Daily Notes- May 31st

Vintage Kitchen.  Simple, white and black.  I love the umbrella on the back of the door and the sun or rain hat.  I could move right in.  The wall of storage to the right is amazing. I imagine it filled with large jars full of sugar, flour, granola etc.  The sink is most likely wide and deep.  And out in the vestibule  shelves for potted plants, boots etc.  Seriously makes me want move to a smaller house. Well, actually, move to THIS house.

My insect bite has calmed down and is no longer, red, hot or swollen.  Just a red puncture point.  The hose connection worked out and the Preen was raked and watered in.  Now to see if it works.  My regular customers at work said it did work.  And it's safe for vegetables etc.  It just works on germination.  Stops it.   Hope the Supreme Court doesn't get involved.

I added a third element to my breakfast choices.  Hot cooked cereal.  Cold shredded wheat and bran with milk.  And now---ta da! Toast with butter and my very own Damson plum jam or store bought strawberry rhubarb jam.  I can chew toast.  Let's have a parade with balloons and sparklers!!!!  I don't know how it happened or when, but things are easy and pain free with my jaw like 75% of the time.

I'm not adding any hard or sticky foods.  But toast!!  Who knew toast could be so exciting.

The walks in the woods behind our house have been FULL of mosquitos.  So many. Clouds of them. Today the dog had about a hundred on his face and in his eyes.  Poor doggie.  I sprayed my shirt and hat and that kept them away.

I purchased a plant that is a zone 6 to 9.  We are a zone 5.  So this new plant will have to find a home in the bed over the house waste water outlet pipe.  Where the hot water from showers etc keeps the ground warmer than the rest of our lot.  Rookie mistake not checking the zone on the plant tag.  Or I can use it as an expensive annual.  Spurge- euphorbia amygdafoides robbiae.  "Spreading green rosettes that are enticing".  Well, I guess I was enticed.

Have any of you been watching the National Spelling Bee on ESPN (of all stations to broadcast the Bee).  They haven't been able to eliminate spellers so are now going to very hard strange words.  But the spellers are spelling them.  It's amazing.  My humble opinion?  They are all WINNERS!!!  Or ask them to spell amygdafoides.  I can't even pronounce it.

Daily Notes- May 30th

Very old South.  A sleeping porch.  G's parents had a sleeping porch on their Wisconsin cabin. Both my kids loved sleeping out there when we visited.  Double sized bunk beds.  They could listen to the frogs out by the banks of the spillway.

I planted three of the four perennials I purchased last Saturday (all the creeping phlox- pink, blue and white).  G sprinkled Preen on the garden walkways (where tall nasty grass grows every single summer) but when he tried to take the nozzle off the hose to add a longer hose--- stuck.  Like permanently.  So a trip to the hardware store for a new "male" replacement.  As G was leaving the car I said "get two" because if we need one of something--we always need two.  He's back out behind the house working on this project.  Then he will "lightly" sprinkle the Preen with water to activate it.

While I was using that fantastic old fashioned dandelion puller tool to pull up a gazillion dandelions--something bit me.  My left arm, right below my wrist is swollen and red and very hot to the touch.  I'm thinking spider.  I am very allergic to spiders.  I have sprayed it with Benadryl.  But wouldn't hurt to take a tablet of the same.  Found another tick on my sleeve while we were eating lunch.  Taped it to the calendar.  Lots of ticks taped to that calendar.  After I hit publish I am going to take a nice long, hot shower.  Wash any other ticks down the drain.  Unless one has attached itself to me.

The votes on the sashing fabric were overwhelmingly-no.  So next time I take a picture I will have the green my dear friend had selected prior to the stroke.  You can vote yes or no on that one and then we'll move on to the many other choices in the Magic Closet if it's no.  I'm in no hurry.

Riley is having a bad day.  Hasn't eaten his breakfast and it's past 5 pm.  Whiny, panting etc.  He's quiet right now.  MSNBC is on in the dining room--very low and he's on his dog bed next to the computer.  Just staring.  Into Space.  He has an appointment with our favorite Vet on June 9th.  She'll have sound advice for us going forward.  A gardening friend was here yesterday (bringing me lovely tomato seedlings) and she was a specialized intensive care nurse before she retired and an EMT-- she thinks perhaps Riley's had a stroke- not dementia.  The staring into Space kind.  Like the friend who was making the blocks we were deciding on yesterday and couldn't "see" the design anymore and needed me to thread her sewing machine several times a week.

Well, he's quiet right now and looking at me and I am still going to go take that shower.  Feeling all Tick-y.

Thank you for your honest opinions on the fabric.  I agree with you all.  Sorry, Connie.

Daily Notes- May 29

Question.  Does the bottom fabric work as sashing for the blocks and other border?  The interior blocks are all four by fours of fabrics that are similar in tone/pattern to the two fabrics in the top row.  The middle row is the sashing around each set of four blocks (chosen by the original maker before her death).  I used fabrics that were in a pile on the table where she had been working on this quilt.  Fat quarters. So nothing much extra to do borders.  She had another green for the outer border (bottom on screen) but it didn't have any beige or red in it --just shades and patterns of green.  I still have it and if you need to see it (comments) then I will make a photo to show here.  The quilt shop owner and I were trying for "continuity"-- a re-statement of the red flowers.  But perhaps too matchy-matchy as some quilt critics say.

