it's magnetic

in which our plucky heroine slept well...

and this morning there were unfamiliar sounds from a flock of birds in the front yard tree, and I saw quite a few nuthatches clambering around?! Not something I've commonly seen around here. 

※※※

~ kitchen algebra ~

(actual size 1¼" x 2⅛")

This was my laser cutting project today at the library workshop. My intention is to keep the formula readily available by turning it into a kitchen magnet. What I am particularly amused by is how the red acrylic and the cream color paint marker combine to give the artifact a "science lab" sort of appearance. Once I glue a magnet to the back, it will take pride of place as an aide-mémoire in the kitchen...

It remains Very Enjoyable to keep experimenting with the digital maker tools at the library, even though I'm not yet anywhere near being able to actually get more than one or two steps forward before calling for help in the design and setup stage. I spent some time today (after the algebra tag was engraved and cut) designing a very tiny sample as part of my ongoing wish to have more of the 1:12 scale trinket shelves to play with. Looks like barely over 1mm is possible when using 3mm plywood, and will do more design work at my next chance to play with the Glowforge. 

※※※

In further magnetic adventures, I'd noticed after my most recent preserving session that the plastic lid lifter (used to remove lids and rings from the hot water when waterbath canning), washed along with all the rest of the paraphernalia, was missing its functional tip. This small tool is a necessity, so I was pleased to notice today that there was a small round disc under the kick plate between the sink cupboard and the cushion mat. Tiny magnet had fallen out and was hidden from view. Not sure what will be the best glue to reattach it, but very glad to not have to do unnecessary shopping.

※※※

September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 sm jars plum sauce	plums in freezer	greenwaste bin
2	3D print Dala horse	extension cords coiled	recycle bin
3	3D print plant stands	wind chime suspension	recycle bin
4	3 pr dolly boots	more plums frozen	greenwaste bin
5	12+ jars elderberry syrup	new handheld shower	-
6	16 jars Awesome sauce	screen door painted	x
7	kitchen algebra tag	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- successful laser cutting experiments 
- had a good phone chat with Helga
- leek lentil barley soup cubes

Time of Isolation - Day 2258

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine is amused...

Woke up this morning with a jumpscare mistaking the frayed slightly tickle-y bandaid on my forearm for an insect. Then had to laugh at myself, which all in all was not a bad way to start the day...

※※※

~ finally finished ~

The batik dress, subject of many revisions on the way to becoming a pleasing wardrobe additions, is completed, and turned out quite different in various ways from my other, simpler, popover summer dresses. The original fabric is particularly lovely, and each of the changes have only improved the garment. The neckline is just right in width, and the embroidered canal boat roses are a fun decoration. Using many of my rayon scraps for a patchwork stripe down the center front is a thrifty accent.

I'll have to try and get a photo of the dress as worn, since the additional new batik fabric around the hem edge is a subtle focal point. There won't be many more summertime days this year, but popover dresses are also good layering garments. In my continuing effort to try or learn new things, since there wasn't enough extra fabric to edgebind the hem, it was time to try out the "blind hem" stitch on my trusty venerable Bernette. Considering that I bought the machine new back in the 80's, it is surprising that I'd not had reason to use that built-in stitch anytime in the last 40 years! It was, in fact, the perfect choice for the yards and yards of straight hemming...

※※※

This may have been the last of the really warm summer days, not sure, and so it was a good choice to spray paint the front screen door frame. Another "give a mouse a cookie" project, since painting the frame made the surrounding molding and house paint look even more shabby, but I do prefer the screen door frame being dark bronze to scratched up white. Also makes me think that the house trim really needs to be dark almost-black, at least somewhat darker than the screen door. It will be curious to see what it will look like with the inner door painted turquoise, instead of the current dark purple.

※※※

The last of the plums are in the freezer. Guessing at least 30 pounds, which will be part of many many happy breakfast bowls of museli. The next big harvest season project will be applesauce, using most of the Acantha apples, and what remains on my backyard tree. Yum!

※※※

This week I'll get to play with the laser cutter at the library again. Not sure if the PNG file for a criss cross proportional algebra magnet will work, but worth trying. Since last week I realised that magnets can be attached next to the digital dashboard on the stove. If there is some red plexiglass, that would be perfect. Also made a PNG file of a trinket shelf, again not sure it would be too detailed to be cut, given the very small size of the compartments, but I did figure out how to create a crisp black and white geometric image in Photoshop. Use what you have, before diving into an entirely different program.

※※※

September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 sm jars plum sauce	plums in freezer	greenwaste bin
2	3D print Dala horse	extension cords coiled	recycle bin
3	3D print plant stands	wind chime suspension	recycle bin
4	3 pr dolly boots	more plums frozen	greenwaste bin
5	12+ jars elderberry syrup	new handheld shower	-
6	16 jars Awesome sauce	screen door painted	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- the hand carved tasting spoons, made by Seb
- enough box fans to push the paint smell back out of the house
- spray paint is fast, but the masking and taping to prep is not easy
- organised categories and channels in my Discord server

Time of Isolation - Day 2257

Saturday snippets

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

※※※

~ not yet flatpack time ~

The most amusing project of the week so far is part of preparing for the miniature RÅSKOG cart, bit by bit. I've carefully downloaded all the pages of instructions from the Ikea website, then resized them down to scale, and printed them out. While the actual 3D printed parts are waiting on more time at the library, there has been this small zippered bag keychain over on Tansu Terrace... 

