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...

※※※

~ 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.

※※※

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.

※※※

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

※※※

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

※※※

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)

※※※

~ 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)

※※※

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"

※※※

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.

※※※

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

recent reading and other random bits

in which our plucky heroine is bemused...

I've begun to read Shirley Hughes' autobiography "A Life Drawing", and am enjoying it very much. One small surprising factoid is that when she was a student at Oxford, she lived next door to Tolkien! 

I recently finished reading "Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern", which was delightful; it connected her clothing (much of which she made herself), her home(s), and her lifestyle with her artwork, as they were all informed by her distinctive point of view.

※※※

~ chalked cat head ~

This cat head is more than a yard in diameter, taking up almost all the driveway ramp in someone's yard. Is it not wonderful and whimsical? I am wondering if it is a portrait. I particularly love the righthand ear, how the blue eye patch just continues onto the ear, but only part way...

※※※

Cathy sent me this video, of a very simple dress all made from asymmetical patchwork. The style reminds me of my own popover dresses, and of the Japanese pattern that was their inspiration. I think this might be a clever way to use wonderful fabric pieces that are much too small to make a whole garment, without looking too much like the Patchwork Girl of Oz

※※※

~ 1¾ # black elderberry clusters ~

Yesterday in the cooler part of the early morning, I went out to pick elderberries... cutting off as many clusters of ripe berries as I could reach. (The upper part of the elderberry has already had many hungry avian visitors...) There were many more berries this year than in any previous year, enough that I'm going to try making immune support elderberry syrup.

My pal Leslie suggested freezing them first, to avoid crushing berries when removing from the stems, so these are all now in the chest freezer. They can safely wait there until the weather is a bit cooler, when simmering the syrup and boiling the jars will be more appealing...

※※※

I started making another dolly playsuit, this one for Kestrel's tiny folks. I wanted to experiment with Dawn's reversible camisole pattern, which has a different shape and construction than Ann Wood's camisole. I think the sewing is easier, if still fussy at 1:12 scale. My first attempt at patterning turned out wearable, but I think it needs to be just a bit wider in the front bodice. Might have to make another playsuit set (pants and camisole top) just to test that out.

※※※

August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 pillowcases	nut chopper handle	-
2	yak print	elderberry harvest	-
3	tiny bell-bottoms	-	-
4	tiny camisole	-	-
5	small pressing tools	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
1. Salad Nicoise sans lettuce is still good
2. Advent swap just gained another participant, that makes 20 total!!
3. I had been wondering where to store the tiny pressing tools, then I realised I could just tuck them into my bentwood sewing box!
4. harvested 1¾ # black elderberry clusters! Now in freezer awaiting de-stemming and turning into immune tonic syrup

Time of Isolation - Day 1488

napping is the better option

in which our plucky heroine recovers from a bit of foolishness...

Last night I stayed up far too late reading. I try not to do that, but sometimes it is just too tempting. That I have read two* new to me books so far this year that were such a pleasure to read has to be some kind of personal record, whatever havoc it has wreaked on my sleep schedule.

That said, only four hours of sleep meant I was not at the top of my form today... after my midday trek through the pouring rain to the pharmacy to get vaccinated for RSV I was so exhausted that hand sewing snaps became just too difficult. I was just sitting there staring at the snap I had just stitched on the wrong side of the fabric, and decided that napping was the better idea. Four hours later...

※※※

~ week 1 and then day 9 ~

I'd meant to share the first week, and how the filled up page looked, but the weekend was rather busy. Today was just a bit of an imaginary bird. I realise I don't have a have no good grasp on how birds are put together; my sketches tend to all start out looking mostly like the very stylised birds on the cover of the 60's paperback edition of Lord of the Rings. Perhaps a bit of research in a field guide is in order...

※※※

The consensus among my Sewing Nomad pals is that I should just go for it, rethread my serger with the teal thread, and make up the new top for myself... I can return to the "sewing for others" with renewed vigor, and a bit more color in my life. Not going to argue, that sounds like a good idea, and sewing up a new knit top is fast and easy, one benefit of TNT patterns.

