Plans, and nature laughs

Memorial Day weekend is the start of the summer season, pools open, shore passes re-up, at least that's the idea.

However here there's a three day rainy forecast, pools not yet open, shore not looking like fun. And here was my weekend plan, maybe not yet 

My seeds complete with squirrel deterrent doings.  But the squirrel is still getting his daily apple core

I did get a walk today, to make a pinch of it, and I love all the tree-lined walkways in this development. Like this one

Curved paths are interesting to walk.

I also have indoor plans anyway, here's my thinking about a narrow band pattern based on the sweet William I'm so excited about 

And my new loom is supposed to arrive tomorrow, so my plans there are to weave a cowl or two to send to the knitting ministry. Weaving is currently easier on my hands than knitting.  

This morning a friend came over to collect the cotton plants I started from seed she'd given me. Here's her two, repotted and wilting but they'll recover 

And here are their siblings, soon to go outside when the weather's warmer

She also had a great time studying the art on the walls and took two pieces, one gold work, one with stump work animals and dyed sections and two levels, cutouts showing another work underneath.

I'm happy to see work going into good hands, in this case to an area of her house where she has stitched work including her mother's lovely embroidery. I'll be in good company.  My art giveaway is going well. All the less for Handsome Son to deal with after I'm gone.

Happy day everyone, good things going on. Happy weekend, holiday or otherwise.

Memorial Day 2025, garden update

Today we remember and honor our troops who died in combat, without glorifying the wars.  The price is too high.

Yesterday I did make those tofu sticks, with a dipping sauce. I baked them with minimal oil and they came out just as crisp as fried. No pictures, because they looked the same as the last time I made them. More for today.

And while I was sorting out pots for my flower seeds, Gary got involved, supplied me with some pots, carried my bags of potting soil through to the patio, and set up the pots for me to plant. 

So I got to do the fun part. I scattered forgetmenot seeds, gypsophila, and mixed wildflowers, and gave small and large zinnias their own pots, also snapdragons and California poppies. 

And I transplanted the coleus you saw in the teapot to its own container. 

So now I watch and admire. And maybe water a bit.

Meanwhile I'm reading a Grantchester book and I like it much more than the TV series, so I think I'll continue. I much prefer my imagined Sidney to the actor in the series who looks like an awkward knitting-pattern model to this biased observer, and about as interesting.  But you do you, I know he has admirers.

Happy day everyone, if you're in the US, be aware of our debt to our people who died in war, and let's work for better solutions than combat.

And though you'd never know it from most weather around here, summer is officially under way. Shore resorts open, pools and tennis courts, too.  Golfers never stopped except in snow. 

Happy day, all, Ted sez.

Memorial Day and the weather is rainy

Remembering those who died in war in the hope that we would have peace.

Quiet day, cool and rainy, great for the flower seeds.

I overcame my phonophobia, to call Gary this morning and got great news. They've been able to disconnect the machinery, he's breathing well, feeling much better, voice stronger and more cheerful. 

He's hoping to get out soon. Meanwhile an out of state cousin arrived at the weekend to hold the fort at home. So all's much better on that front.

And here's what happened to the linen and cotton napkins from Florida, thank you Ms Moon.

Lovely piece of linen I'd dyed and stamped for a possible skirt, just temporarily in place in the upstairs bathroom cabinet doorway. Narrator: temporarily? Several years. 

And here's the new hanging 

Three napkins strung on the rod no stitching required. The rod slid easily through the hem.

Likewise downstairs, the other three napkins replacing a plain white piece of linen, which you see on the floor.

So this easy fix has freed up two pieces of good linen for other uses. I'm beyond pleased. 

I used the rest of the sweet potatoes to make a sweet potato walnut bread.

Same old recipe for banana bread but mashed sweet potato instead.  Very nutritious cake. Yes.

I thought a rainy holiday might be good for a bit of Freecycle, so I'm offering these magazine holder things. 

The two remaining on the shelf are in use, and they show how the holders work.

Happy day, everyone, indoors keeping dry, or outside, with an umbrella,  trying to fire up the grill.

