It's the Constitution, Stupid...

There's been a lot of buzz about #MangoMussolini wanting to "defer" the election. But then again, today he tweeted that he wants it sooner. 

Here's the thing, folks: HE CAN'T DO ANYTHING about the date. Period. Full stop. End of sentence. This is what the Constitution (you know, that document he keeps trying to set flame to) says: Article II, Section 1: ‘The Congress may determine the Time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.'

Back in April, 2020, the website Constitution Daily started speculating that, due to COVID-19, there might perhaps be a delay or postponement of the upcoming election. But before you start clutching your pearls, here's what they ultimately said:

What remains clear is that only the states and Congress have the power to delay that part of the election process. “Unlike the practice of some states that allow the Governor to postpone an election during emergencies, neither the Constitution nor Congress provides any similar power to the President or other federal officials to change this date outside of Congress’s regular legislative process,” the report says.

Congress also would have the power, by changing the appropriate statutes, to change the general election date and as well the dates electoral votes are received in Washington and counted in Congress. Such changes would require the consent of the House and the Senate and would be extraordinary since “the presidential election date has never been changed in response to an emergency,” the CRS concluded.

In essence, if we didn't change the election during the CIVIL WAR, there's not a snowball's chance in an Illinois August that we're changing it now. Even the Republicans are walking back (quickly) from that, with - gasp! - TEXAS saying, "Yeah...no. Election day is November 3, 2020." Even #MoscowMitch, TED CRUZ and #LeningradLindsey aren't budging on this one, though Cruz did kvetch about the "voter fraud" problem*.... Which isn't...

A professor of law and political science from University of California's Irvine School of Law (you will agree that this isn't exactly a schlock institution, ya think?) said, "Election fraud committed with absentee ballots is more prevalent than in-person viting but it is still rare," and he cites a dataabse created by News21, a national investigative reporting project that tracks cases of election fraud. The findings? Absentee ballot fraud comprised about 24% of reported prosecutions between 2000 and 2012 (twelve years). The number of cases? 491 - in a period where literally BILLIONS of votes were cast. 

Want a bit more irony? #MangoMussolini himself voted via absentee ballot in the 2018 midterm elections... 

Really. If the news media is going to publish every piece of manure that drips from his disgusting lips? At least have sense enough to do some basic research. 

The Garden...

Well, the wildflowers are in a riotous burst of color. And I've managed to harvest a couple of pods of poppy seeds. The Monarchs are looking a bit bedraggled, as you can see from this picture. Poor baby... I hope that the one caterpillar I saw is a survivor. My milkweed also looks a bit worse for the wear, too. 

OK, so I'm not liking the new Blogger interface... TWICE -- having to upload the same picture and now it just ate my text. Bah!!! So let's see how it reacts now; I'm just going to type what I wrote before, and see what the picture does. Hmmm. Not what I want it to do - I sort of thought that the text would wrap around the pictures. This isn't useful if it's not going to do that. Anyway, in this picture you can see the dill is even getting scraggly. I need to take the "weed whacking tool" and scrape out the weeds; without dislodging the wildflowers. Hubby still has a hard time telling one from the other. I'd love to get some Queen Anne's Lace in there - maybe next year. 

It appears that now, I have to figure out how to use the new interface; and it's going to mess up my process again. It used to be that the pictures kind of lead what I was writing about. I'd upload a bunch of them, write, and then insert them where they were supposed to go. But now??? Jeeze, Blogger!! Don't make it easy. Change for the sake of change is useless to me. Please pardon how wonky this will look till I figure it all out... 

Hubby's orchids are looking good - there's a beautiful cluster of the blossoms on one of the miniature phals. He's so excited! There's also a blossom on the wonky little butterwort plant we have near the orchids. It's supposed to keep away any "fruit flies" that come around; I haven't seen it do anything one way or the other, but it has tossed up a blossom, so there you go. He fusses over his orchids like a mother hen over her chicks, which is fine with me. We have two large cattleyas which I hope bloom soon. They're certainly throwing up the leaves! Now, let's show some blossoms, kids!

Crafting Away...

Today, I spent time in the sewing/yoga/music/office space... One day, it'll be a defined space, but then again, maybe that IS the definition. I still have to continue to organize and declutter in that space. It's taking a while. 

