Mrs Soprano lives!

Friday was the Chair Installation Day, and Cody and his sidekick arrived and set to work.

How it works is pretty easy. You hold onto a switch thing indicating which direction, up or down, and it starts up slowly then gets up to speed, slightly faster than an athletic snail, and you ride sideways. 

At the top you push one of those paddles under the seat to turn the chair so you're facing the landing, and you get off, remembering your purse and carryon.

There are two remotes, so you can send it up or down, carrying stuff without a person. I could have used this the other day when I lugged up a big wandering dude, indoors for the winter. One remote stays downstairs, the other upstairs. The tech showed me how to use the seatbelt to secure big items! He knew.

I've been thinking about this for years and I'm glad it's finally done and seems to be working fine.  They are located about 40 minutes away, pretty good if service is required. 

That was one of the things that knocked some makers out of contention. One, based in Massachusetts, couldn't service where I live. Good to check because you don't want anyone other than techs trained on your brand tinkering with it. After I'd learned a bit and watched many videos, that service question was the first one I asked. 

So I'm all set to come down like Mrs Soprano and terrify people. Or, more likely, come down waving and screaming and eating cotton candy. You gotta take your fun where you can.

Interestingly, I priced these chairs many years ago when it still seemed possible for Handsome Partner to use one. They were almost as expensive then as this one now.  Maybe they were rarer then, but the various makes were comparable in price. 

And while the installation took place I went off for a nice hike to the pond, maybe to prove I can.  And to look for ducks.

I think this might have been a puffball. 

It was a beautiful day, great for walking and tossing stray golfballs back onto the course. These players are wild hitters but very strong.

And there were ducks, one male and three female friends. 

The "beef" plant stuff makes good burgers, mixed with egg to bind them, no spice needed, they're well seasoned. Just broiled and served with three bean salad, or, today, lovely roast diced potatoes and malt vinegar.

Since I'm weaving again, I ordered two more loom clamps from the Woolery, nice artisanal people to deal with. This is how they acknowledge an order 

This enthusiasm reminds me of Ivy! All joy all the time, that's Happy Whisk.

Happy day everyone, there's usually some reason to scream and wave and eat cotton candy.

Wednesday is when I recover from Tuesday.

Beautiful walk this morning, a bit bitey because all the insects decided to keep me company.

Home again, here's a view down the street

And look who showed up in the wandering dude.  A wandering morning glory.

And tributes to Ukraine. Here's the patio version

Wildflowers (?) in blue and yellow.

Then the new bracelet, which has two sides 

In other gripping news, I read recently that goldfinches nest very late in the year and use thistledown in their nests. My thistle has dozens of flowers maturing to down now, and yesterday I saw a goldfinch in brilliant yellow mating plumage. So I  guess it's true. I hope they'll find the thistledown. They do fly around the deck now and then.

Also I had a hummingbird sighting this week, so I guess it's all life in the fast lane right now.

I was reminded by Textiles and Tea about community art projects and a couple I ran back in the day. 

One was the Great Birds Nest, which I organized at the annual Township Founders Day. On the field where events took place, I had the Works Department drop a truckload of brush and branches.

I also volunteered other artists to attend with clippers, and the general public happily helped build a giant nest, big enough for humans to climb in (and take pictures!). 

We decorated with ribbons and various colorful items, and all ages plunged in, little kids wildly excited to be in a giant nest. 

It was about 10 feet across and I kept the sides low enough for people to climb in and out. Everyone wove branches and tied brush and generally created the artwork. No pictures, it predated digital cameras.

Another was the Great Tin Quilt Caper,at the library gallery, which I spent months preparing. I cut, hammered, pierced and embossed dozens of pet food cans which I cut into 6O° angled diamond  shapes, to create a tumbling blocks design.  Inside tin cans there's a beautiful range of colors, it's marvelous art material.

Then I built a backing of foam core and plywood and gessoed it black. 

All the pet care clients whose cans I'd used were invited to the opening/workshop. I had created the tumbling blocks center then everyone who wanted could attach the many  extra readymade pieces I brought, to the outer sections. I provided hammers and panel tacks, and it was a great party. The library gallery was heaving! 

We ended with a wall mounted quilt about five feet square, and displayed it for a month, with a lot of people admiring their own work (!) and their pets' contributions.

On the catalog (flyer) I acknowledged the name of every contributing pet and I was hysterical at how seriously everyone scrutinized it to make sure their Fluffy and Barnaby and Boots were included!

I've done other group events, but these were the biggest ones, open to the public.

Such larks!

Happy day everyone, just do it! You'll be glad you did.