Anyway--I am wondering about the border.  This is why this quilt never gets sewn together.  The blocks themselves with that first fabric all around look quite sweet.  I also sampled a floral fabric--I have a full bolt of it-- to see if it worked.  I can take a picture for you to see.  Later.  The light in the house today is dreary.

The news channels are in overload.  The night time big names are doing the afternoon shows.  Mueller has spoken.  Finally.

I finished my crime fiction book.  They did manage to pull one victim out of the freezer-sort of alive.  Another wasn't buried alive.  Gruesome.  The Danish cop quit the police and invited a computer hacker to work with her--in the next book.

I went to the library and couldn't find anything of interest until I found a book with Paris in the title and the blurb mentioned "three amateurs" trying to solve a crime.  Hooked.  The Universe does provide.

G has gone to the movies to see John Wick.  I am staying home with Riley.  We had planned to see the movie together.  But we didn't want to take a chance of coming home to find destruction.  We have come home in the past (when Riley was very young) to the entire floor of the living covered in pages chewed out of a library book.  And once he chewed his bed into tiny shreds.  In just a few hours of steady effort.  He's sitting on his dog bed, next to me, watching me.  No sudden moves. Ha.
With the doggie dementia we have no idea how he will react to being here alone.  Before this--he would just sleep.  But nothing is as it once was.

Daily Notes- May 28th

Can't sleep.  At 10:30 or 11 pm, my eyes are heavy and I go to bed.  At 5 or 6 am I am awake.  Sleep is finished, even though I try to sleep more.  So here I am at the computer at 9 am, already tired, already cotton headed.  I read the paper, ate my breakfast, having my large coffee as I type.  Low 50's outside so I am also cold.  The plants stayed out over night.  They look okay.

G has taken the front panel off the oldest compost pile and my plan for the day is to sift as much of it as possible--tossing the uncomposted things into bin number three-- and the sifted compost, in the wheelbarrow, to the garden for the flower bed.  Weed grass is already germinating and coming up in the paths.  If left, the grass will be knee high overnight almost. G only had Round Up.  I said no--not where food grows.  So today we have to find a safe weed deterrent.  A blow torch would do the job and also set fire to the beds and possibly the woods.  Flame thrower?  Tall weeds mean more ticks. I have had Lyme disease-have it, I guess.  Don't know if it goes away.  We find ticks on us and last night one on the kitchen counter.  It's like all of Maine is infested with ticks.

I planted the two small grape vines Patty gave us.  She was growing them for her friend Rick.  He died.  So, these two are Rick's grapes and will be that for as long as I know Patty and probably as long as I have this land.  Rick's grapes.  At some point, when I wasn't looking, the old grape vines have made lovely pink buds.  I can now see which vines are dead and cut them out.  The cuts run. Water or plant juices running, dripping from the cuts.  I wondered if it would taste of grapes.  No.

I have many packages of dahlias to plant.  I bought one.  It was enough.  Daughter bought us more. Now it is too much.  It will be late for the planting of them.  But flowers in September are nice.

I washed that odd black and white fabric that could be cotton or not.  It's cotton.  The wash and dry made it soft and it finally ripped easily (I rip, I don't cut) and now it needles easily.  Must have had quite a lot of sizing. I tucked a small piece in the pot with sumac water.  It colored just enough to knock back and dull the white.  I may put more in the sumac water.  Heat it.  Let it sit until tomorrow or the next day. I think Jude would define this process as "deadening" the color.  I think if a bunch of cloth that doesn't go together is soaked in a deadening water--when they come out they "go together" because the base tint is the same.  They all have a familiar tint.  Like cousins.

We are having a class break.  Jude has gone to see the sea.  When she gets back we'll continue. I do have to make some components and some segments.  I still have no stories to tell.  No spirit animal for emotions and thoughts to run thru.  I do have my little felt crows.  Perhaps they are just waiting to say something?  The ones who visit the yard--always have much to say.  But right now--no crows are visiting.  Which is odd.

Daily Notes- Memorial Day

From Goodwill.  I could think of no purpose for this cloth but could not leave it behind (the print is quite large). I purchased something else yesterday that I can't figure out either.  I can needle it but the needle leaves holes. Punctured.  I washed it and now in the dryer.  I didn't buy a white sheet- Suprema or something.  It didn't feel like cotton even though the tag said superior cotton.  It felt like it would "resist" softening. Perhaps processed to not wrinkle.  Not be absorbent.  Not be soft to the touch.

When I pick up a cloth I am considering .... I ask if it feels warm or cold.  I buy the warm.  I did buy a dusty pink blouse--100% silk.  I think I will wash it--see if I can get rid of the slippery/cold feel of it. I am not familiar with silk other than the many ties G owned but does not any longer.  I sort of wish he did.  The ties at Goodwill are never silk.  So...this silk blouse which I will wash and mordant with soy and see if it prints for me in the steam pot.  My first experience with silk.