A few pics here. I tried a new way to do the ties for my masks and I finally did my alpaca ones. The tie, which is binding tape, goes over my head and ties around the back of the neck. It's a bit fiddly - and I should have just split the binding tape length in half. One of these is shorter than the other, but they both work. It's going to take a bit of messing around to get it to fit correctly. But I like the idea of being able to untie ONE tie and take the whole thing off. 

Isn't that alpaca fabric fun? I just love it. I also finished a green-ish mask for Kid #2. It has regular ties. I asked my sister if BIL would like one, and she said, "pattern is too flashy." To me, this looks like a Grandpa tie. But what do I know? I ask you -- does that look FLASHY?? Hubby even raised an eyebrow at that. But who are we? I'd rather make a mask for someone who'll wear it. The Kid said he had some "old cotton shirts" and wants me to make masks out of them. This should be fun. Hopefully, they're not t-shirts. I hate sewing jersey!

I have about 10 more of the 3-pleat masks to do to add to the "Mask Fundraiser" pile. Got several of them pinned, and will do the rest of the sewing over the weekend. I also have to mail Kid #1's birthday gift to him soon. It's going to be late, but I think he's not home anyway - at least his GF's social media feed looks like that's the case. 

On the other hand, I did also get my Backpack Buddha order of Mayan masks. The masks are made by the indigenous people and the proceeds go to help the local community, which I like. They're well-made and reasonably priced though there's not much information on how to care for them. I can't imagine just tossing them in the wash, mostly due to the velcro on the ties. It's all recycled cotton, which is always good. And it's tightly woven, also good. These are certainly different, particularly in the way they attach to your head!

I'm not entirely sure how to keep them clean, but I'll figure that out. I like the nose piece on these. They did not fog my specs and they stay away from my mouth. I just can't handle the masks touching my mouth because it feels like I'm swallowing it. And the ties are velcro! One over the head, one behind the neck. I had no choice of colors; I have one that's "Navy tones" and this one is "tan tones." I'm fine with that. I love the Aztec pattern and while the black on the nose and under the chin might be a bit dark, I can't help but think these might be more comfortable overall. I like the ones that are more fitted, as  you can tell. And so do most people. 

Hubby wears one that's got a washable, changeable filter. We got one for Kid #2 for school (in case they're going back - still not sure...) and I have one. I just have a hard time with it -- I really think it's more for guys because I have a hard time keeping it on my head. The velcro (points for that) is all the way at the smallest size when I've tried to wrap it around the back of my head. And it slips off my hair. But it has its good points - fitted and the filter thingie is handy. 

The Long Sands tee is moving along. I'm almost at the point of knitting in the round. The drop stitch row went ok -- I did find that I didn't exactly do the "P1, YO" row correctly - I did a couple purls in a row in more than a few places. But I don't care. Really. If you get close enough to the hem of this shirt to notice that? You and I had better be married! Belive me, Hubby won't even notice. 

And I have a Knitting Story to tell you, sweeties... I was reading the pattern, kind of figuring out what was going on. I saw StSt (stockinette stitch) and it said "Knit all rows." I pondered that for a moment or 10...and then I looked it up. 

Stockinette stitch is clearly NOT "knit all rows." That's actually Garter Stitch. But the photo of the project definitely shows StSt as the body of the tee. I'm now confused and doubting myself. And I'm staying up wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too late... So I fire off a query to the designer about the whole thing and I toddle off to bed. 

At 4 a.m. (I swear...) I sit bolt upright in the bed and say, "You moron... When you're knitting in the round, StSt automatically happens by knitting every row. Think of every single Vanilla sock you've ever knit, stupid!"

Later that morning, checking my messages, I find a very sweet message from the designer explaining exactly that, only nicer. I reply back with my "before dawn epiphany" and the designer replies, "Can't even tell you how many times I've done that!" I love me some Quince & Co.!

Random Picture...

We've been trying to see a comet; and I think it's gone now. It's been too light (too much light pollution) or too cloudy. Tonight, Hubby points outside...I thought, "This is it."

It wasn't. But it was beautiful. The sunset would've been perfect if the houses across the street weren't there. Not like I want to get rid of my neighbors. 

