Stairs and steps and food

 Look at nature's art. With a bit of help from hybridizers.

Misfits this week is a nice array, with the makings of the giant quiche, using onions and kale from the freezer with the eggs and carrots and cheese that just arrived. 

Also raspberries, can't often get them because they don't ship well, and two kinds of yogurt because my regulars aren't available. 

So I'm trying a coconut cashew yogurt, and I'm not sure if I'll repeat it. It's a bit oily in texture compared to dairy yogurt. Nice with raspberries, though anything would be, really.

A lot of bread for the freezer, in case I don't feel like baking, and these loaves aren't available often these days.

Whole bean coffee, though I don't like grinding coffee early in the morning. The ground coffee wasn't available, but maybe I'll grind it all at once, I'm not a coffee purist. Hot, strong and in a cup will do it.

I'm back to eating apples raw, and up to now it seems okay. 

Meanwhile back at the stairs, I decided to just go ahead, not wait for the bathroom work, who knows when that will happen.

So I had a brisk correspondence with a stair man, exchanged pictures, questions, got a quote, name brand products, clear quote, all answers handled well, and decided why not. 

I have to say he wasn't pressuring me, in fact I was driving the tempo. So we set up first visit, measurements, deposit, for Tuesday, then installation, since everything's in stock, Friday.

Then I seem to have put a stick in the spokes, because I suddenly wondered if I needed a permit. 

Now, for a removable, battery operated device attached only to stair treads, it seems unlikely. But I know the town I live in, and the building department, and I don't want to complicate life later for Handsome Son. So I put in a question to the building department.

Meanwhile the stair man said well technically NJ does have requirements, which will take months because it has to be approved by state, county and township. And we can handle that for, whoa, $1800.

I think he's mixed up with the state requirements for public spaces and ADA compliance. I looked it up, I found it does exist, but does not apply to private homes. So I put a hold just for now in the process until I hear back from the township. I'll still go ahead soon 

I may be worrying about nothing, not unusual for me, because the company has a buyback policy, where they will remove and buy a stair glide when it's no longer needed. 

Tactful way of saying when the user dies.  Which means it needn't be an issue at sale time, my real concern, not wanting to burden Handsome Son with complications after I die. He'll have enough to deal with. 

Same permit thought crossed my mind about the bathtub cutout but it's hardly likely to need permitting, since it's not changing plumbing or redoing construction. So I may decide to calm down 

In good news, my bone doctor liked most of my blood test results, except one high parathyroid one but she said let's just watch, no need to rush to surgery. 

She meant at my age, I expect, and fine by me. My bones are doing fine.  She instructed me not to fall, please, and I agreed to do my best.

So that's where I am.  I finished the gloves and may have a taker, and that's my knitting chapter closed.   I'm thinking about several weaving projects next. 

I like to have something happening, particularly when the season changes, not being a big fan of Fall, and I can't handle Halloween. So I need a project to turn to. That's usually not hard to find.

Happy day everyone, don't worry about being in the minority among people who love Halloween so much they've been counting down for months. It's okay not to.

Weaving and other complications

I'm continuing to cut back on activities, because I get tired. There's a lot to do at home and I have to budget my energy 

The bathroom is still in the works and after that, this is the staircase for the stair glide 

Today I skipped the knitting group and got a text filling me in on the doings, complete with a picture of the writer's current project! Not my picture so I'm not posting it here, sorry.

My ballot arrived and is already set for the dropbox.

Also in the same mail bad news: my trusted longtime doctor who has seen me through a lot of difficult years, through the caregiving and on, is retiring. This isn't unexpected but I was hoping for longer. 

I have an appointment with her already for mid October, so that will be the last. She sent a list of other doctors in the practice and I've already set up an introductory appointment with one of them.

She's young, so she won't be retiring soon, wears a Moslem hijab, so is probably excellent, knowing the barriers she must have overcome, to get into a first rate practice. And she has her office in this town, saves me traipsing all the way to the other practice office further away. So I'm hopeful this will work out.