We did not see the rabid fox that our neighbor across the street emailed us about.  Not yesterday and not today on the walks.  I am reminded that the previous owner of that house had mentioned sick foxes in the back yard.  Fox tend to breed in the same place year after year.

I have 8 Georgia peaches under a dome with a vent (meant for the microwave but I use it to ripen peaches).  Just the faintest aroma of peach coming off them.  It may take a day or two more to get them to soften a bit.  I "pulled" rhubarb from my friend's plant yesterday and washed and chopped it and put it into the freezer.  For a future pie (or 2).   My plants overnighted in the vestibule and are back outside on the deck.  I have to sift some compost out of one of the large compost piles--and fill up the garden bed and then plant my flowers in rows.  Each flat should contain 12 small plants.  Which will, hopefully become 12 large plants covered in flowers.

I am reading 18below.  Danish and Swedish police procedural.  I like the Danish policewoman but so far things are not going well for her.  She was a detective.  Now just a street cop.  I keep hoping she'll cross over and work in Sweden or finally kill her nasty ex-boss.  I get quite bloodthirsty when reading these sort of books.

The Swedish crimes (not solved as yet) involve identify theft--the thief seals the poor rich guys into a freezer.  They open the door and let him and the freezer--on a dolly--in the house. After getting them in the freezer and turning it up to maximum, he puts on makeup and pretends to be them and cleans out the bank and stocks. The Danish crime is young people brutally killing homeless people. I got a whiff that the young people doing the killing live in Sweden and one of them is the son of the lead detective.  That Danish cop is coming to Sweden.  Let the good times roll.

Daily Notes- May 26th

The three small IKEA chairs (about 5 inches tall-maybe) from Goodwill a week or more ago.  The holes are for screws so they can be "affixed" to the wall surface.  I just had to buy them.  They sit on the hall table by the front door.  It's like the holes are little eyes.  Jude would call them "chair people".

We managed to get to Goodwill, grocery and eat our lunch before the rain.  Then pushed our luck and went out for the walk.  As soon as we got home-the sky opened up and it poured.  Now--not even 20 minutes of heavy rain -- sunshine.  The humidity is suffocating.  For those of us with breathing issues.  Which is all three of us.

G and I (not working as smoothly together as usual) managed to get the three very large heavy wreaths (five foot diameter) upstairs into the unfinished garage attic space.  Yep.  Four attic spaces.  We carried down two boxes full of washed, empty food jars.  Time for them to go into the recycling. There are at least two more boxes that I can see. G thought he needed them for sorting screws and nails.

My new store bought plants overnighted in the vestibule and then out on the back deck this morning--which means they and their cardboard boxes are soaking wet.  My daughter planted all the stuff she purchased.  Like the minute she got the car into park.  I used to be that way.  I think. No, I was never like that.

Southern pork ribs were on sale (trimmings off of pork butts-also on sale) so tomorrow I think I will be making that pulled pork recipe with cayenne pepper, brown sugar and cider vinegar.  We might have it as tacos.  I'll also fry up some onions and sauerkraut.  The two items go well together. But not on a taco.

I may have reached my point of optimum desirability.  Old men are smiling at me, talking to me and admiring me.  Old men.   Lots of them.  I think I might have enjoyed it more in my 30's.  Not the ld men  but the desirability.

Raining again.  Well, the grass and the rhubarb are going to be growing!!!!  My friend Patty says it's time to come pull rhubarb for my freezer--and another pie, I think.

Daily Notes- May 25th

If you click, the Man and the Dog should be clear to you.  Today they walked without me- Daughter and I went out for a shopping trip.  We purchased Summer Plants. She purchased too many but abundance should have been her middle name.

I bought the most amazing purple petunias with white spots.  They look like Starry Night. And I bought three kinds of creeping phlox for the center island.  I have a bare spots and the phlox will creep around and cover it eventually. I did have heather planted there  but it died this Winter. I bought things and don't remember why. Euphorbia. My daughter said it was because it grows these tall shoots I liked.

I had two delicious bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches.  The bacon was delicious and crispy so I shared half out of each sandwich with my daughter.  Even a vegetarian eats crispy bacon! When we got home I must have gulped down a half gallon of water.

Summer is here in Maine today (surprise).  Sunshine, warm and no wool sweater needed.  Riley and I just watered the plants on the back deck--when I put them out there this morning it was chilly and cloudy. One of the tomato seedlings has died.  They are not used to full sun so I will have to move them after I hit publish.  Move them to the Eastern side of the house.  Right now they are facing South with exposure to Western sun on their right sides.  Last summer I had G put up the shade house.  Plants stayed in there and stayed nice and warm.

