Shopping in the closet, again

Needed a jacket, decided, after studying catalogs, not necessary to shop. I had this one, up to last night a v neck sweater, nice cashmere, from the thriftie. I've worn it quite a bit.

Now it's a jacket, just cut down the front. I thought about a silk edge binding, using Indian sari silk, but decided it didn't need it. So here's my new jacket.

I don't like taking sweaters off over my head at meetings etc., so this joins my little wardrobe of Nice Handy Comfy Jackets.

I've done this in the past to alter turtleneck sweaters which are hopeless for meetings where you never know how hot the room might be, and they became really useful.

DIY meets wabi sabi

This all started when a mosquito bit my ear, it swoll up real bad, the ear, that is, well I guess the mosquito too, come to think of it. By the time the ear had gone down enough to put in earrings, the piercing had healed up along with the bite.

So I'm looking for ways of converting pierced earrings to clip ons, and there are findings you can use for that. Which took me up to the studio to rummage through my jewelry findings, just in case I had any, which I didn't, have to buy some

And I noticed a supply of gold metallic paint while I was rummaging, which reminded me of a wabi sabi approach to several areas of my bathroom needing repainting.

This is where a squirrel bit into the roof and chewed through a condensation pipe above the ceiling,a caused a leak and exploratory cutting into the ceiling to find and  fix it.

This is where Andy long ago fell getting out of the shower, clutched at the towel rail on his way down, it tore out of the wall and hit his head, insult to injury. That's when I had all the towel rails replaced with ADA-compliant grab bars, which I strongly recommend.

And this is the access port I had cut into the wall which backs onto the shower in the other bathroom, which reduced s subsequent plumbing visit dramatically since I had it open, found the leak and it was fixed very fast. But it needs painting, not very scenic. Bare wallboard.

I'm not up to painting entire rooms at this point, but I think painting just the bits where repairs were done, might work. And rather than buy a gallon of paint for a couple of square feet, why not make it a wild contrast, enjoying the imperfection instead? Art instead of  matching.

So this may happen tomorrow.

Bread, security food

Today the just in time bread, only one slice left from previous batch, is whole wheat, with one cup each oatmeal and unbleached white.

The white lightens the texture of the crumb, and the oatmeal makes a lovely crisp but not hard crust.

Toasted, with butter and honey, lovely with a cup of tea.

I always feel more secure with bread in the house. What's your security food? The one you really don't want to run out of?

Dogs and pumpkins, perfect together

The NJ tourist motto is NJ and you, perfect together, spoken in the patrician voice of gov Kean, puhfect togethuh.

Gov Christie Whitman, thanks to whose TDR legislation this farm is permanently protected from developers, used to do a killer impression of him.

Anyway, today beautiful October day at the farm, pumpkin picking, and every dog owner seized on it as a great outing for pooches and their people. I must have seen a dozen dogs happily dragging their owners to the pumpkin patch.

I was in search of apples and tomatoes and broccoli and sweet potatoes, all picked this morning. Stocked up now.

Freecycle for Dollivers

This is part of a freecycle haul, and it looks like one of those pictures of a family's entire possessions strewn in front of their home. Remember those?

Except that in this case it's handmade furniture and accessories headed chez Dolliver, and doesn't include their extensive wardrobes nor their dogs.

All the bedlinens and everything fabric is now in the laundry, the furniture damp dusted, and an old bookcase pressed into service as a habitat.

Quite a few tiny dolls and their stuff came too, but they're going to be part of the Christmas decor.

So here's the Dollivers, relaxing in the roof garden

While Canadian Doll,on her custom embroidered pillow is trying out the beds there. Angel Bear is guarding the new baby,  Little button and bobbin doll from Minnesota is galloping her new rocking horse.

Not much happening below in the dining room, not surprising since there's a total lack of interest in cooking as you see from the deserted kitchen.

Everyone's busy loafing in her own way.

Except boud who got no thanks for this labor, but loud requests for some more attention to the decor. Also Fall outfits.

To which I explained this is moving day , you can't expect Better Homes and Gardens the first day. Everyone got a seat, what do you want of my life?

Crumble, flowers, early fall

The Montauk daisies bloom very late, after you're sure they won't. And there's a lovely mound of them. A couple came in, with some creeping Jenny, posed on a very old rescued crochet doily.

And the farm fruit, last peaches, blackberries and apples, in a crumble for dinner tomorrow with Handsome Son.

Roast chicken, spicy, with sweet potato mashed and buttered, lovely cheese cauliflower head. The farm is serving us well.