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	Jedi obi sash	reinstall octopus	-
2	Jedi underlayer	hang candle lantern	-
3	2 tiny books	paint tiger frame	-
4	-	patch closet holes	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. when in doubt, bouillon... between a four hour nap, and a tummy with collywobbles, there was no dinner today, but a cup of warm broth was soothing, warming, and a safe option
2. I can take a nap when I am exhausted, and return to my everyday life and work once better rested
3. TNT patterns that are a doddle to sew, since I've already worked out all the difficulty prior to the project. It must have been almost twenty years ago that I decided I needed a knit top that fit my body. I remember it took four or five tries, and the pattern I ended up with looks nothing like a bog standard tee in the body, but I've been wearing garments made from that pattern every since.

Time of Isolation - Day 1286

* Mink River by Brian Doyle, and A Half Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys

not an oxymoron

in which our plucky heroine discovers and rediscovers some things...

While I don't have the design in my mind yet, I now have a concept connected to my prompt of "thrilling reverie": Outer Space (possibly including space travel) This is for the upcoming Enamel Art Jam. I was out riding my bike and it just leapt into my imagination I've been struggling to come up with how to connect such two words that feel like an oxymoron to me. Thank you brain, for doing such a good job of cogitation!

※※※

~ 100 day stitch book project - day 48 ~

Day 48/100 (page 10) Added some indigo batik pieces to the composition, and then decided to cut some small half circles from a scrap of quilting cotton. I may restitch the indigo batik with a different color floss, as the gold color feels too obtrusive, those might be better in a light grey or a light blue...

~ 100 day stitch book project - day 47 ~

When a scrap of felt that had been caught with my other scraps dropped on page 10, it gave me an entirely new direction. Though rather than use the really thick (⅛") felt scrap, I recut the shape from a bit of thin indigo, and added a few square-ish spots for accents...

※※※

Oh such a tasty lunch... a black cod fillet in browned butter, along with a few asparagus spears. Black cod aka sablefish, is probably my favorite fish, and fish at all is a rare treat.

※※※

Norah Gaughan's "Twisted Stitch Sourcebook", discovered as a reference (mentioned in the notes on Kate Davies Carp-beth sweater) and currently on loan from the public library, has been added to my list of Very Useful books. It is tempting me start on a new cardigan, despite that I have not completed the lopapeysa I already have the yarn for. It would be excellent to have a texture patterned cardigan, unlike any of my other handknits...

※※※

Ugh! ... shortly after I awoke on Tuesday, my vision was disturbed by the unmistakable signs of another ocular migraine. Which rather put paid to any activity that required clear sight, at least for a while. Ah well, washing a rack of dishes is not dependent on seeing every little detail, and neither is folding laundry and putting it away, so the morning is not a total loss.

※※※

perusing the "always available" list of audiobooks on the library website, I found "The Book of Difficult Fruit" which so far has been a pretty delightful listen. While I am only on chapter 4 - "D" (durian), it will be good company while doing housey chores.

※※※

March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	page 9	chore jacket snaps	recycle bin
2	-	rain capelet neckline	yard waste bin
3	-	Stanley power strip	ceiling fan blades
4	-	-	more ceiling fan blades
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 gratitudes -
1. my brain, which like a good pet, eventually does what I ask of it   
2. a package of Brazilian Cheese Bread found at the bottom of the chest freezer. I had forgotten how tasty they are, and being made from tapioca flour, they are gluten free as well... I want to look up how to make them myself...
3. central heating

Time of Isolation - Day 1094

something old something new

in which our plucky heroine begins planning and cogitation...

in a way, this is the part of the year I enjoy, looking over what I did in the last twelve months, and thinking over how to try and arrange my life in the next year in a way that is satisfying and moves me in healthy directions. What do I want more of, what can I let go of, and where can I apply my own tiny amount of leverage to the world...