The fig tree and the little shoot tree are doing better--going outside was a shock to the leaves but they are getting used to it.  The Breva or first fruits have shriveled and died.  I have never had the first fruit before and  didn't think they would survive.  Chipmunks are digging in the clay pots I have filled with rocks and moss.  I don't know why.  Each morning I have to pick up the moss they have tossed on the ground and return it to the pot.  I am going to cut some chicken wire and cover the tops of the pots.  Chicken wire seems to be the one thing the chipmunks and deer seem to understand. Keep Out.

It's almost 3pm.  I'm wanting more water and if I sit on the couch Riley might take a needed nap.  We'll see.

Daily Notes- May 24th

Another piece of cloth that arrived via the steaming pot.

Just finished the Cloud Atlas.  First book by the author I am reading Liam Callahan.  I was sobbing at the end--not able to catch my breath.   I can see a man walking in this cloth- calling to the Wolf.

We, three, went out for our walk early.  Riley is having a bath as I type.  We are hoping he behaves while the professional person gives him a nice bath.  Usually he is a gentle caring animal.  And, because it's day time and not raining--we have fingers crossed that all will be well and he'll smell really nice when he gets home.--Just an email, Riley's bath is done and he is ready for pickup.

I stayed home to finish my book.  It's due today.

It's cold today and windy.  I think it rained overnight but not much.  Gloomy. I have all the house lights on and my warm wool sweater.  Not much chance for a delightful Memorial Day here in Maine.

Not much going on.  I have nothing on my "dance card" for the day.  Perhaps something warm to eat. I just don't know where I am right now.  Drifting.  Hoping that when I try to touch bottom my toes connect with the surface of the Earth.

Daily Notes- May 23rd

My Eco Print and Deb's magnificent dye work.  They compliment each other.  And, Grace, I ironed the scrap as it appeared out of the pile.  That may be a way forward for me.  Ironing the wrinkles flat. I have no story to tell here though.

Yesterday I helped mow the back lawn.  I had to make straight lines--no curves (so said the husband).  I do love to cut the lawn in big sweeping curves.  I start out with one curved line and then follow it's edges across the entire lawn. Once I started with a small circle in the middle of the front lawn and then went around in concentric circles.  G arrived home and nearly had a stroke.

Cutting the lawn wasn't on my list of "two things" but G looked like he might not live to finish the lawn so I started in on the back which has a steep slope so it makes the straight line cutting both difficult on the knee and hip muscles but also in staying upright and not sliding down the slope.  On my list was transplanting my tomato starts into bigger, deeper pots (did that).  And I planted the parsley seedlings into the two window boxes I used last year-with good results.  I just set the boxes on the ground by the garage.

Got my haircut this morning.  Neck is feeling itchy.  And since my haircutter is across the street from the greenhouse where I used to work--I went across the street and purchased 9 flats of flower seedlings to plant in one of the 4 foot by 16 feet beds in the fenced garden.  Something pretty to look at besides weeds.  I got French marigolds, petunias, cosmos, snaps, dahlias, something tall and blue whose name I can't think of (ageratum) calendula, celosia  to total NINE.  My number.

Just finished the walk in the woods with G and Riley.  I have been eating quite a bit--of good things--so was shocked this morning to be 2 pounds less this morning.  I guess a daily bowl of pasta IS a Good Thing and so is a bowl of dark chocolate ice cream. But it could, more likely, have been caused by the lawn mowing.  I admit to being 95% exhausted when I finished.  Used the 5% I had left to take a good hot shower, put on my pajamas and eat my pasta before falling asleep on the couch.

Now if I could just sleep longer than 11:30 pm to 6 am.  Oh, I just got another job offer for Logistics  that I can "do from home".  I think it might call for me to receive, package and mail drugs.  So lucky.

Daily Notes- May 22nd

Starting Over.  These are my scraps piles.  My Eco Printed fabric is ironed and folded nicely.  I know Grace, I should let the cloth fold and wrinkle itself in a basket.  But I iron.  Love ironed cloth.  Touching it's smooth surface.  The green pile is upper left.  Not much in the way of range of color.

I am not at work at the greenhouse.  They called late afternoon yesterday and said "don't need you" and that was that.  I asked why and who might have made up the many containers and the lovely woman who called said she didn't know-was just told to call and tell me my help was no longer needed.  Well.....

We did community acupuncture yesterday.  A 30 minute experience.  I cried during most of it. Perhaps that was what I needed to release?  My jaw does feel a little better.  Not normal.  But better.
It was too expensive though for 30 minutes.  We may not do it again.  And I noticed there is a new  yoga studio on the second floor of the building (which includes a no-wheat bakery, also).  Or is it no grain?  Anyway, the building is becoming very new age.  Trending.

We watched some new programs on tv last night.  Strange stuff.  I could barely hear what they were saying.  I always think the actors are mumbling.  G has his hearing aids linked to the tv (bluetooth) and he says even he doesn't know what they were saying.  Why bother making the show if no one can understand the dialog even with the volume way up?  Elementary is one such program.  I've stopped watching it because I never know what's going on.

Well.  I have been procrastinating lately and getting nothing done.  So, I have only two small things on my list for today and I am GOING to get them both done.  I just have to remember what they were.