I've no memory of it arriving here ages ago, or who may have given it to me; it was much too large for 1:12 scale (almost as big as Nandina herself), but it was excellent raw material: a seam ripper and scissors and some rather awkward time wrestling it under the presser foot of the sewing machine turned it into a tinyworld version of the iconic blue bag. (One more trip to the actual Ikea store will have to happen, so I can photograph the labels on the full size RÅSKOG box, to label a cardboard box to contain the wee flat pack pieces.)

※※※

Turned all the tomatoes in the freezer into a double batch of Awesome Sauce, which came out a bit darker and thinner than last year. In the future will make two single batches instead, as the consistency is better. Still, having 16 jars to put on the shelf feels reassuring. Some for me and some to share...

※※※

It took several attempts over the last few days, but eventually was able to properly seal all the connecting joints in the new handheld shower pieces, and the only place the water exits is through the shower disc as appropriate.  Very spa-like compared to the former unit, and a satisfying DIY job, even if it is also a "give a mouse a cookie" sort of project. There are other tasks in the bathroom that need done, like (nonexistent) decorative molding around the sink. 

※※※

My left foot (outside metatarsal) has been sore on and off for months. No idea why. rather worried. Last night it was really bad.

※※※

Almost finished with the batik popover dress, using the machine hemming stitch to complete the folded hemline (usually I edgebind everything, but not this one). Have had that little Bernette since I was in college, and don't think I've ever used that stitch before. 

※※※

September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 sm jars plum sauce	plums in freezer	greenwaste bin
2	3D print Dala horse	extension cords coiled	recycle bin
3	3D print plant stands	wind chime suspension	recycle bin
4	3 pr dolly boots	more plums frozen	greenwaste bin
5	12+ jars elderberry syrup	new handheld shower	-
6	16 jars Awesome sauce	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -  
- that small sound that jars make when they seal
- new handheld shower
- stove grid overlay, very useful for canning, I can slide full kettles rather than try and lift them.
- the two mid/large cookpots from Acantha this year

Time of Isolation - Day 2255

cloisonné process photo essay

in which our plucky heroine shares the way that my cloisonné enamels are created...

Here is the start, bending the wires to create the outlines of the design

And here you see the all the wires for the design

The first several firings locate the wires on the backing

Then more enamel powder gets added

and the colored design is gradually built up

There are many more steps in the process before the enamel is finished and ready to be set as part of the pendant

Once enough layers of enamel are built up, the irregular surface needs to be ground smooth. Here you can see the beginning of the process, which I find the most tedious part of enameling. The grinding is usually done with a white aluminum oxide stick, by hand, under cold running water.

and here it is further ground down, almost ready for firing

After the first "flash-firing", there are often small areas that need a bit of extra enamel to bring it all up to an even surface. This is preferable to grinding down too far, and maybe losing some of the carefully applied shading.

And here is the piece, ready to have a suitable setting made for it...



Just in case you wondered where I do this kind of work, here is a picture of my kiln (nicknamed "Mr Hot" by my friend Heather when she was about 9 years old), and a bit of one of my workspaces, much less messy than usual

elderberry efforts

in which our plucky heroine agrees with William Morris...

The black elderberry planted in the parking strip is both beautiful and useful. The white flowers and dark foliage look wonderful in the springtime, and the cooked juice of the berries are known to be a good and tasty support for human immune systems.

※※※

~ homegrown immune tonic ~

The five tubs of black elderberry cooked yesterday, then drained their juices into a pot overnight. Today they were cooked again with added sugar and lemon juice in a waterbath safe recipe. Since I want to make syrup, I left out the pectin which is only there to turn the juice into jelly and has no effect on the safety issues...

and oops, I just now at midnight Wednesday finished putting up a dozen + small jars of elderberry syrup, all sealed for shelf storage, and only then realised I had miscalculated the amount of lemon juice added by almost half. Bah! I now need to open all the jars, dump the contents back into an open pan, add the additional lemon juice, and re-process all of them with fresh lids. Annoying to deal with, but food safety is not negotiable. As exhaustion has set in, my plan is to tackle this first thing in the morning, since two different extension service websites say that re-canning (with fresh lids) within 24 hours is okay.

11am on Thursday, and the re-canning is in process.  Lesson learned: do not do projects that require calculation after 10pm. (not sewing, not cutting out fabric, and now, apparently, not preserving) 

 
(elderflowers in the springtime)
※※※

The additional rayon batik fabric to complete the summer popover dress has arrived and looks great. I am very impressed that the shop snipped and tore the yardage instead of just whacking away with shears, so I get the full amount I paid for and don't lose inches in straightening the grain! It will be a fairly quick task to make strips of the new fabric and extend the length of the dress to a better length, and if all goes well I will be able to have it finished in time for our Sewing Nomads meeting on Saturday morning...