Maybe I just want to live where there's lots of sky... That being said, this does remind me of the old adage: Red sky at morning, sailors take warning; Red sky at night, sailor's delight. 

Whatever Mother Nature wants to show me in the evening? I'll take it. There are a lot of things wrong with Illinois. But the one thing we do really well here in the collar counties is "sunrise and sunset."                                                                                                                     Right now, we're on the cusp of taking every gain we've made in the past 4 months and flushing it.  We're doing crap on our COVID rates as we speak, but this sky is saying something: night follows day as day follows night. 

The Key to...

not twisting 350 stitches on a circular needle is..... to start out FLAT.

I started my Long Sands Tee (Quince & Co.) (here is the Ravelry link) using their Sparrow yarn, which is linen. I love linen, but I don't like knitting with linen yarn. I'm using colorway Moon, which is a gorgeous pewter color. 

The top itself has THIRTEEN INCHES of positive ease - so let's just call it really "floaty." For the size I need, I had to cast on 350 stitches. They call for 32" circulars - which isn't nearly enough. I did what they said, and it didn't last long; I ended up frogging. Went to Betsy's in Lockport, and bought 40" circulars (the largest they had) and started over. 

But I have to tell you about the cast on method I used. There was virtually no way I was going to "wrap stitches" to "estimate" the tail. I found the "Two Ball Cast On." I am in love. In. Love. This isn't exactly the link, but it's close enough. I thought I'd saved it, but apparently not. 

And another new thing...It's just been a great learning experience so far... After the frogging, I reached out on the Hive Mind of Facebook, and learned that, for a large number of stitches on a circular needle, one trick is to knit 2-3 rows FLAT, and then join in a circle. You can see whether you're twisted after the 2-3 rows of flat knitting and you're way less likely to twist. 

Jazzed with that, I am! 

The next new thing I'm learning is drop stitch. I dislike drop stitch stuff intensely. Reminds me of runs in nylons, frankly. But this is basically a tiny drop stitch after a row (350 stitches, did I mention???) of k1, yo, k1... So it won't be obnoxious. 

The shirt has a cap sleeve, and honestly, I'd wear a tank under it. It'll be a nice shirt for actually 3 seasons. 

Closing in on 200...

Masks, that is. I've made the pleats smaller, so I can get 3 of them in. We're thinking about doing them as a church fundraiser, since our Rummage Sale (spring & fall) is likely kaput for 2020. 

I'm working on several for Kid #2, since it looks like in Illinois, we don't give a rat's rear end for teachers... put 'em in classrooms where you can't circulate the air, social distance, or even open a window. With 1200+ kids in the average high school, plus another few hundred in teachers, staff, and ancillary personnel in there? 

Yeah. Let's just open the schools. 

Ahem. I digress. 

Anyway, what we were thinking was that we could put the masks out, ask for a $10 donation per mask, and maybe make a bit of money that we've essentially lost with the lack of rummage sale profits. 

We'll see how that goes. I'm also doing another of the more "fancy" masks for myself, using an over-the-head kind of tie so that it only takes a bow in the back. We'll see how that works. I want to get that one done prior to my next yoga training. 

I used a "coffee filter" mask (that's what I call the procedural masks that loop over the ears) for the last weekend training, and it was kind of a pain in the ears... I prefer the ties. But I need something a bit lighter than the ones I made for myself that were lined with flannel. Much too hot for summer!

Got Smoothies...

Well, I went a little nuts with the smoothies this week. You think I have enough? 

In my defense, I now only have about half of the Mason jar left. Here's the recipe:


2 T. Maca Powder
2 scoops your favorite protein shake powder
1 c. coconut water
1 avocado, do the usual prep...
1 cucumber, peeled & chunked
2 stalks celery, trimmed and chunked
1 Granny Smith apple, quartered
2 carrots, chunked
1 head romaine, chunked
1 piece of ginger, about 2" or so
6 ice cubes
1 c. frozen berries
1 cup Siggi's Yogurt, your favorite flavor
Extra coconut water if needed

WASH YOUR PRODUCE.... Use Thieves Fruit & Veggie wash (no need to wash the frozen berries - but if you use fresh? Wash 'em! 

