sweep away enough to access the rubbish bin. Tomorrow I may pull on the YakTrax and take a bit of a walk, as two days housebound is more than enough, and it is supposed to be sunny and dry, if still quite cold...

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~ haiku ~

now that it has snowed
see the hidden story tales
Dog reads every day

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January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Jedi obi sash	reinstall octopus	recycle bin
2	Jedi underlayer	hang candle lantern	-
3	2 tiny books	paint tiger frame	-
4	teal knit top	patch closet holes	-
5	green tiny hat	-	-
6	2 hats & 3 scarves	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. the option to stay home when the weather is frightful
2. wool is my friend
3. we had snow, but not too much snow

Time of Isolation - Day 1291

hippo birdie too mee

in which our plucky heroine marks another trip around the sun...

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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The cold front is coming, I can feel the shift when I go out to ride my bike, so much colder than it was earlier today.  I can sit indoors and enjoy the lovely picture book. I can listen to the next installment of The Dark Is Rising.

My garden-ish friends warned everyone that the intense cold will be deadly to rosemary, so I found some tarps and covered the bush in the front yard. The rest of the yard plants will have to take their chances. We will have two days of wintery mix and ice, and then the rain will return, along with the less severe temperatures.

I can make food to eat, (though not the gyoza I had intended to cook, since the stashed frozen wrappers turned out to be freezer burned). If I want to have something fun for dinner, it is far too cold for me to ride my bike to The Fishwife for calamari takeout... and I am just not feeling like kitchen experimentation. Maybe a simple stir fry and a green salad will do.

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out and about:

continuing my effort to document paying attention and finding something beautiful even when it is a challenge. Just look at how the variegated holly leaves set off the red berries. I actually had to stop my bike ride and find a way to clamber around and be able to hold my bike and be able to take a photo. (I really need to figure out a kickstand for my bike in 2023! I had one a few years ago, but it didn't actually hold my bike upright, so I removed it)

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~ creativity challenge~

for some reason I am just really pleased with the look of this quick sketch...  This was done to show SR the various options for where the handwoven trim could be placed on the daypack. I was trying to figure out how I could both color in a mostly black/blue design and also show the structure. I thought I remembered picking up an opaque white Gelly Roll pen a while ago, and wowzers was that just the right thing!

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	skull collar #2	over sink light	recycle bin
2	2 baprons for Liam	crock pot lid	recycle bin
3	8 jars strawberry rhubarb	replace furnace filter	recycle bin
4	quince paste	alter colorful huipil	-
5	8 jars persimmon ketchup	vertical loom	-
6	4 more Liam baprons	x	x
7	calendar masters	x	x
8	6 jars quincemeat	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 gratitudes -
1. I'm still here, still above ground, still making and sharing as best as can be managed in this second third year of the COVID plague...
2. My experimental lasagna (using 5 flavor eggplant) was a success...
3. a box of treats from Ursel, including a Roman style Samian ware bowl from Leah and Randall that would be perfect for some future Saturnalia party, if there ever are in person parties again...

Time of Isolation - Day 1021

Monday music and miscellany

in which our plucky heroine constantly cogitates...

Almost a thousand days, a long time, for some more than a lifetime, and so many lifetimes now gone...

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Fifty-three years ago...old words still true...may at least some of us live to see the dawn...

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What You Missed that Day You Were Absent from Fourth Grade

 

Mrs. Nelson explained how to stand still and listen
to the wind, how to find meaning in pumping gas,

how peeling potatoes can be a form of prayer. She took
questions on how not to feel lost in the dark.

After lunch she distributed worksheets
that covered ways to remember your grandfather’s

voice. Then the class discussed falling asleep
without feeling you had forgotten to do something else—

something important—and how to believe
the house you wake in is your home. This prompted

Mrs. Nelson to draw a chalkboard diagram detailing
how to chant the Psalms during cigarette breaks,

and how not to squirm for sound when your own thoughts
are all you hear; also, that you have enough.

The English lesson was that I am
is a complete sentence.

And just before the afternoon bell, she made the math equation look easy.
The one that proves that hundreds of questions,

and feeling cold, and all those nights spent looking
for whatever it was you lost, and one person

add up to something.

"What You Missed That Day You Were Absent From Fourth Grade" by Brad Aaron Modlin from EVERYONE AT THIS PARTY HAS TWO NAMES copyright © 2016 Brad Aaron Modlin.

