Chair yoga to wake with and national flag stew, white rabbits and Brigid

White rabbits and happy Brigid's Day. She seems to be the patron saint of just about anything you need. 

A bit of an overachiever, if you ask me.. started out as a pagan goddess, appropriated as a Catholic saint and protector of Ireland, put in charge of fiber and crafts, all sorts of jobs. That's like being First Lady and Secretary of State and Senator... Yes Hillary did all that.

Edith Holden on February 

If any of my fair maids came up this year, they're under there, a foot of snow. They can come up, bloom and fade, all under snow.  

Twenty minutes of chair yoga is more activity than you might think, but a great idea when you're stiff and chilly on a Sunday winter morning.

It's nicely paced with breathing included in the instructions, always a good thing.

And lunch was a quick stew which reminded me of some national flag. With garlic toast.

I'm reading a mystery where Queen Liz the Two is the detective. There's a series, and this one's at Sandringham, near the Norfolk coast.  

I just got through all the Ruth Galloways set on the same coast, I seem to be in a geographical rut.  This one's really good, funny and fast moving. 

And I completely missed a great online presentation on kilims, through having fallen asleep just before it began. So, sorry, you have no textiles to marvel at today.

Happy day everyone, do what you can, nap if you must. All good.

White rabbits, St Brigid, and useful info

Here's information on getting health information when CDC is muzzled

This is today's psa!

White rabbits, and Happy St Brigid's Day. Among other things she's the patron saint of snakes, appropriate in the Year of the Snake.

And here's Edith Holden 

And here's the second proofing of the cinnamon raisin bread.

Steve the YouTuber used two loaf pans clipped together to make a PMDO -- poor man's dutch oven! 

I don't have two,  so after breaking the dough and restirring it, I rolled the dough into my one loaf pan, and improvised the top with tinfoil. I don't have his glass mixing bowl, but my ancient Tupperware worked okay. And I don't have plastic wrap, which he used for the overnight proofing, but tinfoil worked okay. And I didn't have bread flour, so I used golden whole wheat.  Aside from all that, exactly the same!

Here's the result, chewy, dense and really good 

Making good food is part of resisting -- keeping up your health and spirits. 

So, happy day, everyone, do that and enjoy what you can. If we let the bad guys get us down, they will have won.

Brigid,February, yarn ahoy and Japanese textiles

White rabbits, finally February got here and the daylight is, bit by bit, getting longer. Imbolc, celebrating spring and fertility. 

St Brigid's Day. She was a sixth century Irish powerhouse, both in lore and religious belief. Here's her cross

Showing the Celtic and Christian blend. 

If you remembered to put out on the evening of January 31, on a bush, a piece of fabric, emblematic of her cloak, she may bless it as she passes during the night. Then you'll have its healing properties in your house for the year.

Yesterday the mail brought this

The promised cotton yarn from lovely C.,  plus a bonus bag, seen in front,  of finer gauge cotton yarn she found and added in, wheeee!!

And right away 

That lovely green is already being incorporated into the current undie. I'm now using the first pair as a pattern to follow, since it fits.

Then this afternoon there was a short online presentation from The Textile Museum Journal, about Japanese  worsted muslin, fine wool fabric for clothing including kimonos. 

Actresses were hired to model for advertisements 

And school textbooks taught about textiles including this fabric

Here the Empress is pregnant and  the royal household announces the imperial baby will be dressed simply, in worsted muslin, probably to encourage use of the modest, inexpensive fabric, since the population might be influenced by the imperial household.

The first mention of war refers to the 1904 Russo-Japanese war. 

It's a rapid sociological look at a textile form, and the importance to the Japanese island nation which imported most of its raw wool from Australia. 

When Australia cut back on exporting wool to Japan, before WW2,  it caused shortages and the population was encouraged to economize and recycle, back in 1937. 

It was an interesting wander around a piece of  history in textiles I wasn't familiar with, with a personable presenter. Nice

Happy day everyone, misfits expected today. I have plans for chickpea potato fritters breaded in panko, when the potatoes (I think) I ordered, arrive.

White rabbits, Happy Imbolc, and St Brigid's Day, and Schubert

 All kinds of things to celebrate today.

We woke to the first snow in over 300 days

Gone in an hour, but the raised light level was a good start.

The days are stretching, the light getting stronger.  Imbolc celebrates the upcoming arrival of growth and spring flowering.

And here's Edith Holden's February entry.

And yesterday was Schubert's birthday. He didn't have many, poor duck, but what he achieved in his life of composition! 

Here's one of the great reasons to be on Twitter, a cellist with his dog,  playing Schubert's Serenade outside his cottage in Western Ireland. Happy birthday, Franz

Check out the melody on YouTube if you're not familiar with it. Or if you are.

Happy day everyone, however you celebrate. Life's a banquet!