Indigenous People Day, winterizing the sofa

Sunday evening, late, I winterized the sofa. The white cotton summer quilt is now in the washing machine, and the cozy blanket with knitted afghan is now in action

Fall Me is grateful to Spring Me for conscientiously putting them away laundered instead of saying oh, they'll do. 

That's pretty much it for winterizing, aside from changing the front door curtain from the striped canvas to the red felt. Simple life!

Since at the time of writing it's a holiday (!) my whole life is a holiday, I am wondering how much loafing I can fit in. Probably I'll do some visible mending, because I have socks to fix. And some stitching. And there's an interesting Yeung Man Cooking recipe to try, for which I have all, well most of, the ingredients already. 

I didn't have his exact veggies, also I added in chicken which he wouldn't, and this was great. There's at least one more meal available. I only had a small amount of rice in the house, or there would be more meals.

The sauce was wonderful. I had agave syrup, not maple, scallions not bell peppers, and lemon juice instead of some ingredient I don't know in the sauce. It didn't matter. And there's leftover sauce, for various other food.

Every forkful is a different combo, very interesting. I'm really glad I made that red chili oil a while back. I'll need more soon.

And for reading there's Austen. It may shape up to be a regular day around here.

But since the holiday honors our indigenous peoples, I will pay tribute to the Lenni Lenape, who lived and tended the land I now live on.

I do try to take care of the land, don't spray, don't kill anything I can avoid, don't buy when I can make from what's at hand, all that. Small effects, but good attempts. That includes the mending.

Tatters is offering a series of classes in mending, it's a thing.

Those socks definitely reminded me to get darning.

The Kindle is good for more than reading 

The yarn wasn't as contrasty as I expected. Also my skills are a bit rusty.  And, as you see, 

this hole went around a corner, challenging.

A couple more much smaller holes to fix and I'm set.

My flower garden is done for the year, the containers at least, the foliage tossed among the trees to rot down and feed the earth, containers stacked for next year. Just the little patch of wildflowers from the scattered seeds is still going cheerfully.

Soon I'll switch on the fireplace insert and have a bit of heat for an hour in the morning. Later I'll need to use the house heat, but I hope each year to wait on that. 

Usually late October is the time I have to start actual heat. I like the low cost times of year, to balance the higher ones, this year from heatwaves.

And here's a tribute to dahlias, which I don't currently have but used to

Happy Thanksgiving, Canadian friends, Happy Indigenous Peoples Day, or just plain have a nice Monday. There. Inclusive!

Recorder to Freecycle

 I found from the friend I contacted about rehoming the recorder,  that the recorder chapter I played with for many years did not survive the pandemic. 

The demographics were against it, too, most members being quite old, and despite our efforts to attract younger people, the group didn't skew young, or even middle aged.

So I'm putting the recorder on Freecycle, because I'm not up for packing and shipping, and contacting the national org would involve a taker probably out of my region.

Assembled

Here taken apart for carrying. It has a lovely tone, and my hands aren't up for it now. Let's hope for a new home.  I'm still playing the other voices.

Ed note: recorder is set to go to a new home on Monday, to someone eager to play it, already involved in early music. I had to disappoint a few other people, quite a response.

So glad to hear from e that she and kitty Mercy came through Milton. They're tired, low in supplies, but, power finally back, okay and recovering. That means everyone I was worried about is now accounted for. 

I'm now reading 

where the main character is Marcellus  a Giant Pacific  octopus. Thanks for the suggestion, Liz, it's very readable,  especially to this octo fan. I just hope it doesn't have a sad ending. I usually avoid animal characters for that reason, none of those sad horse and dog books, noooo.

 

I spent most of the afternoon on the deck, pulling out the faded marigold and zinnia foliage. Season officially over. I did bring in coleus cuttings and started them in water.

 

Then I read Marcellus' story, and hugely enjoyed it. Lovely afternoon until evening and the mosquitoes had a word to say. The wind in the trees is different now the leaves are crisper, a different kind of music.