Then some very nice chukka boots I ordered arrived, really nice, ordered, at the retailer's suggestion, one size bigger than usual. But so sad, too small. 

They're going back tomorrow and I find they're charging me to return them. That's it for shopping with Lands End. I took their advice, they were wrong and I still have to pay shipping.   Sigh.

I have been struggling to finish the last pair of fingerless gloves, not easy with my current hands, but I'll get them done and given and it will feel complete.

And the embroidery is moving along 

I'm planning on a trailing vine down the front appearing to grow from the pocket.

And I have a weaving idea I want to get into soon, using a lot of yarns.

Then there was Textiles and Tea with 

An astonishingly versatile artist, painter, printmaker and now weaver, on every kind of loom, from antique to frame, to TC2. 

She really understands art and expression and using the medium of weaving for meaning. My new weaving impulse is coming from watching her energy at work.

Gold tokens. All her pieces are meaningful as well as free standing artworks.

She weaves large pieces for public spaces and teaches through residencies. She's a young and gifted artist, definitely worth following.

So that's Boud for now. Happy day everyone, vote, please, don't settle for tight boots, and remember recharging is important.

More than ever, after the hideous attack at Cornell we trust women. Then bears.

Nor'easter incoming, but soup and flowers

I had a nice chat on Thursday with Jeff, the Misfits driver and we agreed the delivery software was rubbish. 

He said there's a meeting soon and they've had so many complaints about the new software they're thinking of reverting to the old one. He too doesn't like being unable to message his customers. 

So I promised to push again for change and he left my box and wished me a good day. 

Strawberries for jam, perfect with the yogurt, this batch with vanilla, lemon juice and amchur, great flavor.

Eggs for upcoming quiche when the cheese supplies catch up. Potatoes for parboiling and roasting with the remnants of the chicken.  This served several meals then made the stock for my nor'easter soup.

Pumpkin, kale, potato soup, seasoned with shawarma spice mix, salt, Better than Bouillon and cayenne.  Bits of chicken and homegrown chives for garnish 

Lemons because I need more zest and slices. These are beautiful, too big for the supermarket.

Couple of treats got in there, too. A person needs treats now and then.

Thank you for all your bio offerings. Such a talented and varied group, and the invitation's still open. 

The nor'easter will be with us for a couple of days. 

My storm prep consisted of securing the outdoor chairs, bringing in one lightweight item, taking out the trash and recycling, and picking flowers. 

I figured they'd be flattened by wind and rain, so maybe a bouquet was a good idea. Chrysanthemums and Autumn Joy sedum.

Vital for your spirits.

Happy day everyone, stay dry if it applies. I wish we could share the rain around with states that are bone dry.

Every day please 

No money pit, I mean place, like home

Yesterday was full of things happening, such as the knitting group playing with a yarn winder. One member had given this to another so it was in use instantly 

Then the resulting wound yarns 

A new member showed up with her current cross stitch, while a sweater and a bunny continued  

And a conscientious knitter who makes wonderful tops showed a couple of swatches she created to get gauge, meaning correct size to fit. We suggest that they become pockets, waste not, want not.

And here's her current cardigan with buttonholes. She's searching for leather or wood buttons 

She's interested in trying cross stitch so I plan to bring in some counted cloth for her to try it.

Home to an unexpected meeting in the street with my bathroom contractor who, despite my fears, has been researching.

He's found the insert he plans on, correct color, searching now for tiles and I assured him exact match not needed, but maybe close to wall color, peach, apricot.  He's over Thursday for final measurements before ordering the kit, yay.

Then, a bit late, to Textiles and Tea with Richard Vijgen, who does mysterious weaving on the Jacquard TC1 loom to translate computer chips to large and tactile artworks. 

I might have been less mystified if I'd been in time for the intro. I'd read his statement and was baffled. So I just let the work flow over me.

He's a Dutch designer working in various aspects of machine learning, of which his weaving is one aspect. 

Speaking of being challenged, I've started inquiries into installing a stair lift, well ahead of needing one, seems like a good idea rather than wait till it's urgent. 

