random thoughts – Day 2,384 (Saturday) – books, fabric, toad

New used books!

There were several things on the calendar for today and the threat of heavy rain and wind from the Nor’ Easter altered most of them. The situation is the same for events planned for Sunday, one of which was a belly dance show now postponed to January.

Today’s Octoberfest in downtown Gardner was modified and the bands were moved inside to the brew pub. The Chair Luge race component was moved to next Saturday. That was okay because it eliminated the street closures which made it easier to get to the library book sale. Not that I need more books, but that didn't stop me and of course I went.

Being indoor shopping for books was a great way to spend part of a cloudy, drizzly, windy morning. I stuck to the non-fiction section of the room packed with books. Unlike the fiction half of the room, the non-fiction books were grouped and labeled by major category, so it was less overwhelming. Plus, I had made a list of a couple topics I needed.

Cool skirt fabric, future dance stuff.

For the pittance of $8, I got some good ones including The City and the River (a history of Fitchburg), and books on gardening, stained glass, writing, and quilt blocks. Stained glass, gardening and quilt blocks were on my list, the rest were bonus books. The quilt block book will be helpful with stained glass designs, which is how I started out with them decades ago, with books borrowed from the library.

On the way home from the book sale, despite my best intention to be strong and avoid The Salvation Army Thrift Store, the car propelled itself into a left turn into the parking lot. It was the darndest thing, but it worked out, because I found a skirt in a really cool red, purple and black iridescent fabric. There is enough material to transform it into a belly dance belt and dance bra cover.

Itty bitty toad.

A trip was taken to the back yard to fetch the pot of lavender. When I picked it up, something on the edge of the pot moved. At first, I thought it was a leaf, but it turned out to be the cutest, tiniest little gray and lichen green toad, barely the size of a quarter. 

It sat on the edge of the pot long enough for me to run into the house for my phone, and come back out to take pictures. My little model was camera shy and kept turning its back to my phone's lens. After a couple pics it jumped off the pot edge onto the ground where it blended in with the landscape. 

The wind was crazy all day, and it rained intermittently, but it wasn’t the storm I expected. Facebook posts from friends in other towns reported downed trees, power outages, and flooded streets and I was saddened for them and glad that wasn’t the story in my immediate area.

The evening’s entertainment was baking an apple crisp with apples from Mom while the rain alternated between slamming against the house and falling gently. The hardest part of the baking was the fact that orange concentrate is no longer made by the major producers and is hard to find. I ended up researching how to make my own by boiling down orange juice. It wasn’t difficult, but it also wasn’t as thick as real concentrate and the apple crisp filling came out wetter than usual. It’s fortunate that that was the worst thing to happen in my day.

random thoughts – Day 2,383 (Friday) – shopping and pizza

The stream at the end of the street.

The weather forecast is for some crazy wind and rain so preparations were made. Luckily, not much needed to be done. The potted plants, solar lanterns, and small yard bird figurine things were all taken inside. The flower boxes near the front stairs were brough to the back landing under the carport. It took just a few minutes.

There was a trip to Aldi for the regular grocery shopping of the items I know cost less than Hannaford which is basically everything except Ben and Jerry ice cream (2/$7 at Hannaford, $4.85 at Aldi). It seemed to be annoying customer night. 

One guy stood at his cart which was stopped in the middle of the aisle, with two kids around eight and nine years old hanging off it and horsing around. Three of us stood there waiting for him to move the cart so we could pass. He finally did, and out loud to all of us said, “it’s a daughter thing.” Dude, how about you be the adult, not blame your kids for your obliviousness, and move the cart? Just a thought.

There was a couple shopping for pasta dinner things who absolutely reeked of pot. I smelled it before I reached them and it lingered in my nose after I had moved on. Right about the time I shook the smell, I found myself with them again in another aisle. It reminded me of the time a skunk sprayed near the house and the cloud hung in the air for several days. Usually I enjoy taking my time shopping in Aldi, but tonight I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

The ride home featured a sky tinged in pink over the tree tops that blocked most of the view that I was sure was or would soon be spectacular. I love trees, but there are drawbacks. I paused to enjoy the pink sky reflected in the stream at the end of the street. 

Friday night pizza party.

Back in the house it was pizza party of one night, with the just bought $5.99 refrigerated four cheese pizza from Aldi. I added mushroom and onion slices and more mozzarella cheese before it went into the oven. I usually get six or seven meals out of it at one or two slices each, so it’s well worth the price. I love the comfort of knowing there are individual slices wrapped in foil in the freezer for those times when hunger hits suddenly or I just don’t feel like thinking about food.

random thoughts – Day 2,382 (Thursday) – glassy eyed

Look at that glass!

It was another day of quiet contentment. Another coat of Mod Podge was added to the photos on canvas project. When I got chilly I washed some dishes by hand and the hot soapy water felt sensuous and comforting and took the icy chill out of my hands.

