Saturday, September 2, 2023

Gloves, gardening with friends, and granola

 Yesterday I knitted. The new exercise for my neck seems to be pretty effective. I did this much on the second glove


with no ill effects this morning. This is great. And yes, before you say it, I won't go wild knitting. I'll keep it to a mild gallop.

In the middle of this, I brushed a hand across my eye, and got a stark reminder that earlier I'd been shaking Serrano pepper seeds I'd dried, into a container. The pain was amazing, and I ran to flush my eye with saline drops, then, once I could see out, checked on remedies for the burning eyelid. 

The handiest was vinegar, to neutralize the capsaicin, the hot stuff, with acetic acid. Like bee stings. Anyway bathing the eye area did gradually reduce the fire, gosh that wasn't fun. I'd also evidently inhaled it, and ended up sipping dilute apple cider vinegar till all was well, the desperate coughing subsided and I resumed knitting. Good thing knitting is calming. 

Those peppers, grown by Aditha, are very good indeed, chopped with homegrown plum tomatoes and diced yellow Gary potatoes, all doused with olive oil and fine sea salt and roasted. With a pita bread, I've had a couple of nice neighborhood suppers from them. The seeds are ready to shake over spaghetti. I was sure I hadn't handled them, too. Next time I'll rinse my hands in dilute vinegar afterwards, as insurance.

In other exciting news, I removed the morning glory


and hauled it out to the trees, here



This is a good place to toss organic material, good for the earth and the groundhogs and other residents appreciate it. Since I never spray, it's clean foliage.

And back home I noticed I was being observed from the Japanese maple

First praying mantis I've seen in ages. *She leapt to a lower branch, see her posing diagonally here, still watching me closely.


I wonder if I have her to thank for very few insect bites lately. They're fierce predators. *corrections made to sex of the pm, thanks to Ellen's greater knowledge.

I'm thinking about making granola, haven't had any in a long time, and the latest yogurt batch turned out very well, so together they'd be a great breakfast. I expect thinking about the 7up series brought back the granola days of the seventies! I have various ingredients that will work together. Watch this space.

Happy day, everyone, oh yes, the puzzle answer is

MEDIOCRE

I mean that's the actual answer, not a description of the puzzle.




28 comments:

  1. Maybe you want to keep the knitting to a nice, cadenced canter. :) I don't ever want to experience Serrano pepper in my eye. YIKES! I will stay tuned for a granola update.

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    1. I was being so careful, too! And the plant label described them as medium hot..

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  2. not to be a stickler, but that praying mantis is a girl. the males are very small. and I'm glad you have found some exercises for your neck to give you some relief and allow you to knit again.

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    1. This is the one where you have a rolled towel under your upper back, gently lower head back. It seems to unkink the curved upper spine.

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  3. You can actually burn your corneas like that, lady! I'm sure that was a lesson well-learned.
    It's so great that your exercises are helping you to knit without pain. I'm really glad to hear that.

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    1. The fear about the cornea was there! I'd only brushed the eyelid, but I expect some had migrated when I blinked.
      The knitting isn't pain free, but much reduced. I'll take it!

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  4. What an impressive praying mantis! That episode with the pepper sounds like hell.

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    1. I love mantises, the way they turn their heads and gaze. And, yes, I've been handling the peppers with no problem up to now. Maybe this was a specially fierce one.

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  5. I love that yarn! I really should try making my own granola. I love it!

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    1. The yarn is three strands of different heathery mixes, held together. It makes a lovely warm fabric.

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  6. I thought it was bicarbonate for bees and "winegar" for wasps.

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    1. Apple cider vinegar works for both. As does baking soda.

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  7. We still make our toasted mueslei. There is nothing like being in control of what goes into it. Good to know there are exercises that help the upper back neck thing. I'll try that.

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    1. Most of us are looking down a lot, at screens, books, hand work, and the neck gets strained. Even weight training doesn't compensate when we go right back to looking down. I also have been raising everything I read or work on to avoid looking down, pillows, etc. Changed my bed pillows around, too.

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  8. Maybe use a pair of washing up gloves when handling spicey food
    That stuff gets into your skin!
    Your putting your garden to bed and mine is waking up. The wheel has definitely turned

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    1. The good news is that I now know how to deal with it fast. First problem I've had in years of handling hot peppers, seeds, spices etc. Care in future though.
      It's nice to see your bulbs emerging.

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  9. I can imagine how painful the pepper was in your eye and on the lid. A reminder to us all to be careful with them.

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    1. In other good news, I had some of the seeds over pasta with butter and feta whoah, was that good. But yes, care is recommended.

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  10. That reminded me of when I was visiting Two last month we were having pasta with a spicy sauce. Poor Henry was very tired and was rubbing his eyes with fingers covered in said sauce. He was not a happy chap. I am glad you found the necessary remedies to hand.

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    1. It's too easy to get the wrong stuff around your eyes. But it's unforgettable.

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  11. Good to see you knitting again; glad the neck exercises are useful.

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    1. It's great. Now I have to remember to knit in moderation.

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  12. I can crochet a little but never tried knitting. I like the yarn colors you chose. Thansk for the comment about cheese gnocchi, I never knew the cheese filling sort existed!

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    1. Cheese filling happens in my kitchen! It's great with a red sauce.

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  13. There's never a dull moment there at Chez Boud is there! I've always avoided hot peppers simply because I am afraid I would do just what you did.
    Thank you for the reminder about granola - must put that bug in Resident Chef's ear.

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    1. It's odd, because it was hours earlier I shaken the peppers into the container, washed and sanitized my hands a couple of times. Sneaky pepper.

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  14. I wonder how many morning glories will sprout up next year. At least they will be small and manageable.

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    1. Since it never flowered so no seed was made, I'd be surprised if any flower next year. But we'll see.

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