Field and Fen

 Yesterday was about freecycling more books, to go off this morning

 as the continued bookcase marathon continued, and I now have one small bookcase of art and art adjacent books, moved to its new home, another one now containing artist books and materials, no printed books, so it's going to be a material storage place in its new home when it gets there.

I'm also putting a small table on free cycle, because the oak washstand is now on the plant scene. Meanwhile I found books I'd forgotten about, still very good, like

And among all this activity, did a bit of social justice work, with an email to the Irish Gymnastics Association. They finally released video of last year, when their official, at a medal ceremony for little girls, deliberately stopped in front of the one black child in the winners lineup, then moved on, giving out medals only to all the  white children. 

My grandmother was Irish, and would have been ashamed to see a child treated this way. As I told them.

They spent a year supposedly mediating with the child's parents and finally, after  wringing from the official a written apology, the video appeared. They are now paying for the debacle with a massive backlash from outraged viewers, and a support video to the child in question from Simone Biles.  Here's their automated and beleaguered response to my note.

we'll see what happens next. Let's hope they learned that the crime is bad enough, but the cover-up is plain stupid.

I did a bit of veggie prep, chopping and freezing bell peppers for the next shakshuka, microwaving and cutting up a butternut squash for the next bnut carrot soup.

And I finished the last of the applique blocks. 

Now to the next stage, backing and fronting.

The storm partly missed us, but the butterfly bush is a bit flattened. No major flooding close by, but I may have some major pruning to do when the rain stops, but this is a days' long storm, till midweek. We specialize in long drawn out storm events.

And here's what I woke to this morning

My honorary granddaughter sent me a Garmin link. She's running the Berlin marathon even as I type! Go Heather, you rock! Flew in from Calgary a couple of days ago, already up for it. She's wonderful, bragworthy. Proud honorary grandmother here.

Happy day, everyone, celebrate your family, blood and other!

I'd ordered a dried red pepper new to me, and it arrived yesterday. Dramatic unboxing follows, complete with official first grinding, in the pepper grinder.

It's hot, but like nutmeg, too. This will be great in soup or shakshuka or spag sauce, and I'll include it in my next batch of berbere.  It now has a place on my salt and pepper shelf.

The wall hanging is shaping up, almost done with the applique blocks. 

I need to think about the final stage.

Happy day everyone, try new things, you never know!

Meanwhile, little painting, 4" h×6.5"w, sedum by sidewalk after rain.

The gloves are coming along, and the color-changing yarn changed color between gloves, knitting along to Atomic Shrimp on YouTube, great channel 

So I think this pair will be fraternal twins. With any luck the blue section will show up before the second one is done. I'm just a helpless prawn of fate here.

I put together the makings of the next section of applique

After this, two more, then I organize the overlay. That's to look forward to. Now I'm deciding on what stitches to use here and what colors.

Meanwhile, I did a three minute small study of flowers, from life.

A while back I posted daily paintings, all rapid studies and fun to do, a kind of here goes nothing approach. Maybe that will happen again. I really recommend it. As a commenter yesterday said, with watercolor there's no second chance. Not with one painting, true. The second chance is the next painting!  

About library groups and activities, several people have noted that their local library doesn't do classes and activities. Neither did the two I use before they were encouraged! I pushed and asked and supported and assisted many programs into existence. 

What libraries often need, and their governing boards require, is evidence that there's enough interest to warrant the staff time and attention. If they never hear from you, they may never try it, though they might love the concept.

I do know some very small town libraries struggle even to keep the doors open, and I'm not criticizing. But if we value them, they, especially now, need our support and encouragement. 

You may show up week after week with no takers. Our currently wildly successful and friendly knitting group started out that way. Just the library lady and me, chatting and working on our projects. And me recruiting friends. Week after week.  So there has to be a moving spirit, and if you fancy a group, maybe that's you! End of commercial for How to be a Good Patron.

And here's flowers, a couple of new ones added, couple of faded ones now outside to feed the earth. You'll see alyssum, dayflower, zinnias and marigolds

cooler and raining today, and my days of sitting outside this year are numbered, but still lovely. I sometimes just sit and be. No reading or stitching, just watching and listening and sniffing. 

Happy day, everyone, sometimes it's okay to just be.

 Yesterday I made it to the knitting group, great to be back, and just look at the beauties in progress and being modeled.

S. is a brilliant knitter also great company, seen here wearing her work, in an alpaca/ wool mix from Maryland Sheep and Wool,  and below, showing her work in progress
And here's a wip of the other S, for her daughter

Yesterday was my biannual bone doctor visit and shot. I get bloodwork before this, which she reviews before okaying the shot. She tells me the buzzy neck is a pinched nerve, agrees that it's overuse, and said to continue with the remedies I've been doing, unless it stops responding, then get her to recommend a physio.  Otherwise I'm fine, just fine, wonderful blood.

I felt better all day. Dr L is wonderfully cheering and encouraging. She's also a model of courage and adaptability, having fled her own country, and I think retrained to get her credentials accepted in the US,  and now she's in a very good practice. Yay her!  She's board certified in rheumatology, which apparently includes bone density, I'd never have known until my doctor referred me.  Anyway, another good visit. All my doctors are women, good hands.

And here's what arrived yesterday. Chef Andres is a hero, showing up with his team, and local volunteers, to cook and serve hot food after disasters. He's in Morocco even as I type.

Proceeds go to WCK, so, as with Megan's Grenfell cookbook, I'm donating as well as benefiting.


And at another point I asked HGA if textiles and Tea could feature Rebecca Mezoff and/or Sarah Swett. They gave me a YouTube link to a Mezoff program from their earliest days, before I started following then, and said Sarah was already on their future list. Great.