So mainly me and the chipmunks on the deck, tea and reading.

 Happy day everyone, enjoy whatever's up today.

If you're Canadian, Thanksgiving is up, happy Tday.

Postcards, walking and other events

The postcards are ready to mail early next week 

And Saturday, beautiful October day, almost hot in the afternoon, I walked to the pond and admired foliage and reflections.

And the random oak leaf tangled in other leaves

On the patio yet more flowers

And yet another bowl o' blooms.

Gary was doing everything everywhere all at once, wanting input on planting a tree and putting pavers around. Then a while later input on color choice for walls, to work with wallpaper and floor already in place. 

It's all a bit somber for my taste, but he loves dark shades.

Then I got to my stitching and finished the mottled leaf 

Mottled leaf sounds like a nightclub Bertie Wooster might go to.

Then, officially reading Tey's The Singing Sands, but in fact sleeping and even dreaming,  I woke to make a nice supper of steamed broccoli with an omelette on top. 

What a life of luxury, to be able to rest when I'm tired, take a walk without extensive planning and preparation, stitch without checking the clock. 

None of these was possible during the nine years of caregiving for dear Handsome Partner. I did it gladly, and now I'm glad of my freedom.

Happy day everyone, check what we take for granted, sometimes we're on velvet and don't realize it. 

Friday Knitting Group

 Friday again and amazingly no house nor car issues, so I made it to the group.

 The Friday knitting group was a full house, with knitting, finishing, crocheting amigurumi, and other projects. 

One knitter, with her upcoming trip to Rhinebeck in mind was finishing the ends of a Shetland wool hat, another two creating toys, one working a vest from yarn, and Boud on her everlasting sock for the Knitting Ministry.

Talk ranged over height, counter size, mismatched couples, cars, Rhinebeck, mutual acquaintances, sweater design, alpaca yarn, local thrift stores and how to donate, kneading bread, cold weather, brain function, counting sheep, childbirth at an advanced age, baby care, the Northern lights and who missed them, that would be D and I, and more.

Earlier Friday I'd done some stitching, starting a mottled leaf.  This is an interesting project,  deciding what stitches I'm in the mood for. It's slow and deliberative. 

I also started looking for a taker for my bass recorder, too difficult for my hands now, with a note to a friend in the recorder society. I'm hoping for a good home for it.

Happy day everyone, online chat with friends coming up  Friday evening, also chicken soup and chocolate cherries in the plan.

Sad dentist, happy patient, lunch and misfits

Thursday my chauffeur arrived promptly and got me to the dentist early, and I was seen early. X-Rays using child-size plates, cleaning done by dentist no hygienist in evidence. No work found to do, so no boat payment for dentist, but a happy patient. 

He happily talked about skiing in Western Massachusetts as a kid, all the way to double black diamond, the cost of lift tickets now, modern designed skis, all very technical, requiring ohah urfh umph from my side.

Then I got my $270 toothbrush and Handsome Chauffeur Son drove us home after checking what I had available for lunch. Soup, no thanks, shrimp salad, no, chicken sandwiches without greens added in, yes. I explained no baked goods this week, sorry. 

When we got home misfits had arrived so he obligingly carried in the box, 

The tuna for future tuna salad, fettuccine and diced tomatoes future partners, strawberries why not, likewise chocolate cherries. Dark chocolate is nutritious. Right.More beans, there's never too many, I use them all over. Broccoli for steaming with maybe a poached egg on top.

Handsome Chauffeur was very happy to accept chocolate covered cherries for dessert. Pot of tea. 

While I assembled sandwiches, I asked him to put the kettle on. Which he did. Then it occurred to me to ask if he'd filled it first. Oh, wait, I'll do that, he did,  and it went back on the stove. Classic y chromosome, assuming the kettle fairy would have filled it, no need to check!