※※※

Rode my bike to the launderette early this morning to preshrink the rayon fabric in the electric dryer, and since I was halfway to the big grocery, continued on there to pick up some more of the small size canning jar lids. The kindly cashier gave me the "3 for the price of 2" discount even though I don't have a loyalty card for that shop!

※※※

September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 sm jars plum sauce	plums in freezer	greenwaste bin
2	3D print Dala hrse	extension cords coiled	recycle bin
3	3D print plant stands	wind chime suspension	recycle bin
4	3 pr dolly boots	more plums frozen	greenwaste bin
5	12+ jars elderberry syrup	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -  
- Past Me thoughtfully planted black elder
- fabric to finish batik dress arrived early, and looks suitable.
- was able to buy a few more boxes of small canning lids
- a dozen small jars of elderberry immune support syrup

Time of Isolation - Day 2253 

proportions for elderberry syrup:

650 grams elderberry juice (about 3 cups)
130 grams bottled lemon juice
1,100 grams sugar

¼" headspace, process 10 minutes

Tuesday tidbits

in which our plucky heroine is feeling marginally better...

being finally past the various side effects of my shingles vaccine, and thereby also with less sleep debt... Also this morning while looking in the mirror realised that although there are lines on my face, they are pretty much all lines of smiling. Much better than the alternative.

※※※

~ makerspace miscellany ~

On Monday there was an introduction to the Glowforge (laser cutter) workshop at the library. The "beginner" project suggested was to make a keychain, but instead this aide-mémoire for the 3M abrasive bristle wheels was my choice. With this next to the workbench, it will be easy to pick the correct color, and not require tracking down some random scrap of paper which was my former strategy. Not entirely sure what all else I might want to laser cut (other than it would be a great way to make a set of tablet weaving cards, if there is ¹⁄₁₆ plywood) but it is worth further thought.

This afternoon, remembering the earlier suggestion that there are sometimes no-show spaces, and since my usual Tuesday afternoon social time was cancelled, I headed over to the library again, in the hope of getting more time on the Bambu 3D printer. In luck, was able to start learning to print out the miniature RÅSKOG cart. It is a challenge in part since all the interfaces are Apple rather than Android, but perseverence is a given. My overarching goal is to learn enough to remember how to do the steps necessary to print. 

The first attempt to print out RÅSKOG failed, through no fault of mine... the parts at 1:12 scale are so small that they were not sticking to the base plate and ended up in various spots around the interior of the printer. Fortunately I noticed that most of the pieces were not there after only about 15 minutes, so we could stop the job and start over with some changes to help the bits stay attached. There was not enough time to print the entire set though, so that will have to wait until a different future workshop.※※※

Experimental cookery - shrimp rice paper waffle bites... had read somewhere online about this idea, but rather than spend much effort looking it up, decided to wing it. chopped up half a dozen frozen shrimp with a bit of seasoning (powdered ginger, garlic granules, sesame oil, and tamari) Heated up the tiny waffle iron. Moistened a rice paper disc, added half the shrimp, and enfolded it into a small rectangle. Added a second layer of rice paper and popped into the waffle maker. Took a bit, but it gradually cooked and partially crisped. Did it again and had a very yummy snack! and well worth repeating in the future

※※※

Well dang, trade issues mean it is no longer feasible for me to re-order my longtime of many years favorite planning calendar pages from the Etsy seller (who happens to be located in Germany). Not their fault that the shipping+tariff cost has skyrocketed to over 60 USD since my previous purchase. Guess I shall have to DIY my own option, since there is nothing at all similar domestically available. Sigh and Grrrr... I hate this timeline.

※※※

Last night Mischa helped figure out the difficulty I'd been having with the layout of my new Discord server... Turns out it is possible to edit "categories", which was the largest missing piece in my conundrum. Now need to decide how to arrange the space, what to call the various sections, and where to put the sub-groups I already know will be helpful.

※※※

September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 sm jars plum sauce	plums in freezer	greenwaste bin
2	3D print Dala hrse	extension cords coiled	recycle bin
3	3D print plant stands	wind chime suspension	recycle bin
4	3 pr dolly boots	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- Mischa helped answer my Discord server setup questions
- there was space in the 3D printer workshop today
- complimentary words from the person who received the medallion I made earlier this month
- managed to get the 5 Talenti tubs of elderberries out of freezer, simmered on the stove for a suitable length of time, and they are now hanging up above the sink in a cheesecloth bag dripping into a large bowl overnight. All part of the plan to turn freezer contents into shelf stable stuff, so as to make room for more plums

Time of Isolation - Day 2251

Friday fragments

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

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

※※※

~ boots in boxes ~

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

※※※

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

※※※

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

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

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

※※※

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

※※※

September SMART goals (x=extra)

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

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

Time of Isolation - Day 2247

Harlequin Glorybower and other delights

in which our plucky heroine breathes in a paradisical scent...

