A day of observances

 Those of us old enough to remember the long, brave fight of the  California farmworkers  to get a fair deal with the grape growers, culminating in la Huelga, a long desperate strike, resulting in a contract with the now recognized United Farmworkers Union , know and honor Cesar Chavez. There are gatherings to honor him today, on what would be his birthday, particularly in his home state of California.

Here's the bust of Chavez that Biden put in the oval office almost as soon as he got there.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, honored him. Kamala Harris, Vice President, honored him.

Dem Governor Newsom has refused to meet with the Farmworkers today to  honor  Chavez.  Long history of conflict. Wrong side of history.

Moving to other brave and besieged people, today is Trans Visibility Day. 

We need to honor and protect transgender people, and help support their right to be who they are, to live their lives.

Meanwhile ordinary life trundles on. The fencers were at work tearing down fences today. Here's the current view.

And another unwelcome view. 

The control panel on my stove up and quit. No oven functions, no clock, timer, just burners working.  Suddenly. 

So I pawed through my files for information about the stove, such as where to find the model number,  and searched for the people who repaired it last time.

To my amazement, I found their bill from 2012. I had asked the neighbor who put me onto them did she remember the name and number. Then I found them, and she said she had no idea, could I now tell her! 

So they played loud music while they searched to check if the parts were still made and in stock. They seem to be, because next Wednesday they're coming to fix it. At least that's the plan.

Knitting required now.  Handsome Son spent part of the afternoon here eating chocolate cake and being calm about my exciting week. He collected his bp monitor which I don't need for now. All being well.

Tomorrow is Misfits box and knitting group. All being well.

Knitting for victory

Joanne's mention of the Red Cross sock pattern triggered a search on  wartime efforts, both world wars, when women at home, and school kids, too, were knitting for the troops.

With occasional forays into frivolity using up scraps of yarn for the vital tea cosy

The Red Cross sock instructions were very very firm! No seams or bumpy bits to irritate soldier feet and cause blisters, no toe seams, no seams under the foot -- I'd never heard of some of these, probably an earlier era of sock design. And knitters were allowed three weeks max per pair or they had to surrender the yarn to a faster knitter. The usual expectation was a pair a week.

But I have been keeping in mind the comfort needs of the people I'm knitting for, homeless, probably in poor health to start with, cheap acrylic bought socks not helpful. So these are in natural absorbent fibers, cotton and wool, and knitted in designs that feel good. The toe-up, no ridges anywhere on the toe, works fine for my tricky toes, so I think it's good to give, too. Heels likewise, short rowing being as smooth a finish as you can get. 

Meanwhile I got out my postwar knitting book, 1946, with exciting Colored Pictures, amazing at that time.

There was an earlier wartime edition in our house, full of tips on unraveling old sweaters for the yarn. Quite a few of the patterns appear in this book too. Also patterns for white cotton lace gloves. We really wore them in summer. They were part of my school summer uniform.  And patterns for weird underwear, probably itchy, I should think. A lot of baby clothes.

The parts I like best are the baby outfits, modeled by infants with expressions ranging from wtf? to I'll get you for this, to I demand to see the manager!

Meanwhile I've been noticing on Textiles and Tea how very white the guest list is. I just signed up for the April series, and there it is again. I think I've seen one Asian and maybe one African American in all the episodes I've seen. 

So I asked the Handweavers Guild who presents them if they'll put more emphasis on people of color. They're very open and said yes they're searching, did I have any ideas? So I did two minutes research and suggested these sources. 

The second is a collection of interviews and profiles of people of color in the textile arts. It's possible they already contacted some of the weavers, and I did say that, but anyway we'll see.  A lot of African American textile artists are quilters, not the focus of a weavers series, but there are weavers and braiders. 

So I did a little bit to open the door. I'm sure the HGA would be hospitable, they just need to find and promote POC.

So that's us. And Ukraine is pushing back the Russian forces from more cities since yesterday. Good going, sunflower friends.

The Great Butter Caper

I tested the powder as planned, adding in s bit of turmeric for color, and started with s couple of tablespoons of powder and a dash of turmeric, to a tablespoon of water, and mixed. About the powder: it's basically the same as butter powder I think, but without coloring. So I added my own, stuff I can trust.

I tried the stick blender but it wasn't as helpful as just beating with a spoon in the end.  

Added water and powder till it looked balanced, beat it a bit and got a stiff creamy mixture. I don't think this powder would result in a solid butter. Probably because it's been processed into powder and now it's being rehydrated, unlike the heavy cream you buy.

Anyway I put the container in the fridge and after about an hour, I have  spreadable buttery stuff. Very good for toast, or top of steamed vegetables. Probably fine for baking. And for making a roux.

In fact, it worked. Very good for creaming with sugar, better than stick butter you need to soften. It tastes sweeter than the Irish or Vermont butters, and could afford a touch of salt.  