Reading, planting, weaving, stitching

 Hot today, but I did get my seeds in. This was later.

The deck was in shade, but when I was out it was 85 feels like 90. I did get the seeds in, labeled and squirrel proofed, and the lemon balm cut back,  but it was heavy going.

I had planned on sitting out to read, but it felt too hot, so I came in, drank a large glass of water, and dozed a while. Officially reading 

It's fantasy with a bit of magic and I can't remember who recommended it. I'll stay with it a while, but it's pretty far out of my comfort zone as they say.

And the couple of hot days reminded me to switch out the red felt winter door curtain for the summer green and white stripes canvas.

This canvas is excellent at blocking heat while letting light in. I bought it years ago and still get Amazon questions I can't answer about it. Such as what's the exact content of the fabric.  Can it be stitched on a machine. How many yards will the asker need for their porch! They don't ask how high is up, but close.

I did get into stitching, and the design is finally coming clear to me. You can see the radiating lines from the core of the dress to the edges.

And about the pinloom weaving puzzle, today I solved the mystery of what I kept doing wrong while chatting, and how to fix it without taking work out, yay. A workaround.

I've pretty much finished this yarn and might have to think what it should become.  Not today, holiday.

Aside from the Crows, there's currently 

 

One of the "daughter marrying wealth, to rescue the family from the brother's improvidence" group, less entertaining than the comedy of errors novels. 

Pretty businesslike approach to the barter aspect of wealthy marriage and settlements, and some unnerving abduction and blackmail aspects. Normal scenes of English Regency family life..

Happy day, everyone, quite a few people have a holiday weekend, what with Whitsun and Memorial Day.

I think AC's Little Light works for both 

Memorial Day in the US

 It's Memorial Day, to remember and honor the people who died in wars. 

One way to honor them is to celebrate the living, and when Handsome Son announced he plans to come over this afternoon, I thought I'd better make a little something.

Yesterday I'd set dried apricots into apple juice overnight thinking maybe a sauce for fish. 

Then Gary came dashing in last evening, i was spinning and winding on, so I couldn't put the spindle down. 

He had been grilling chicken and got a plate out of my kitchen cabinet to leave me some slices for today.

So then I thought ah, apricot sauce and chicken, great. Then when handsome Son planned to come over I rethought.

Made the apricot, juice and cane sugar into preserves this morning

the idea being jam tarts. 

A search for a nice pastry recipe not written in impenetrable British terms was, um, fruitless. So I searched on and remembered making the artisanal apple pie which readers will remember from a while back. That was when I found that artisanal doesn't mean quick. 

But the pastry, buttery and flaky, was worth a try.

I noticed that the preserves set up much more glutinous than expected because I forgot the pectin in apple juice as well as apricots. 

So I had to think yet again. I doubted if it would work to bake the tarts as usual with the preserves in them. Better bake blind (empty) then add the preserves.

I like this way of baking blind which I did ages ago and liked - draped over the other side of the muffin pan

I rerolled the extra pastry to freeze for a future fruit pasty

Cook's privilege bottom left 

See it's lovely and flaky

 

I had to take a guess at baking time, so settled on 15 mins at the normal flaky pastry 400°f. I could have taken them out a minute earlier, noted for next time.

So here are Memorial Day Fruit Tarts. A couple will probably go next door, Gary loves anything to do with jam. And I have extra preserves, maybe to go with the extra pastry.

Yesterday I took a stab at gardening, got the sage tied up searched in vain for Iris rhizomes. I think they may have rotted. 

Found one, which I'll hopefully replant in a better spot. Out front I know there are quite a few under the pachysandra waiting for rescue another day. 

And in honorary family news, most people wave cute baby pictures of grandchildren, or sweet little dancers in tutus. 

Here's my honorary granddaughter with her marathon and 5K friends.

Front row. Banana suit. I rest my case.

Also seen lately, on Freecycle

And let's not forget on Memorial Day, the people now fighting and dying in Ukraine, fighting our proxy war, to secure Europe from a would-be dictator.

Happy day everyone, enjoy being here.