Daily Notes- May 21st

The Alien X-ray.  Made years ago .  I never liked the long cloth format--then--but  getting to like it more as I get older.  I am trying to think about the origins of these cloths.  The Xray was on the back side of black cloth and drawn on with oil pastel crayon.  But first I think I tried chalk.  The shots of red/orange.  Enough or should I have used more?

Lung doctor appointment this morning.  All good news and I graduated to once a year appointments.
And then when I got home--the greenhouse called to say they didn't need me.  So.....I'm a little pissed as I changed my schedule for them.  Next time?  I say no.

I'm going to the library to return some books.  Then the grocery as G has a long list of things he says he needs. He worked hard yesterday and got wet when it started to rain--so today is a rest day.  He's tired and when he's tired he makes mistakes.

I felt like stitching yesterday so I did.  And I do not like any of the stitching I did.  So after my errands I am going to unsew the entire group of three.  Just...maybe...not be making cloth. I only seem to make a mess.

Halfway into India Flint's book.  I wish the words had been printed on white instead of on photographs.  Very, very hard to read.  And, also, the print on some important lists is very tiny and almost illegible.  Which is why I have to stop and not come back to it for a few days.  Interesting that the best transfer of color needs a bit of fermented urine.  Not happening here. Just.. not.

Daily Notes- May 20th

Considering running thru.  But first I have to stitch (tack) my pale little rectangles to a larger cloth or a nine patch.  Then something (cloth) can run thru it.  Jude, this morning, referred to black and white cloth as magic.  I liked that--because I love black and white cloth.  Good things (energy) happens when you add black and white.

I am also considering adding a face to one or more of the rectangles.  Just a face-like a moon-not a body or arms. Or a flower with a face.  I am considering it.  I might sew it and then decided to take it away.

I am going to cook something today for myself.  I haven't had a real meal in such a long time--it seems.  I read about Grace's morning stir fry with vegetables, greens and herbs and I think I should do something like that.

We walked in the very wet woods with Riley and saw a few unknown trees with flowers.  G took a look but couldn't identify the tree.  And there was a stranger in the woods, off the path.  Riley didn't like him (and he likes everyone) so we were all three of us not our usual carefree selves.  I remember a children's song that I played on my little record player--- something about going out in the woods today.  Being careful.  The record was red.  I still have the case for that little record player.  My dad took everything out of it and used it as a little case for his hair cutting tools.  I wish it was still a record player and I had the three or four little red records.  I'd play that one.  About going in the woods today.

I finished my book-All Saints.  It did not end well and it was entirely the fault of the lead character. She had her chance at happiness and walked away.  Then decided, yes.  But too late.  She never saw Martin again.  Perhaps all this author's books are tales of love lost.  The book store owner never saw her husband again after he walked away.

I have a huge Nordic crime book to read next.  Book three.  Book one was followed by book two which took place before book one.  So, this author is writing his books backwards or was that a "one off" as they say?  It could have been that his editors didn't like book one.  Liked book two.  Published it and then had regrets about not printing them in order.  I'll let you know.  It is troubling to read backwards.  In several cases, reading book two, I knew some  characters were going to die. And that was really strange.  I was reading about dead people.

Daily Notes- May 19th

 My tomato plants and parsley.  They go outside on the back deck when it's nice and back into the vestibule when it's cold.  Nice yesterday.  Cold today.  Who wears corduroy pants, thermal shirts and wool sweaters on the 19th of May?  Me!  Grocery is selling watermelon and corn -5 for $1.

The peach trees got unwrapped yesterday (my neighbor can now rest easy regarding her property values) and are bursting with pink flowers just starting to open.  The Queen of Plums is also covered in opening blossoms.  We are feeling very "fruitful" over here.  Even my rhubarb--never one to thrive- is looking more ambitious than it ever has!  Must have been the fertilizer.  I pounded fruit spikes around the root line of all the fruiting trees.  Even the beach plums.

Riley has just arrived and is now asleep on his bed next to me.  He has his back feet covering his nose because he is feeling cold.  We had a walk this morning and he was less active than usual.  And then a few hours in the car for my trip to Goodwill.  I got a small blue canning pot with steamer insert and the LID!!!  So often, no lid.  This will be for small dye/printing projects.  In fact, we all three are feeling sluggish and sleepy.

I think I am going to do some more reading of my book-- tucked under my down lap quilt.  No garden chores.  I have promised to actually cook something for G for supper.  Pasta sauce with sausage and mushrooms.  I haven't done much cooking since I made that pot roast-- a few months ago?  Seems like?  And I might even make something other than a grilled cheese sandwich for myself. The fridge is really really empty.

Daily Notes- May 18th

Segments.  Pinned but nothing is stitched.  Four by Six inches.  Like an index card.  I do so love index cards.  I have these bits of cloth on the island in the kitchen.  The light from skylights is excellent there.  So, I stand, I look, I move bits here and there.  I walk away.  I glance as I walk past to make a cup of coffee or tea.  Butter a slice of bread.  Peel a banana.  Wash a few plates, bowls and cups.  Water plants.  Answer the phone.  Feed the dog.  The center segment is working best right now. Perhaps it is the only one I need?  None are spirit animals.  I like the way the cloth feels on my finger tips.