In a VitaMix or Bullet or whatever you have, ingredients in as follows: 
Coconut water
Powders
Granny Smith
Carrots
Celery
Romaine
Avocado
Ginger
Berries
Yogurt
Ice cubes

Notice you're putting the "harder" stuff at the bottom, which, in the VitaMix at least, is the preferred method. Whiz. Adjust for thickness: Add more coconut water if needed. Don't make it too thick - you're not supposed to chew your smoothies, and if you're using a regular blender, a chunky smoothie is the quickest way to burn up a blender. 

Ask me how I know that...

Store in the Mason jar and however many extra containers you need. Use within 2 days. 

You can add any other fruit that you want; I'll often add a pear if I have it. But I like the Granny Smith for the snap. Always add veggies!!! If you just go with fruit, that's a LOT of sugar, even with using Siggi's (which has lots less sugar and a lot of protein). I don't add bananas -- too high in sugar for me. But if you use a banana, you don't necessarily need the yogurt. 

If you want, skip the coconut water and use almond or oat milk. 

I Broke the Dogs...

Or, the heat did. Well, I kinda broke Tippi. She wanted to go for a walk today, and Hubby said, "take her around the block." We made it 2 blocks. The humidity was awful. And she's recovering from a UTI, so I know the antibiotic knocked her for a loop - on top of giving her the runs. Poor baby... She came back in, drank about a gallon of water, and plopped over... Quinnie was behind my chair as always. 

Raisa, on the other hand, has now got the HVAC stuff figured out. She has found the kitchen AC vent and that's her spot. 


It is, of course, the most inconvenient spot, being right in front of the sink. 

Does she care?

Nope. 

Her butt is right by the vent. We call it her "Freezy butt seat." You should have seen her when we had to get the AC repaired. 

Thank goodness that day was in the 70s. She laid by the Freezy Butt Vent and there was no cold. She looked at me as if to say, "What the heck is this bamboozle???" 

Once the guy repaired it (we only needed a sploosh of freon), she was back at the Freezy Butt Vent and happy. She was mortally offended that, till he fixed it, she only had a fan to keep her cool. 

How Does My Garden Grow...

Well, pretty darned good in certain respects. My cherry tomatoes are coming along nicely; I usually buy Sweet 100s - very reliable. My romaine has bolted; I have one pot of parsley eaten to the nubs by the caterpillars. The kale and broccoli rabe have been eaten, I suspect, by Mama Woodchuck and her babies. She's living under the neighbor's tool shed. The neighbor keeps blocking the holes, and Mama just digs more. I suspect the neighbor should just give up, otherwise, the toolshed is going to fall into the huge hole Mama has dug...

My wildflowers are doing ok; the Brown-Eyed Susans are in bloom now. The rest of the garden is starting to fade, but it's time. 

I was quite skeptical when Hubby moved the tomatoes, parsley and lettuce to the deck. But he was right. Even though it's the north side of the house, it does get enough sun - and plenty of water with all the rain we've had. I have to tug the pansies away from the back door - they need to dry out a bit. They're a tad too soggy. 

It's so cool that the tomatoes are taller than I am. 

I can slice them up, and put them on pasta. A cool tomato on warm pasta or risotto is really quite yummy. Hubby says they taste spicy, but I don't think so. I think they're a bit sweeter this year. 

If the Beefsteak tomatoes come in, I'll be using those (and maybe some of my friend's Romas if she has extra) for a fresh batch of canned pizza sauce. 

The basil was really nice; I need to plant more of it next year. I don't have enough to do pesto, but I do have enough to add to a salad or to add to pasta sauce or pizza. My Rosemary, this year, is kind of slow. I have it in the same place as last year, but it's just not thriving. Not sure why. It's usually bigger by now. There's still enough to freeze, though. 

The Stormtroopers...

Apparently, the president of Chicago's police union wrote to Washington DC and asked for help. Not sure how the new Police Superintendent feels about that. But I am sure how the mayor feels. 


Having armed, unidentified "cops" in the street, just like they're doing in Portland, OR, is frightening. And unconstitutional, though that doesn't seem like it bothers anyone in DC lately. Can you smell the Constitution burning? 

