Act Blue, Rockit apples, and knitting capers

I waited till some thawing happened on the sidewalk before I went out today. We're in the thaw, run, freeze sequence and yesterday I had to be very cautious because of sudden ice patches too wide to step over  The wind both days was icy, so no pictures. Just out, walk, home to tea and cake.

More signing and writing today, aside from thanking my elected representatives for standing fast about Homeland security.

I wrote this today to the execs of YouTube and Google. Note the threat. 

No business is too big to disregard its consumers. I already use anything other than G as a search engine, best I can manage now. And I've been steadily complaining about AI fraud to YouTube. I'm hoping enough people push back on ads for ICE recruitment to make them think twice. It worked with Spotify.

The sponsor of this campaign is Act Blue, fyi. IYKYK. 

Recently someone asked me what IYKYK means! A true meta moment.

And about Rockit apples, take yet another bow, NZ!

I wondered if gala apples were involved, another favorite. They're crisp and juicy and not tart. I can't do tart apples. Anything with crisp in its name makes my face go all painful. Pink Lady, too. Just doesn't work. But Rockits rock.

And an update on the knitting. As usual I find that the better the yarn quality, the easier on my hands. 

This pattern really is designed for circulars which I currently don't have, so I had a good time figuring out how to compensate.  As usual, modular design rules. I also knew the starting yarn wouldn't be enough, so I'm recruiting a related one to add in.

You Are Here

At this point if I had circulars, I'd add 49 stitches at each side. Then I'd knit all of them for four more inches 

As you see, the current 117 stitches are already a crowd. So I really enjoyed coming up with a plan. This is not about making do, it's about finding another solution. 

So I plan to knit on for the four inches, then cast off. That will complete the middle section. Then I'll cast on two lots of 49 stitches on these same needles, each with a yarn supply and knit both for four inches. This will keep the size working and the yarn well distributed. 

Then I'll stitch or crochet the three pieces together.  Ta-daah. 

At least that's the plan.

Happy day everyone, you can figure things out if you just breathe.

Sez Ted, Big Ursy and Pony 

 

Furthermore..

 

Just a small sampling of events and protests all over my little state, with outreach to other states.  This is how enlightened government is created and supported. I'm glad to take part in all the resistance I can manage. And thank you to all the blogistas  who do what they can where they live.  Encouragement to those who haven't done much up to now to get cracking. Even in the reddest of states you are not helpless. 

Springlike walk and Misfits

Thursday was springlike, just for a day or two, and my morning walk under the trees was full of birdsong and animal tracks. 

I heard a downy woodpecker rattling then saw her (no red hat) start pecking on a tree. Very early for nesting. And I heard but didn't see chickadees and Carolina wrens, saw but didn't hear a little flock of juncoes.

The downed trees are usually left where they fall if they're not in the way,  and they provide habitat for a lot of animals and birds

At the top of the standing trees there's a whole colony of mourning doves, and, lower down, the juncoes flitter about.

A bit further along, you see where squirrels demonstrate their bite strength on these black walnuts.

If you've ever tried to break into black walnuts you'll know what pressure it takes. 

The prescribed method is to spread them on a hard surface, such as a concrete driveway, place a board on top and drive your car back and forward to crush them. 

Then you can spend the rest of the day picking out the delicious fragments of nut, before deciding to just go with regular walnuts. Besides, the regular ones can be cracked to make two miniature doll beds from the shell. Just sayin. 

Misfits pickup is out ready for Haleem, whom I messaged with a New Year greeting.

He got back with a very appreciative text.

Canned goods and mustard for the food pantry, oats and peanut butter for granola bars, cod pieces (!) because I need fish 'n chips, potatoes for the chips, also for roasted dice with the chicken pieces I just roasted, apples great relief, I really missed them last week, mushrooms to slice and freeze ready for omelettes, and to accompany chicken and roast potatoes, sardines for sandwiches for my brain, BananAZ! dundeedeedundeedee etc, mango pieces to go with yogurt, blueberries likewise, avocado oil because I finished the last of it in the red chili oil.

This was a nice order. 

Happy day everyone, I hope you're as well fed as I and able to get out among trees and calming nature,  in our current turmoil and tragedy.

Fluffageddon says breathe, plan, persist, resist 

Upcoming art exhibit

 I was invited to send two pieces in for the group exhibit of the Plainsboro Artist Group in October, so I thought you'd like to see.

22x18, watercolor and chalk, Red Orchid 

and 

8x8 Hibiscus, black ink

They will be shown in the gallery you saw in Wednesday's post, which I founded. In fact I founded the artist group over thirty years ago. So they're kindly letting me know I'm not forgotten, really nice considering it's years since I was active with them. 

The current art scene is strong, especially considering the size of the town. 

So for various reasons I accepted and included in the reasons is

Creating means all kinds of creating, gardens, meals, lesson plans, animal care, as well as the arts.

Happy day everyone, keeping well is also resistance.

Warrior? maybe.

 I have questions

Do I need armor and a sword to avoid falling? Judging from my days with Carol Cane, the sword would trip me anyway.

Anyway, warrior or not,  I've resumed my meditation practice. I thought you might like to know which one I like. 

