Bee sleeping, Freecycle and neighbors

 Lovely sunny day, cool, perfect for walking. Around the corner there's a tiny front yard crammed with color, and the pink dahlias are a bee magnet. I watched this friend for several minutes, sleeping, rocking in the breeze, until he finally stretched and took off.

Before that, Gary was out front, in pajamas, checking and adjusting my tire pressures. All low, probably because of the sudden cold nights.  He also mentioned he'd really enjoyed "whatever those things were called". The cranberry muffins in translation.

While he was at it, contractor artist friend from across the street, the one who made the mancala boards, stopped to see if he needed help. I think contractor friend probably thought if he was attending my car in pajamas, it must be urgent! Nah, it's how he rolls. He didn't need help, but this was a snapshot of how my neighborhood works.

Then Gary said he knows now never to throw anything away before checking with me (my work here is done) and wondered about this set of fireplace tools. He's getting his fireplace converted to gas.

I put it up on free cycle, and had a quick response. It will be in a new home, all being well, tomorrow.

And just to keep my upcycling cred going, here's my former pretty kettle now acting as a handy watering can for the upstairs plants. This is the second bedroom, sunny in the afternoon, great for a read with a pot of tea, like this afternoon. That's the bed, aka reading area, in the corner there.

I learned a new exercise related to walking, involving the long-named muscle group on the front of your shins. Apparently one of its jobs is to lift your foot so you don't trip as you walk. 

So I did the exercise yesterday, involving leaning against a wall and raising the toes, ow. Judging by the soreness in the front of my legs, I'd say I need to pay some attention to this area. I do toe lifting, but differently from this, on the stairs. And less demanding, clearly.

Back to less physical work, I'm back to the socks for the Sock 'n Glove Ministry. This is sock one. When the pair's done, I'll send them with the pairs of gloves including the pair and a spare. High time I got something sent off.

Lovely day, neighbors, friends, art, reading a rattling good book, sunshine, sleeping bees, what more could a person ask.

Cashew carrot potato ginger apple soup

 CCPGA soup. Sounds like a government agency. But it's pretty good.

I added in an apple, thanks to Marilyn who made a sweet potato soup recently and liked the apple addition.

 

I found a lone Yukon gold potato in this week's box, so why not. I remembered to soak the cashews a couple of hours. Carrots and ginger already prepped. Little dash of berbere, not much, it's hot. Dash of lemon at the end. Usual start with onions and garlic, and the chicken stock cubes and salt all cooked in the olive oil first. 

And here's a soup for several days. Dressed up with a sprig of Thai basil.

My neighbor thanks everyone who helped with the plant id, and my neighbor on the other side, Amitha's husband, told me they've bought the house, after renting for several years. This is good news, nice neighbors, lovely kids. 

I've been friends with everyone who's lived there, lucky in our neighbors, and it looks as if it's happening again.

My formatting goes centered after I insert a picture, which I don't like as much as left justified, but oh well. Bear with me!