Friday, HP, gardens and plans

June 27 is Handsome partner's birthday.  He died in 2011 on Handsome Son's birthday, so we decided to celebrate HP on his own birthday and reserve Handsome Son's own birthday for him. 

I had strawberries and graham crackers for breakfast, the strawberries in HPs honor, his favorite fruit, always at its best around his birthday. I used to feature strawberries in his birthday cake.

Friday I took sugar to the food pantry and found that the person who runs it has to do everything. So when I send my quarterly donation check, she has to go do the shopping. It adds to her workload. So I decided I'll spend the equivalent on useful nonperishables from Misfits and take that over instead.

Summer is a hungry time, with school out, and no lunch programs. She showed me her empty shelves. In our small town there are fifty families, all working people,  but unable to meet their expenses and needing the food pantry. 

I encourage everyone who wants to help to check locally what's needed, then provide what we can. Now more than ever it's a good thing to do. With bigger food banks, more employees and food contacts, money is more useful, but it pays to check their preference.

Today the daylilies are bursting out, and the patio looks so summery. Also cool enough to be out there. 

See all the buds on the hibiscus. Last year was its first, with two blooms. This year will be a bit more showy.

And I'm making more cordage, to continue the basket. I love doing this and my hands are limited in how long they can do the movements without locking up. So I seize the day, so as to have a supply ready.

Below is an experiment with fine rushes. They wouldn't twist, so I braided them into a decorative shape to attach to the finished basket 

This is how you use a clipboard for braiding. It's also good for  small weaving, especially paper strips.
 

And I baked the carrot cake. 

I included dried cranberries, but omitted the walnuts I had thought about including, because the boy next door is seriously allergic to nuts, and I wanted to share.

It's nice but so labor intensive no wonder it's special. All that grating of carrots. It's quite rich so I may not bother with a fancy frosting.  

Meanwhile my neighbors are happy with their share, showed me the kitchen they're renovating (I know, I've been hearing it happening nights and weekends for ages), and their daughter recruited me to help with her girl scout Gold Award. She's doing a project to help seniors avoid financial online scams.  

I'll be happy to help. I've worked with girl scout Gold Award projects before.  

Gary will also have his share of cake. 

Late addition: the cake got excellent reviews!

I have the fourth season of Foyle for my weekend viewing. The only little drawback to watching a series is the signature tune earworm.. currently it's Pie in the Sky, soon to be replaced by Foyle.

Friday evening I'm online with friends, so I have to remember to get supper in time.

Happy day everyone, please feed people if you can, sez 

Ted and Big Ursy 

Backed up by Food Warrior Fluffy.

Being had to wait on doing

 My plan to just read and be was a bit delayed. I noticed my daily bouquets needed new flowers, so I went out early, picked and added and subtracted and got this 

Then I noticed the downstairs plants were thirsty, so I watered them. This usually means mopping up the spills on tables and floors.

Then I noticed a stitched artwork that could be translated into a pillow. So I took it off the frame, removed the cheesecloth backing, and washed it for reuse, I'm always needing to strain this and that.  And here's the piece, dyed and beaded and stitched, ready for a new life 

Once I construct a pillow, that is. And the empty frame will do well on free cycle, then I thought what about the just being, leave the freecycle for now, girl.

Then I noticed I need to make yogurt, so I did that. Then the mail arrived, medication on the step. And they'd renewed the wrong one. 

I've tried three times to get the website to add my new Rx, which is a smaller dose of another one, but I now need both together to arrive at the right dose. They can't seem to get this concept.

So, urgent message on my doctor portal asking them to be sure the online pharmacy has in fact contacted them, as they claim, for a refill rx.  

At this point I'm having to split pills in the bigger dose to get the additional 50% dosage.  Today I was expecting to get the right size dose. 

 

Then it was lunchtime and I had the rest of the steamed baby potatoes diced and roasted in olive oil and salt, with the last of the tuna salad and mint sauce.

This was definitely good. No complaints here.

Then I agonized for a bit, in view of the renewed heatwave this week, whether to reschedule the hearing aid fitting. I don't think I can handle driving to the next town for a long appointment, then home, in 100°f, which is the previous day, cooling only to the low 90s.

And the house cleaners have been having scheduling problems, so if they show up this week, they'll have to work around me, too hot for me to go out while they work. I don't like this so much, but oh well.

So after all that I finally started reading and doing some being. Well, some pinloom weaving and reading.

 I don't think I'm temperamentally suited to just being. I made a carafe of suntea to keep me going anyway!

Happy day, everyone! Try a bit of just being and see if you can manage it, then explain to me how.

Breathing and looking about

A note this morning from C reminded me to look about. Lilac in bloom but not where I could stop and pic, blossom everywhere, saucer magnolia finished, partly by a late frost, partly recent rain and wind, dogwood in full bark.

First swallows all over the pond. Rain is on the way, so I expect there are plenty of insects to catch 

At my front door, the usual crowd of wild and tame flowers suddenly pushing about. First iris bud. I have to look up the wild friends again, poor memory.

And here's the latest reading. The Leon novel is a reread, the essays new to me.  I'm deep into The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury, too.

Also here's the Jacket's Progress. I have to lay it flat and stand to stitch, so as not to get lost.

And, on the olive oil cake front, to my amazement, it tastes much better after a day or two.  Handsome Son visited yesterday and actually liked it. But he did put in a request, while he was at it, for a repeat of the blueberry Newtons. Just in case I went over to  the olive oil cake side suddenly, I expect. Hedging his bets.

Sometimes life's about hedging your bets.

Speaking of which, I'm planning on a couple of nice upgrades at the condo once the plumbing and appliance situation is resolved.

One is a new mantel to replace the one I made and installed decades ago, which finally fell off. Here's where it was

And here's the one at the townhouse

I think the condo one, lighter colored floor, white surrounds, might be good with a paler wood, whatever Artist Michael suggests. He probably has some nice pieces he can pick from. The bas relief you can maybe see, is my work. Artist Michael will know how to accommodate it, I expect.

Raises the whole tone of the place. At the condo it's the first thing you see when you open the front door, so I'd like it to be nice to come home to.

Meanwhile, Son Michael is embarking on a serious cleaning and Winnowing, since I made the case that we need a nice environment for the original artwork mantel. He's usually oblivious to dust bisons and clutter. He's working on it now. I'll assist.

And I will replace the ancient track lights, there since the early 80s, installed by the original owner. It's time.

All in all, some progress. Thanks to you blogistas and other friends, raised spirits, too.