※※※

With the tablet weaving set up in the hallway behind the computer desk, I've been able to make steady progress on the trim for the commissioned daypack. At this point the woven trim is more than halfway completed, and I should begin the actual sewing as one of the first textile + sewing projects of 2023. Still need to acquire garment leather for the daypack base. I will be using the Range Backpack pattern as my starting point, just as I did with the one I made for myself back in the spring of 2019, which has been in steady use since then...

※※※

~ book report ~

"Sweet Thursday" by John Steinbeck is my current audio book.  I think of it as actually a romance, in two ways. Aside from the central romantic involvement between two unlikely protagonists, most of all it is a loving look at an interwoven community, depicted in the vivid and unmistakable voice of the author. This was the second Steinbeck book I ever read, and the first one I enjoyed. (I've never gone back to reread The Red Pony, which I picked up from the library as a child under the misapprehension that it was a "horse story", and is definitely not the tale to read when sick in bed with a sore throat)

"The Raconteur's Commonplace Book" by Kate Milford is my current hardcopy book -  the texture and flavor of her writing is just the right sort of decoratively detailed for what I feel like reading right now, bon mots and descriptions, like the sort of fruitcake that is studded with assorted flavors of good dried fruit. I'd not call it deeply nourishing like a good stew, but for a treat, it is being worth the time spent reading it,

※※※

Cookery notes: the gyoza I made last week, with the thicker storebought wrappers will be great for soup, not so much for potstickers. They cook up quite acceptably, but the balance between is off. Fortunately it is soup season, and what is too much wrapper in a plate of gyoza works really well as noodle substitute

The lamb cheek stew filled the house with smell so delicious that it rivaled the crispy salty scent of bacon in tempting me from winters featherbed. The stew was almost as succulent as oxtail. I am glad I chose to cook the lentils separately rather than adding them in, I discovered that really old pantry lentils don't get soft even if cooked in the slow cooker overnight. I guess if I want to make the Roman lentil barley leek dish, (and I do) I will need to acquire some less venerable lentils!

※※※

I am really liking the 3 good things tool, because it is a this-helps-me way to shift my focus that I can actually use. Taking time during the day to notice even small good things really does help. I have been doing a number of slightly different things towards the end of 2022 with that intention. I recently have been really looking when I am outside to find something to photograph, as a contradiction to feeling limited by my surroundings. I remember taking up that sort of looking after my first cancer surgery, when my limitation was how much effort it took to walk even a block or two, and how absorbing it was to rest my mind for moments just looking at moss on a wall, for example.

※※※

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	recycle bin
5	8 jars persimmon ketchup	vertical loom	recycle bin
6	4 more Liam baprons	mend grey dress	x
7	calendar masters	insulate AC	x
8	6 jars quincemeat	x	x
9	4 lg jars strawberry rhubarb	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. good yarns in the stash boxes, I've started on a new pair of long fingerless gloves
2. I am comfortable with knitting in the round on multiple needles. While it looks alarming, I find it much easier for complicated objects like cephalopods, and gloves.
3. Tullia sent me some beautiful colorful tiny glass "ornaments" which will be perfect for making a mantlepiece garland for the tinyfolks fireplace

Time of Isolation - Day 1028

Sunday snippets

in which our plucky heroine makes small progresses...

The weather has become steadily damp, but I have been doing my best to get out and about for at least short walks every day. This morning I dodged between rain showers and walked to the ballot drop box to vote. There were a number of people in cars also dropping off their ballots.

※※※

One benefit of the pluvial enthusiasm is that the moss perks up really quickly, regaining the plushy green that fades away in the dry season. I never tire of seeking out new moss landscapes...