There's a hot dog place called The Wiener's Circle. They're known for their "attitude." And lately, because of COVID-19, they've been doing business in a different fashion. You can call your order in, and then specify the "level of rudeness" you want. From basically just "Chicago rude" to F-bombs. 

It's a thing. 

This is their latest sign. In honor of the Stormtroopers. 

This is a swift fall toward authoritarianism, and martial law conveniently placed close to the 2020 election. It's also very bad theater for one madman. Who managed to conflate a test for dementia with a "genius" test. 

Citing the "failing New York Times".... (sorry, snark is now "off"), we have the Wall of Moms; the Wall of Dads. And now? The Wall of Vets. See the story here. Veterans have had it. After the beating of a Navy veteran who just wanted to talk to the "federales" -- they're now standing in front of the moms & dads. 

Now, given "white privilege" and all -- I get that many black moms are kind of upset about the idea of the Wall of Moms, given that they've been doing that for at least 2 generations. I hate the idea that we, as white women, are co-opting the thing they've been doing. 

I'm wondering how awful it sounds to just say, "But if we can get it noticed and change it, is that bad?" I don't know. I'd welcome discussion...

It will be interesting to follow up on the Portland story. The "cops" have now gassed the mayor, at which point #MangoMussolini crowed that he was "pathetic." 

Mirror, dude. Just look in a mirror. THAT is pathetic. 

Random Picture...

So I did something I'd been toying with; just something to "check off my list." I had my stylist put a few purple stripes in my hair. Jeeze - I'd forgotten that "hair dye" takes forever!! I was there for 2 hours! Now, as you can see, with short hair? I'm in and out. 

You can see the larger of the stripes in this picture. When it's really styled correctly, the purple is just under a "layer" of my silver/pewter (or whatever color you want to call it). 

I have to use a special colored-hair shampoo, which is kind of annoying, but I do want this to last. It's only semi-permanent anyway, but I'd like it not to fade at the first wash!

Anyway - it's something fun.I needed some fun. 

Some Finished Things...

Well, I've finally finished the Breathe & Hope Shawl. It took all but 15 of my blocking pins. And I'm not necessarily jazzed with it. I mean, I did a decent job. I learned some nifty techniques. And the colors are ok. But - it's not something I would wear in these colors. Which isn't awful either. It would go with a couple of things in my wardrobe. 

I did a plain bind-off instead of the Knotty Stitch that was put in the instructions -- which, frankly, looks like a rather large picot bind off. I did the pass-stitch-over thing wrong, couldn't pick it out, and got frustrated, so I figured, "There is no knitting police. This is a design element." 

Except. I'm worried, because that set of pink & blue stripes along the right side? That's ribbing. And it has a nasty habit of curling. And that could drive me nuts. I could, now that it's blocked, do a crochet edge; scallop maybe. But I want to sit on this a while. 

I need to work on something that's Not This Project. If you know what I mean. 

It seems, in this time of COVID, that the knitters have been burning up the needles. "This is my 10th pair of COVID socks." Or "This is my 5th COVID shawl." What. The. Heck. Do they sleep? Eat? Have jobs? Do they have knitting fairies?

So this gives me a chance to sit with this and still knit, because I've become habituated to the need to have needles in my hands. I'm working on my second Blue Stripe Sock. I'll have to (again) tink back the first one because the star toe requires a longer foot. It had been so long that I'd forgotten that. So it's a bit tight on my foot. Easy enough to rip back and do another inch or so on the foot. 

So, my COVID knitting consisted of the following:

1. Meghan Shawl (Mira Organic Cotton)
2. 5 washcloths
3. Breathe & Hope Shawl
4. Very Simple Shawl (WIP)
5. Black-Red Ombre Crochet Scarf (WIP)
6. Blue Stripe Socks (WIP)

Not shabby, but it's not "10 COVID shawls" or "My 15th pair of socks." And I'm not talking about professional knitters - those folks who make their day job knitting. I'm talking about run of the mill (albeit very talented) regular human knitters. 

I need to just let this go, don't I?

How Does My Garden Grow...