I am reading All Saints by Liam Callahan.  A fifty year old woman--a Catholic school teacher- kisses an 18 year old boy.  It isn't going to end well.  I had read the author's third book-- about the woman walking around Paris looking for her lost husband.  Paris By The Book. The books read like the lead character is talking directly to the reader.  Telling me her story.

I am also making my way--mindfully-- thru India Flint's first book.  As a side journey--her story of her grandmother and the feather pillows made to give as wedding gifts by her maternal grandmother--  my own grandmother made and gave me feather pillows when I got married.  I didn't understand.  But now I do and I am rather broken hearted that I never knew how deeply meaningful this gift was for my grandmother.  I didn't know.  How could I know.  But now I do...and I cried.  Even now typing this..tears running down my cheeks.  Oh, grandma--thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you, too.

Isn't it strange how this happens?  What does one call it?  Serendipity?  Synchronicity?

G has gotten the hoses out from under the house.  Not that we need them --as it keeps raining.  The grass is very green.  And we have never had such a bountiful display of forsythia--a blaze of yellow. And the PeeGee Rhodies--a blaze of purple. The hummingbirds are enjoying the flowers. The fruit trees are budded but not in flower yet-- peaches, plums (Damson and Beach), crab apples.  The blueberries haven't flowered yet- but they are bushes not trees.  My little patch of rhubarb is up  but not amounting to much, yet again.  I need to buy a new rosemary plant.  Mine was happy all winter-nice and green-and then as Spring arrived it dried up and died.

My heart and mind are conflicted.  Books, Garden or Cloth?  I think it might help to have one thing in each category for the day.  Read more of my book.  Transplant my Sun Gold Tomatoes from the group home they are in now to single living space.  Stand and move things on the cloth.

And on tv today-- Arrival.   I can record it and watch it over and over.  I watched it on Watchathon Week.  A movie about huge rocks that arrive from space with a message and Time shifts continually past, present, future.  If only they can translate it in time.  The sound track is strange in a very good way.  I think they recorded whales.

Daily Notes- May 17th

Taken last night as I finished stitching.  What you see as golden yellow is actually lime green.  More like the colors of yesterday's image because it's cut from the left side of that image.  I took the photo as I sat in the "golden glow" of the side table lamp.  The actual piece is about four or five inches square- I have no ruler handy--and if I get  up to go find one--I might not remember to come back and finish this post.  I might decide to make breakfast.

The little heart  was appliquéd on a small child's jacket I purchased-maybe five or more years ago at Goodwill.  Made in India.  Lots of tiny elephants and other animals.  Shapes.  I took it apart last week. Made a pile of scraps.  Added it to the piles I have made on the floor in the sewing room.  By color.  Not really a "pile".  They are small collections of cloth that isn't commercially made.  Some are things I have made myself with simple paints from the craft store- acrylics very diluted.  Colors that don't fade or wash out.  Large abstract patterns in yellowy green, grey and pinks. A few very light blue.

The dog is keeping me company-asleep on his quilt covered bed.  He prefers to nap beside one of us. When I get up to actually make my breakfast--it's nearly time for lunch-- he'll wake and walk to his other bed in the kitchen/ dining room.  A room with a ceiling two stories high.  So much light in there on sunny days.  Not today.  Cold again and dark.  Rain.

I found another tick--it woke me up.  Embedded so I need to call the doctor for a dose of doxy.

I have India Flint's first book on Eco Color from the library and am reading and taking notes as I go. I liked the suggestion of making "tea" with any plant material to see if it releases color-as tea does when boiling water is added.  I collected plant material (and the tick) and set up a line of 6 jelly jars and added material and then boiled water.  Out of six-I got one winner.  Ajuga.  What I consider a pest/weed but which we sold at work as a shade ground cover.  The "weed" that grows in my garden has bright blue flowers and reddish leaves.  I collected the flowers that were blooming closest to the house where it is warm enough for flowers.  And, the water turned a lovely blue.  It will dye grey but that's okay. I don't have a soft blue grey.

I had some of the cloth from my steaming experiments out..... sorted with my piles.  And took one very pale blue piece (nearly white) and rolled the wet, hot blue flowers into the cloth and then tucked the roll back into the jelly jar.  I think we could call this process- slow cloth.  I haven't decided if I will re-heat the jar and it's contents or let it just sit.  I would have set it out on the deck today if the sun was shining.  The deck surface gets very hot.  And the jelly jar is very small.  Time will  Tell.

Daily Notes- May 16th

I took this apart today.  I'm going to use the entire left side (in pieces) for my components for Jude's class online.  I sliced right along the edge of the green holding the house up from top to bottom.  The black is Walmart Black bleached.  At the time I didn't know this was something special and wouldn't exist in 2019. I will be taking the rest apart as I go along.  Or use that rectangle in something else.

