Sometimes social media works

Monday, Monday, and here's what greeted me in my early morning Twitter timeline.

Just a gentle reminder that Twitter is about choosing your company, taking care of your friends, responding to good thoughts with good thoughts. And learning how to curate your timeline to be a daily source of peace and hope. 

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the ginger plant was showing signs of aging.

Yellowing foliage, looking tired.

So I tipped out the plant

See the exhausted root top left, and the harvest in the foreground. The root explains why the foliage was waning, no more nutrition.

And here's the harvest ready to be peeled, diced and frozen to go with the ginger already in the freezer.

Later I'll start another root. For now I have enough ginger to be going on with.

Now praying for the Russian people, as well as the Ukrainian besieged population. The ordinary people are intermarried with Ukrainians, are being lied to, their access to media totally censored. 

Many don't believe what their Ukrainian relatives are telling them, no idea of the magnitude of the attack. And now they're suffering hardship, food shortages,  cash access curtailed. They never asked for this.

One man, with the assistance of corrupt foreign leaders, has got us here. I'm profoundly grateful that he failed to get TFG into a second term, so there's that.

Art in progress ginger and Gilliangladrag

It seems that Figure Six has pushed in so insistently that it will be part of Figure Five.

Here's the confusing state of affairs as of now.

This old piece, from my black gesso and copper wire adventures, has had its time on exhibit, was in fact bought and eventually left to me.

The molded paper face needs a new context.

And the back of this piece is going to be one side of the two sided  next figure. As you see, moving away from literal figures now.

This is what's happening here. Painting and drawing happening before the stitched head is set on this background with more molded paper parts. 

This is a happy find. In the course of searching for appropriate parts for this piece, I came across this nonskid green stuff. I've been needing it for sheet felting and couldn't think where I'd last used it. Playing music, it seems, since it was in the drawer of recorder parts.

Felting may be involved in this piece, so it's not an irrelevant find.

Speaking of what's not irrelevant, here's a cheerful, excellent teacher of felting and a lot of other art  and craft skills, I found on YouTube. Of course. 

Gillian Harris, doing business as, DBA, Gillian Gladrag. She's been a graphic artist for years, knows her stuff, and applies srt and color principles to feltmaking, without seeming to push. She's also funny. Her husband does the camera work and crosstalk, and they're quite a duo.

Definitely recommend for info with comedic value. She does a lot of selling in the tutorials, in context.

Back in the world of growing food, my neighbor a while back gave me a couple of bare root ginger plants a bit more advanced than mine.

I potted them, grew them on until the foliage wilted, then harvested them. As you see

One root I replanted to grow on, and the rest I peeled and diced for future food.

I noticed how easy it was to peel and dice than the bought kind, which has probably dried a bit before we get it. The flavor is very good, more interesting than the other.

So I'm hoping I can grow my own indefinitely. The one I started, still growing nicely, will be ready to harvest as the newly planted one gets under way 

At least, as always in art and food and life, that's the plan!

And there was light. Also plants. And a cat.

The ceiling light arrived and friend installed it for me. What an improvement. I can see to work now.

He also replaced the walkway temporarily on the patio so I can use it again, there being no sign of the fence project continuing, and my view is much better for the winter. Also I was tired of walking in mud or teetering on cinder blocks to use the back gate.

And here may be the reason I've had no activity at the bird feeder.

Maui, one of the cats from next door, heading for the last of the chives. Handsome Son saw him chase off a squirrel the other day.

While we were messing about with the walkway, and I tripped but didn't fall, over one of the boards, thrills and spills,  the neighbor I gave the sedum to, came over to give me off-shoots of her ginger and turmeric. Also a curry leaf plant. I cook a lot with curry leaves. 

Her entire garden is in containers, a previous owner having paved over the patio, and she's amazingly successful. Also knowledgeable. She explained the whole process of commercial harvesting of ginger and turmeric where she comes from, in Bangalore. Always interesting to talk to her.

Left turmeric, right ginger. See the active roots.  I could harvest both but I'd like to grow them on a bit.

So I now have unexpected additions to the plants.

And Gary is bringing me a very nice bromeliad, to rescue it from being bitten by the same cat who's eating the chives,  unless he forgets, so there's that.

Now I wonder if the decluttering  rule of one in one out applies to plants. If so I'm running late.

The lovely Dyes and Paints book arrived, by a recent Textiles and Tea guest. 

