Air, Misfits and other vital news

Today's air quality is still not great, though improved

I'm coughing a bit, headachy a bit, using saline drops in my eyes. And staying indoors, dull. Except I did go out briefly to water my seedlings and renew the qtips because they dried out early and squirrels are getting interested again. 

Yesterday's Misfits box arrived early, and you see the box, and near it, the coleus happy in her new home, next to her friendly lavender. You're seeing the back, from which I cut lavender to give neighbors. The blooms are all at the front, on the the street side.

This is a lovely summer haul, cherries, strawberries, and other good things.

I have two pounds of cherries, some for eating raw, some for a filling for a crumble

Nigel Slater, June entries, reminded me of this

So today here we are

I don't pit stone fruit except peaches and apricots, if I'm cooking them. So much easier to cook them to tender, then fish out the stones. 

This cherry sauce will be a filling for the next time I make a crumble. I'll grind almonds for part of the crumble topping. Almonds and cherries are great friends.

This morning I caught sight of a fledgling on the shepherd's crook

 Perfect landing for the small flights they're up to now.  Probably only days before they graduate to the real thing.

This morning I managed a bit of weaving, nearing the end of this panel

As you see we're getting to where it's harder to raise and lower the shed, near the end of the warp. Soon be finished. With this panel, that is.

And here's a little lavender arrangement, scenting the air now.

Happy day everyone, look for little pleasures like a tiny bouquet, in any form, metaphorically if not in reality.

Airy issues and airy responses

 Here's yesterday

So it was an indoor day. The shoulder is still nagging, so I can't do the making I'd normally do, and needed to do something cheerful.

So here's that leftover pastry from the apricot tarts, waiting in the freezer. 

Which made five tart shells and a little extra bit 

And strawberries.

So strawberry preserves happened

And the yogurt was ready.

So here's dessert after lunch, yogurt with strawberry sauce 

With the little extra bit of pastry on top, and here's a strawberry tart for afternoon tea

The halo effect is the light reflecting on the plate. 

This morning was pita bread with a bit of strawberry preserve. There's not much that's better than a small batch of homemade strawberry preserves. I like small batches, no need to make masses of jam at once.

So that's good for a person's spirits. And since reading is my default st the moment, lying down, Kindle propped up to save strain on my neck, I'm continuing

And I've started

And

Two mysteries, two food related, taking mind off the dangerous air and the pain in the neck.

Happy day everyone, find something to enjoy always.

And 

The air is the main event

 Here's where we are with our air today.

You can taste it, bit headachy, eyes scratchy. So today is about being at home, windows closed. I made a brief, masked, trip to dump yesterday's prunings, and found small beauties, oak leaves, two kinds, on the way home 

I also checked the hanging coleus out front, near where a nest of house sparrows succeeded in populating my stove exhaust vent. While I was watching the mourning doves out back, they were building successfully out front and rearing a clutch of young.

The young spuggies are learning to fly, using the shepherd's crook the coleus was hanging from. Halfway between nest and ground, perfect to aim for, perch, poop on the coleus, and fly further. 

The coleus is now in a poop-safe place on the step, and some pruned leaves have joined both the oak leaves.

For your viewing pleasure.

And, once again, the HOA management never fails with comic relief, viz.

I literally know one person with a working printer! Which is not me because out of cartridges. Soooo back to the files, found the exact same form the previous manager mailed out, blanked the old date and sent email pix. None of your print this, scan this nonsense, young man! Never mind your excitement over a few bits of plastic.

And yesterday's Textiles and Tea featured a nervous guest host and a knotter/coil/basket artist whose work is much more eloquent than his words, which were pretty indistinct, 

So, knowing little about him except that he grew up in a household of geologists and weavers, here's his work. It can speak for itself, powerful statements 

These are about 24 inches high, I believe, though they look monumental. Makes a person want to try it, a sure sign of good art.

So that's us today. Misfits has boxed my order, to arrive tomorrow, but, sorry, no lettuce. They've started noting on the website the reasons items are available -- overstock, small, blemishes etc. A lot of my choices are overstocks. The apples are small, often the case with their bagged fruit. The oversized ones are sold in twos or  threes, usually too big for my use.

Happy day everyone, watch out for smoke, and low flying sparrows.

Textiles and Tea, Karen Hampton, also clams

 Yesterday's Textiles and Tea featured Karen Hampton, about whom I've written before, a wonderful woman, former anthropologist, 

Dr Hampton examined the (lack of written) history of black weavers in the American South, in order to retrieve the stories and add her own. Now, in retirement, she's a full-time weaver studying and expressing the history of weaving and her family.

She works in cotton and indigo, and other natural dyes, even visited a plantation in the course of her studies, which a lot of black weavers won't because of the history. But she believes you should look history in the face to conquer its hold on you.

She honors her ancestors from Florida, black and white and treasures what photos she finds recording them. She uses photo transfer images superimposed on her weaving, and echoes the repetition of Andy Warhol and other modern artists working in prints. And she uses symbols to record the brutal history of her family's endurance. 

Her work ranges from large to huge, and she says it will be bigger yet.

And she stitched this piece to honor her grandmother's dressmaking skills 

 Definitely a weaver to study and honor.

Then, several food related visits from Gary. His houseguest wanted to bake a batch of lava cakes before she left. 

This involved one visit to get three eggs. Then another to borrow the muffin pan. Then, later, another with a sample cake, pan to follow later.

Finally last evening, a shared dish of littleneck clams and lemon juice. He'd cooked them, and ran in with them still steaming.  He'd earlier come for ice cubes but borrowed my Misfits ice blocks instead. The clams explained why the sudden need for ice.

Never a dull moment! 

Happy day everyone, warping today, for skirt panel three. 

The air quality not being great, smoke from Nova Scotia fires this time, I may give the outdoor discussion group a miss. But a local trip to change my jigsaw puzzle might be on.

I'm glad the current word puzzle is being suitably annoying!