The last of this year's marigolds in an Asian clay teapot
And this morning, last day of September, I finally got a walk, after the tiredness faded, and caught fall flowers and plants
At home, Billie the Pup did her best to trip me
And the peppermint I started from a cutting at the condo, a stand I started years ago from a cutting at the townhouse...
Current reading, bringing in October, is
About which I know a lot without having read it. Time I did.
Happy day everyone, don't trip your friends!
Friday morning I checked the peppermint plant and it's started rooting.
The roots are too tiny to see here, but it's definitely on it.
The heat abated enough to go out leaving the house to my cleaning family. They're Czech and wildly excited at yet another Wimbledon championship to a Czech woman. Such a history of great Czech tennis, including Martina, Jana and now Barbora.
Meanwhile at the library, here's a perfect summer playful/serious exhibit. I know Audrey slightly from one of my knitting groups, and she's exactly as you'd think, playful and serious. I'll message her a note of thanks.
The temptation to play with these pieces is great! But there are notices begging us not to.
It really makes a person want to assemble pieces from toys and found objects, and find there's more to it than you might think. When an artist makes something look easy, you can be pretty sure it isn't.
Medical bulletin: Gary out of bed Friday morning, yay. They do try to get patients vertical quickly after surgery, particularly with lung issues, I think to avoid pneumonia. His texts sound pretty cheerful.
The current reading, blessedly out on the deck, on my Kindle
Happy day, everyone, there's usually something good to think about even midst sturm und drang.
Breaking news: the speaker went well, it was well received, and I kept it brief because it was a party atmosphere raising $$ for the Invictus Games, a wonderful project.
I decided to wait until later in the pod to speak up about why it's significant, because people remember the last thing they heard better than earlier talk. So I did my bit!
Yesterday Joe the Plumber came and spent the morning at the condo replacing the water heater.
You can see the tight quarters. Its an alcove, no way to enlarge it, which is why the washer and dryer are compact. Also very expensive, the only ones which fit.
There's always a point at which the soldering sets off the smoke alarm. It's undetectable by human nose, but the alarm goes into overdrive. So it seems to be working anyway.
And while I was there I noticed near the building a stand of peppermint, so I swiped a bit
I'll start it in water then move to a pot.
When I got home, Misfits had arrived
Still buying bread until the weather moderates and I can bake my own again.
The paper supplies went out in the afternoon to a local friend, and what she didn't need will be freecycled this morning to one of several interested takers.
She and I had a funny chat about being drawn to blank books and fountain pens. She noted that she hadn't been able to get them to meet and work together yet.. I think that might be true of a lot of collectors. Using them doesn't seem to be the point.
For me using stuff is the point.
This picture is my homelife in a nutshell
On top of coffee table, l to r current DVDs, breakfast tray, on extra table, DVD player, Kleenex for sad movies, stitched box. Just out of frame, pinloom weaving supplies.
Under the table l to r, stitching supplies and current fabric book, waste basket for threads, spinning supplies, knitting bag.
In the downstairs closet, not pictured, bag of cordage and basket in progress
This is HQ. It's why I no longer need a studio and extensive art supplies. Life's good.
Happy day everyone, go Joe, and confusion to his enemies. Joe's bringing the economy roaring back has increased the value of my little mutual fund investments, and directly enabled me to pay for this month's expenses. So miss me with whining about daily costs.
Two years ago I couldn't have managed this well. Money may not buy happiness, but a bit extra to relieve the strain is pretty close to it.
Time to play!
Textiles and Tea this week featured Sarah Gotowka, a hugely talented young dyer and weaver, interested in using her art as a way to understand trans racial adoptions and the influence of history on crafts
Herself a Korean adopted by American parents, she has studied her Korean heritage, particularly in dyeing indigo.
The Japanese occupation of Korea created a forced labor situation for Koreans in their indigo dyeing. There are parallels to the cruel history of indigo in the American South.
I made the warp for the next skirt panel, so happy to be doing it, despite the price my neck is now extorting.
You just can't be prudent about health all the time without going completely berserk from deprivation. Today I'll do some heddle threading.
Yesterday aside from being a nice memory day, had its share of communication breakdowns, to wit
I noticed when I was over seeing to the fridge arrival, that the peppermint I planted over there long ago was flourishing, and I forgot to bring home a couple of plants.
So yesterday I asked handsome Son to bring a handful of peppermint over for me. I was thinking planting, meaning handful of plants with roots. He assumed cooking, meaning handful of leaves, especially when I reminded him to identify it by pinching and sniffing.
So he carefully picked a handful of leaves, making sure not to bring stems or roots.. I've put them in a saucer of water to see if I can get them to root. If not, I'll go over and yank a couple of plants out to start in a pot here.
And current lightweight reading is Miss Buncle's next adventure
And here's a little French girl after many of our hearts and certain dog friends, too
Happy day everyone, stick your neck out, ow!