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well this is a new effing weird development... been just about five months out from my excision surgery on July 6, and while once I recovered the site looked odd but felt more or less normal, now I am getting peculiar stabby pain from that area, like an injection or an insect sting. Did this for two days in the last week, and I figured oh, body being weird but then it stopped. Now it has returned. The light touch of my clothing against my skin there is sharply painful, also if I barely run my fingers across the area, or if I twist my arm towards my body. Deeper pressure also has the same painful sensation. Doesn't appear to impede movement (other than movement also sets off the pain. I guess I should be grateful that this sort of thing has not accompanied any of my other surgeries. My online research is not particularly helpful other than to say sometimes there is pain if nerves are growing back, and sometimes it resolves and sometimes it does not... I phoned the Drs office and hopefully will get a message back at some point with more information.

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Spending time inside my head thinking about various longer range projects I want to pursue in 2023.

Artwork projects. (I want to do more with printmaking this coming year, and I also want to complete all the assorted scribal art projects I have committed to.)

Sewing projects (because always, but slower and with more care and details, and also The Raincoat Project, if not finished by the end of 2022).

Tinyworld projects. (Finish the houses that belong on Tansu Terrace, and also make an interchangeable room box for taking photos)

Housey projects. (Build a chook house. And also continue work on the fruit trees and creating and planting garden beds. And find someone to deal with the broken tree in the front yard. And find someone to take all the detritus to the transfer station. And The Roof, and The Window Awnings)

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Halfway done with the the skulls for a second skull lace collar, this one is intended for dear Aelflaed. The crocheting is getting faster, which is good. I have looked around online to see if there might be any other crocheted things I might want, but the only things I have seen that appeal are some botanical motifs, and floral motifs from Attic 24's blog, which might be fun to turn into hat decorations.

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	skull brooch	vacuum heat intake	broken porch planter
2	salsa verde	new pinback on flower	recycle bin
3	pale grey long janes	26# quinces picked	recycle bin
4	trim for long janes	black embroidered slip	recycle bin
5	large tray quince paste	add turtleneck to tie-dye	yard waste bin
6	6 jars quince jelly	pruned persimmon	x
7	11 jars Awesome Sauce	reattach vest buttons	x
8	4 jars vanilla rose quince syrup	x	x
9	black long janes	x	x
10	8 jars Awesome Sauce	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. I can walk over 10K in a day, and not feel completely flat
2. The purple corn husks are dry, so I can play with them soon...
3. Today while out walking I saw the better part of a parking strip covered in clusters of Chinese chestnut husks that looked eversomuch like drifts of soot sprites, though not black. Made me smile.

Time of Isolation - Day 999

seesaw ride

in which our plucky heroine has a day of ups and downs...

I was surprised at the post box today to find a package, which turned out to be my prize for winning the Pennsic Mini Shelter challenge... Wow! Not only did our fearless leader include the Recombinant Reindeer ornament, but she added in a whole assortment of miniature foodstuffs, and a new miniature doll! There are all kinds of medieval provender: bread (both loaf and slices), rashers of bacon,  bunches of grapes, a bowl of pottage complete with spoon, a tiny basket to carry things in, and a few other bits and bobs. I am quite blown away!

Of course I immediately set about "butchering" the Recombinant Reindeer... Much to my surprise, aside from the pendant dangling legs (mini flashlight, axe, entrenching tool, and tent stake?) the rest of the reindeer was cast in one piece! I decided that after carefully removing the little wire eyes that attached the limbs I would then attempt sawing off the head/neck/antlers/marshmallows conglomerate. I am much more interested in the little red and white cooler that formed the reindeer body. Currently, after filing down the spot where the neck attached, I am painting some white gesso down in layers, to try and give the cooler lid an even texture. Yet another bit of camping kit that will look really cute inside the tent.

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time in the tinyworld:

Day 5 - "in the sunlight"... it's not that sunny today but Almandine insisted on wearing the sunglasses anyway! They're made from a fancy paperclip and the lenses are cut from my eclipse-watching spex, leftover from the trip to see totality 4+ years ago...

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This YouTube channel looks like a fun thing to watch, thanks to my pal Wanda for sharing one of the videos with me! What is not to like, combining mudlarking with miniatures... "The Miniature World Of Kit & Caboodlers"

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~ creativity challenge ~

My latest idea, inspired by taking photos of the tiny tent on the salad table, is to use one of the four trays to create a miniature garden. That way I will have an easy way and place to take outdoor miniature pictures without having to flop down on the ground, and I can have the fun of finding and adding plants with tiny foliage or flowers. To start with, there is certainly enough moss around the yard that could be transplanted to create a "grassy" area...