I had requested it at the library, though it's long out of print, just in hopes. Sorry, nearest copy would be an interstate loan, so I said nah,  I'll look on eBay. 

Which I did, found a copy at an excellent price and condition, via a dealer in Indiana, a long way from here, and found

It had been deaccessioned from a library just up the road twenty minutes from here! When I buy second hand I look for library copies, better binding and condition usually. 

And here's what it's about

Today I'll definitely be studying this. Many thoughts of future work, with that stash of natural dyes in the freezer.

Warm sunshine is back for now, do I'll get a walk. Happy day, everyone.

Oh, housekeeping note to anyone who didn't hear back to their recent email: yahoo seems to be decluttering behind the scenes, my inbox wiped clean this morning, files collapsed into each other, some truncated. I checked more than one device, same story. I'll catch up, just can't reread what you said, sorry.

October dinner, ginger and friend, new figure, and the gummint

Yes I know it's not October yet, but Handsome Son has a lot of evening shifts lately, so we're seizing the day and calling it October. Like celebrating Thanksgiving on whatever day he's free 

Table laid, last few daisies picked. 

Menu set: pumpkin, carrot, lentil soup with hot biscuits, ham with steamed carrots, couscous, Dijon mustard or horseradish, banana bread with hot tea. 

I like the table organized ahead, makes me feel I'll get there.

This morning  seemed to be a good day to bring in the ginger plant and the moringa plant, of which another seedling broke ground here, so all is not lost with the moringa.

And I have embarked on the next Figure. This is a piece of silk organza with one of my woven works printed on it, hooped over a piece of sari silk.

Here's the original work I photographed and printed out

Monotype background, woven wire, beads, roving mounted on it. I painted the frame to suit, echoing the metallics.

And here's the back of the hoop showing you how this works if you're not familiar.

The design is going to be executed trapunto style. That's where you stitch shapes, through two layers of fabric, sculpting them, then insert stuffing, here very fine cotton roving, into the sections, entering the back via tiny cuts you make,  to render the three dimensional shapes you want.  

It's a way to get more complex shapes going than you get by sculpting into the complete head. This section will be appliqued to a head to form the top of the figure.

And the outside edges I think I'll do as stumpwork, the edges tightly stitched in buttonhole stitch, then cut around to stand free. That way there'll be an impression of wild hair.

If little of this means much, just watch this space and you'll see it unfold. I know we have some experienced embroiderers reading here, to whom trapunto and stumpwork are not foreign terms. We also have quite a few interested, but a bit less conversant,  readers, too. 

So, as the French say in their gummint forms, rayez ce qui est inutile. Delete that which is not applicable. 

Speaking of gummint forms, my Homestead Benefit form came today. This is an annual nod to our proud claim of First in the Nation in high real estate taxes. 

You can get a bit back if you can figure out how to apply. Unless the state Treasury says oh sorry, we can't afford it this year. More likely to happen with a Republican governor, Christie, I'm looking at you. 

But even they manage to find a bit for the downtrodden in an election year, which this is.  Current governor is a Dem, though, and has come through for seniors and other homeowners nicely each year. 

You'll notice they're not in a mad rush to part with your money. See the three year interval during which they've had the use of it..

This refund only applies if you owned and continue to own, your residence. Not if you rent it out nor if you're a tenant. 

And despite the old timey name, mules and plows and such don't enter into it, just a refund of some of the exorbitant rates we've paid. I'll take it, despite all my moaning.

Nature and privilege

Nature first. I planted three of the dozen moringa seeds, figuring that if they don't flourish I'll try again with more.

Right now, though the pot's very wet from Ida, I thought since there's no rain forecast for several days, it might dry out enough not to rot the seeds.

They're a lovely shape, with a soft husk in a triangular form. They'll come indoors when the weather cools because they're definitely tropical.

And while we're out there, here's the ginger

doing better since I took Aditha's advice and covered them deeper.

And the wild blackberry running riot where I had been tossing vegetable and fruit scraps. No sign of berries but I live in hopes.

This 

is probably a melon or squash plant winding its way around the ground cover,  a few flowers blooming, though it might be a bit late to get any fruit before cold weather. It's a volunteer from seeds that Butternut Boy missed.

I've been involved with a semi serious online discussion about privilege today, mainly the kind of  unconscious privilege of world travelers who assure us that home's best. 

Or ladies taping videos from palatial homes about their programs of frugality. People with all kinds of options advising us to seek joy in the little things.  

As Josie  George points out, these are important ideas, but we need to recognize if we're qualified to express them to people who don't have money, time, health,  interesting convo.  