Around twenty years or so ago, I drove out to a plant nursery on a country hillside, and brought home a young Clerodendrum tricotomum (common name Harlequin Glorybower) They grow as well here in Portland as in their native Far East, and in early autumn their flowers smell heavenly. Later in the year they have very decorative metallic blue berries surrounded by red sepals; the berries can be used as a dyestuff called in Japan "the other blue".

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The tree is planted just outside the front porch, has filled in to the edge of the porch roof, and even flowers underneath the eaves! Walking out the front door one is enveloped in the fragrance of the creamy white flowers, followed almost immediately by the greatly expanded hardy fuschia with lovely (if unscented) red flowers. 

※※※

This last week I learned a good recommended way to coil heavy extension cords, the "figure 8" or "roadie wrap". Ostensibly it creates less of a chance for the cords to tangle when uncoiled for use. And it makes for a much tidier and flatter coil in storage than either of the three different ways I previously used.

※※※

Noticed a few days ago that the cord holding up my wind chimes was quite frayed in one spot, so took them down and carefully replaced it with fresh braided nylon cordage. No way to know how old they are, since I found them at a resale shop, but now they should be last a while longer. 

※※※
 

A few weeks ago Young Kestrel asked me for shoes for her tinyfolk. Since we are on the downhill towards cooler weather, felt boots seemed like a good option. Plus boots tend to stay put on tiny feets. So three pairs of boots in three different colors, one each for Hazel, Zinnia, and Xanthy. Here next to the Acorn Cottage keyboard, I've been stitching away over the weekend during assorted online meetings, with Nandina keeping me company. We decided that some origami shoeboxes would only add yet more fun to the project, and brown paper squares cut from grocery sacks will look almost like shoebox cardboard!

※※※

Being interested in creating more 3D printed items for the tinyworld, and not wanting to be limited to just purchasing other folks designs, it will be necessary to learn some new skillsets. It has been suggested that both Tinkercad and Inkscape will be a way to eventually be able to make instructions for some simple objects. There are, of course, many free or affordable SVG files, and I have in fact been tempted and purchased a file to create a miniature version of my beloved Ikea RÅSKOG cart. With that in mind, there will at some point be a tiny box of flatpack pieces, including a miniature version of the Ikea assembly instructions delivered to Caer Cardboard. Our plucky heroine had a bit too much fun with Photoshop this evening, after Karen suggested the idea earlier today.

※※※

September SMART goals (x=extra)

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

today's gratitudes -
- former me made some good plant choices
- many informative videos on the University of YouTube
- almost 15# of plums in the freezer

Time of Isolation - Day 2244

suddenly it isn't summer

in which our plucky heroine notes the changing season...

wasn't sure about waking up early enough, but it was still barely drizzling and quite cool, so picked plums before breakfast. Then it started to rain in earnest while I was online chatting with sister. Very glad to have finished the Pelican and got it in the post yesterday, as I don't ride my bike in the rain, because spectacles don't have wipers.

※※※

~ time to preserve ~

My friend Wanda gave me plum starts twenty years ago. Before it really began raining this morning, I picked almost 2½ pounds of nicely ripe plums from that small tree, which are now washed, cut up, and put in the freezer. Future breakfasts will be very tasty!

In addition, as for what to do with the too-early-picked alley plums, they have become 8 small jars of "spicy asian plum sauce"* a good homegrown answer to hoisin sauce. Three weeks ago, after the alley pirates plucked all the not-ripe-but-purple plums they could reach, my good neighbors wanted to pick the tall ones using their ladder, and I offered them the use of my fruit picking tool as well. They sweetly left me a bowl full of what looked ripe on the outside but was very much still green and tart inside. Plums do not ripen off the tree, they soften, but their flavor doesn't really get any sweeter or more complex. After three weeks, some were getting too soft to use at all, so since there were just about 2 pounds, it was a perfect fit for plum sauce, and my pantry condiments can start getting refilled. 

※※※

Yesterday was the 3D printer event at Albina Library. It was so much fun to try and wrap my brain around something different, and I want to learn more so as to be able to create my own objects for the tinyworld. But since that complex skillset isn't mine (yet), just used some of the free files from Printables, and made two little mission style plant stands, and a tiny Dala horse. The brown plastic, makes the Dala horse look as if it was made of milk chocolate, a peculiarly large not-Easter-bunny. (in 1:12 scale at 1" tall it is about 12"). I'm wondering if I can scale it down even further and print it in color. 

