Watercolors and Misfits

Summer is when watercolor painting appeals, and I do tiny to small landscapes, just playtime, not expecting much. I might assemble the month's output into books. 

I did get a new set of watercolors because I liked the physical layout but the colors are a bit meh, so I added in the old better quality tubes which had hardened. I cut off the metal and I'm using the pigment like pan colors. I'll replace some of the pans with this better pigment.

Recently I scored another set of storage drawers at the dumpster, which stacks nicely on the other one I found at the dumpster, and with useful deeper drawers.

Art materials and crafting tools can go here. 

Enough of this frivolity, I had fasting blood work early this morning, friend drove me there, not one of my better times. 

The techie needed a couple of tries to get anything. Tiny thready veins. I was already feeling a bit loopy from hunger. Then home again to egg and toast, the last slice of bread before the Misfits delivery. Talk about just-in-time inventory.

The driver friend plans to give me echinacea from her overgrown front yard across the street. I think I'd rather have planting than the patio idea, after thinking about it. Better grow than pave over more land. In September we'll do it.

And a Misfits rental van again showed up, not the usual authentic pink Misfits van, but the driver was, I think, Ronaldo, and the food, in two boxes, why, was  fine. As is Ronaldo.

Cans for the food pantry, added to what's already set aside for them. Olives, cream cheese and honey wheat bread for  great afternoon tea sandwiches. These are the best olives. Very Downton Abbey. I leave the crusts on though. That's how I got curly hair.

Yogurt because it's a staple, and will go with the blueberries and Envy apples. I will stew the fruit with that brown sugar because my faith in raw produce is on hold for now. I'm also finding I really like cooked fruit if it's chilled. I thought I didn't like it when I had it growing up, because it was a hot dessert. 

Potatoes to roast, with chicken breasts which I'll pound and bread, with Cajun seasoning. Beautiful free range eggs and block cheese for more quiches with leafy greens I already have. Many bananas for banana bread and smoothies.

Life in the food lane I'm glad I can afford decent food.

Happy day everyone, enjoy what you can when you can. Paint silly pictures. Here goes nothing.

Hot, smoky, but Freecycle and Misfits

I've been listening to a YouTuber who has the best understanding I've heard about how clutter then hoarding happen, and how stuff takes energy just by being there. 

I'm nearer a minimalist than a hoarder, but this hot weather has sapped my energy and I may as well move on some items on my mind instead of using mental energy over them.

So I looked at three drawers of yarn, nice stuff mostly donated. I've used all I can,  and winnowed out the yarn in colors I don't like or have used enough. Just one drawer, didn't get carried away. Here's the haul 

Mostly it's lovely and I've had all the use I'm getting, so now it needs to be with someone else. I have another drawer full of yarn I like and will use, either weaving or knitting. 

In about two minutes I had several requests, one to pick it up a couple of hours later, very enthusiastic, too.

She took it as promised, then got back to me after she'd had a chance to look.

isn't that just what you hope for? Everyone happy.

Then there was Misfits, poor guy delivering in this weather, bad air and heat. He seemed cheerful though.

Here's the box just arrived, and the Freecycle bag about to be picked up 

And here's the haul. Quite a bit of fresh produce including leafy greens, ordered before I knew about the cyclo bad bacteria.

I checked and found it's destroyed by cooking. Soooo, I steamed the carrots and mixed green salad, and made a quick quiche type pie thing, in an abundance of whatever they said during the pandemic. I now have an abundance of vegetable quiche,

and red fruit  Tomorrow I'll make strawberry jam. Today I stewed the apples and plumcots together, nice combo. 

So I have easy and safe food for a few days.

Meanwhile, cream cheese which I usually make but thought I'd try their product. Tomorrow I'll have some with bread and that future strawberry jam, for afternoon tea.

Yogurt because it's a staple, shrimp for Cajun shrimp again, it was so good last time, beautiful eggs, never fail to admire them, some went into the veg quiche. Pumpkin for various uses including beating into yogurt for dessert. Butter because I'm getting low, unsalted because I like to decide how much salt to use.

