More good advice, how I followed it, and Carol Cane Capers

Yesterday Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, firebrand young leftist Democrat, known as AOC, did a great video about coping in our new world. She talked about how our best defense is our community and, to my surprise, included knitting groups! 

I agree, we need to establish who are our allies, and take care of them. I've been contacted by more than one past friend to reestablish contact and it reminds me of the pandemic where people did that.

So, despite feeling a bit glum, nothing new for me, always sad in the early mornings, I did get going, tended to my sheep, went to the knitting group.  It was a great session, fun, good friends, thank you, AOC, for honoring it.

D's first sweater following a pattern, usually a freeform knitter 

K showing her Tunisian crochet learning sampler stitches.

Talk ranged over craft ambitions, that Irish craft involving roving and canvas, learning to use a cane, international fisheries, pollution, fish migration, Tunisian crochet and why, furniture arrangements for book groups, Ireland, the socio-economic causes of food choices, stitch definition, tree-climbing goats, goat milk, meat and cashmere, and more. Our fearless leader has already booked the room January to June, looking ahead.

The weather is cooling now, down to 30°s f. overnight, so the heating is coming on at night and it's time to change the front door curtain from the summer green striped canvas to the winter red felt. 

Usually this is a two person job, unhooking the rod off the hooks, sliding the other curtain onto the rod and rehanging. And a bit of climbing is involved. Last night, no-one available to assist, I thought this might be a cane related task, the  cane having a cushioned non slip handle.

So, without climbing or the aid of a net, I unhooked the canvas, pushing the rod up by the handle,  let it drop,  slid the rod out,  threaded the felt curtain and used the cane to rehook it, reversing the first stage.  No climbing, no assistant, I'm bloated with pride.  Both curtains have permanent clip on rings, to save changing them.  Canvas now folded and away till spring. Winterizing complete.

So here's the substance of my upcoming book What Carol Cane Taught Me: useful to prop your device screen up, potential lethal weapon in disputes, portable art form waiting to be painted, curtain hanger, and more to come. Aside from its prescribed use, that is. You might call these off label applications.

Another form of community I plan to continue is sharing baked goods with neighbors. During the hot weather, I didn't bake, but now I'm getting into it more regularly. So today I'm going to bake honeynut squash bread with dried cranberries, just to share around the neighborhood. 

I'll omit walnuts because of one child with a nut allergy, and freeze a couple of slices for Handsome Son, whenever I next see him, probably Thanksgiving or thereabouts. Maybe I'll freeze a slice for Gary who's away, but shouldn't miss out.

That and finishing  the second glove are on the agenda, with boring old  laundry and sheet changing. And watching

I'm still in the middle of Cranford on my Kindle, so this is video to knit by.

The thanksgiving cactus is busy budding up

Happy day, everyone. Day by day, and, as Ellen says, let's make the most of the next couple of months. Patrick O'Donnell and his Mutts say

Jennie, and the little cactus that could

You know how I knit socks and gloves for the special project, and send my work off to a community of sisters, to be added in to their work? Here's where it goes! This is Jennie, the convent resident dog, in chapel with one of the sisters. I met her, well, both of them, when I stayed there with a guild group learning gold work embroidery.

She turned up this week in her own right on Twitter, on one of the few accounts I still check in there, a weekly roundup of video of dogs and their stories. And here's one I've met!

left to right, presenter inset, Jennie, Sister.  There's also a black and white cat, and for many years,  a pony, Pony, a real mischief maker, quite a character. There's a book about him now.

And the Thanksgiving cactus is really coming through

I notice that even when a plant is small, it produces full-size flowers. This one's doing well, more buds there. I'm always surprised when the pink buds become bright coral flowers.

I made a freecycle request for yarn, and got a couple of offers, too far away to be practical for pickup, but kind anyway. Meanwhile I can knit partial dolls then add on the faces and hats when I get face-colored yarn.

Father Dowling continues to entertain me, with those huge cars, skidding round corners. I learned to drive long ago in a V8, and have never really got used to smaller cars since. I still  expect half a mile of metal in front of me! My current car could sit on the hood of a V8. 

Happy day, everyone, if your knitting supplies, real or metaphorical, are incomplete in any sense, it's the human condition!

More hostages released in Gaza, and Israel's minister acknowledged it's a Biden truce, not a Netanyahu truce. Take that, people who think he's a weak Presidential candidate!  He's one of the best presidents we ever had. And you know why people whine that he's too old? It's because she's black.

Pixilated squirrel, Thanksgiving cactus, goodbye Rosalynn

Yesterday's picture through the screen door was a pixilated version, of a squirrel sitting thoughtfully for a while, near the foot of the Japanese maple.

I really like it when trees you plant start to be part of the habitat, birds and bees and squirrels leaping about in them. When my ficus is out in summer, the birds perch in her and I think it's good for her mental health. Likewise rain and wind and sun.

Indoors the cactus is proving to be a Thanksgiving timer, really coming along now.

And the coleus seems happy among the various transplants and cuttings growing in water.

Yesterday I was involved elsewhere in a discussion about falling, well, about the various YouTube variations on what to do about it. The main advice seems to be don't fall, but if you really have to, then be sure to fall where there are pillows to back onto at various heights near a sturdy chair. Or crawl on hands and knees (!) to a support to haul yourself up by.  Or, my favorite, fall in a circle! Followed by a maybe fortyish physical therapy lady demonstrating a graceful downward spiral. 

Mostly these unlikely ideas are demonstrated by young therapists, prompting shouts from viewers of "I could do that at your age, too!" And realistic comments about just be sure you have your phone or alert on, and call for help, never mind struggling like this.

The good therapists, like Will, the one I've referred to before, are much better than this, with actual step by step programs to maintain strength and realistic skills about getting up. But the others are largely comic relief. 

So when you're lying on the floor, be sure to watch their helpful videos about why you should have fallen near pillows. And how you should never walk in the park, because you'll never make it home again. Noted.

No food pictures recently, because it's been dull food, chocolate pudding, mac and tom -- macaroni in spicy tomato sauce -- potato spinach soup. Good stuff, just not exciting cooking. Also tuna melt, an old favorite.

The final note about the honest freecycler, she emailed to say she'll be happy to use the beads in her jewelry, yay. 

And a little thank you to Rosalynn Carter, for a long life well lived, and her lifelong push for attention to mental health. And her work throughout, with everything Jimmy did, from the presidency to Habitat for Humanity. 

Happy day, everyone, and if you fall down, just shout for help!