Sunday morning, cool, with dragonflies

This morning is so great for walking to the pond 

I don't have to carry water to the flowers, always a plus, because there's rain in the forecast.

So I moseyed down to the pond noticing new fungi and dragonflies. We have many species and here are two from this morning 

This one's harder to see because he's so transparent, perched near the top of a daylily stem, about halfway up the picture.

And the early signs of seasonal change, leaves coming down and the sighting of goldenrod 

I made it to the pond and here's the wind blowing the beech leaves about. Ripples in the water where frogs are moving.

Happy day everyone, great sleeping weather with windows open. Perfect.

And here's a little bouquet with today's additions 

Good news, Lammas, and white rabbits

In case you want to know!

YouTube channel 

August is here. White rabbits 

It's Lammas, loaf Mass, celebrating the grain harvest, so my breakfast was a slice of wheat bread with home-made strawberry jam. Lammas acknowledged.

Here's the good news from NJ 

This is from my MOC Bonnie Watson Coleman's latest newsletter. John would be proud.

I made it to the pond this morning and created a couple of videos but did remember a still, and a selfie at the pond, proof of life, for blogistas.

This is the hat I made a while back, and I painted the shirt back when I was in my T-shirt painting period. It's my Aged International Spy outfit.

I spied fungi 

Meanwhile, Pink Rabbit, spurred on by certain blogistas and the appearance above of a white rabbit, hopped downstairs to press her claim on a pair of boots.  Ready to get all dramatic, see the Kleenex all ready to go.

She was rescued from a dumpster a while ago by Handsome Son who didn't want her but thought it was awful to toss a loved bunny. 

So I laundered and brushed and generally rehabbed her, and presented her with the bandana she demanded as soon as she looked presentable.

Now it's boots. I'm expecting picketing and Unfair to Pink Rabbit signs any minute.

Happy day everyone, do silly stuff, it's good for your head. Sez Ted and Big Ursy and Pony and Ursula.

Because 

 

Crochet success, pond walk, and third party Freecycle

Beautiful morning, and I was out early, walking, and feeling more energy. It's a particularly rugged allergy season and I have to take all kinds of drops and compresses and pills, to cope with terminally swollen itchy eyes and sneezing. I try to take as little as I can manage without, because it drags me down. It's a balance. 

Anyway today's better and I had a great walk without wanting to lie down on the way back.

There were many rings on the surface, turtles and frogs, also water striders. And you may detect a golf ball in the water.

When I was taking out the garbage I spotted this perfectly good stuff left there. Probably wouldn't fit on the truck, or maybe too expensive to move it.

So I put a picture on Freecycle as a drive by, giving location and explaining it's not mine. 

But chances are I'll get emails asking me various questions and requesting I hold it, and other things people think up. 

I'll disregard them, not get into an email exchange. I've done my bit and it's going to rain so I urged anyone interested to get over soon.

While I was in Freecycle I saw this wanted post 

Hm. Maybe the gilded look is spreading beyond Washington? Ew.

I have turned a corner with the crochet.

I now know what I'm doing. That broad bit at the bottom wraps around the back of the heel, and will be stitched. Now I'm working the sole of the foot.   

It wasn't only the stitch that was tough, but doing it with accommodations for what is now functionally a partly disabled hand. 

This work isn't pretty but it will work as a proof of concept and a template for a future project. I'm very pleased with what I've learned here.

And look what came in the mail. Comic relief.

This cracked me up. An exclusive club I don't qualify for! Could they be more oblivious of people's feelings? Medics certainly have a different way of seeing the world. I'm guessing it's my age range that's expected to be falling to bits.

Also my age range is probably why I'm getting many many offers to take the condo off my hands. For cash. Fast. Easy. Three texts and calls just today.

On the other hand, my doctor's office called this afternoon and announced that the recent blood work is normal. So there!

 In other good news: in NJ as of today it is illegal for stores to use variable pricing. That's where their surveillance shows your personal shopping information and charges different customers different prices for the same product.  So yay us. 

And, because of cyclobadstuff, I did check with Misfits about sourcing of produce and they tell me their records show no instances of involvement with the sus sources. So far so good. I'm still cooking what I can't peel though.

Today's reading, among other books, is this gripping story, historical fiction, of a young girl in a Venice orphanage, abandoned at birth by a young woman who couldn't keep her. 

The orphanage has a music program, and after flute, piano and voice, she turns out to be a violin prodigy who gets Vivaldi as her teacher.

It's very well written, understanding synaesthesia and its relationship to music and the drive of a child born to play. I'm liking this.

Happy day everyone, my new neighbor just showed up to borrow my stepladder, which just arrived back from Gary! Her (and his) granddaughter is available to help her hang drapes so she's seizing the day.