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Adrift

Captain lost at sea
Charts destroyed, your anchor gone
Soon the sun will set

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	wee fruit basket	recombinant reindeer	yard waste bin
2	-	shelf for router	-
3	-	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	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(s) - It is actually rather unexpectedly nice; moderating comments means that they show up in my emails. Which means that I see them sooner. Which makes my day at least start off with something pleasant...

Also, today I was able to create a shelf for the tech tower using some assorted scraps, a piece of 3/8" plywood that happened to be just the right size, some L brackets, and a few bolts, washers, and wing nuts. Now the router has an up in the sky place to live.

Time of Isolation - Day 838

a poetic interlude of despair

in which our plucky heroine wakes up sad...

Slipping inexorably, my hands and feet tractionless on long dry slippery grass. My throat is thick with unshed tears. Recent hope is circling the drain, as thoughtless stupidity hands the keys of the human world to a mindless virus. In the Before Times, I clung to a dream of finding the steps into a better future, both for me, and overall. The gateway to that path is closed now. The brightness of wildland fires and heat dome sunlight burns the maps.

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Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine wakes up extra early...

In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

Every weekend now we have a siblings and spouses zoom, at what is currently "o'dark-thirty" on Sunday morning. For some reason this bit of poetic doggrel was running through my head that morning. It was pitch black when my alarm went off. I have a very vivid memory of the illustration that went along with that poem

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~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 76 ~

A handy herb and spice jar shelf... for years now have thought it would be a good thing to keep them handy in the unused space just beneath the upper cupboards, and today, rather than continue to wait for inspiration, or the perfect object on some design blog, I decided to use pieces of what I had on hand. I am getting tired of how cluttered Acorn Cottage has become during the pandemic. I used random wood scraps, and hardware bits, and while it isn't Fine Woodworking™ , it will hopefully do. Done is better than perfect.

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This undercabinet shelf will work better than my previous arrangement, and free up space on the corner turntable for the jars of oats, and kasha, and rice noodles to move off the countertop. The turntable was full of a lot of little jars of either back stock spices or the kinds of random clobber that kitchens accumulate, and now that bit of countertop can be cleared, and cleaned, and be useable...

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I got to have a video chat with The Aunties, and Auntie Beth gave me a wee bit of a harp lesson. I am one of the testers for the new book that Beth and Ceilidh are writing on how to learn to play the small harp. Since I know very little and have no native musical aptitude, I am a good tester. Eventually my hope is to be able to play simply medieval tunes...

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beauty in the time of isolation - day 276:

holiday lights nearby 

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This article is full of food for thought, and an extended perspective not commonly found... I have a fair amount of agreement with what the writer has to say, if not their clear and experiential perspective...

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	tiny patchwork	Nandina's nose	recycle bin
2	2 Kiki biscornu	worm bin rebedded	yard waste bin
3	2 sample masks	dainties bag patched	yard waste bin
4	spiral tea towel		recycle bin
5	new spice rack	-	knitting sets
6	x	x	moar cardboard!
7	x	x	x
8	x	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 - that was quick, my new glasses from Zenni arrived in the mail Saturday morning, just two weeks exactly from when I placed the order. They need a bit of fit-tweaking with my trusty pliers, and I am not sure if I will also need to replace the nosepads (which I often must do because contact allergy). The difference having the correct prescription is noticeable! Now if only the computer glasses and the shopwork glasses will arrive soon as well. EyeBuyDirect didn't think my prescription was correct, so waited two weeks to contact me to ask?

Careful observation

in which our plucky heroine takes effective actions...

I was able to go out (in the rain) this morning, and remove the piles of windfall apples, and the remaining grapes from the vine, into the yard waste bin for pickup today. The apples (which I tackled first) were not a real problem, as I could see no insects around them, the rake has a long handle, and raking them onto the burden cloth kept me quite distant from the damaged fruit.

That accomplished, I turned my attention to grapes. Some of the grape clusters were obviously vacant of wasps/hornets/yellowjackets, so I carefully cut those away and removed them. There were not many insects out in the strong rain (unlike yesterdays perfect autumnal weather, when simply standing adjacent to Feral Grapevine was hazardous), but I could see that some of the grape clusters had at least one inhabitant feeding.