We have tomatoes. WE HAVE TOMATOES!! We do NOT have kale or Broccoli rabe. The bunnies or squirrels or some other critter (could be deer, for all I know...We're close enough to the park) have nibbled them to the nub. 

And the swallowtail caterpillars took out one tub of parsley, but that's why I plant so much. 

I didn't have all 4 basil survive, so technically not enough for pesto. On the other hand, the sage is doing well, and the Rosemary isn't too bad. The dill managed to sprout during one of the deluges we had. My wildflower gardens are kind of going nuts. 

Saw some Borage during my last foray out (which was to take pics of the B & H shawl). So not too bad all in all. 

Random Picture...

I'm going to just pluck one...to see if I remember when/why I took the shot. Ohhhhhhhhhh, my favorite cookies! Pineapple crescents. I make about 160-200 of these per year. They're a holy mess to make and addictive to eat. It's a recipe from my granny. And so far, I'm the only one in the family who makes them, aside from Kid #2. 

Short blog tonight; I need to write more, but I have to be up with the chickens (relatively speaking) so that I can get to work at 8 a.m. or a little before, to let workmen in. 

Oh Yay. Fourth of July Weekend...

I wasn't sleeping anyway. May as well make it a challenge to see how many days in a row one can go without sleep.

Did I tell you that I hate this holiday? With a passion bordering on obsession? 

This is the girls before the hubbub. I can't get a picture of them now because Tippi is zonked out in the hallway and Quinn is hiding either under the massage table or under my desk, or crouched in the corner of the bathroom. She's already had 1 dose of Sileo; I am giving her wayyyy under the regular dose because Norwegian Elkhounds seem to not adapt well to the "regular" dose - and I can give her a dose every 2 hours. 

It's not dark yet. It'll get much worse then. 

I can't wait. 

(Did you get the snark in my voice? I hope so...)

The "Tooth" of the Matter...

I had (finally) the oral surgery on Tuesday. Apparently, not only do my roots "go to China" but I have an "iron jaw." My jaw wasn't ready to let go of the tooth. So I'm sore down my neck, almost as if you have "swollen glands" (remember those from being a kid?). 

Did you know that a moistened tea bag can control the bleeding? I used decaf green, because green is also astringent and I figured it would "tighten things up" a bit. So Tuesday I had to sleep sitting up; I was bleeding pretty good. Wednesday, I taught yoga, just basically sitting there talking my student through her sequence. Thursday, I was bruised and achy despite icing the jaw several times a day and swishing salt water; so my student Thursday suggested we just stay home. More ice; more salt water swishing. 

Funny enough (though the Kid doesn't think so)... Kid #2 had to have a root canal. I swear - we do go to the dentist regularly. Or at least he went regularly as a kid. I go regularly. Good excuse; Kid moved out of town and took awhile to find a dentist...ANYWAY, root canal, and they keep going, and going, and going. Apparently, long roots run in the family. Kid is not amused. 

I have a bone graft because the roots were nearly touching the mandibular nerve? Maybe trigeminal? I don't know. But it was technically an issue. So because the ultimate goal is an implated molar, I had to have the area "built up" with bone grafts before I can get the screw put in. 

Then my dentist puts on the tooth. 

If I stop to think about it, it all makes me queasy. I think the oral surgeon (who was great, by the way) took my tongue and wrapped it around my right ear. It hurts to eat. 

I figure, this taking almost a year? I can lose the COVID weight. Because the whole thing grosses me out. For the first week, I'm doing things like tepid tea; lots of tepid water; gelato (hey, it works) and soft eggs. Because I have to wear my bottom retainer to keep the teeth from shifting, I will be less likely to nosh. 

Instant COVID weight loss...

This is instead of a bridge; with all the time and expense I put in with braces, I'd really rather have this done, even though it grosses me out, than to have a bridge. That just aggravates the teeth ahead and behind of the one replaced. Keep it simple, if possible. 

The Knitting...

So I'm almost done with Section 8 of the Breathe and Hope shawl. I have 4 rows left; I'm probably going to finish it tonight. I'd love to finish the whole shawl this weekend. And FYI, I'm planning to do absolutely NOTHING on Monday. Except teach, that evening. 

