Spice bush, cabbarole, wire art

Saturday was icy winds blowing all over, so walking didn't happen. Things like recycling did, which includes walking to the end of the block, the wind blowing me and my flattened cardboard around like helpless prawns, I expect that's some kind of resistance exercise. 

And weight training came in handy when I found some **** person had slung a huge pile of cardboard on top of, not in,  one container so that it also weighed down the lid of the next container, the one I needed to get into. Entailing forcing up the lid, plus the many pounds of cardboard resting on it, holding it with one hand while wrangling my recycle bucket with the other.  Yes, that, and the breathing exercise from cursing throughout,  was some strenuous time.

However, the patio gave me two nice things: the spice bush blooming away and scenting the wind, great experience, here's a professional view, top left, viburnum carlesii aka Korean spice bush

And the honesty, which declined to grow again where it had done well, in the strawberry pot or in the ground, where I'd next flung seeds defiantly, decided it would do this instead

As you see, happily growing in the sage pot. Well, if it's happy who am I to argue? This means I'll get at least a few more silver disk seedpods to add to my collection.

Indoors I did a bit more on the wire and yarn work

I'm going to leave it alone for a day or two then see what should happen next. Add? Subtract? Rearrange? We'll see. Meanwhile I wove a couple more plain yarn squares just to get skillz.

But the main event was the cabbage casserole, heretofore to be known as a cabbarole, which sounds like an antique carriage but never mind.

What it amounts to is salted chopped cabbage, with an egg and yogurt sauce with flour, I used chickpea, baking powder and cornstarch, big pinch of pepper. Then grated cheese on top.  Baked 50 minutes at 350°f.

Here's a serving with fresh picked chives, very oniony because the first picking of the year.  It was good and I now have a reason to buy cabbage. 

Next time I make it, which I can, with the other half-cabbage chopped and frozen, I'll use a smaller baking dish so there's more interior and less exposed top. 

I used this one because I could mix in it and put it straight in the oven, saving dishes. And I think a pinch of nutmeg would be good.  Overall though, it was worth doing, nice texture, bit of crunch on top, nicely blended inside. 

So there's several lunches. This would go nicely with sausage or chicken or something like that, too, but it worked as a main for me today. Also welcome on a drafty cold day.

Yes, this doesn't refer to the kind I cooked, but it's all good.

And creatively speaking, this is possibly me in a previous existence

Happy day everyone, make stuff and decide its fate! 

And let's hope for the best for Ukraine's fate.

Misfits, cabbages, kings, no, queen

 Misfits arrived 

with one small hiccup, one egg broken, which resulted in a refund of the dozen. There doesn't seem to be a way to refund just the damaged one.

The unboxing setup isn't on the counter, which was occupied by the makings of spaghetti, but crowded onto the little island.

Lunch was in the works  on the counter 

Simple sauce, diced tomatoes, fresh basil, chili powder, grated Parmesan 

Two meals' worth of this radiator-shaped pasta.

And the cabbage, some of it, even a small head is a lot, will become a cabbage casserole, a new venture for me,  worth a try.

This is only half of it; you see the other half draining, to be chopped and frozen.

And the current artwork is moving along. I switched to 26 gauge steel wire for this piece, not wanting it to be too conspicuous.

I threaded it around the edges with a couple of extra threads in the body of it, to support the shape.

I like very much how the yarn can take on new shapes, and sit up unsupported.

So here's a trial of related pieces.

This changed several times before I took the photo, and will probably change more before it's done. The pieces are still all separated. More playtime will happen.

I'm thinking of another copper wire piece to add. We'll see.

Speaking of seeing, remember these daffodils in bud a couple of days ago 

Here they are this morning 

Sweet smelling, just lovely. My neighbor came running over to admire them and catch up.  She and Gary want to help me separate iris. 

Lots of luck. We'll need a chainsaw to get through them! They got ahead of me and haven't flowered in years. They don't when they get crowded and the pachysandra covers the rhizomes. They like to be exposed to light and air. 

Happy day everyone, it's good to know when roots should be preserved and when you have to cut em off.

And here's a gift to give yourself. Go here 

Brunello Creatini's YouTube channel, to hear this star operatic soprano  still performing, wonderfully, at 96. 

It's not "good, considering"! It's good at any age. Such breath control, range, strength, beautiful tone and passion. Just go there.  Squillo in action. 

Misfits market, back on wheels, and looming up, adventures

***********Breaking:

Yes we did have an earthquake this morning, more news tomorrow,  meanwhile all's well chez Boud. Continue your normal activity.**********

Yesterday was a day of waiting followed by catchup. Gary and I took my car in when he was free of his many obligations. Now, in addition to all his renovations, his furnace thermostat has gone.

He's in endless calling with insurance people, replacement people and the supplier, all of whom say the other person is responsible, and nobody knows what might void the warranty.

I've learned that when he says he'll be ready in a little while, his little while can be hours, he's busy, just to get on with my life. 

Here it was finish a weaving, catch up online, receive and wash the Misfits  produce, commiserating with Jeff about his week of getting wet delivering Misfits, and eat lunch. 

Then we took in the car and Gary dropped me home,  went off on many errands while I unpacked my newly arrived pinloom, complete with original needle, diagrams and pattern book! 

I have plans about the produce, including another Spain on a Fork recipe for the chickpeas. And there will be tuna melts, plenty of cheese in the house from the Easter cheese and crackers. And leftover ham for omelettes. The sweet potatoes will be baked for several easy lunches. And today I'm making a new batch of yogurt.