Observing and thinking, my hypothesis was that the exposed grapes, being drenched by rain, had been safe to remove, but the ones more sheltered by leaves had Danger Bugs; it seemed like removing the leafy umbrellas might cause the grape clusters to be abandoned. And so, an experiment: it was possible to carefully and gently cut away the overhanging leaves a bit at a time, without causing any change in behavior, but once the grapes were exposed to the rain, the little buggers flew away. (And they flew away OUT of my yard, which leads me to believe that they are not nesting here)

Following the experiment on the one bunch, I then carefully repeated it for each of the remaining grape clusters, all now disposed of in the yard waste wheelie bin. It was interesting to see a few insects returning after grape removal, them seeming baffled by the loss of their sugary treats and then flying away... Next year I will do some pruning away of sheltering foliage earlier in the year.

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~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 56 ~

"Footwear" is the challenge of the week, and this pair of clogs is my response. Carved wooden soles, and uppers made from a scrap of red kidskin. Tiny Rag Doll Nation (on Ravelry) has a two month long weekly creative challenge, this is week 4.

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I love this poem "The Mushroom Hunters" by Neil Gaiman. First heard it read by his wife Amanda Palmer, then found the illustrated version, with drawings and text lettered by Chris Riddell, and now just found the video...

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beauty in the time of isolation - day 185:

Most of the backyard apples became windfalls in the high winds before the toxic smoke rolled in, but there are a very few still on the tree. This is one of the best.

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September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Gwen sunhat	removed oven door	old underwindow
2	dozen EQUITY prints	clean one bedroom screen	dead cold-packs
3	tiny deer hat	clean studio screens	yard waste bin
4	Gwen knit cardigan	10# plums processed	recycle bin
5	Nandina coat	felt cover for exhaust fan	favorite saucepan
6	Nandina boots	doors taped closed	oven door glass
7	Nandina felt skirt	15 # plums processed	yard waste bin
8	Nandina red clogs	some tomatoes dried	yard waste bin
9	x	underwindow foam + tape	recycle bin
10	x	many pears dried	x
11	x	wanda plum pruned	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - My heart is still open to feelings

Friday folderol and Saturday snippets

in which our plucky heroine finds some wonderful fish...

Koi are a symbol of resilience and that is something we all need more than ever these days. A bit of online searching and I found out the artist is Jeremy Novy

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I want to age like sea glass.
Smoothed by tides, not broken.
I want to ride the waves, go with the flow and feel the impact of the surging tides.
When I am caught between the rocks and a hard place, I will rest.
And when I am ready, I will catch a wave and let it carry me where I belong.
I want to be picked up and held gently by those who delight in my well-earned patina,
And appreciate the changes I went through to achieve this luster.
I want to enjoy the journey and let my preciousness be, not in spite of the impacts,
But because of them.
I want to age like sea glass.

--Bernadette Noll
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beauty in the time of isolation - day 149:

 

a new, multi-sided poetry kiosk was installed recently,
next to the driveway at the local shoe repair shop...

the two poems I saw were an old favorite, and now a new one. I have loved Marge Piercy's "To be of use" for many years, but I will say that reading the words of Audre Lourde in "A Litany for Survival" spoke so strongly to me right now.

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	scribal sketchbook	light bulbs replaced	yard waste bin
2	scroll for Countess E	box fan cleaned	recycle bin
3	tiny knitting bag	box fan cleaned	-
4	tiny tote bag	rosemary pruned	-
5	Nandina handknit	box fan cleaned	-
6	Nandina sunhat	organise new paint	-
7	tiny knitting book	x	x
8	Nandina clothing	x	x
9	tiny basket	x	x
10	another tiny rag doll	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 neighbors, at least that is my assumption about who put my wheelie bins out for the trash and recycle before I got around to it...

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine attempts not to melt...

the temperature just reached triple digits on my front porch Monday afternoon. Although, my efforts to hand carry water to the pet tomato plants in the backyard are literally bearing fruit, as there are delightful sun warmed red globes large and small becoming ripe. (#totallyworthwhile)

I have been slowly making progress on the bookbinding project, following along with the medieval Islamic bookbinding class online. This weekend I learned a new, if modern, way to DIY bookcloth, using tissue paper and wonder-under. (probably not archival, but super fast and easy)

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inspired by Book of Hours France, Saint-Omer, between 1320 and 1329

first step in creating an SCA scroll is to plan out the calligraphy, since that fixed space needs to be known before adding any borders.

once all the calligraphy is inked, I start drawing and inking the border decorations, looking at medieval Books of Hours, and other manuscript images from the time period*, as my reference for possible imagery...

