Freecycle, hauling rocks and other activities of old age.

I have had this Italian made easel waiting to re-home for years.  

It belonged to the sister of the friend who died last week. I helped her deal with a lot of things after her sister's death, but she kept changing her mind about the easel. I didn't push, and now I can finally give it to another artist.

There's no shortage of people interested in receiving it.  It's a complicated thing and I had to watch a YouTube video to get it unfolded and open. I hope the taker does so, too.

This is an internet image of a similar one, opened

In other news, I moved a lot of river stones Gary had taken from the area to be the future patio. They're my collection, one per day as a consolation for having to walk HPs dog when he no longer could. It made a dull walk into more of a quest.

So now they're clustered on the other side of the path. I like this. Any more I find will join them. Full disclosure: I didn't lovingly place them, like a Cordoba artisan, more of a carefree flinging idea.

We need to clear some ground cover out of here then Gary wants to put down gravel or something before setting the pavers, which will be just set down, not mortared. 

I fancy planting a few little things between them, such as creeping thyme, so you smell it as it gets trodden on, which it doesn't mind.

I didn't see heaving rocks in my old age but it just shows you never know.

I had a chat with the food pantry lady Friday morning as I off-loaded some canned food. She says she's getting a lot of unusable items donated -- expired, opened, this amazed me, half full bags of flour. What? Using the food pantry as a dumping place. 

Anyway some of us have respect for the recipients. You never know what people will do. I should stop being surprised, especially in today's US. 

But massive courage still exists, shown by the Epstein survivors taking their lives and futures in their hands, to speak out. A lot of powerful men are being protected, and need to be named and shamed.

End of political section. 

Happy day everyone, thank you for being who you are!

Take care of yourself. I'm doing this exercise challenge for September, more or less, sometimes mix up the days.  

Current update on the ETA of the checks: Friday 12th. 

Apparently they sent them bulk rate, slower than they used to. But at least I got some information from them. Up to now they were only posting that they'd shipped. So now I'll stop fretting and just enjoy the weekend.

Rockscape, soup and an orange experiment

Today it got warm enough to spray paint outside, and there was sun and a helpful wind.

 So here we go

Seen out of doors in sunshine 

Indoors in ambient light

You'll notice the outdoor picture is the other way up from the indoor. That's because this is where you come in, dear blogistas. Tell me which way up  seems to you to be "right'.

It reads differently from different directions, so there's no right answer. I'm just interested in inviting your opinion.

This is still a work in progress. Tomorrow I'll paint fine gold veins into some of the rocks, and a couple of other things need changing.

Up to now, this is pretty much coming out as conceptualized.  Always a surprise.

And, as I was working outside in the chilly sunshine, wind getting involved with the paint, i remembered that there is literally nothing better in life than making art outdoors, on your feet, in the sun.  Spirits sky-high.

Meanwhile back on earth, I made a pot of vegetable stock

 finally including the last of the bag of dried seaweed I've been using for years.

The bag just says seaweed, but if anyone can translate, I'd love to know just which one.

And today's soup is leek and potato

Ending with a very good prospective supper, 

cream of leek and potato, slice of home-baked whole wheat bread with what my Mom would call "best" butter.

I also did an orange experiment. For many years I've been a bit allergic to oranges, not other citrus fruits, oddly. 

However I've found that some of my allergies fell away as I aged. So, since Misfits suddenly had blood oranges, hardly ever available in the northeast and a bit different from other oranges, also fiendishly expensive, I thought I'd try a couple.

Here's the first, in the process of being supremed. 

That's  the complete removal of rind, pith, membranes and pits, pretty tricky. It's a five star hotel thing, and I learned it during Handsome Partner's last years when he had limited use of his hands.

He loved oranges and this was a way he could enjoy them safely, no fear of encountering choking hazards. He was so happy when one appeared at his place.

Anyway I did this, quite liked the orange, less sweet than I remembered. But alas, today's urine output, I could pee for England, told me I was not okay with oranges after all. 

Oh well. Worth a try. I've frozen the scrubbed peel for dipping in chocolate to give Handsome Son, maybe at Easter. 

After that TMI, happy evening everyone! Make your own art or food or music or stories, whatever seizes you!