Cavalry arrived, kids today, but there's apricot spread, too

Sunday afternoon Gary was over for houseplant assistance, to announce yet another trip, and to report on his daughter taking her young daughter to a YouTube influencer event, in a mall, huge. 

They were up at dark o'clock to get there, in line for hours. In the end the fire department stopped more crowds from gathering, getting beyond safe. His daughter said she remembered Gary doing this for her at her daughter's age, so she was willing to pass it on. 

We both agreed we can't understand what the sound is about, and are baffled at kids singing along. He then got off on the Stones and how he and an earlier wife had gone to a Stones concert way back. And how Jagger is still leaping about the stage!  I refrained from saying they're also just a noise to me, realizing I was talking with a major fan. 

Adjusting my pioneer bonnet and moving on here..

The cavalry, I mean checks, arrived! Now I can get on with paying my bills. The bank had said Friday but they're days early. Maybe it's that pr idea of giving a stretch date, so the customer is very happy when it arrives early, and refrains from asking in the meantime. 

And I will get the replacement heat pump started as soon as they get back to me with a technician appointment. I've requested that Handsome Son make sure the furnace bit in his upstairs storage area is accessible. Knowing him it's probably a bit cluttered with valuable stuff. Which I'd have winnowed years ago but that's me.

Lovely Monday morning walk, met a pretty puppy determined to jump at me and an owner very grateful that I didn't mind. 

Some of our neighbors are terrified of dogs jumping, not used to them. I expect it, because very few owners seem to manage to train dogs not to.   And this was a young fluffy pup.

I wouldn't have minded playing with him but his owner probably didn't want his training interrupted by being rewarded for jumping.

My flowers may be tapering off, but this house with a different compass direction, is still blooming.

See all that self seeded pink balsam? The seeds also jumped next door and are flowering, to the owner's surprise.

That's the difference between my semi shaded patio and a full unshaded sunny aspect.  

When I get my front patio set up, I'm going to have flower containers there, full sun from noon on, and I think they'll do well. I'll also plant  in the back as usual, can't have too many flowers.

Happy day everyone, my mental health is much better now the checks arrived and I made the dreaded call to the heat pump people. This year has been full of dramatic events, one way and another, and it's caused a lot of anxiety over seemingly ordinary tasks, such as driving to the library, and making phone calls like the heat pump one. That's over and above the continuing anxiety about the state of the union.

And this in the mail definitely helped my mental health! Gift of a Spoutible friend, sent from As Ever,  the company owned by Meghan Duchess of Sussex. Same Meghan who got the Hubb Kitchen cookbook Together going, as a continuing fundraiser. This is her own store. 

Everything is qua-li-tee, beautiful presentation and the flavor of this apricot spread -- better than mine!

Tangy enough to be a sauce with Monday evening's breaded fish, sweet enough for breakfast toast. Perfect gift. Meghan aims to bring joy and she definitely did.

Losing no time, here's the set-up for the battered breaded fish. I cut it in small pieces for dipping and set up a production line

And here's supper 

There will be three more meals from the cod. It bakes so well,  flaky and moist inside the batter and panko. And the dipping sauce was chef's kiss 

Yesterday's resistance: Hampton Inn chain,a Hilton medium-cost outfit, is housing ICE in a couple of California cities where they're conducting raids.

I placed phone questions with them, and got baffled bottish answers, not programmed for that. So I'm putting out the word that any Hampton Inn is liable to have burly, masked, heavily-armed men in residence, and may be best avoided by the rest of us. Just sayin'.

Happy day everyone, keep resisting if you live in the US, keep encouraging us if you don't. 

It's not easy, especially if you're getting up in years and long only to read and make your art and chat with your friends. A little back pat will go a long way.

Stick weaving continued, Misfits and missing checks

The nights are getting cooler,so I'm starting to bring in plants. Here's the curry leaf plant under an arch of orchids 

And you're invited along on the stick weaving experiment.  I found large eyed sewing needles, looped threads through the holes to hold the warp threads. And quickly ran into a number of learning opportunities. I thought the fine cotton thread would make a good warp, and embroidery floss would be a nice weft thread.

I found quickly that the weft threads would not slip over the head of the needles and over the knots to arrive on the warp threads. 

So I replaced the whole shebang with embroidery floss for both warp and weft, no knots.

That worked better, the weft loops sliding onto the warp threads pretty well.  Then the skill level of the weaver was tested, slippery thread, small needles, so many moving parts. 

I did a sample, pretty uneven, the tension being tricky. The loops have to be firm enough to take shape evenly but slack enough to slide over the needle eyes. 

Soooo I slid the first sample down the warp threads, out of the way, and made another run at it.  

Much better this time. This is hopeful. So now this sample is slid down the warp threads to join the first.

The reason to keep them is to see progress and see what I need to do better.  It's a learning tool. If you keep removing your mistakes you're throwing away the bread crumbs marking the path. 

It's the usual story, the simpler the tools the more skill is required of the weaver. 

I like the possibilities here, to make motifs for bigger artworks,  or decorative parts for functional items. After I've practiced quite a bit more. And possibly found needles with a smaller eye, but which can still accept floss.

I may have stumbled on my fall project, adventures in stick weaving with a Rube Goldberg twist.

Then I wanted to do something less demanding so I cooked lunch, an adaptation of a Wil Yeung recipe, spiced roast cauliflower, which I served over brown rice with a sprig of fresh peppermint.

Here's the set-up 

The jar on the left is a condiment that came with the Indian food, thinned with avocado oil, still pretty hot and very good. Then there's cumin, smoked paprika, and a baharat mix, the milder version from the Together cookbook. All tossed with the cauliflower in a bowl, then roasted 45 minutes at 400°f. 

This was a hot mix and I didn't have the makings of Wil's cooling sauce, so I thought I'd better have rice to calm it down a bit.

Which it did, and a sprig of fresh peppermint to chew on worked nicely too. There's more for tomorrow.

Remember my experiments with beating lime juice into yogurt? That's very close to the sauce Wil makes to drizzle over this dish. Definitely noted for future reference.

Finally Misfits arrived later than usual, cheerful Rameer delivering.

These beautiful apples, Cezanne would paint them first then eat them.

This was a very small order, between my forgetting bread and the blueberries not being available. Canned goods for the food pantry. Cheese for all kinds of ideas including a crustless spinach quiche planned, now that I also have enough eggs.

And our inner little kids will love the label on the fish.

My checks still haven't arrived and I'm fielding requests from the contractor to pay them the revised increased sum.  The money's in the bank, I just can't convey it to them. There's a hefty fee if I use a credit card.  They're okay just now, but it's awkward. And I hate to have Contractor Michael waiting after doing beautiful and prompt work for me. He's okay too, but I don't like it.

I want to get this all settled then next week start arranging the new heat pump ($$$) for the condo. Always something! 

Meanwhile back at the fireplace, the last bouquet of the season from the patio.

Happy day everyone, I think I need to breathe.  Join me! And Ted and Big Ursy