Day 23. After reading the Sunday paper, eating my daily bowl of oatmeal, coffee and banana- I walked to the kitchen and sorted out my dry goods jars. Emptied my bag of flour (shared by a woman in the flour aisle that first weekend) into the flour jar (which was quite empty going into the pandemic), found my pizza dough recipe and my packet of yeast. Measured, mixed and kneaded. Now it's in a greased bowl in the oven with the oven light on. The light gives just enough warmth to the oven to help dough rise. We're having pizza today. Sunday Pizza.
On a day of the week better known for our visit to Goodwill. Before.
I was outside yesterday afternoon and raked out the dead and winterized Hosta leaves under the crab tree. And then I went to the front of the drive and raked leaves out of the bed out front with plants whose name I cannot remember right now. I used a very small rake because it gets caught in the under growth less than a larger rake. A larger one would do little to nothing in regard to cleaning out the old leaves. That area has, typical to my land, the worse soil in Maine. Acidic sand. No nutrients. Nothing to hold water. Nothing, really, to hold roots- which is why the trees get just so tall and then fall over.
Husband (studied Botany) just brought in a sample of the plants- we will look it up in a plant book but first he is looking for something to do with a car battery. Which he has misplaced. I asked him to hand it to me if he finds it and uses it. Then we will know where it is. I'm thinking it might be too large to fit in my underwear drawer where everything else (he mis-places) is stored. Might need to empty the next drawer down and fill it with his "important" things.
I am happy that I went looking for elastic again yesterday. Finding my stamps (yeah!!!) and my box of stuff for dye-work. Most is for mixing up a colored dye solution that can be stored in the fridge and used to paint the dye onto fabric. This is something I learned how to do in a class and something that I want to do again. It's a slow process. But I am thinking it would give me a way to have swirling Van Gogh skies and other interesting things.
But I would need to wear a very good mask while mixing the dye into the solution. A professional mask. So dye mixing will wait until this pandemic is over.
My dear friend in Florida is making me a mask to wear. I am still trying to make a good one (myself) from the many instructional videos on the internet. So far- they "look" fine but do not "wear" fine. I am doing something wrong. If my friend in Florida was here she would say- Joanne- this is in the wrong place or you cut this piece too wide or the pleats are this or that.- and then I would get it right. But i just can't see the mistake myself.
But the pizza dough came out perfect. I did that right.
Yes, about a special mask when you are putting dye powder into solution. My mentor, Elizabeth Barton, had respiratory issues and used a clear acrylic box with holes cut in one side outfitted with rubber gloves. with the lid sealed on she did all her measuring and mixing with her gloved hands inside the box and STILL she wore a mask.
ReplyDeleteI've been a little more cavalier about it. I only work outdoors on still humid days. When I'm first putting the color in solution, I wear a wet, doubled bandana over my mouth and nose.