Wednesday, where'd you go?

Lovely gentle rain and cool, the garden loves it

This rain is the edge of Erin, and we may have more wind and rain soon. 

Since I don't like to walk in the rain, I did an indoor yes2next, twenty minutes of moving to 80s tunes, of which I knew just one! (I got you, babe, Sonny and Cher).  

This was definitely a workout. It's the continual movement, unlike my outdoor walking, which is brisk, but with stops to look and listen and take photos.

So my afternoon plan, to listen to a Shedunnit podcast and stitch my linen, didn't happen, because I closed my eyes after lunch for just a minute. 

Then I woke up in time for tea and honey toast. I get the Shedunnit newsletter and finally got around recently to listening to the podcast which I found on Spotify, then I signed up to continue. I'll continue later.

What did happen though, was that I remembered to take the pictures of the kantha stitched purse 

You can see the clever strap, cording with a section of quilted fabric where it crosses your shoulder. And it's lined. You can see the size by comparison with my gnarly old hand.

This is an easy project for you, Mary Ann, so I hope you do make it. It's a nice gift, too, especially  if you slip a little something in.

Wednesday evening online with friends. It's all go. Except when it's stop and sleep..

Happy day everyone, I'm learning that sleeping isn't time wasted, it's refuelling.

I had ideas to talk about retirement and other things which can wait till another day. Also the insurance company suddenly called and texted and emailed to say the house estimate had been revised upward, and approved,  and they're sending me more $. 

Since I paid the bill already I wonder if the contractors will be back with another bill. But I'll have the money to pay it, so fine.

Kantha embroidery, hippie food and freecycle

 Yesterday the Philadelphia Art Museum presented a marvellous program about the Kantha embroidery of Bengal. This week Hindus celebrate the god Ganesh and the birthday of Lord  Krishna. They didn't mention this but I expect Indian listeners were aware of  the season.

Kantha is a women's family-centered art, stitching shawls and blankets for home use and birth ceremonies, some to be handed down. They also incorporate strips of old saris into the work, and sometimes imitate the sari patterns in stitches. 

Since the slides were very fully labeled, I'll just show you

It really spoke to me, with the stitching and up-cycling, and the pleasure women take in this art, a meditative break in very busy lives.

Yesterday I played latter day hippie, making yogurt and granola! I have a new approach to yogurt, using one of the insulated foil bags from misfits coolpack shipping, and the containers of hot water recommended by blogistas. Last time I did this, the yogurt was still warm after 24 hours.

 And, fortified by this great grub, I began to think about changing the furniture around. Now that I don't have a tv, I can use that alcove -- the one you saw Gary at work in -- differently.

On the other wide side of the fireplace is another, bigger alcove, currently with Dollivers and bears on a table. But I measured and found my smaller bookcase will slide into the small alcove, the bigger one into the other. Finally, a change of indoor scenery. 

This ended up where you might have guessed, with winnowing the bookcases. I did this three years ago, in the Great Winnowing, and now I'm at it again, not having used any of the art books I spared last time.

So this all happened, and by the end of the day I'll have free cycled two stacks of books to happy recipients, all being well.

In waiting, one pickup scheduled this morning, one this afternoon.

Happy day, everyone, and happy winnowing if that's how the onset of the new season moves you.

A bit of watercolor play, it must be summer

Ages since I got out the watercolors, but that blank book find just came in time to remind me I sometimes like to play a bit with them in summer light.

So I assembled the doings, noted a handy model

Just stuff lying about on the table.

And it started without me 

When the yellow jumped out of the tube and onto the book. I'd squeezed it a bit hard, since the others were dry, and I expected this one to be, too.

I never waste expensive dried up tube colors, just cut open the tube and continue using them like solid pans. If they're good quality, this works. A tip from one of my frugal instructors.

Anyway a few minutes' delicious fun.

Watercolor is pointless if you labor and struggle over it. It's spontaneous or it's nothing. My not very humble opinion. Paint like a kid.

I left out the materials handy so I can do more when the spirit moves. There's nothing like making something to raise your spirits. The product doesn't matter for this purpose, it's the doing that matters.

And I have this whole handy book to use, fun ahead. There might be drawings, rubbings, transfers, who knows. 

Meanwhile, despite numerous plant related visitations  from next door, and a hand dipped chocolate cookie gift, now shared around with neighbors

the blueberry baked goods happened and some went next door

This morning I had one for breakfast, warmed it in the microwave, and when I bit in, juice exploded all over my white tee.  

After I wondered about stain removal I decided no, go with it, and when I get up, I'm writing this in bed, I'll simmer the tee with the rest of the berries, and take advantage of the staining function instead of fighting it.

Tatters is doing some nice things here -- Kantha, an Indian stitching style. I'm familiar with it, living in an Indian population. I love the simplicity of the stitching, adding up to complex art.

And since be summer seems to be here, time to practice

Happy day everyone. We can be happy while helping people who are suffering. We can do two things at once.