※※※

The Pelican medallion in a simple setting with beaded wire edging.

actual size 1½" diameter
※※※

September SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	8 small jars plum sauce	plums in freezer	-
2	printed 3D plant stands	-	-
3	printed tiny Dala horse	-	-
4	-	-	-
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- homegrown tree fruit
- free tech programs at the library
- Joan Huntley, Britta Hall, and the year of Tigress's CanJam, whereby I was introduced to home canning and encouraged to make it be one of the skills I practice every year  

Time of Isolation - Day 2238

* One of my kitchen tenets is to put effort into making high-flavor condiments that can then be used to add savor to simple meals throughout the year; plum sauce takes the place of things like ketchup, and hoisin sauce, and if homemade, has no weird ingredients that require a chemistry degree to decipher, just things like tamari and garlic and vinegar and cayenne, and plums...

Spicy Asian-style Plum Sauce:

2lbs. fresh plums - pitted and quartered 2½C sugar ½C vinegar 3T soy sauce 1T ground ginger 2 minced garlic cloves 1/8tsp cayenne

Combine all, and bring to a boil, then simmer til the fruit is very tender. Puree, then cook till very thick It will take some time to cook down... Keep watch so it does not catch and burn When suitably thickened, jar and process ≈4 8oz jars - ¼" headspace - process 10 minutes

recipe can be multiplied

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine sees improvements...

Tomorrow appears to be very autumnal and cool temperatures forecast, and later in the week there will be rain! It has been feeling and smelling much less summery despite the heat, and there has been wasp activity that makes any eating outdoors subject to the Danger Bugs. The apples and plums will need to be picked in the cool of the early morning and dealt with.

※※※

~ time for a change, at last ~

Helpful Badger handyfolk were here for about an hour this morning, removing the decaying porch boards*, replacing them with new treated lumber, and installing a new kitchen faucet. I am very glad that the porch is no longer dangerous, and plum delighted with the new faucet, which is a vast aesthetic improvement that has graceful visual form and is tactilely pleasant. It should be easier to keep clean as well. As I had suspected, the feeble water pressure was a function of the old faucet or lines being partially blocked; now with this new faucet water pours out much more quickly, which will improve all sink-related chores.

a reminder of the former kitchen faucet
※※※

The enamel Pelican peerage medallion is finished, just needs final touches and will be ready to post tomorrow. I'd been worried the whole time that there might not be quite enough gas left to finish all the soldering, but thankfully it was not an issue. I'll next be finishing up the settings for (very patient) Ian Jameson's two small award medallions, and in addition find someone to give me a ride to get the propane refilled. 

The other finished project is the knit TabbyCat bandana cowl (as it is for me, and not a client) much less fraught and less timebound. It has been my handwork during online meetings project for almost two months. I'd been worried that there might not be enough of the dark brown yarn to complete the I-cord bind off, but there was more than enough! Winning at yarn chicken and at propane chicken!!

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Friday I defrosted my chest freezer. The actual defrost was pretty easy, only took about an hour, once I removed all the food. Putting all the food back took much longer, as I did my best to put like things together instead of just tossing them into the maw. Also, best to label each package of frozen cubes immediately. Many required tasting, scraping a bit off their edge to determine contents. Rather than make a digital inventory, which would have required time learning a new program, a map of location and general type of food was a quick way to notate what is in there. A more carefully detailed inventory can happen later on, my goal was to get all the food back in still solidly frozen. 

What I discovered was that in order to have any room at all for the plums that are now ripe on the tree, I need to use up at least some of the freezer contents. No need to cook for a while since there are many portion cubes of various home cooked things: soups, and stews and veggies. There are enough tomatoes and peppers to make a batch of awesome sauce and put it up in jars. There are 5 talenti tubs full of elderberries that need cooked and turned into immune tonic "juice" that can be put up into jars. I still have a fair amount of blueberries, and should continue eating those up as well. 

The good thing is no ancient surprises at the bottom of the freezer, though I had forgotten until this defrost the two large containers of bone broth from Heather (last year?). Those are still frozen solid, will get turned into soup later on. Not needing to cook meals for a while will save time for all the other current projects I want to do, as well as make space for plums.

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 Talenti shelves	Talenti shelf up	greenwaste bin
2	acorncap earrings	2nd pot lid rack	recycle bin
3	teaspoon earrings	painted mailbox	greenwaste bin
4	glass button earrings	Strombecker lamp	recycle bin
5	poppy pod earrings	reglue earrings	greenwaste bin
6	red cube earrings	porch storage	greenwaste bin
7	Pelican enamel	painted grille	downspout tubes
8	x	defrosted freezer	x
9	x	2nd Talenti shelf	x
10	x	front porch	x
11	x	kitchen faucet	x

today's gratitudes-
- winning at yarn chicken
- winning at propane chicken
- 3 new porch floorboards
- new kitchen faucet

Time of Isolation - Day 2236

*it was really interesting to see underneath the porch decking, and how the floorboards were supported. The porch is on wooden joists and concrete foundation blocks, and the ramp is supported on the original front concrete walkway. Thankfully the underlying wooden structure was not decaying, so all that was needed was replacing the three 2x6 boards. The two long corrugated plastic tubes, unneeded since disconnecting the downspouts years ago, were also removed from under the porch.

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine returns to blog posting...