The theme for the 48 hour challenge was "pollination & partnership", and I enjoyed figuring how to combine those concepts with the interests and heraldic imagery of my recipient

first step in adding color to the scroll is the goldwork, in this case I am using Finetec mica based paint, "Arabian Gold". The original artwork only has five colors: blue, a bright warm red, pale red, a small amount of green, white, and metallic gold. 

I tend to add the various colors in one at a time, in order to distribute them evenly around the page, so as to not create unwanted focal points... here I have added the blue, and the bright red, and barely started on the green. There will also be a pale red, and then a few specially mixed colors for certain details... Finally at the end, there will be whitework lines and decorations to enrich the surface

A closer view of this stage of the decorated capital "A"

I found a flax spinning woman in the Rutland Psalter, that with a bit of adaptation would be perfect here

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~ 100 day creativity challenge - day 33 ~

Close the book


where are comforting arms,
and a velvet voice to tell me
that it all turns out well in the end

Outside the library, samaras spiraling down
Mommy peeled one open and stuck it on my nose
now I'm a unicorn inside a tale

we left that town, that gentle life
Moms link arms against the guns now

freedom is a fever dream now
the planet burns now

I long for a different story

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beauty in the time of isolation - day 126:

Nandina in jasmine vines

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July SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	deerskin pouch	sage pruned	yard waste bin
2	bone needle case	some plum pruning	recycle bin
3	3 jars applesauce	cut unruly rose canes	yard waste bin
4	2 jars orange marmalade	all the taxes done	recycle bin
5	three aprons for Mud Bay	pruned grapevine	yard waste bin
6	Kestrel mask	removed comfrey	yard waste bin
7	7 pints of plums	filled planters	recycle bin
8	2 pints plum syrup	transplants in	x
9	tiny knitting	x	x
10	tiny knitting bowl	x	x
11	book cloth	x	x
12	Nandina clothing	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - Long ago when I was a young person, I had a best friend Vanessa, from when I was in 5th grade to when I was in 9th grade and moved away. I have been thinking about her often these days, as I wander around on my sanity strolls and look for places to photograph Nandina.

Vanessa and I played with our Barbie and Tutti dolls, but rather than the "prescribed" way with clothes and fashions, ours were proto-survivalists cast away on another planet, and we roamed the neighborhood foraging for foodstuffs found on various plants, and made clothing from leaves... We built habitats from lashed together sticks, and rocks, and whatever else we could salvage under the shrubbery in her yard.

May she rest in peace and in power, she died in 2012...

*

Book of Hours 

pomegranate biology

medieval sheep

medieval goats

beehive(Luttrell Psalter)

medieval bees
distaff and spindle
fruit harvest
photos of Countess E here, here, and here
dog of Countess E

the shortest day

in which our plucky heroine marks another trip around the sun...

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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today's gratitude -  I'm still here, still above ground, still making and sharing as best as can be managed...

the longest night...

In which our plucky heroine has a quiet solstice birthday...

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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Tonight, when I went to close the chooks in their house for the night, I found two eggs!! This has never happened here before, the earliest I ever got winter eggs was in late January. When I spoke to Mr Dawson, he said that he as had this happen, sometimes... because the sunset time is staying light longer, even while the sunrise time is getting even later, so while the night lengthens, it also shifts in time, and some hens occasionally will lay solstice eggs. I never heard the like, but the eggs are welcome just the same!

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December SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	brown linen blouse	GM enamel redone	extra tartlets**
2	jingle bell	brown blouse cuffs	bag of fabric scraps
3	indigo batik dress	enamel reset	low hanging branches
4	miyazaki stamps	x	yard waste bin
5	Laurel stamp	x	bag to Goodwill
6	much Awesome Sauce	x	-
7	5 jars mandarin oranges	x	-
8	x	x	-
9	x	x	-
10	x	x	-
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

media Monday - the mushroom hunters

in which our plucky heroine is always grateful that in this world filled with trauma, heartbreak and horror, I have the privilege of shifting my point of view to focus on the positive...

because this world is also full of kindness and thoughtfulness and beauty and poetry..

because science...

☽ O ☾

because flowers bloom even when it is raining...

☽ O ☾

because humor...

☽ O ☾

wishing all and sundry the best Monday possible under the circumstances...

goals post for 2015

... in which our plucky heroine looks at the distance a year makes...