This section is quicker to knit and it seems to have a definite rhythm to it that the other sections didn't. I don't know why. It just does. I can also see the "ekg" blips which I wasn't able to see in the other sections that used the K1b. 

Still not sure if I'll keep it; I have a couple prospects of people who'd like it. And I'm cool for giving this a new home if someone wants it. 

You can see in this picture the "ekg blips" that I'm talking about. It's kind of a cool feature and with the pink, it really pops. The blue not so much, but I still like the play of the neon over the top of the hand-dyed periwinkle/blue sock yarn here. 

I'm anxious to (a) finish one I started last year for Xmas; and (b) start on a t-shirt for summer (yes, I know it's July already). Plus continue to work toward finishing up the "singles" socks. 

I have a decent amount of yarn to work through, and I need to make it into stuff. My friend D, who I helped with online voter registration today, is going through a downsize, and she's offered me a set of her fixed circular needles. Fixed circular needles are the ones that you can't change the cable length on. 

I'm always using those, unless I'm knitting socks. In that case, I still love my DPNs. (Double-pointed needles for those who don't knit) I rarely use the straights I have; just occasionally, if I'm doing a quick project like a washcloth. 

How Does My Garden Grow...

The kale is doing well. Not quite sure about the Broccoli Rabe (above the kale). We're about ready to harvest the kale, and I'm fine with Hubby chopping it up and freezing it. 

I don't really like a raw kale salad - even if I could chew it right now. But I'll use it in smoothies. I'll also use it in soups and stews and if it's frozen, it won't matter if I saute it with a little garlic and leek, with bacon fat. 

Because, why not? Recipe is below... It's yummy. 

And the tomatoes are starting. These are the beefsteak. The cherry tomatoes are on the deck. We have 2 beefsteak plants, and somehow ended up with FOUR cherry tomato plants. 

Four. 

There are TWO of us in this house. 

Luckily, I can also roast the cherry tomatoes. Yummmmmmmm. 

Sauteed Kale

4 c. kale, stripped of stems, diced into bite-size chunks
1 c. leeks, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 c. baby portobellos, chopped (no stems)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 T. bacon fat or butter
1/2 c. water or veggie broth
1 T. golden balsamic vinegar

Heat the bacon fat or butter in a large saute pan over med-high heat. Add the leeks, stirring gently till they get slightly transparent. Use a slotted spatula to remove them and set them aside. Add the portobellos, saute till they're tender. Remove those, too. 

Add the chopped kale and saute - about 4 - 5 minutes, depending on how big your kale is. Till it wilts and turns bright green; gets fork-tender. Then add back the leeks, mushrooms and add the garlic. Mix everything around in the pan and let the leeks get a little softer, the garlic a little warmer, and the 'shrooms warmer. **You can add a bit more bacon fat or butter here if you need it. 

After everything's nice and tender, add the water and clamp a lid on it to steam it for 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. **NOTE: The timing for this dish is entirely dependent on the kale...just don't burn the garlic or leeks. You won't enjoy it. 

Splash around the Golden Balsamic at the finish. Serve alone, or over quinoa or wild rice. Or serve as a side dish. 

This is a good general starting point. You can add chopped bacon, or chunks of leftover ham if you want. You can also add chicken as extra protein, or garbanzo beans if you want to keep it on the lighter side. 

Random Picture...

I like leaving chalk messages. They're not high art. Not even decent calligraphy. But it's a little thing. 


This is today's message. I've chalked "thanks to delivery folks" and #BLM and a few other things. If it rains, it goes away. No big deal. 

Impermanence is ok in this case. 

The boomers are going off. Quinn has had her second dose of Sileo. The diffusers are running. 

Someone's shooting off the "pretty" ones, but mostly, it's just the bang-booms. 

Raisa is crashed out here next to me. Tippi is in the hall. In a moment, I'm going to refill the diffusers; I have TWO going in the bathroom. One has Lavender in it, but the other just has plain water. I just want the "white noise" in that room. 

Both hall fans are on Speed #3. My front room fan is on Speed #2 and Hubby's desk fan is also at high speed. I'm not blaring the TV. He's got to sleep. 

I, on the other hand, am going to go ice my jaw some more, watch the rest of a Midsomer Murder episode and see how long the chaos lasts.