He also reset the my car display, dispensing with the tire pressure alert, keeping it in English, and retaining the total mileage display, three items I can't manage all at one time. 

And I recruited him to do some postcards to voters, so he took home the cards and information, after looking at mine to see what it entailed. He's a person who will do what he says he will, so this is a done deal.

A successful day, I'd say.

Good news from the Tampa and area friends up to now, wind and rain, but people and animals fine. I haven't heard from everyone, but I'm hopeful. I was dreading the news this morning, but was so relieved.

 Happy day, everyone! 

I hope everyone's day goes as well.

Leaves and late harvest

I got back to the stitching today, and having decided Bayeux stitch won't work here, went to long and short stitching for the leaf. Three colors.

And here's what's up at Tatters in their ongoing embroidery workshops

Embroidery supporting people in place of the crops they can't count on. Whole communities are engaged in this art form. Climate change economy.

 In the middle of thinking about all this,  I realized that a forgetmenot we found at Gary's yesterday and he gave me, still needed to be housed.

So I took out the second potato harvest and planted the forgetmenot in its place.

Considering how many times this potato plant was dug up by squirrels, it's amazing it didn't just quit. Two little potatoes are pretty good considering.

Since this forgetmenot found its way yards over in a different garden, I'm hopeful of more of them next year. 

And it was time to finish dealing with the chicken which I've been eating in various forms for a week. Also to cook the shrimp.

I now have a container of chicken breast slices and a pot of cream of chicken soup full of pickings from the simmered carcase. 

Also a bowl of shrimp which will be Boud's Plain Mayo Shrimp for Sandwiches.  No fancy extras. You want the good shrimp salad, you go to Mary's.

Thursday Handsome Son is taking me to a dental appointment late morning, so in case he needs a quick sandwich and soup, once we get home, before he gets on with his day, I have the makings. 

My life lately is all about medical appointments. I'm perfectly well, but all these appointments. I was complaining about this to a retired nurse recently, and she said that's how you stay well, so hush up

About cars, if it's not doors it's cars. Gary got to work on the tire pressure situation. Then our friend across the street, the one with a good tire gauge, joined in and we had Men at Work 

After establishing that neighbor's Florida daughter is as safe as possible considering, they checked and inflated my tires to the right levels, then did a couple of other cars. 

I wheeled the crying grandbaby around. She fell asleep and we were all happy, I because I got to wheel a baby, so long since I did that. When the convo got to serious male car talk I withdrew quietly.

I have to admit to shameless larceny from She Who Seeks, go there for a whole lot more funny ghostly items,  with this very great Gallery of Ghosts

Now going full throttle, and the downside, also Octopus Day

Tuesday I had hearing friends Ruth and Laura tuned up to 100%, and on the way home, a tire pressure alert sounded, so loud because of the upgrade, that I nearly swerved off the road. Gary will get to it when he can,  meanwhile I missed my Tuesday knitting group, tiny first world problem.

He too, has people in Florida and is very concerned about them, largely because they either can't or don't plan to evacuate from Milton. So much worry all at once.

Meanwhile he's starting to stake out the tulip bed..measuring, looks like.

I'm reading Tey's Franchise Affair, published in 1948, and surprisingly up to date about media tearing down innocent people and building up criminals. Also great characters and a good distraction. I'm just zooming through the collection, just right for my mood now.

Handsome Son's Tuesday morning text wished me a happy Octopus Day, so I'm passing it on

One of the smartest animals there is. 

People come fairly far down the intelligence scale, we find, the more we learn about other earthly animals.

Textiles and Tea featured

She's from New Mexico, from a long family history of weavers, and likes the saori, spontaneous form, with wabi sabe, appreciating the beauty of the  broken and irregular,  and the natural effects of pressure and wear. She also does her own  photography, and you see the beauty of her composition. It's masterful as photography rarely is.

Happy day everyone,  safety first if you can manage it. People who go through Milton and out the other side, please let us know when you can.