※※※:

Spent part of Sunday evening putting up jars of homemade salsa verde... 3# of tomatillos = 6C salsa verde = 12 4oz jars for the pantry

※※※

Well, that was a treat! Just finished "A Snake Falls to Earth" by Darcie Little Badger, which is the current Big Library Read selection. If you are into YA hopepunk Indigenous Futurism fantasy I most highly recommend it...

※※※

~ creativity challenge ~

The sample crocheted skull motif, made (from different smaller yarn) to confirm that I understood the directions before starting on the skull collar, is now a small brooch. I'm sending it to Kestrel, who has developed a real enjoyment of skeletons and graveyards.

※※※

November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	skull brooch	vacuum heat intake	-
2	salsa verde	new pinback on flower	-
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 gratitudes -
1. I found 3 of the missing sewing thimbles
2. I am not forgotten by my friends
3. kawaii lampwork from Carina: a pumpkin, and a little white mouse holding a smaller pumpkin

Time of Isolation - Day 979

Thursday thoughts

in which our plucky heroine starts her day a little late...

really ought to know better than to open up a recommended delightful new book whilst eating breakfast thinking to self "oh I will just read a few pages while I finish my cereal".

※※※

Made some actual progress today, not only caught up on Mt Dishmore (that never ending task) but also, with some online video company from Karen, managed to clear off the dining table completely, and set it up so I can spend the next few days focused on my drawing. I intend to complete a set of twelve "alpha-sketch" drawings, for a 2022 calendar, as a sort of promissory of belief in the future.

※※※

~ creativity challenge: dream vacation, and pet(s) ~

Today's prompt was "dream vacation"... I suspect that Almandine and Nandina would quite enjoy a trip to visit my friends who live next to Mud Bay, where Nandina's sister Zinna and her companion Hazel live (with Bill and Cathy and Jen, and their child Kestrel). I would enjoy it just as much, as I dearly love my Mud Bay pals and in some hopefully possible future when traveling to visit friends is less fraught, it would be a treat to spend a few days in their delightful and creative company... That house at the end of the Delphi Valley, where I was privileged to live for a number of years, is the home of my heart, the place where I felt the most at home, in all my years of travel and all my different abodes. The shape of the land, the light, the trees and the water... I am always grateful for a chance to be there again, if only for a while...

Yesterday the prompt was "pet(s)", and Tuesday's prompt was "watching TV"..
Nandina and Almandine were gifted with a beautiful large dog this past year, who they have named "Sequoia" for his unusually large size.

In addition, they have some transplanted European badgers who like to come visit from time to time, not exactly pets, but treasured guests, who seem to particularly enjoy watching "Adventure Time"...

※※※

Later in the evening, I spent a bit more time working on the third iteration of my effort to create a suitable toile for my future raincoat.  I think that with a few more tweaks of the sleeve head seam I should be able to move forward with a possibly wearable muslin, using some of the grey canvas and creating a "chore coat" style jacket. What I did was to shift the entire armscye about 1¼" towards the front, adding more movement width to the back, and removing the excess fabric from the front armhole. I then continued to carefully reshape the sleeve head, to better reflect my own body. In addition, I added a pseudo-gusset under the arm, by extending the center of both the sleeve and the underarm seam each in a sort of half-diamond shape. It will be excellent to finally have a raincoat, eventually, as well as (fingers crossed) a useful chore coat with many pockets...

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blue Almandine trousers	pruned feral roses	yard waste bin
2	tiny dominoes	mended turtleneck	recycle bin
3	tiny domino box	cleared dining table	-
4	Almandine ragg pullover	third jacket toile.	-
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 - determination, and years of sewing experience, that let me, once I get out of my own way, fearlessly reshape pattern pieces to better fit the very non-standard shape of the body I live in...

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine remembers why she hates fitting sleeves...

It has been another cold raw day here, and I didn't want to go outside. Instead, I finished up a few of the planned activities here, like getting ALL the dishes washed, cooking down the orange peels into syrupy candied peel which is now sitting on wire racks to dry, and putting fresh flannel sheets on the bed (so cozy). Dinner was leftover lasagna with green salad, and there is enough leftover that some will go into the freezer, as I also made a leek/collard/kasha casserole for tomorrow's dinner. At least I am making progress on my goals of eating more vegetables!