Trips were made to the outside world to deposit a check and buy provisions including greeting cards, storage containers, and books for $1.50 each at Dollar Tree, and a few food basics at Hannaford because Ben and Jerry ice cream was on sale there.

The most energy was invested in frequently pausing the show I’ve been streaming on Prime (The Almighty Johnsons). One of the settings in the show is a bar with some cool stained glass windows over which I am starry-eyed and swooning, and I’ve been trying to get photos of said windows so I can design something similar (and smaller). Because it's a character a driven-show and not an architectural showcase, it’s rare for a scene to feature a window without people, and countless photos have been taken in the hope of getting one with minimal people. I think I got it enough to be able to sketch and plan. The stopping of shows to photograph cool glass windows and doors has been an ongoing situation. The Korean dramas have some stunners, along with beautifully decorated refrigerators. 

Another window!

The next step after all the glass sketching and planning is to start tracing onto glass and cutting, but there is a logistics concern. There is wall to wall Berber carpeting through most of the house, which, no matter how much care is exercised, is sure to capture glass bits (known from the experience of my own cut up feet). and I’m afraid Kiki will pick them up in her paws before I can get them all picked up with the vacuum. I haven’t sewed since June and am still finding pins embedded in the living room carpet (as recently as this morning) despite weekly vacuuming. 

The only floors without carpeting are the two bathrooms, the kitchen, and the laundry area. The kitchen has good natural lighting with the skylight, but I don’t think cutting glass on a kitchen counter is a wise idea, with food prep and all.

A good short-term solution is to keep registering for workshops at the Worcester Craft Center and using the nice tall counters, grinders, and soldering irons. The ideal home situation is to upgrade the lighting in the craft/still a hot mess storage room, and keep the door closed to keep Kiki out and her paws safe. The ideal extension to the ideal situation is removing the carpeting from the craft room and putting down vinyl, which is easier to clean with a damp mop, but would require emptying the very full room. I am not psychologically prepared to deal something of that magnitude just yet.

random thoughts – Day 2,381 (Wednesday) – nesting activity

Ghost shutters.

Fall has arrived in its chilly glory. The house was 55 degrees when I woke up. I am determined to not turn on the furnace yet. Oil cost a small fortune last year and it’s much more expensive this year.  It will be long season of long johns and sweaters and endless cups of fruit tea and bowls of soup.

A few cashmere and lightweight wool sweaters live in the drawer year-round in case there is a summer hike or bonfire to attend, and a couple more that were bought recently, so dressing was easier than it might have been. It was the favorite alpaca sweater for the win.

The contractors returned this morning to do more work on the house. The shutters that were removed yesterday left ghostly images on the house. The new siding will not include shutters.

Parts were painted from the current gray to the color of the siding (Moonlit Moss). There was some hammering and measuring. At 2:00, they disappeared.

Works in process.

While the contractor van blocked my car in the driveway and siding-related activities took place outside the house, nesting activities occurred inside. A decorated dance bra was deconstructed to study the assembly method and cut out the stretched out elastic straps for replacement. More stained glass designs were drafted. Three of the 4 x 4 canvases prepped on Tuesday received photos and the first coat of sealer.

The couch cover used for the summer because it’s cooler than the couch fabric and the southwest style blanket on the couch back that adds color and texture to the room were removed, laundered, and stored in a closet. The crocheted afghan from my aunt which is perfect for cooler weather and adds a a cozy texture was returned to the couch.

The fluffy purple bathrobe that lived in the bottom of the hamper since it got warm last spring, was finally washed and hung on the bathroom door. Summer capris were removed from the closet and replaced with the fall/winter pants. The productive day kind of makes up for some of the unproductive days preceding it.

random thoughts – Day 2,380 (Tuesday) – house stuff

Stuff coming off the house.

It was the usual lounge about on the couch drinking coffee morning, when, at 8:50, a white van pulled into the driveway and I launched myself into the bedroom to change out of pajamas and into jeans and a sweater. Years of quick ballet costume and fashion show changes has sometimes come in handy. The van had backed out and left, but a shiny silver pickup truck was parked out front. The van returned a couple minutes later with the contractor and his colleague, on site to begin the preliminary siding work and I was glad I was dressed.

I stepped outside for a quick touch base. It wasn't long before the old shutters, trim material, and skirting had been removed and stacked in the back yard. Later, while checking on the progress, I saw a bunch of white wood flower bed edging in the crawlspace that will be perfect for the flower bed planned for the side of the house. I asked the guys to pull it out and set it near the shed. I’ll clean it up and maybe paint it, then store it in the shed until spring. There may not be enough time to set a flower bed after the siding is completed, but I’ll be ready next spring. I'm also glad I didn't find any edging when I was shopping for it earlier. 

American chop suey
with provolone.