Another day outside and another tick--- just walking on my hand.  No exchange of blood.  Deer tick. Large and easy to see and feel walking on your skin.  The smaller ticks are more dangerous.  They carry the worst sort of bacteria.

What was I feeling and trying to say with this square?  But the house seems so empty and cold.  Jude would say the house is......well, while typing the first part I lost the thread of what I was thinking.

It's cold in here today.  Cloudy. 60 degrees.  We still have the furnace on.  And the house lights most of the day.  Doesn't seem we are getting any closer to summer.  Grace is having many days of heavy rain in California and I am wondering which of us is sadder?  Ha!

I washed all my sweaters in the kitchen sink today.  Hoping if I did that I could fold and put them away when they are dry.  I am tired of wearing sweaters.  I went out and bought three new pairs of socks yesterday.  Brown. No bump along the top of my toes to rub and blister.  So that was a good thing.

I also purchased two bags of the Cheetos Snap'd Double Cheese.  Some people drink.  I eat cheese.
Cheeto Orange Cheese.  And I took a big orange pill that I was given as a prescription for knee pain long ago.  I never got rid of them.  The Advil is doing nothing for my jaw pain.  So I gave big Orange a try.  I can open my mouth wide with no pain and, well,  I am pain free, until the pill wears off.  I just realized I could open my mouth.  This is epic.

Daily Notes- May 15th

My drying rack in the guest bedroom.  One onion skin, one rust, two greens (started out a lighter shade and now darker and mottled with rust and onion skins).  All of these were in the first failed attempt where they only turned a faint tan, buff color and most of then got steamed a second time with rusty tin cans.  On the bottom rung--out of the picture a very black cloth with lovely markings.

I have another pot on the stove as I type.  Flowers from my Mother's Day bouquets.  Some dark little mums, some leaves I pounded flat to extract the greens, geranium leaves from the big plant I overwintered--I didn't dare take any of the young fig leaves-- though I will later in the summer-- I have read they print easily.  And one with rose petals and onion skins.  We'll see.

I discovered lots of blues in the scrap basket.  I think Jude is right about sorting the scraps into color families.  You really look at the cloth when sorting.  Looking at the screen-- I really like all the variations of color in the bottom left corner cloth.

I finished my book last night.  Stalker by Kepler.  Which is actually a husband and wife team writing under the name Lars Kepler.  It was violent, gruesome but not something to cause nightmares--- well, if I had curtains I would close them at night.

The library has emailed me to say India Flint's book is waiting for me at the library.  We are waiting for Riley to eat.  He hasn't eaten breakfast or lunch.  I just put a handful of food on his bed.  To prime the tummy.  He has listened to us talk about a car ride to the library and other places.  So he won't eat. Worried he'll get left behind.  As if....

I am also going to HAVE to buy more socks.  I have tons of Smart Wool but they have started to make the skin on my feet itch.  An allergic reaction? Or is it mental?  I started out with 4 pairs of the same black socks which I wear inside out as the toe seams rub.  Now I have 5 individual socks.  The rest are missing.  And my green socks-- I have only two socks left and one of them has now developed a big hole on the bottom of the heel.  Bomba on the internet says they have no toe seams on their socks.

I guess you could say I am on the "spectrum" when it comes to clothing.  I love what I love and I don't want to wear anything else.  Sigh.  I had hoped my socks would have lasted another 10 years. Which is why I am hopelessly devoted to Goodwill.  Waiting for someone who likes what I like to donate their stuff to Goodwill.

Daily Notes- May 14th

I know they are hungry.  I know they lived on this land long before the house were built.  I know they find garden plants more delicious than woodland food.  I know all this but I still am reduced to tears when they eat some treasured plant I have tended.

My cloth has been re-steamed with plant material and blackened tin cans.  It is wonderful.  I left it to dry overnight and this morning after I wrote my Morning Pages, I washed them out with Dawn-- safe for cloth and ducks.  They are back on the drying rack.  Later today I will iron them.

I have an idea for my project for the class I am taking with Jude Hill.  Long ago I made something which I titled Alien X-Ray.  I am going into the Magic Attic to find it and that is going to be my stepping off point.  I might even have it in the picture files here on the blog.  Anyway, I think having some sort of kernel of an idea to work to, from, away from etc. is a good thing when you are stuck.  And I am stuck.  I have no Spirit animal or Guide.

I went back to wrapping cloth in aluminum foil and steaming-above the water line.  It works for me. And because I am very short on blue-I am going to try dying with black beans and soy milk.

I have a book to read.  It's in the 30's, dark, cold, raining.  The walk today with Riley will be miserable.  He's sleeping right here next to me.  Likes to be close to someone.  I don't think Summer will ever come to Maine.  Our first July living here, I had the woodstove on and both my "home from college for the summer" children were shivering and asking--why did you want to move here????  I still wonder why we moved here.

But I have an adventure waiting for me as I go up the stairs into the Magic Attic.  And my book to read on the couch with a down lap quilt.  Then ironing my new cloth.  That should keep me going until lunch.  Ha!

