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Showing posts with label lavender. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lavender. Show all posts

Thursday, July 10, 2025

More early morning getting stuff done, later all bureaucracy

Early morning, this is getting to be a good habit, walking around the neighborhood. I was hugely cheered when I met a mellow little Boston terrier named Oreo! Lovely chat with his old Indian gentleman clearly devoted to Oreo.

Then around, greeting the early morning walkers and home to shower and catch up on line. But first I lugged the big potted lavender plant through the house and onto the patio. 

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It's safer there and we'll see how it goes. That was a bit of exertion, but I survived. My yes2next habit is paying off. I'll need to repot it now the roots have been torn out of the ground by my car.

It's going to be quiet, with Gary away for two weeks, but there's a good side to that. It's especially quiet since his phone is dead and he can't get his new one set up. Can't make or receive calls, everything going to the old phone and irretrievable. At least my phone is working anyway.

No sudden irruptions with ideas, requests to look at this and that, hold that wire, identify this poison ivy etc.  

Yesterday  he dashed in, with a cup of tea, didn't want to put it on the coffee table, grabbed a handful of MY HANDMADE FIBER CORDAGE and asked if he could rest his cup on it for a coaster.. he also does wonderful things for me, so there's that balance. But a few days downtime is good.

Home again I needed a second breakfast 

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Cheese and cilantro omelette.

Then a lot of the day was spent dealing with a blizzard of texts and emails from the auto insurer. I checked with the body shop, who hadn't got them yet, then forwarded them so they could get on with the repair. 

Then, after I called the insurer to double-check they were paying the shop direct, got another message that they'd mailed a check to me. Soooo I'll settle with the shop myself. I forwarded that info too. 

It's easier to do it myself than with help, full disclosure. Saves discussion and debate. I'm used to doing my own follow up and now I'm recovered to the point of managing things again.

At first I really needed neighbors making calls, most appreciative. Gary was stunned once I got going again, that I knew how to do DocuSign! Folks, I'm old, I'm not a dinosaur.

Then there's the air conditioner at the condo. This being Handsome Tenant's day off, he was pursuing it, again, and got a tech out Wednesday. I was not thrilled he's having to use his one precious day off, but I can't be there.  

Later: tech did a repair, but heat pump needs to be replaced. They'll be in touch. Sad, but not surprised. It's 23 years old, beyond its lifespan.

I'll make sure there's cake for next time I see him. 

So that was Wednesday. Still waiting on the house and the exterminator. Once all this is done I won't know what to do with myself. So much free time. Maybe I'll solve some age old mathematical mystery.

Evening was a good time online with my friends.

And on to more important things. I'm considering how to shape the basket, I mean technically. I know what shape I want to achieve, and I need to figure out how to get there. 

I think I know how but we'll see if my bright ideas translate. Sometimes materials, especially fiber, do unexpected things. It can be for the better. We'll see.

In the afternoon I had an invitation from the local artists group I founded long ago to send a piece to their October group show. I haven't exhibited in ages, so I'll have to look something out.  I'm amazed they remember me.

Happy day everyone. You got this, sez Queen Ferluffy.

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Saturday, June 14, 2025

Briefly, love the moment

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Yesterday evening, my honorary Indian daughter made a sudden welcome visit, because she found herself in the neighborhood,and we had a wonderful catch-up about her family and job and mutual friends.

She never arrives empty handed, and brought a bag of chocolate and Indian mangoes, the best.

And her visit reminded me that we need to enjoy and celebrate every moment we have.

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Earlier I'd made Food for Fortitude 

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Cod baked with butter and capers,  wilted spinach and an apricot sauce.  We need this kind of food in parlous times.

And there's nature, the lavender blooming at the door 
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And the yellow wood sorrel undeterred by mowers because it blooms too low under the blades to be cut down. 

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There are lessons all over here which I won't insult our communal intelligence by underlining.

Be safe. Do what's right today. March in spirit or in person. We're worth it.

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Thursday, February 20, 2025

Tofu Katsu, and Misfits

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In prep for today's Misfits delivery including tofu, I made the dipping sauce and organized the breading. This makes crisp sticks of tofu which I plan to go with soup.

Easiest sauce ever: small dash oil, ketchup and soy sauce. That's it. So I hope the tofu shows up. Yeung Man Cooking stars again.