This is great. Now I can add butter to the list of things I can make from raw materials and needn't run out.

While I was in the kitchen anyway, I baked a chocolate walnut cake in the hope of a visit tomorrow from handsome Son. Some will probably go next door with a reminder to Gary to collect his tools.

All in all, the butter making was a high point in a day that went from emergency laundry when I realized I was out of everything, to emergency fridge cleaning when I found something had mysteriously spilled down the back wall, behind the shelves, under the containers and settled onto the floor.  This involved taking out containers, shelves, scrubbing at an angle my shoulder really hates. Anyway it's all done now.

And another sock is started. I can do this without a pattern at this point. And I'm listening to a Margery Allingham audiobook. 

All in all, happy day! 

Weather, tea, butter

This sounds like a spartan approach to posting, or maybe my Brit roots are showing.

Anyway the local weather people have been all excited and losing their cool, firing off loud alarms on my phone, all over social media, and getting all carried away. None of the severe things happened here.

And then when the forecast is warm, they have to drag in the bad news. Otherwise there's no drama. I mean, who's going to pay them to forecast a few lovely mild days?

Meanwhile, packages began to arrive. My tea, a real luxury, came,  new supplier, and they included a couple of samples, too.

This is the tea I'm coming to the end of

It's fine, just thought I'd keep looking anyway.

And, separately, the butter aka heavy cream powder. Along with my regular whole milk powder.

So I was having pasta for dinner with roast chicken, and suddenly thought Alfredo! The sauce, that is, which I make by just tossing butter and shredded parmesan into the pasta.

So I thought ah, first experiment with the butter powder, I'll mix with a drop of water to a paste, stir in the parmesan, then dress the pasta with that and see if I like it. Bottom line, I did. Nice buttery taste.

I tried the idea of mixing in some turmeric, to get a golden buttery color, and here's a comparison with my Vermont butter. The taste is comparable, too. Turmeric doesn't have a pronounced flavor, so it just gave color and didn't change the taste.

So, that worked nicely. Tomorrow I'll see about making butter. I like the idea of just making the amount I need. Similarly to using milk powder. I never run out of milk, and make small amounts as needed. I keep the powder in the freezer.

And art happened today, here in the mail

Complete with stamp celebrating ny namesake's jubilee, whatever number she's up to now.

Textiles and Tea was Alice Schlein,  a nice lady, well known among weavers, not very visual, more technical talk which escaped me. 

But for Joanne here's some napkins, she loves making towels and napkins from her samples.

And here are her current looms

Forthcoming attraction: I haven't had a Saturday movie night for ages, but finally found something when I get to the library to pick it up

This is not the HBO streamed fictional series, about which I have heard various opinions, but it's outside my budget anyway. 

This one is a PBS production, a doc of the age. I'm hoping for genuine old footage, too. We'll see.

In between all these activities, I've been signing up a storm and trying to get more sigs, to force Justice  Thomas to recuse himself from any January 6 cases. Also to resign, though that's a tougher one. Common Cause and MoveOn are very active. 

Onward! The Emmet Till Anti Lynching law is finally a federal statute. Great shame it took so long, but anyway it's done. Signed today.

And Ukraine still needs our help and support however we can give it.

Real life crashing in, and miniature commentary

 Bitterly cold for March this morning, wind chills in single digits, so I went out early to start my car for a doctor's appointment, another in the bp monitoring series. Car started fine, all well, off on the road to the medical arts building,  found a parking spot, so far so good.

As I pushed the button to open the doors to the building, a few feet behind me came a sudden screech of metal, grinding, crashing, debris flying, I thought I'd broken the building, then looked back at the foot of the ramp where I was a minute earlier

And saw this. It's dangling over a drop to the lower level, seesawing on the retaining wall, front end gone, railing bits all over.  I went inside, people already rushing to help. After I'd checked in at the doctor's receptionist, looked out, and there was my doctor attending the driver. Turns out she was shaken up but unhurt. The driver, not the doctor, who was as unflappable and chic as always.

After my appointment, at which my doctor commented that the bp was acceptable considering the event a few minutes earlier, the heavy lifters had arrived. 

Great confusion in the parking lot because the usual flow wasn't possible, lanes blocked, vehicles and yellow tape everywhere, so I got away thankfully. 

Once home, pot of tea and a little miniature break which I want to share with you.

Seasonal scene here.

And a timely antiwar scene

Soup, the calming food

After the anxiety of the recent days, I had a lovely quiet day of knitting, listening to a Marjorie Allingham audiobook, and making the soup I'd planned.

I used the whey from the cheese making, with cashews, carrots and sweet potatoes, and milk powder to make a cream soup. Flavored with nutmeg, lemon juice turmeric and berbere.  Isn't that a beautiful golden color?  You can't stay tense around this soup.

And I found these

They look like sections of Greek architecture. The salt is particularly amazing, minute cubes.  Wonder is a good thing to invite into our lives, even in such tragic times.