When I got to thinking about food I decided to make American Chop Suey, one of my favorite dishes going back to childhood. There was extra cooked macaroni left from the macaroni and cheese bake of the other day so one step was already done. After the green pepper and onion were chopped and cooking, I realized the can of diced tomatoes believed to be in the pantry didn’t actually exist, but there was a jar of sauce. Later, I discovered all the sliced American cheese had been used in the mac and cheese and there was none to break up to top the stuff on my plate like I did when I was a kid. The sauce was bit thick and the provolone cheese I used on top wasn’t correct, so it wasn’t exactly like the memory of Mom’s American chop suey, but it still tasted pretty good.

The afternoon included painting several 4-inch by 4-inch canvases black. Two are for a specific project, but it seemed wise to prep some extras while I was at it. I printed one of my favorite Kiki photos and will mount it tomorrow. Another one will feature a photo of Moose and Winston looking adorable.

random thoughts – Day 2,379 (Monday) – hearts of glass

Copper foiled heart.

My second of three classes in the copper foil technique developed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his Tiffany Studio was today. I learned the step of applying the copper foil to each glass piece, and then soldering the pieces together to finish the piece started last week. It’s a heart rendered in various textures of clear glass.

The foil process was fun and nowhere near as intimidating or dreadful as I thought it was during my disastrous previous attempt, but back then, I was winging it on my own. This time, I have the benefit of an experienced instructor who taught me today how to smooth the foil and keep the solder lines smooth, and it went a million times better.

Plans for future glasswork.

There was enough time left in today’s session to choose another template, select glass from the scrap bins, cut the pieces and do an initial grind to smooth the edges. This all went much quicker than last week because the process was fresh in my mind. Next week, I’ll do a final fit on the new piece, apply the copper foil, and solder the piece.

After I got home, a few new heart patterns were drafted for future pieces. These will include bevels because I love bevels, and there are still quite a lot of them left from my Tennessee stained glass production frenzy.

 

random thoughts – Day 2,378 (Sunday) – tori day

Tori at Saima Park.

The quest of visiting fall events continues. It’s the crazy time of year when everything is happening at once before the season turns to winter and bad weather can sweep in and really mess up the best planned events. Attending the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race on Saturday meant missing the Johnny Appleseeed Festival in Leominster. After I was home from Lowell, I learned there was also an Indie Book Festival in nearby Winchendon, but it was too late to get to it before it ended. Maybe next year.

Today was the Tori (Finnish Market) at Saima Park from 10-2. For a few years I had dance class on Sunday mornings until noon and by the time I left class, the car would just autopilot home and I would be just far enough away when I remembered the tori that it felt too late to turn back.

This morning, I got my arse into gear and dressed for the chilly damp weather. It was drizzling with rain predicted for later, which I thought would keep the attendance low, but at around 10:30, the place seemed crowded. An attendant directed cars to the few open spots on the lawn near the pavilion, but I found a spot outside the gate and grabbed it. My hair was still damp from the shower and a walk in the drizzle wasn’t going to make it any worse. My friend who was working at the event thought maybe more people had come early to avoid the heavier rain predicted for the afternoon.

Tori haul.

Vendor tables lined the perimeter under the pavilion with another island of tables set in the center. My first target was The Kitchen Garden’s table for coffee bread and rusk, which is hard toasted thin slices of coffee bread, and probably the Finnish equivalent of biscotti in texture, which usually sells out early. This bakery is one or two towns away from home and I can get these items almost any time I want, but it’s more fun to get it at the tori while looking at a bunch of other stuff. The cinnamon rolls and other sweets were successfully resisted.

There was local honey and beeswax candles; handknit hats and scarves; decorative items; handcrafted tonttu (Finnish gnome); dishware made in Finland (Arabia) and candle holders (iitala); photography; and decor. One vendor had mugs, placemats, dish towels, tee shirts, woven straw decorations, plastic license plate holders declaring "Proud to be Finnish" and "Finn Driver", and tons of other things, and I bought some coasters and a painted tile.

At another table I bought Karjalanpiirakka (Karelian pasty of rice porridge baked in a rye crust). We made these in the Finnish language class I used to take. I know how to make them, but for one person it’s just enough work and enough of a yield to be too much. Buying four already made pasties was much more reasonable. As soon as I got home, they were heated for brunch. Maybe I’ll make some for Thanksgiving or Christmas when a lot of us gather and I won't be dealing with storing and eating dozens of them.

Baked mac and cheese.

The dreary weather inspired cooking and a macaroni and cheese dish was baked using all sorts of random cheese bits in the freezer for exactly this reason. Provolone, America, feta, and sharp cheddar all went into the mix with parmesan and paprika on top. I meant to add cottage cheese but I forgot to take it out of the fridge and in my world, it’s often out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. 

In any event, it was gooey, warm comfort food for supper on a yucky day. Tomorrow, most of it will be packaged for the freezer for future fast meals and cruddy days.