Begonias, synaesthesia, car to go

Today I invited a neighbor friend over for tea and cake, and we spent the afternoon reorganizing the known universe. She's a serious introvert and lovely woman, so the deal is that if it's not a good day, just say, no problem, no persuasion. Today was good though, so she enjoyed the sweet potato etc cake. I always hugely enjoy her company.

Later Gary came dashing over to arrange foster care for this begonia, which he grew from a cutting I rooted for him. I'd prune it to keep it bushy but he loves the height, so I'll refrain.

He'll be away two weeks starting Wednesday, so it needs watering in his absence. He's got a visit set up for the other plants but this one needs more care. 

On Janice's blog on Sunday, she mentioned synaesthesia. Since I'm one of the fortunate people to have this in many forms, I thought you'd like to see this.

He sent me this signed paperback of Musicophilia after I'd read the hardback and been in correspondence with him as a result. Here's the footnote about our exchanges.

what a nice man he was, very interested in my observations, some of which had been dismissed by other doctors. He pretty much sums up my experiences very succinctly here.  I felt honored that he gave my ideas serious attention. He really was a lifelong learner.

Synaesthesia is a real gift. When colors have literal taste, music has colors, names and numbers trigger color, movement and shapes, your world is so rich. The same effects have been triggered throughout my life, unchanging, as far back into early childhood as I can remember

It does have a downside -- clutter literally interferes with my hearing and creates physical stress, and some colors -- purple, some browns -- cause me nausea. But mostly it's lovely. And the passage of time has a kind of scrolling effect, rolling left into the past and right into the future. Each century has a blocky shape, too. 

Speaking of the future, I've arranged for a car buying company to come to the house Friday (crumbling dark green material, curving down, fyi!), to check out and buy the car. They can do all this on the spot without my having to go to a dealership.

They already gave me a decent price estimate, based on my reporting.  So I'm hopeful that this will go well, and I can start using rides. I already signed up with a preference for women drivers. 

Happy day everyone,  enjoy your day, whatever's in it. There's bound to be something nice, even if it takes a bit of finding.

The growing season, and a new idea

 Yesterday I planned on shakshuka, but only had three eggs till Thursday, so I had a change of plan. I'd already substituted chard for bell peppers since I don't like bell peppers a lot, particularly the current price. So I thought I bet chunks of hake would work here.

Onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, hake, there's probably a name for this which I don't know. 

I drained the tomatoes and the liquid will go into the next spaghetti sauce.

It was very good, the fish cooked just enough to flake. The flatbread is vital for getting all the sauce. And I'm having the second half today.

Meanwhile Nature is busy. Remember back when I chipped a favorite teapot and started using it to root cuttings?  No? Well anyway here's a healthy group, two kinds of begonia

Now potted up, and joining their friends.

Outside somebody's creating lace from Gary's collard greens

The daylilies, Stella d'oro, are getting tuned up. I have these all over, including other people's gardens and around the dumpster enclosure. It's very easy to grow and divide.

And my cheap dollar store seeds are booming

The lavender got to its destination overnight, amazing, and was well received, like this

So all's well, and happy day everyone! Let's hope our plans work out or at least we have a backup if they don't.

Count on Zelenskyy to have a backup, always

Plans of mice and women, gangin' agley

I'm not exactly Burns' mouse caught in the plowing, more the toad beneath the harrow. 

Anyway, last evening I embarked on the  lace panel for the second sock. And several hours later after many tries and retries, I had found I was in no emotional state to knit lace. Not the day.

As you see, the twizzled up yarn is my witness. So, on the grounds that today is another day, here we go again.

Hope springs eternal, third quotation in there already. It's what my mind does under stress. Three dead white males occupying my mental real estate.

Then I thought, well, I'll make soup. I'm pretty sure I can do that.

Famous last words, I thought, as the knife blade skidded off the squash and into my finger. There followed an interval of trying to assemble one-handed the kit to wrap it up.

And I remembered I have finger cots, latex gizmos you unroll down your finger, which are strongly reminiscent of another safety item applied likewise, though not on your finger. I was thinking maybe I should donate them to a republican pol of my choice.. would be a good fit..

Anyway, I did get the soup on the stove, the trimmings into the stock bag, the squash seeds tossed out for the two baby groundhogs I saw yesterday, and soup simmering nicely, rice to be added at the end, it's precooked, another experiment. The bandage might get in the way of knitting, though. We'll see.

Here's the result

Earlier I had been thinking of these unruly old begonias, and thinking about cutting them back a lot. 

One is already taller than me again, after savage pruning last year. The top branches can start to root in water, and the potted remains will burst out again. I just have to cut it them. Yes.

One of those small tasks that get put off and put off.  You'll notice there's no picture of after the cutting.

Our weary hearts might be helped at this point by Elliott's posting, and Mary Oliver.

All purpose comfort. Have the best day you can manage, everyone. There might be a bit of light in there.