She has terrible ill health, writes, luminously,  about her immediate surroundings because that's all she can access. She takes joy in small things because she has no opportunity of larger ones. Many days she can't get further than bed to chair, if that. She doesn't toot her own flute, just muses.

I'd say she's qualified. Someone who went on a year long Eat Pray Love pilgrimage to Europe and Asia, to come home enlightened, not so much!

The people, usually men, who say you need to take the first hour of the day for quiet thought and reflection before you involve yourself. It does sound hollow to a parent who can not do that without little kids wanting breakfast, help finding shoes, cats throwing up, dogs wanting out, her own clothes and appearance needing to get ready for work. 

Or the idea of setting aside savings from every paycheck, offered as advice to people choosing between groceries and rent. The advice to borrow from parents to put a down payment on a home. Assumes the parents can afford to do it! 

And so on. The minimalist movement is largely led by people who can afford it, ironically. Simple can be expensive. But don't worry, you can buy all sorts of magazine subscriptions and books and gear to help you be minimal..

I'm not very worked up about it, just smiling wryly when I come across it, which is pretty often. It does get pretty funny after a while.

Do you have any tiny axes to grind on this subject? 

Sunday morning, hot

Our temperature is now officially in the too hot for me range. High 90s is what it feels like. Just right for Handsome Son and his regular shore runs. He's picked up his season pass to his favorite shore location. Me, it's a season pass on a cool sofa except for early morning walks.

Between the early heat and torrential rain everything's growing beserkers. I used to have a wonderful English teacher who still spoke in the accent of an earlier age, clergy pronounced clargy, berserk pronounced bersark. So she comes to mind when I encounter those words.

And the ginger plant you had to squint to see a few days ago is now leaping up

The review of the canteloupe ginger jam, speaking of ginger, which is really a sauce, follows.

Here's the first trial. Even though the recipe said jam they also said great on meats, ice -cream and in general more of a sauce than a spreadable jam. 

I'd agree. The taste is way more than a sweet jammy thing. The salt as well as the ginger make a terrific combo, much more interesting than jam. I used it in breakfast oatmeal and, well, I may need a second bowl.

I really recommend you try this. One regular sized canteloupe makes four cups of dice. I added a couple of tablespoons of diced ginger. Not much sugar, just one cup. It is pretty sophisticated. 

It needs a bland partner such as plain bread or meat or, as here, oatmeal. I tried it on cornbread and there was too much going on. They were in competition. 

Speaking of the best, June is Pride Month, and happy month to our blogistas who celebrate. And to us who are proud to call them our friends and neighbors. I wonder when we'll rewrite Paul to include "neither gay nor straight" in his list of how we're all one in  love, nothing separating us. I think he got it, so long ago.  As well as all the  expressions of gender. And if you don't know why June is the month, look up the history of the movement and learn about the courage and suffering that have paved the way to this day.

Couple of important birthdays coming up: sister Dogonart on the 11th, well into her tenth decade and following this blog still.

Later will be Handsome Partner, who left us ten years ago but is still very much with us. We'll do a strawberry shortcake, his favorite birthday thing, in his honor.

Leaving now to continue fiddling away at Mitered Squares while the sun shines.

But not before I come back to remember that not only did I vote early in our primary, I got an acknowledgement from the County Clerk. Or Clark

More unexpected things

So my contractor is back from his mother's and showed up to take care of the deck situation. 

Now I hope I won't be studying a building site for months while the fence work is being argued out. Well, we've done our bit.

And  strawberries are in at the farm. 

The last few hot days moved them along fast and they're the best in years, much sweeter than last year when we didn't have those sudden hot days.

One container to eat fresh, one to freeze for future jam or whatever I suddenly decide.

And here's a lunch for the day the cleaners came, when I completely forgot to think about lunch and came home starving and with no plans. 

Sardines on whole wheat. Yogurt with strawberries. In fact pretty good.

I had done the strawberry run then I went to read at the park. Read? In fact I thought wait,  that stuff isn't in this book, oh, right, I was sleeping and dreaming an exciting scene about chasing or something. 

I can dream during even a short nap, the ever-moving shuttle at work. But it's confusing to wake and wonder where that scene was in the book.

Oh, and massive excitement in the houseplant department. My ginger finally put up a little shoot!! My excitement is out of all proportion to the size of the shooticle.

The qtip is to show you where to look, it's that small. Squint. It's there. My faith is rewarded.