The last few days have been really focused on enameling, and something about spending much of the day standing in front of a 1500°f oven, alternating with intensely close focused work (basically one grain of sand at a time) is exhausting. I've done very little else this week, other than basic maintenance ie showers, cooking and eating, sleeping, and movement early in the day before the hot yellow daystar gets too enthusiastic

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~ progress report~

Pelican enamel took more time than anticipated to complete, but eventually by the end of last night was ready for me to set aside time this weekend to make the setting. If all goes well, it will be in the post on Monday. I enjoy trying at least one new thing in each piece of regalia, and in this one I chose to add texture to with an assortment of bent wires meant to evoke the sense of "bird nest". Am pretty happy with the result.

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"find out who you are and do it on purpose" - Dolly Parton 

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Finished all the knitting on the Tabby Cat bandana cowl, and will do the same sort of 2 color/2 stitch i-cord bind off as I did on the Cloud Mountain bandana cowl...  here are a few helpful links for Future Me, as foolish Past Me left no notes on my blog or on my Ravelry project page: 
i-cord bind off and alternating 2 color i-cord

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I was going to focus today on fabricating the setting for the Pelican, but since I am hella tired on account of getting up at first light to spend some serious time with the loppers and the Felco pruners, in order to fill the greenwaste bin before the big truck came to pick it up. Shall try and remember to do that task just a tad sooner next week, eh? Decided that instead, defrosting the freezer today was a better choice for the amount of spoons available rather than working with sharp objects and fire, and getting that kitchen task done and dusted before Monday's faucet replacement made sense. The empty freezer, slid away from the wall will allow both the annual mopping behind, and attaching the second Talenti tub shelf. 

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 Talenti shelves	Talenti shelf up	greenwaste bin
2	acorncap earrings	2nd pot lid rack	recycle bin
3	teaspoon earrings	painted mailbox	greenwaste bin
4	glass button earrings	Strombecker lamp	recycle bin
5	poppy pod earrings	reglue earrings	greenwaste bin
6	red cube earrings	porch storage	greenwaste bin
7	Pelican enamel	painted grille	x
8	x	defrosted freezer	x
9	x	2nd Talenti shelf	x

today's gratitudes - 
- binder clips, which are great for keeping bags of foods clipped shut in the chest freezer
- someone put magazines in the local little free library, two of which have provided me with a plentiful supply of smooth paper to use underneath when sifting counterenamel
- "Ka" by John Crowley (am about a quarter of the way into it and very curious about where it will go...)
- four of my digital library requests all arrived this week
today's gratitudes
- Acantha generosity, in particular the 2qt Dansk cookpot
- Pelican enamel successfully completed
- Using doubled mylar bubblepack grocery delivery bags as temporary cold storage for freezer contents has worked really well. I've been saving all of them for ages, for various uses, and had enough to double bag the entire contents of the chest freezer. Put down several layers of bath towels in the tub, then stacked the food in doubled bags, then covered with blankets.

Time of Isolation - Day 2233

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine tries to keep cool...

It was supposed to be less hot this weekend, but I must have blinked and missed it. The bubbler/waterer attachment for the garden hose finally arrived, and my plan is to move it from one young tree to another in order to try and reduce their heat stress. 

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~ well begun ~

Meant to share this image last week... Bending the cloisonné wires is the slowest part of the whole process of creating an enamel peerage medallion. It requires great precision at a very small scale, and takes me multiple hours to complete this step, before the layers of enamel can be added.

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I realised this weekend that I almost never ever leave the house door open (with the screen in use for air flow) which is why I've not noticed for at least twenty years that the screening itself is damaged. I can safely ignore this particular problem that I have been obsessing about for the last few days, and move on to deal with other house issues.

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The porch flooring repair and the kitchen faucet replacement are scheduled for the beginning of next week. Fingers crossed it all goes according to plan and doesn't turn up any further damage that needs repaired. In addition, I was able to pick up two more cans of the hammered dark bronze Rustoleum from Fred Meyers closeout shelf, for  painting at least the exterior front screen door, plus as much of the other two as is feasible. 

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Very incremental wardrobe progress over the last week. My batik summer dress is slowly being pieced together from various leftover scraps, one or two seams per day. Though if we get the Super El Nino winter that is threatened, I'll still have a great many more days to wear it. No great loss without some gain. The Tabby Cat Cowl is also coming along bit by bit, as I mostly only knit on it during zoom meetings.

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 Talenti shelves	Talenti shelf up	greenwaste bin
2	acorncap earrings	2nd pot lid rack	recycle bin
3	teaspoon earrings	painted mailbox	greenwaste bin
4	glass button earrings	Strombecker lamp	recycle bin
5	poppy pod earrings	reglue earrings	greenwaste bin
6	red cube earrings	porch storage	x
7	x	painted grille	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- located two more cans of Rustoleum spray paint 
- finished bending Pelican wires
- frozen organic blueberries

Time of Isolation - Day 2231

Friday fragments

in which our plucky heroine is feeling scattered...