Next time I'll catch up on food pantry offerings. 

One thing and another,  I didn't get into the weaving set-up as planned. The bad air really knocks out your energy even if you don't go out. I expect it gets in via air conditioning. I'm so thankful that I got the dental work started before the heat returned.

But I think I got a lot done that I wanted to, and tomorrow is another day.

Meanwhile I'm reading and dozing over this, frothy mystery, the kind with recipes, I love it. There are three in one book.

Happy day everyone, sufficient unto the day be the weaving thereof.

Honesty harvest, patio update and Misfits

 I took a stroll around the deck early today, before the rain,  and noticed the honesty is ready to pick for everlasting flowers, and the other plants are coming along. 

Wandering dude planted himself uninvited here and in several other places

The potatoes are getting along; that's all of them 

 Look at all the hibiscus buds. Last year there were only a couple 

Zinnias likewise, buds galore 

And here's the first picking of honesty.

I'm giving seeds to my knitting friends, as well as letting some seeds drop where they want.

Here's the first of this year's crop. I love this plant. This is the white and silver corner.

No need to water lately. I had several of these this afternoon 

I think the flooding is not here in town, yet, anyway.

And Misfits arrived anyway, flood or no flood,  the driver in a hoodie so I'm not sure who, maybe Ronald.

Very small shop this week, because I have the makings of spinach quiche when it's cool enough to cook, and chicken thighs ready to roast. And I'm all up-to-date on the food pantry.

Yogurt is a staple, lazy old bread is too, till it's cool enough to bake, shredded cheese for the quiches, shredded because it's oddly cheaper by weight than the block of the same cheese, go figure. 

Lemon juice for lemonade, blueberries to go with yogurt, lovely Envy apples, dried cranberries because it's been a while, potatoes now parboiled ready to roast with chicken in the toaster oven.

If you would like an update on the medical bulletin: I now have the antibiotic in hand,  ready to take one hour before the dentist appointment. That's now set for 8am Monday. Handsome Son is free to take me, yay. 

The reason for the antibiotic is to ward off any potential dental infection, since I have a minor heart valve issue.  Just in an abundance of whatever they said during the pandemic.

And I started a(nother) bracelet using cotton warp yarn, which is working a lot better for me than previous experiments. 

This one may actually become a finished item. Colors green, white and tan, none of which show up here accurately.

I got a picture of two of my donated artworks in their new home. They're really in good hands and being enjoyed.

They're the two stitched pieces, one a mixed media piece, dyed, stitched, with stumpwork insects and animals, one a goldwork design. 

It's a treat to see them in their new home. 

Happy day everyone, honesty rules!

Hotter plus Misfits and pens

 I'm indoors, weaving, reading, dealing with Misfits.

My pens arrived and a little set of watercolors.

But first, Misfits

Canned food to share with the food pantry, yogurt to go with fruit, extra spinach for salads and quiches, beautiful eggs likewise, cherries because they're great this year, scallions for salads.

One thing about organic clean fresh produce is that the scallions and onions are pungent, short path from field to knife. These are literally as sharp scented if I'd just picked them.

Tiny chocolate chips for cake purposes, extra bananas likewise, parsley for everywhere, apples just in time, I'd run out, tuna for tuna melt or salad, coffee, double order because it's not always available so one's an insurance policy.

Jeff was out in the weather you note above. I need to add to his tip.

Then I tried out a pen. I really like these fine tip black pens and these glide very well on the slightly toothed paper. 

The Christmas cactus posed for me. 

The paper is pure white but my phone insists it's really beige..

Happy day everyone, a bit of weaving and a bit of reading and a lot of lying about comes next. 

The Durham Weaver from whose book I'm learning narrow patterned bandweaving, suddenly started friendship bracelets, unlikely for her, and gave a great YouTube channel for learning them.

Not your middle school patterns! Watch this space.

Happy day everyone, keep cool, be nice if possible, I know, not easy, sez Ted and Big Ursy and Pony and Ursula.