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Meanwhile the bags and ice blocks are out for return, and you can see the lavender trying to fall over again 

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It's topheavy so the wind or a climbing squirrel, can topple it. The roots are through into the ground, but I don't like them to be yanked about when the pot falls over.

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Update: The tofu arrived, but today, unusually, the delivery came mid-afternoon, rather than midmorning, so my lunch plans underwent a change. Tofu sticks for supper now, with spinach. The instructions say to test when the oil is hot enough, put in the tip of a bamboo skewer, if bubbles form, it's hot enough. I don't have one, so I used a bamboo knitting needle.

Here:

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Very crisp and crunchy, finger food, dip in the sauce. 

No new eggs, potatoes or  apples this week, owing to a surfeit.  And possibly these are chickpeas but you never know.  Sliced cheese instead of a block, I really have to read my orders better, but oh well. Oats for crumbles and bread baking. Berries and yogurt for desserts. Chocolate cherries because I'm worth it.

Gary is home,  picked up the houseplants I was rehabbing for him, and gave me an update on a piece of furniture the across the street neighbor is replacing. Doesn't take much to entertain me these days. And wherever Gary is, there's action.

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There he is, helping carry it out.
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If you're thinking about a support puppy in these stressful times, see what the little martians do.  Just sayin.

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Reclaiming my flag today 



Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Perfect walking day

 I seized the day, after this morning's COVID booster and before the effects kicked in, to enjoy a walk.

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Neighbor's roses

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And at home my potatoes are growing at warp speed 

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And my lavender is nearly ready, to pick little bunches for neighbors 

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This afternoon, I waved my arm about to dissipate the swelling, and stayed home to rest instead of Tuesday knitting. Also to field doctor calls about recent test results. I need to increase one pill, but otherwise I'm fine.

Then I read peacefully on the deck, while various relatives and their dogs showed up next door because Gary's home. He sounds and looks pretty good. Party time!

Textiles and Tea this week was about braiding, which turns out to include, but not be limited to, kumihimo. There's a lot of braiding traditions, and this Brit weaver and braider does research on fibers, embroidery, and creates freeform braiding on various frames.

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The last slide shows her at work on a bigger frame, with a smaller one shown at the side. Her very open-minded approach is so happy, light-years different from the rigid rule-bound kumihimo workshop I attended years ago and really hated.  

Holding the little frame in one hand, juggling bobbins with the other, only one way to do it or you were WRONG! I finished the project, not to let it defeat me, then gave the frame to someone who wanted to try it, and I hope she liked it.

But Jacqui is adventuresome, likes to let the  fibers, usually silk, direct the work, and it shows. She's written several books on braiding and embroidery, which are available from her. She commented that if you don't sell through Amazon they list you as out of print, even if you aren't. That was news. I'm guessing her classes are fun, judging from her enthusiasm about it.

She started out in mathematics, but one thing and another, found herself in fiber arts. Where I think she's probably giving more value than as a midrange, non creative mathematician, her own description. A lot of people in weaving have a numbers and science background, probably the planning and symmetry appeals? I'm guessing.

Happy day, everyone, and here's another Haggard Hawks puzzle, which at first I got instantly, dogmatically, wrong!

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Sunday, June 25, 2023

The growing season, and a new idea

 Yesterday I planned on shakshuka, but only had three eggs till Thursday, so I had a change of plan. I'd already substituted chard for bell peppers since I don't like bell peppers a lot, particularly the current price. So I thought I bet chunks of hake would work here.

Onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, hake, there's probably a name for this which I don't know. 

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I drained the tomatoes and the liquid will go into the next spaghetti sauce.

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It was very good, the fish cooked just enough to flake. The flatbread is vital for getting all the sauce. And I'm having the second half today.

Meanwhile Nature is busy. Remember back when I chipped a favorite teapot and started using it to root cuttings?  No? Well anyway here's a healthy group, two kinds of begonia

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Now potted up, and joining their friends.

Outside somebody's creating lace from Gary's collard greens

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The daylilies, Stella d'oro, are getting tuned up. I have these all over, including other people's gardens and around the dumpster enclosure. It's very easy to grow and divide.

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And my cheap dollar store seeds are booming

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The lavender got to its destination overnight, amazing, and was well received, like this

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So all's well, and happy day everyone! Let's hope our plans work out or at least we have a backup if they don't.

Count on Zelenskyy to have a backup, always

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