An assortment of small chores all day long starting by waking up early in order to do more fig tree hacking before wheelie pickup happened. Found a ripe fig hiding in the green fig tree that was actually yummy. Filled the bin with chunks of fig branches, and got it to the curb in time. Yay me! Still lots of pruning to do, but also managed to roughly cut back the forsythia, which seems to be trying to take over the sidewalk

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~ ongoing refurbishment ~
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The front door of Acorn Cottage, with a repainted screen door grille, but not yet fully refurbished and repainted. The other photo shows why replacing the screening is a good idea. Today I washed both the glass panels of the storm/screen door, which took more time than imagined, but along with cleaning the door itself, has made a big difference. My plan is to use the rest of the spray paint to paint it the same bronze color as I did the grille and the mailbox, which will coordinate with the dark brown future trim color. The actual door itself, currently purple, will be painted turquoise.

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All the Jill Barklem Brambly Hedge hardcopy books the library has are always checked out. Not surprising. Aside from the four seasonal ones, there is "Sea Story" where the mice travel downriver to the ocean to acquire several barrels of salt from their coastal cousins. I'd never read that one before, and it wasn't available as an ebook, so it was a treat once my number got to the top of the holds list. Rode my bike to the library this morning to pick it up, and it is now probably my favorite of all.  

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My adventure taking the free summertime shuttle to Pittock Mansion was foiled by the limited schedule; the idea of sitting there on the mansion grounds for several hours waiting for the next go round of the bus was not the best way to spend the better part of a day. Chores and work may not be as novel, but are also necessary, and since the weekend is forecast to be slightly cooler than usual, enameling is on the docket instead. Possibly interspersed with some sewing, since those happen in the same workroom... 

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 Talenti shelves	Talenti shelf up	greenwaste bin
2	acorncap earrings	2nd pot lid rack	recycle bin
3	teaspoon earrings	painted mailbox	greenwaste bin
4	glass button earrings	Strombecker lamp	recycle bin
5	poppy pod earrings	reglue earrings	greenwaste bin
6	red cube earrings	porch storage	x
7	x	painted grille	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes - 
- did not break my toe when I dropped the clipboard on it
- woke up early enough to fill the greenwaste bin before the truck arrived to empty it
- zucchini stir fried with panko and lemon is really good

Time of Isolation - Day 2228

if you give a mouse a cookie

in which our plucky heroine recognises project creep...

The repainted mailbox, and replacing the grubby Rubbermaid tote bin with a new dark brown "deck box", seems to be inspiring other changes around the Acorn Cottage entryway... This morning I removed the aluminum grille from the front screen door and scrubbed it in the tub prior to spray painting. How did I never notice the very bad condition of the fixed screen underneath (hint: it was/is mostly obscured by the grille). It looks as if former tenants or owners had a cat, or a dog that really wanted outside, since there are various holes and scratched places in the screening. No wonder there are sometimes mystery insects in the house. 

I know how to replace normal (detachable) windowscreens, but this one is integral to the screen door and there is no visible way to detach it for repair. Bah! The only thing I can think of is to cut away most of it and hand sew in a piece of new screening without holes. That seems an excessively laborious and peculiar way to deal with the issue, if less of a faff than removing the door itself from the frame. I have been unable to figure any way to remove the screened section from the door, and all my online searching has been in vain. It also occurrs to me that if worse came to worse and I cannot correctly detach the old damaged screen I could even cut away the old screen and GLUE new screen in place using silicone adhesive. Again less than ideal, but possible.

P.S. Once the paint had dried and the grille been reattached to the screen door, the offending damaged screen is again much less visible, so must needs patiently wait until I figure how best to make repairs. The newly painted grille looks great!

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~ small and sculptural~

These small mare and foal charms weigh only 2 grams and are 21mm (¾") tall. Their blue/green patina, which coordinates with my most recent favorite colorway initially inspired ideas of yet more earrings. Though it occurs to me that these also are a great size to be a tinyworld artifact, an "antiquity"  to be sitting on a shelf or mantelpiece. They remind me somewhat of the little votive horse artifact in the very start of Coppola's "Black Stallion" film, before the shipwreck scene.

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Thursday mid-August throwbacks: Eighteen years ago Jen came to visit, time goes by in a flash, fourteen years ago G and I broke up, nine years ago there was a total solar eclipse, four years ago I began building Caer Cardboard... It is interesting to me to semi-randomly look backwards into the bits of the past captured by my writings here

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I found a few more of Perlenwunderwesen's beaded creature patterns.  I want to make salamanders for my friend Acantha, similar to the ones shes researched. I figure I can adapt the axolotl pattern, once I find beads of the correct colors...

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Sent a message to the Kickstarter I backed, asking them about converting the CAD files to STL files so I could take them to the library makerspace and print them, and got a reply the next day saying that they would send me STL files, once they were ready, maybe even later this month. (The pillboxes won't be ready until much later this year) I'll need to take another workshop at the library to remember how to use the 3D printers, but learning new things and practicing new things is always good. Maybe I can use the larger size model to make one for a friend who needs more space for their meds?