Last year at this time I wrote: "For 2014 my goal is to believe enough that I will make it through another year that having goals is possible... and with that belief, make progress on the aspects of my life that are the most out of balance." I have made that some progress towards beginning to believe that more years may be possible. It seems that by paying attention to my physical environment, by choosing to improve it, by deciding to live as if there would be a tomorrow, by moving towards a house and life that supports what I want to be doing, my inner life has indeed shifted to some extent.

As far as the eightfold spokes of my life, some progress was made in a few parts, and none at all in others. Last year I wrote: "I need to make progress in 2014 on improving basically everything about my life (except my relationships with family and friends, which is excellent); there are areas which I understand the needed direction and steps, being held back only by my own fears, and there are areas where I have no idea how or even what would make the situation better... Well, needs must take what steps seem apparent, and trust that in time the muddy water will settle and clear

#1 career - only new teaching I did in 2014 was an SCA embroidery class. In 2015 I will teach more stitchery and enameling workshops, and will begin an active approach to more teaching venues

#2 health - in 2014 I went a month without dairy, and found that made no difference other than I became grouchy. went a month without grain and felt much improved. Acquired a pedometer, which is becoming a useful tool. In 2015 I will eat more salads, drink water more, as well as continue tracking walkies. Start a monthly graph to track progress!

#3 personal development/education - in 2014 did none of this, didn't do anywhere near as much sewing as normal even... and didn't learn any new metal or enameling skills either. In 2015 I will complete at least one 6PAC and SWAP 2015, including developing a bodice/blouse sloper. I will complete at least one of the three Craftsy classes, as well as seeing out assistance with bodice fitting. I will explore some way to learn something new in metalwork/enamel. In additon I will prepare at least three or four new artworks for a show in April/May

#4 family/friends - in 2014 this was the only part of my life where I could say: keep on with doing well... In 2015 I have every expectation to be able to say Yep, this is the best part of my life!!

#5 household/environment - in 2014 I completed the "discard 60 grocery bags or the equivalent column of my year long challenge, and have been working with Kaitline on decluttering. In 2015 I will continue the process and begin to organise my supplies, tools and materials, as well as household goods. This is an ongoing project that is going well.

#6 romance/personal relationships - In 2014 I wanted a local companion, and had no idea how to make that a reality. In 2015 I still have no clue what small steps to take, where to begin, and feel more hopeless than ever...

#7 finances - In 2014 I decided I wanted a sustainable income. Not sure what that would be like. Haven't done the math yet. The only thing I did differently in 2014 was to act as general contractor for the Great Orb of Dominion project and the An Tir Crown bid presentation. In 2015 I will do the math to figure out what a liveable income would be, which will help me set new goals.

#8 fun/recreation - in 2014 I attended more SCA events, as well as a few additional non-SCA social activities. In 2015 I will both continue to be active socially and also re-start Crafternoon gatherings once a month

In the aspect of household environment there is continuing effort and useful changes, which I've every intention of continuing to move forward. In the aspect of fun and recreation, I did attend more SCA events this year, and once or twice did something creative just because I wanted to see what would happen and not for work or a specific outcome. I'm hoping to find a way to do more of that sort of playful experimentation. In the aspect of family and friends, my connections remain solid, and there was even a trip cross country to visit my beloved parents on their 60th anniversary. So where last year saw only one of the eight spokes feeling solid, this year there are three in improved condition.

About the other five spokes: personal development/education, career, health, finances, and romance/personal relationships... these are aspects of my life that I'd also like to pay attention to, but have much less of a clue as to what handles to grasp and move to change things. With the changes I worked on this year, the initial small steps were obvious, and could be done in a kaizen fashion. More thought is needed. Action is needed.

I shall have to call that progress, even if not as much progress as this impatient girl would like. Still cogitating on how best to quantify moving-forward-change in 2015...

:::

I follow Terry Windling's blog Myth and Moor, and today she posted this lovely "Bunny Blessing for New Year's Eve", and our plucky heroine just had to share it, wishing for all my dear ones a year to come where the Fox passes us by, and where the Earth springs renewed under our feet:

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray to Earth, my soul to keep.
I pray to Wind, for gentle dreams.
To Water, for sweet murmurings.
To Grass, where I will make my bed.
To moss, where I will rest my head.
To blood's Fire, to keep me warm.
To Dark, to keep me safe from harm.
To Moon, to dim her silver light,
so Fox will pass me by tonight.
I pray to Stars, who watch above.
Bless me, and everyone I love.

:::