※※※

~ creativity challenge: tiny game box ~

before I put yesterdays dominoes away, I needed to make them a box, lest they get lost in the Drawer of Miniature Things... box (3/4"x3/8") with attached lid was made from bristol board, scored, folded and cut, then glued carefully together with tabbed sides; box is a little out of scale, but as small as I was able to easily handle.

※※※

I am determined to make a go of my raincoat construction project. I finally girded my loins for the new year and began to adapt the given sleeves for the pattern, shifting the shape of the sleeve armsceye cap in hope of it better matching my shoulders? Sleeve is if anything even more twisted looking now. My arms are not that unusual in shape, truly, but I remember having this sort of trouble with the sleeves the time years ago when I made the denim jean jacket. It took five (5!) repeated muslin attempts to get a toile that fit my shoulder/arm interface. Something about the combination of narrow shoulders, and slightly forward arm position makes it really difficult to get it right enough for comfort. I will keep trying, but I hate it. If I hadn't managed to get the body of the pattern so very nicely fitted, I would start over again with a different pattern, as I suspect that this pattern was designed by someone with very different posture and angulation than I have?..

※※※

January SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	blue Almandine trousers	pruned feral roses	-
2	tiny dominoes	mended turtleneck	-
3	tiny domino box	-	-
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 - My delightful SIL sent me a new book, "Cloud Cuckoo Land" nice and thick so will provide a number of nights of bedtime reading... The plan is to have a kind of family girls book club and discuss it once we have all read it. I have never been in a book club, but always wanted to!

a sunny if silent day

in which our plucky heroine shares some additional options for things to do...

Time of Isolation - Day 4

I am the very model of effective social distancing!
I listen to the experts on the topic of resistance-ing;
I know that brunch and yoga class aren’t nearly as imperative
As doing what I can to change the nation’s viral narrative.

I’m very well acquainted, too, with living solitarily
And confident that everyone can do it temporarily:
Go take a walk, or ride a bike, or dig into an unread book;
Avoid the bars and restaurants and carry out, or learn to cook.

There’s lots of stuff to watch online while keeping safe from sinus ills
(In this case, it’s far better to enjoy your Netflix MINUS chills)!
Adopt a pet, compose a ballad, write some earnest doggerel,
And help demolish Trump before our next event inaugural.

Pandemics are alarming, but they aren’t insurmountable
If everybody pitches in to hold ourselves accountable.
In short, please do your part to practice prudent co-existence-ing,
And be the very model of effective social distancing!

- Eliza Rubenstein

From the renowned fantasy artist Charles Vess:
"Since the next several weeks will be quieter and slower than most for you, perhaps you'd like to read my novel, 'The Queen of Summer's Twilight'. Its all on online and free on my GMP blog. I hope that you'll enjoy it..."

Looking for a fun thing to do while distancing from your everyday life and contacts? The artist Carson Ellis is going to be posting daily "art assignments" and encouragement on her Instagram. I plan on participating...


My friend and author A. M. Brosius has written a number of fascinating and enjoyable alternate future history novels, and a number of them are serialised on his Dreamwidth account. As he recently posted:
"I'm not sayin' that if you're stuck at home for days and bored that you could go to dreamwidth and read the serialized novels that I have posted there. But you *could* y'know?": Chapter One, Book One:

※※※

March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	candied pomelo peel	back corner fence	-
2	blood orange marmalade	pantry reorganised	-
3	cara cara marmalade	corned beef in freezer	-
4	x	repair dainty bag	-
5	x	x	x
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 - am grateful for having a separate food freezer, so that I can store food as long as we still have electricity, and that allows me to cook things ahead for when I am finally able to actually eat real meals. The corned beef and cabbage will be later this year, but no the less nommy...