making and listening

the making

::in the kitchen::

*strawberry jam
just two pints this time, but it brings our total so far up to about 16 cups of from-the-backyard strawberry jam
(mine always separates like this when I process it, I think because I leave it pretty chunky... we just stir it up before digging in.)

it would seem the best strawberry-jam-making helpers wear capes (nothing but capes),

and are more than glad to assist with the sticky clean up.

(raspberry jam is up soon, we're watching those bushes and while most branches still end in tight little clusters of greenish unripe berries, we have found two ripe ones.....)

speaking of unripe berries, I had to have a chat with C today about never ever picking unripe blueberries again...... sacrilegious, it is! (though they do look pretty against that bright 'radish' color of her newly painted picnic table, I must say

*granola, from this lovely cookbook (I've now made two things from her book, the other being baked oatmeal, seems I like what she does with oats).  I added a bit of cinnamon and some sesame seeds, and swapped coconut oil for the butter.  it has orange rind in it and I swear that smell takes me right back to christmas baked goods as a child (though I'm quite sure my mother didn't actually bake anything with orange rind?) and memories of my mom pulling those pillsbury cinnamon rolls out of the oven and glazing them with that orange-flavored icing.  can't say I've got a desire to eat one of those now, but oh my gosh the olfactory memory lane...

::for her::

*the newly painted picnic table
*number rods


inspired by this, I started the process of making her own set of montessori-esque number rods a while ago and have finally done it. (okay, some of the rods still need a bit of paint, but they are so close to being finished)  these are a bit different from the traditional montessori material, in color and size, but I am a-okay with that.

::for me::

I've been making changes in our furniture situation, shifting things around in her room, the office, and the dining room.  the wall above the mantle in the dining room is now a chalkboard wall where I plan to write my favorite quotes in chalk-marker.  some of my favorites are listed here.  there are many others that will be dueling for the available space. from winnie-the-pooh to wendell berry to julia child....  quite a mix it will be.

I keep telling myself they aren't just for christmas.  they are christmas lights from december to january, and otherwise they are just..... lights.  sparkly, lovely, cozy lights.  one day maybe I'll actually hang those pictures on the wall.  for now, the plate rail is an eventual-wall-decor catch all.

::outside::

I've been sneaking in *little mini garden beds in the form of cinder blocks and small rock-lined raised beds pouring out of the existing garden space. (I'll do another garden post soon, no doubt.  seems every other post is about the garden)

something else I've been making is *mistakes

mistakes in tadpole rearing, specifically
they were all, all eight of them, doing great for a couple weeks and then they started dropping off
I'm not sure why,
they seemed to be enjoying their chlorine-free water and their cat food and lettuce...
so we were down to three
until today
today when I left their lovely new habitat in the hot sun
(it wasn't in the sun at first, mind you, but I didn't check on them for a while and then, when I did....)


the two that were still completely water bound are no longer
the water was way too warm
ugh
bad tadpole-mama! (but oh, the things I've learned for next time)
but there's one sweet little froggy left, one little amphibian successfully reared and dangit we are letting him/her go in the creek tomorrow (where, yes, s/he may get eaten almost immediately or otherwise perish) and then I can picture him/her happily living out their little froggy life in creekside bliss.

the listening

it's been a big pandora week
who am I kidding, it's nearly always pandora around here
it's been:

natalie macmaster and sam bush&jerry douglas for inspiration
brett dennen
alabama shakes
regina spektor

over time so many of my pandora stations sound alike, surely I could whittle it down a bit
would love to hear others' favorites....


*I am playing along with dawn