And here's my newly-arrived vintage WeaveIt, with instructions and diagram, plus 12 weaving pattern directions. This may be where I learn to read (simple) weaving patterns. I can follow knitting and crochet patterns, so this adds to the repertoire of mysterious markings translated into tangible form. It's like an initiation.

So, no pattern other than plain weaving, I started an experiment in 24 gauge copper wire, which I quickly found is too big. So when I continue today, I'll switch to a finer gauge.

Then late afternoon, my car was ready, we picked it up. Then I flew out to catch up on the errands I'd originally planned before the Tire Goddess spoke.  I returned the hearing amp, hoping the fine print won't  affect my refund, after a bit of a time getting a label printed.

Then I picked up the  current library books ready for me to practice my self checkout skills, hoping this doesn't put a circ desk worker out of a job. I disapprove of self checkout for this reason, while grudgingly learning to use the system.

Here's the current haul, 

the Austen is a general interest item, I'm always interested in social history as seen in fashion. The other you'll recognize as the work of Margaret Stump, the pinloom lady we all liked on Textiles and Tea.  You know how recipe books usually have a lot of items you aren't so interested in, then maybe one idea that's worth the whole thing? 

This craft book does just that, aside from general useful instructions.  She shows an approach to shaping woven yarn squares that's exactly what I need for my wire sculpture, so I need to make a few squares in order to test it out. I'm also thinking of incorporating yarns with the wire, too. These ideas are forming themselves, and I seem to be just trotting behind, ready to try them out

Then I needed this, to get calm and start breathing again.

And always thinking of Ukraine  and the discharge petition which may now be the way to get help to them.

Great Easter visit, haggard hawks puzzle

Yesterday's Easter celebration went very well, all the food worked out, the roast potatoes went over well enough to prove you can't make too many, and we ended up drinking tea and eating cookies, jellybeans and little chocolate eggs. Before, all looked calm and bright, unless I'm mixing the seasons.

Rain too heavy to go out and pick a couple of daffodils for the table, so the Easter cactus played their part. The rain seems to have stopped, though a lot of local roads are closed still. The tire arrived at the door last night, so when the roads are open, I can get it installed.

Meanwhile, I've got out my collection of copper and steel wire, ready for whenever the pinloom arrives. I have some ideas.

The weaver in wire also has a YouTube channel, following on our notes the other day 

 Are you up for a Haggard Hawks puzzle?

Happy day, everyone, our sun just came out, hope yours did in some sense, too.

Trying morning, then Textiles and Tea improved things

 

The day didn't start auspiciously. Cleaners expected today, to clean and take any artist-made books they liked from the pile I left out, before I offer them elsewhere. 

So I set off for the library, to be out from under foot, pouring rain. And on the way there in traffic, loud alerts, flashing screens, thumpety-thump, limped into the library parking lot, nearest safe stopping place, and found I had a flat tire.

This changed my plans a bit. Gary came to the library, and the rescue, with jack, tools, knowhow, still pouring rain, pointed out my wheel had a theft proof lock on it. Asked me for the key. Key? No idea, didn't even know wheels came with keys. 

So he rummaged in my glove box and found a little purse thing with a little tool thing in it, which evidently was the key. There, unknown to me,  for the four years I've been driving it.

He changed the tire heroically, still pouring rain, and we drove home, my car still emitting all kinds of loud alerts and flashing screens. He then tried driving it, surmised that the computer was upset over the new wheel, maybe just a reset needed. 

We the took two cars to a favorite local garage of his, left mine with the old tire, and a request to check the brake system since that was one of the alerts flashing on the screen, and came home. 

Later we got a call, verdict: brakes okay,  tire no use, shredded, come collect my car, get a new tire, garage man would install it. So the part of the afternoon I thought I'd be at the knitting group, was spent here with Gary drinking tea, figuring out the right tire, and ordering it online. This will come to about $200 by the time it's done. Sigh. 

The good news came later with

on Textiles and Tea, a weaver and sculptor in wire, mainly 28-gauge, in  various metals. That's the gauge I used in copper and brass, back when I knitted components for mixed media artworks. 

Look at some of her marvelous pieces

this was a statement about the dying coral reefs, from several years ago, left the healthy reef, right the bleached skeleton.

She also incorporates dyed felt and roving

And she's written a book

She's a true teacher. She had mentioned experimenting with wire weaving on pinlooms, which got my attention right away, and I put up a thank you for the instant epiphany: that's what I need to do next. 

Whereupon she got back and said she had some useful thoughts, and I should be in touch. Which I will be, wheeeee!! The day took a sudden upward leap!

I'd just been talking with Gary about how I needed to shed art and other stuff from around me because it stopped forward movement, and an hour later this new combination of past work in wire suddenly came together with upcoming work with a pinloom.  

I think it's the space from moving on from the art work friend G took, and the couple of artist books I think the cleaners accepted. It leaves breathing room for future work. I'm very thrilled that I've found a new/old direction.

Here's where the work lives, now.

and a much better selfie, taken by G. I'm five foot two, barely, and I tower over her! I feel tall around her.

So there's today, and a full one it was. Posting tonight because tomorrow is about Easter, finally, and I'll be occupied eating candy and other nutritious Easter fare.

Happy day everyone, I hope your highs are high and your lows only moderate.