Answers to two puzzles, lunch and knitting

I'm trying the idea of blogging in the evening, just as a change from writing in the morning, brain semi functioning, eyes not yet focused. Maybe evening will work better.

Today ze moment of trrrruth, the mystery next door is solved

I'd say that's conclusive evidence that they're renovating a bathroom. I rest my case.

And the carrot/lentil soup is beautiful, golden power soup,  part of an excellent lunch, here with pita bread filled with fresh spinach and mashed sardines in olive oil, handful of cherries to follow. 

 A different form of food is this book I just started

She's a serious knitter ss well as writer, who traveled about Britain researching knitting traditions and styles and trying them herself . 

Looking forward to this and hoping she doesn't retail any of the knitting myths which are constantly being Snoped and still circulating. 

Like the one about the women knitting special designs into their fishermen relatives' sweaters so as to identify them if they drowned.   

I mean, if that had been an issue, how much easier to knit in his name, as one myth exploder says! Too true, but people insist on romantic stories to the point of inventing them.

Anyway, on to the other puzzle which I think a number of people got, the eight letter word beginning and ending with ke.

KEEPSAKE.  It seemed impenetrable at first and I tried various hopeless words before it occurred to me. 

Debra and Tom are the lightning swift puzzlers around here, I think, over the horizon, while the rest of us are panting up the straightaway to the finish a bit later.

Happy day, or evening, everyone, may all your puzzles become self evident.

Oh, since everyone has been too exquisitely polite to ask if this virus which may, don't look now, be lifting, was maybe Covid, and had I had the sense to check: I did a home test. Negative. 

So I'm still a Novid. It's a nonCOVID virus, who knows what, possibly RSV. But thankfully going away now.

Chop wood, carry water, cook barley

Sad morning in the US. But we're not defeated. We'll find a way to protect the vote.

Meanwhile, in case anyone else is wondering how to order the at home test kits from the feds

The address is at the top there.

Yesterday friend Mike across the street was knocking down an enormous paper wasp nest which the landscapers have been pretending not to notice for months. The debris on the sidewalk is it. It was easily eighteen inches in  diameter. 

Just seemed symbolic of our times.

Speaking of times, here are the highest grossing movies of my birth year four million dollars, wow. The juxtaposition is funny.

Back to the barley. The Bob's Red Mill package arrived yesterday, a day ahead of time, very well boxed.

And in good condition.

Much bigger bag of barley than I can get locally, which is why I included it in the order. 

And I made last night's snack and today's breakfast, barley pudding.

I followed their proportions on the liquid ratio, a bit too much liquid. So I saved the extra and have a nice container of sweetened barley milk.

Earlier I had made a pot of leek, celery, potato soup, finally using the last of the leeks I bought too many of way back.  

The color is a lovely pale green, from the green part of the leeks, and the celery.

And this morning, raining, so I ran out, raincoat over night clothes, to make sure the car window was shut. 

The damp in there, I found yesterday, not as bad as feared. I did a bit of blotting with towels and since most of the area is plastic and metal, i hope not to get a mildew smell. The seats aren't fabric, for which I'm glad. First world problem.

So there we are, a bit damp, our spirits also, from yesterday's disgraceful showing in the Senate, but we will prevail. 

Meanwhile there's barley pudding.

Polar vortex, Eastern style, and response

 So here's today around here

Won't last long. Back up to the 30s tomorrow.

Meanwhile,  the chowder is s great response

Really good, if I say it myself. Cod, shrimp and clam. Mostly Misfits, except the small can of clams I picked up on the shopping trip.  Onions, garlic, yellow potato, celery, tomatoes, can of clams plus liquid, fish in for last few minutes. When the shrimp went pink, I declared it done.

This is a pretty easy recipe. When the fish is as good as this, you can't miss. Enough for seven meals for one. Or two for handsome Son!

And my town is opening up a free Covid testing site at a local church next week, run by the hospital down the street.  I think I'll go and get tested just in case.  

The police department sent out emails and tweeted the explanatory vdocument, complete with links which probably weren't ready, because either nothing happens or you get a page of raw code. They do say you can walk in, though, bringing the dox. The link to the patient portal seems to work though, for getting results.

So I'll give them a few days to get it together, then I'll go along. Only five minutes away. 

Meanwhile I canceled my very expensive online order for rapid at home tests. I don't need instant results, not planning parties nor travel, and I do like lab tested results.

I'm feeling fine, but I think it's a good thing to be sure in case quarantine is called for. You just don't know.

Meanwhile the downstairs fabric and stitching Winnowing is done, resulting in a little bag of truly useless tiny fabric scraps, 

quite a few items upstairs with their friends, 

and a drawer of silk and cotton paper pieced shapes. Nothing to donate yet, but I think that will happen upstairs.