Cheering lunch, thistle and Misfits

Today I couldn't face making and sending pictures to the HOA, but I did make an interesting lunch.

Shrimp, with rice seasoned with shawarma spice blend and minced ginger. Yogurt beaten with lime juice and cane sugar with blueberries.

And I think this is a thistle 

I believe they're good for various pollinators and butterflies so I'll leave it alone. Unless a person who knows better tells me it's a dangerous wild thing.

The sock is coming along. This is nice yarn to work with 

The heel is turned and I'm off up the leg now 

Misfits arrived, Ramon in charge, in a nonpink van, but the food is fine 

Before he left, he spent a minute checking his great new do in the side mirror of the van! 

Small order this week, because I'm well stocked. Cans mostly for the food pantry, lovely Envy apples, strawberries and yogurt to go together, plenty of sardines for my favorite supper, sardines on seedy bread.

Bananaz, for shakes and other exciting things, chunked mangoes, which I like better than taking my chances with fresh,  diced chicken breast, which I'll roast all at once and have available for salad and sandwiches. 

Red lentils, now a staple. Some will be a soup with carrots and pumpkin puree, some probably tofu. Maybe flatbread, depending.

Now for afternoon tea and a lace cookie. One's enough, they're rich, very buttery.

Happy day everyone, remember to do your bit for May Day, support the worker against the billionaires. 

But first, remember it's okay to support artisans, including lovely Sally Pointer, the Stone Age researcher and reenactor of textiles and other daily use items.  

You're too late for this great Stone Age sewing kit! Bone needles, natural threads, clever Stone Age tools.

See you Saturday.

Doing my bit here

 

Lace cookies and paperwork

In anticipation of Handsome Son's visit this afternoon to help get through the annual paperwork blitz for the HOA, I baked.

Lace cookies, first time I tried them, and they went over well.

Very buttery and sweet, definitely a keeper.

After we'd enjoyed some, with pots of tea, we spent the rest of the afternoon wrestling with files, trying to produce all the list of documents and proofs required by the HOA. 

Mostly they are state and township requirements, but some simply are unchanging, don't need to be produced every year, one time should do it. I get very anxious and upset about this because of past harassment by various management reps over these documents sometimes demanding the same ones repeatedly after receiving several copies. We've had bullies in that office. And incompetents.

Anyway we have now put a better system in place, with all the vital docs in a file of their own, rather than in the logical files they were in.  It's counterintuitive but they blindsided us with the complete list all at once, a first. This will help Handsome Son as my tenant and heir, in future, to take over more of the paperwork. 

So that and a bit of knitting pretty much filled the day. I've had better days, but now it's done. And the cookies were good 

Happy day everyone! Before dreaded paperwork, be sure and load up on cookies. Recommended course of action by Ted and Big Ursy and Pony and Ursula.

Tuesday knitting group and a stunning Textiles and Tea

The knitting group was fun. Again. New member and one onlooker. Here's some of our projects 

B.  working a sock in magic loop

My sock in progress on double pointed needles

Various projects, shawl in assigned pooling, silk camisole, colorwork sweater

My narrow band weaving was examined and approved. 

Our chat ranged over learning to knit -- the new member was promptly signed up for knitting classes taught at the library by one of our group-- medical events, school reunions, birthdays, fibers, opera, ai in medical use, vacations and more.

Once again my ride announced that she was the designated driver -- arranged with the usual friend, then explained to me! My regular driver (!) was involved in home reno, and couldn't leave the contractor.

Home again to an amazing Textiles and Tea, with a mixed media weaver using precious metals - if it looks like gold or silver, it is -- semi precious stones and a wide variety of industrial and art materials in his work. He's also cute, but I digress.

The last two images are details of the portrait above, one of a series in progress.

He's a winner of prestigious awards and for a young artist, very much established on the international scene. Several of these works were commissioned by collectors in Dubai and embassies in the Middle East. They reflect the culture and expectations of the region. He's currently based in New York, but is originally from Limoges.  He's working on a piece for this year's Art Basel. 

So that was Tuesday, full of adventure in textiles.

Happy day, everyone, weave gold! First spin your straw..

Dismissed and glad, also socks

Last week Gary arranged to drive me today to the ortho who did Hippolyta a year ago, annual checkup. I called him to confirm this morning and he had forgotten. But he said he'd still do it. Then he and another neighbor showed up at the door -- she was taking over! Fine by me. 

And the surgeon told me my X-ray this morning was excellent, asked a few questions, manipulated my joint around, and said, all's well. If you feel like it you can come back in five years. I pointed out that this was a bit optimistic at this point but he said, correctly, you never know! 

So I did a happy dance on the way to the car.  Yay me.

And while I wait for the longnameshuttle which is in transit, to start weaving,  I started a pair of socks, using yarn I found while I was sorting out what to use in the weaving.

I think almost all my yarn is variegated. This one has cheerful colors and it's machine washable, fine for the Sock 'n Glove 'n Whistle Ministry.

Once home I took a walk to the pond and saw the first turtle of the year, cruising around, head above water, then diving and showing their underwater skillz.

A heads-up for May 1, on Friday. Traditional day for workers to celebrate, even a canonical Catholic feast day, St Joseph the Worker. This year there's a national shutdown on work and spending. Some people simply can't take the day off, but we can all do something. Sand in the gears. Make employers notice. Make everyone notice.

This blog will honor our workers and send my part of the message to big money. We'll go dark on Friday.

Happy day everyone, let's hope your joints are jumpin'.

Mystery plant revealed and weaving goes on

I spent the morning threading up for a new woven band, and have a design picked out from Susan Foulkes book. 

From this

To this 

I think I'll wait for my new Sami Stoorstalka Gehpa shuttle

to get to work on this. The Sami are people in northern Scandinavia, and these shuttles were originally made from reindeer horn. Mine is some modern substance.

And I got a surprise in the living room. A while back I brought in some azalea to force bloom. And today it did. 

Outside the azaleas are barely beginning.

The rain stopped and I got out for a walk to ease my aching back -- threading is engrossing and when you stop, you realize you can hardly straighten up.

And here's the dogwood, and miniature violas

Then, on the patio, one of my app-owning friends tells me, this is Sweet William.

It was probably among the seeds I strewed last spring, since I believe they come up from seed in the second year. I love Sweet William, so I'm hopeful.

Lovely day today and another Guinness movie planned this evening.

Happy day, everyone, watch what you invent, it may surprise you. See plot of TMITWS sez Ted and Big Ursy and Pony and Ursula. They're not planning to create anything other than havoc.