The site where I found good ideas for eco printing-- Gumnut Magic "https://www.gumnutmagic.com/blog/"  I recommend it.  Her videos are nicely made and show you exactly what to to do.  She also has nice Pinterest sites in the UK to visit.  Nice eco print finished works to look at. Some new to me work by Spirit Cloth on those sites.

Daily Notes- May 13th

From the "way back" time.  Enough green here to work with our May project with Jude.  Too much blue perhaps.  I am thinking of building on one of the Pages I hand stitched together.  As the base.  Go from there.  I visited the Ragmates Instagram site--classmates are already making things.  I'm still looking, listening and thinking.

There are some (Grace) who will never want to stitch a seam to join two pieces of cloth.  Eeeeeee! says Grace.  And, me, I love it.  I love making 9's.

Walk and coffee in Town today with my friend.  Very nice.  It started out as a chilly morning and warmed up as we walked in the neighborhood around the Maine Street area.  Older homes.  1900's.  Mostly broken up into multiple apartments.  Weedy yards.  Wild Oats (our local bakery/sandwich shop) had a wonderful oat and maple loaf--just made overnight.  I bought one and asked for it to be sliced.  It's senior discount day.  So the young man named a price and then tried to slide his eyes up to assess my age.  I laughed.  He laughed.  A new price. The senior price.

Then the grocery store.  I was out of Cream of Wheat cereal for my breakfast.  Then home and on the daily walk in the Commons behind our property with Riley.  Not much in the woods is green.  So I collected some fresh white pine and a handful of Jerusalem artichoke leaves.  A garden pest.  I have them soaking in hot iron water--and I will use them to steam some pattern into the cloth I did last week.  The "mistake" cloth which is fine if you like grey/beige without marks. I also have Lily of the Valley coming up.  Another pest plant.  And toxic.

Anon- you will be pleased to read that I found a website with process videos and now I know EXACTLY what I did wrong.  I also learned how to print on watercolor paper and as a watercolor painter this made me so very excited to try it.  After the paper dried the author of this website went back in with a fine line black ink pen to define the edges and details.  OMG.  This is something I will love doing.  I just have to wait for good green leaves.

Well, now to go find a page to use as a base and get a small pile of tiny scraps together.  The ones up top are in the basket somewhere.  I'll just have to dig them out.

G is going out to start mowing the lawn.  That is green and growing.

Daily Notes- Mother's Day

Try as I might, I have never gotten even a few square feet of my garden to look like this.  Well. I have years to go and miles to walk in this Life so there's still Time.

I few commenters--thank you so much for taking the Time to write--- mentioned India Flint's book and I have it on order.  My mistake--and it was made as "an experiment" was to mordant as usual but to skip the iron water on the leaves.  I have always gotten good prints using the iron water.  But I wanted to see if I could do it without.  I also have soy milk on my grocery list to use as a mordant experiment.

I was disappointed I didn't get any leaf prints.  My rusting tin cans did a lovely job though.  Also my leaves were dry.  I might have gotten prints if they had been fresh.  Weeks to go before anything fresh is on my dye table.  Spring is going backwards again this week with temps in the very low 30's. One comment I read--to soak the leaves in iron water for a few hours before wrapping and steaming.  I would imagine shaking off excess iron  water before placing on the cloth.  Also to put some leaves right side up and some wrong side up.  Lots of things on my "to try" list.

I did wrap two of the cloths that didn't print with another tin can and some onion skins.  I wrapped and tied with string and left them in the bright Sun on a rock on the deck--I dipped them in water a few times during the day.  Again--it was the can that printed and the other cloth picked up some yellow from the onions but no print--perhaps if I had left it there for a few days and nights.

G took me to Goodwill for Mother's Day.  I got three new (to me) tee shirts to replace some that are very old and a nice old card table cloth with a cross stitched basket filled with tiny blue flowers. A nice job of the cross stitch as the backside is nice as well.  Usually the back looks like a rats nest of thread.  I may cut off a small square including the basket and make myself a pocket hankie.  I love the hand feel of old linens.  Washed, with all the starch out of it, it will be so soft.  I collected old hankies for years--years ago--and now have one in the pocket of all my pants and jackets.

Reminds me of Charles Dickens Elementary.  Had to show our clean hands and nails to our teachers each morning and produce a clean ironed hankie as well (kindergarten all the way to 5th grade).  In a pocket.  And skirts and dresses only for girls. Never pants. And always a full slip. Would anyone be able to get away with this these days?  Boys had to wear a collared shirt buttoned to the neck, pants with a belt.  All shoes had to be clean and shined.  We were being prepared to "be a success" in Life. I believe we dressed this way all the way thru junior and high school.  I remember ironing quite a lot of shirts, blouses, dresses and putting creases in all my brother's shirts and pant legs thru high school.

I can just imagine these same very old (to me) stern teachers frisking all the students for weapons and drugs these modern days and then asking to see their hands and finger nails.  Making sure they were clean.  And telling them to tuck in their shirt tails.

Happy Mother's Day.