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 Talenti shelves	Talenti shelf up	greenwaste bin
2	acorncap earrings	2nd pot lid rack	recycle bin
3	teaspoon earrings	painted mailbox	greenwaste bin
4	glass button earrings	Strombecker lamp	recycle bin
5	poppy pod earrings	reglue earrings	-
6	red cube earrings	porch storage	x
7	x	painted grille	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
- blogging is an ongoing hobby and useful aide-mémoire
- Vera of Perlenwunderwesen generously shares her genius patterns for beaded creatures
- some large cardboard pieces that worked well to support the grille while I was spray-painting it

Time of Isolation - Day 2227

wishful Wednesday

in which our plucky heroine gathers estimates...

Yesterday there were multiple phone calls made to various tradesfolk, in an attempt to garner information about costs of the two most urgent repairs: replacing the kitchen faucet, and dealing with the rotten boards on the front porch. For obvious reasons, most of the places cannot give actual estimates over the phone, but several of them have a substantial and non-refundable fee just to show up and look at the problem; some of the price ranges for "labor to replace faucet" seemed rather boggling (ie 350 to 400 dollars for less than an hour of effort). When I happened to mention to one person I was asking about the porch repair that we were also needing a faucet replaced, they mentioned that though they weren't an actual plumber, they could legally do that job as well. So, tomorrowthis morning they will have a look-see and talk about options.

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~ This will be fun ~

I recently re-read the first book of the Wildwood Chronicles to refresh my memory of the story. In our current world where so much content is put out there generated by text prompts fed by stolen art, the splendid efforts of Laika studios are worth much appreciation and support. I enjoy learning about how the myriad artists and artisans create the animation, and turn the story and artwork (also made by local human people) into something really special. 

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A number of the items ordered online have begun arriving. Best is the new kitchen faucet, and thankfully it is as pleasing to look at and touch in real life as it appeared in the tiny shop photos. The "deck box" ordered at the same time arrived a day later, and for something made of six plastic panels is both remarkably sturdy (I can sit on it, though wouldn't use it to replace a stepladder) and looks surprisingly acceptable. It was, in addition an absolute doddle to assemble. No tools or excessive strength needed, the parts just lock together with integral wedges. This will look better on the porch than the old blue Rubbermaid tote. The several bags of dark brown sugar from Wholesome, a small changeable rainbow time-timer, and a few more beads for making foxen and assorted equines (unicorns and horses oh my) also arrived.

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Since there is more of the bronze spray paint left in the can, it ought to be possible to use tape and newsprint to carefully mask away around the screen doors and paint them a nicer color than their current trashed and scratchy white. Careful examination of said doors made me realise that both the exterior, and with care the interior sides could both be painted.

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There is nothing to concentrate the mind and engender tidying like knowing that someone other than myself will see the house. In the Before Times, this happened regularly as part of preparing for my monthly Crafternoon social gathering. Since the pandammit began, the tidying, not so much. 

Between yesterday and this morning, I turned Mt Dishmore into clean dishes, moved the assorted canned goods and home canned jars of food off the counters and into the pantry, cleared the dining table, and vacuumed the kitchen and living room. Also put the usual under-the-sink into a different area so as to make the faucet guts visible, and cleared away the barriers currently keeping the bad wood zone of the porch from being stepped onto. The piles of papers have all been consolidated into one so they can be sorted, and the obvious recycling put in the bin. The difference it makes is huge. The time it took was less than I'd have guessed. 

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 Talenti shelves	Talenti shelf up	greenwaste bin
2	acorncap earrings	2nd pot lid rack	recycle bin
3	teaspoon earrings	painted mailbox	greenwaste bin
4	glass button earrings	Strombecker lamp	recycle bin
5	poppy pod earrings	reglue earrings	-
6	red cube earrings	porch storage	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

yesterday's gratitudes -
- 5 flavor eggplant, always good, plus I managed to remember it was on the stove and I didn't burn it.
- the new faucet looks as good in person as it did online
- I was brave. I made multiple phone calls. It is less traumatic than it was ten or twenty years ago.
today's gratitudes -
- the deck box was astoundingly easy to put together, and looks acceptable
- my mother first introduced me to Miyazaki films
- we never get over grief, with luck we learn to live with it. I miss mightily my dear friends and family that are gone from the bright world, and do my best here as long as I remain

Time of Isolation - Day 2226

Monday miscellany

in which our plucky heroine is feeling tired...

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

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~ kitchen motto #2 ~

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

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

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

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

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. 

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

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

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August SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	2 Talenti shelves	Talenti shelf up	greenwaste bin
2	acorncap earrings	2nd pot lid rack	recycle bin
3	teaspoon earrings	painted mailbox	greenwaste bin
4	glass button earrings	Strombecker lamp	recycle bin
5	poppy pod earrings	reglue earrings	-
6	red cube earrings	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x

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

Time of Isolation - Day 2225