Misfits and more good news

I was up about five on Thursday, still dark and the full moon lighting up the street. I love to be up to see the day arrive while I drink my coffee.

 I'm still getting good news of elections from all over the country, typically too local to make the national news, but significant. Like Chris's report on the Idaho school board election, which I passed on via Spoutible.

Quite a few school boards have tossed rightist book-banning Moms and rejected new similar candidates, replacing them with blue candidates. 

Sheriffs, too, one local to here, Bucks county. Voters replaced the sheriff who had got into an agreement to assist ICE,  with a new younger man who plans to rescind the agreement as soon as he takes office. A Democrat. In red, affluent, Bucks county.  More and more news like this is coming in, a definite blue wave. 

I wrote to Schumer and my two senators urging them to hold fast, never surrender, and I'm hoping they won't give in to the emotional blackmail of hunger and soaring health premiums -- as you read on Wednesday, this is hitting my family -- but force accountability.  Election Day showed we're in fighting mode. Ooh, a pome! I'm doing my best to help on the hunger front.

And Misfits arrived. I messaged Haleem the driver warning him his usual entrance road is up for repairs, finally, and giving him a heads-up about another entrance to the development.

And here's the doings. Extra canned goods for the food pantry, this is a permanent part of the planning, apples for mid morning, blueberries and yogurt for desserts, yogurt also for sauces and maybe a bit of pastry.

Chocolate chips and dried cranberries for granola to happen today, tuna for tuna melt, peanut butter to sub for tahini which I don't like. This works in sauces and hummus with the chickpeas you see there. 

The garlic paste you saw recently is working well, anywhere garlic is needed. I'm making some good garlic bread -- garlic paste and butter toasted on whole wheat bread. I chunked that up to add to spinach and scallion salad. Some garlic roast potato dice. Maybe garlicky game hen. Hm. 

I expect I'll use it, too,  in the hummus I'm thinking about. Maybe I'll make crackers, using some yogurt, to go with. 

Lunch Thursday was raw spinach torn up, with roasted potato dice, mushrooms and scallions with garlic paste, olive oil and  feta cheese crumbles on top. Dessert was one of those apples, crisp, juicy, just right. 

And I made granola, oats, walnuts, dried cranberries, chocolate chips 

And as usual I'm reading a lot at once, just taking a look at Marc Freedman, How to Live Forever

It's about old people leaving a legacy of teaching, and encouraging younger people.  

I think it's a good thing in itself, but I wonder if that legacy thing is more a male idea. What do you think? I don't think in terms of legacy, and I don't know how commonly women do.

I'm noticing in other books that nonfiction, other than science,  from more than a couple of years ago, doesn't fit with our social reality. Quite a few assumptions don't work any more, in this age of fear and chaos. 

So when I see a publication date a couple of years back I read with a bit more scepticism. So much has changed, not for the better. Our optimism has taken a big jolt.

But this one doesn't date

Just started this. The cat, on loan for two weeks, is prescribed by the unusual therapist as a treatment for burnout in a Japanese corporate job. We'll see how it goes. It's very popular -- long wait. Hm, wonder why..

Out walking, I met a little black and white fluffy barky wagging puppy. That was a Good Thing. 

Happy day everyone, anyway, for now let's never mind legacy, just enjoy today!  Here's a nice picture, sez

Quilted portraits, ballots and misfits

Isn't this expressive? I had to show you. I plan to find more.

It's deceptively simple, but really very accomplished work.

Speaking of which, S,  a blogista and commenter, just posted this elsewhere.

Exciting or what? It sounds like a form of four selvedge weaving, as seen in back strap loom work, from this region, still in use. Thank you so much, S.  This is very accomplished weaving. Also spinning, to produce that fine thread.

If anyone can get to MFA Boston, take a look.

In other exciting news, I tracked my ballot, just to be sure it was picked up from the drop box

Yes. Ready to be counted after polls close. The primary's not till June, I always vote early. This also lets candidates know how active a given area is, so they can redirect funding to get out the vote in low turnout areas.  We're electing a governor and county, state and local officials. 

Misfits arrived.

While I was trying to get help bringing in the box, not yet advisable to lift anything from ground level, Gary came bursting in with it and set it on the counter.

Lovely greens, annual order of bitter dandelion leaves, spring tonic, and rainbow chard. The stems and ribs are now in the stock bag.

Vanilla essence, ages since I got the last, which is about to run out. Mango chunks for this week's treat food. Baby bellas probably for stirfry, with chard and other vegetables. Berries and yogurt for desserts.  Eggs and cheddar staples. Gala apples likewise.

I have fish thawing to cook tomorrow, and I'm still finishing up the chicken drumsticks, so the greens and salads will fit with them. 

As usual, the produce is lovely, fresh and peak quality. 

I watched the Steve Martin Cheaper by the Dozen, afternoon matinee. It was okay, a generic big family movie, a bit too ready for slapstick, no relation to the original plot.

Movie makers tend to see a  big family as a theater troupe of clowns and trick cyclists, performing. But if you could suspend disbelief, a fun afternoon movie with a pot of tea.  And there were nice interiors.

I feel quite smug this afternoon. House clean, laundry done, groceries prepped, box broken down for recycle. Look at meeeee!!

This evening I'm at a town hall online with Jasmine Crockett if I can get in. 

Happy day everyone, be smug if you're feeling it, you're entitled to be. But keep sending good vibes to brave Ukraine.