I followed a meditation reintroduction presented online for 9.11, to help get through the day. The leader's approach was a good reminder of the general practice, but the approach I like is the visualization kind.

I expect someone taught me this years ago, and now I'm returning to it. My version is to close my eyes and visualize a long hallway with closed doors on each side. I open any door and see what lies outside of it. I just let my mind provide images and follow where they go. I find it very calming and a happy process. 

Yesterday I was surprised when I opened a door and  found it opened to another hall of doors! So I tried again, opened one of the new doors,  and was in an outdoor scene, a clearing in a forest,  with animals greeting me, a deer, a cheetah, and in the distance was a little boy sitting under a tree, eating at a small table. 

It's a very nice adventure, and you do need to be able to visualize,  which not everyone can. If you can, maybe try it. I find it brings my heart rate down to a steady slower pace, probably good.

Saturday's garden exertion was about raking out dead foliage where the patio will be, and incidentally finding more river stones which have been buried over the years. 

While recovering,  I listened to a Shedunnit podcast about poison in crime fiction, while I did a visible darn in a favorite pair of socks. Rose, I think you'll recognize the original yarn. I love these socks and I've repaired them several times to lengthen their life.

Visible darning is meant to show up, a decorative departure from the old fashioned invisible darning precious to our foremoms.

There was another sock waiting for a long time, with a bigger repair needed. I fancied trying a crochet approach to this one though.

I did this and though it looks a bit bumpy, it's very comfortable, like a cushion under the heel. 

Before, the heel was completely gone, so I kind of reconstructed the shape. I picked up all the live stitches I could, and crocheted around a pretty massive gap, drawing it in as I went, until it was filled in. 

I forgot to show you the wreckage I started from.  I like this crocheting idea and I'll probably do it better in future. You go to darning with the skills you have.

And while my supper potatoes were roasting I did a twenty minute workout with resistance bands. I stepped up from green to blue this time, a bit more resistance.

Happy day everyone, let "good enough" reign!

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.

Storms, zinnias don't care, Misfits

Wednesday's late day storms saved me from watering in the heat, and there are new daisies and zinnias, also another, probably final, bud on the hibiscus.

I am really liking the morning glories tending to business and getting along with no assistance from the gardener.

The curry leaf plant is doing well.  

If you've never used curry leaves in cooking, you might want to try them. If you can't get a plant, the leaves are sold in  Indian groceries. Anywhere you'd use a bay leaf, try curry leaves. They're not hot despite the ill-fitting name, but they're deeply flavory. 

I've given them to American friends who like cooking, and they're well received. They freeze fine.

Thursday is Misfits day 

The tracking map appears about an hour ahead and shows you the route any time you access it. There's a final it's here! announcement then it goes away.

Nice Ronald taking the returns after leaving the box. 

Plenty of greens this week, thinking about a spinach quiche, can of pineapple chunks for the food pantry, plums to make a Marian Burros plum torte, August specialty around here. She used to get wildly annoyed with nyt readers asking for the recipe every year, instead of just cutting it out and keeping it.

There's apples for mid mornings, pasta because I'm out, blue hake because I need a white fish meal or two, maybe fish cakes too. Graham crackers for pretend key lime yogurt, yogurt likewise, blueberries for breakfasts with granola. Chocolate salty things just for the halibut.

Nice array this week. Look at this beauty, after washing 

That beautiful oversized spinach, too big for the supermarket, apples too small, I ask you. But I get the benefit, great food at discount prices.

Then, full disclosure, after all this posh food talk, Thursday's supper was a fried egg on toast with lemon tea.

It was not only hot but massively humid Thursday, so I didn't walk out. Between heat, humidity and antihistamines for the season, I've been a bit inactive for a couple of days, getting around but not exercising. 

However Thursday morning I got back with A and A

This was a fifteen minute series of moves, no repeats, for thirty seconds each with 15 seconds steps between. It's more strenuous than you might think, and very good. It worked out a good bit of ache from inactivity.

Steve, of Shadows and Light,  and husband Dave, just achieved their British citizenship after living in London many years. Now they're basking in the end of the paperwork and waiting. Congratulations to them. 

Don't ask me to go swearing allegiance to any English monarch after Wednesday's blog, there's a history there..but it's seriously very nice for them, feeling they belong and can now vote against Farage.

When Handsome partner and I got American citizenship, six year old Handsome Son, born American, was so disappointed that we went on talking the same way as before. He complained you said you'd be American like me! 

We hadn't realized he expected an accent transplant. But he was only small.  No such excuse for grown people with education who seriously ask why I don't drop the accent. 

I ask them what accent they think I should imitate to replace it. That's baffling to people who think they have no accent and everyone else is "just putting it on!".  After a certain rather young age it's pretty much hardwired.

Since a day without resistance and sand in the gears is a day without r and sitg, I called the Texas snitchline the gummint put in place. It's for people to snitch on the brave Texas Democrats who left the state to break quorum and stop the gerrymandering from yielding several House seats to the GOP.

I chose the "other suspicious and criminal activity" function and a cheery lady answered.  I said I wanted to report criminal activity in DC, in the White-  and before I could finish, she broke in to say that would be federal, call the FBI. And hung up. So that was my bit of (federal) fun for the day.

Happy day everyone, on any level, however you pronounce it.