This is a world of high pressure sales I'm navigating, all wanting tons of my information before giving theirs.  

But I'll wade through it, ready for installation after the bathroom is done. It's all go. And all $$. But cheaper than moving, and I keep my neighbors and my privacy, which would be all changed if I had to move. 

Happy day everyone. After I'd said yesterday to Codex the only limits are the ones you decide on, I realized that applies to a lot of contexts, including weaving and home reno.

And Freecycle, once again assisting with the decluttering of Handsome Son's condo. 

He brought this lot over when he gave me a ride to the lab this morning. After the labwork, we went to the bank so I could deposit a nice rebate check from the state, which will no doubt be turned over in due course to pay for the bathroom.  I'm getting to wave at it as it flies by.

Then tea and apple cake, which got a good review and request to bake it again. 

It's all good, and I'm happy the bathroom is finally about to see action.

Life story on a tray, also food

A while ago I did a series of portrait drawings for friends, showing them, in the form of their desks at home. What you choose and use and how much and how arranged, tells as much about you as a painting of your face.

It occurred to me yesterday that the afternoon teatray I'd set up illustrated my current life and times.

Favorite yellow tin tray from Freecycle, with hand stitched cloth, Tunisian crochet teapot mat, best English breakfast tea, home baked bread, read on, and home made blueberry jam. At the side the current embroidery on thrifted Gloria Vanderbilt jeans.  

That's a pretty good thumbnail of a person who thrifts, likes good food, will pay more for good tea, and is more interested in making than buying.

What area would you choose as your thumbnail bio? 

About bread, I baked a loaf, using a favorite combo of whole wheat and oats, but a different recipe. It's not bad, and I sliced it and stored it in a bread bag. If I can't easily get favorite bread, I'll make it.

I also finally got the red kidney beans soaked and cooked tender enough, took ages, to join the steamed green beans, carrots and cannellini beans in a salad. 

I included in the dressing some of that garlic ginger soy sauce I mixed recently.

While I was waiting for the beans I made blueberry jam 

Two small containers of berries, sugar, lemon juice, no other additives or preservatives or shelf stablitives.  Good jam.

I baked an apple cake too, from Baking on a Budget, lovely old baker. I subbed aqua faba for eggs and it worked fine

Wednesday Handsome Son is giving me a ride to lab work, so I like to have a little something to go with his cup of tea.

Speaking of eating well, that organic sugar pumpkin I put on the step in Thursday was sampled by a squirrel by Saturday 

So it's indoors now ready to make soup or something. 

This morning after doing a Tai chi type exercise with yes2next, I did some vagus nerve work, and head and face massage. It was amazing to see how fast my neck calmed down and sinuses drained. I feel so clever. 

Then I thought I'd get in a walk since the rain finally stopped. But first a bit of weeding out front, then I had to carry away the debris, then that activity changed my mind about walking, since my legs went wobbly.  

It's all movement, and the rain made the weeding easy, all came out by the roots. It's the bending that's tiring. There's no room to sit on a stool in that area. Not that I ever think of that till later.

Today's activism was a sharp email to Lowe's protesting one of their Georgia  branches asking customers to "round up" at checkout, to support an evangelical homophobic organization whose name I won't give oxygen to here. 

I got a boilerplate charming thank you, which told me I had the address right. I reminded them what happened to Target when they had similar ambitions.

Admittedly most of their customers are contractors, many of them good ole white boys who probably support the evangelical ideas, but anyway they've heard from one who doesn't.

I wrote to 

customercare@lowes.com

In case you wondered and wanted to do likewise. Unlike phoning, there's a paper trail with email.

And here's our local northern flicker taking off after feeding in the grass. 

We have them nesting close by every year and helping with the ant situation.

Once in a while, a baby appears on the deck looking around for food in spring, which tells me the nest is nearby.

Happy day everyone, be kind to the woodpeckers and they'll take care of your ants.

I swiped this image from Steve at his blog Shadows&Light. If you like London, street photography, dogs and reading you'll love it there. Worth every penny he paid me.