bear crap

This week has gotten away from me.  The weather has been cold here.  Not that that is a huge thing for most people, but the idea of snow and ice shuts this city down.  Let alone ice, snow, and temperatures in the teens.  I do not walk if there is ice, lightening, or my path is flooded.  The ice was because of my parents and I did not expect it here.  I did not walk one day because of ice.

My Beloved came to me and said one of the other boyos brought in this sweet, salty, savory, chocolately snack into the shop.  My Beloved wanted to see if we could create something similar.  We created something.  I thought it would be interesting to show the beginning steps.

This is not going to be the final recipe but I can tell you that the boyos like it.  I actually think it should be made more similar to a chocolate bark but I have heard no complaints.  I actually do not know what all is in it.  There are some pretzels, chocolate covered pretzels, Chex, mini marshmallows.  We experimented with melting chocolate with some marshmallows and folding it in.  Not quite right.  But I also think that part of the problem may have been the type of chocolate that was used.  Every bit of chocolate that was not nailed down was used.  

I know all of this will get eaten.  I know  I have a half roasting pan full of non-chocolated bits and pieces that I can play with some more.  I will just keep laughing.

I may be quiet in this space this coming weekend and week.  Memorials, a funeral, and recovery will need to happen.  I am just taking breaths.

t-shirt dress

This picture was taken yesterday.  I was outside modeling the dress I made.  Today there are icicles hanging from the roof.  The weather can be so different in 24 hours. 

It went from almost 70 to 26 currently.  I cannot complain.  I am home safe.  It is warm.  My foot is healing.  Now, if the boyos would not give me there bugs.  I had plans on making a salmon pie for dinner.  At this rate, it is going to be toast and eggs.  Something very settling on the tummy.  They have had yucky tummies and now it appears I may as well.  I may just go to bed very early.  Not a very big deal but I do get to hear a bit of complaining.  

I do like this dress I made.  I had some left over jersey from a present I had made.  Part of what is so nice is that the jersey is very wide and I can only buy it in yard increments.  It is also organic and milled in the US.  I can get other things out of a piece I purchase for a project because of the width and purchase policies.

This t-shirt dress was an experiment for me.  I did all the straight sewing on my treadle sewing machine.  I did anything with a curve or an edge by hand.  It is not a fancy dress but it is a comfortable dress and I can use the concept again.  I like a-line dresses but I would be the first to admit that they are probably not the best shape for me.  But the comfort!  

I have more jersey I can work with.  Maybe even enough to get a straighter dress out of some.  But I have been asked to make boyo clothes.  The boyos basically wish to have old fashioned working suits.  Something you would have seen years ago.  Shirts, waistcoats, blazers, and pants.  I am starting with a few shirts.  Maybe a waistcoat.  They make me laugh!  Because the whole group comes up with this type of thing which makes it even more funny!  When I say the boyos, I mean all of them.  And Koda Bear may be wishing similar clothes as well as their newest hire.  I will have to see.  

trying to be sensible

I have been doing a lot of hand sewing this week.  Not very exciting when it comes to pictures.  It is for a new to me dress so there will be pictures when it is done but I am doing and embroidery stitch for the hems.  It takes time.  It has been a good place to let thoughts come and go.  And talk people down from emotional highs and lows.  

I have never helped with funeral arrangements before.  This has been interesting.  I have come to a place in my life where I try very had not to create drama or deal with drama in my life.  Having a significant person die alone creates drama for many people.  I feel like every one should do there best in this situation.  Sometimes your best is just letting go.  Because this involves the ice skating community, not going to happen.  Emotionally, I am tired.

I have been having problems walking this week.  The heel bruise I have became much more painful when I had to wear more dress like shoes.  It had been suggested to me that I could try a new pair of shoes with more padding.  It is where I spent my morning.  Trying on shoes.  Everything I put on my feet felt better then what I was wearing.  I

had a few conversations while I was shopping.  The outdoor store I went to had people working there who have actually used a lot of products.  I got into conversations about how far I walk, about how far I have walked since June.  I realized I should have probably replaced these shoes last June.  I just hope there is healing that goes on now.  I did do the sensible thing and bought more then one pair so I can rotate.  I have about a week before I know I have to wear a more dressy shoe.  I am pushing for healing.

time to put it in a box

I finished this dress yesterday.  It is just a simple A-line t-shirt dress.  I did use an embroidery stitch around all the hems which will allow for a bit more stretch.  I am going to mail it off to my best friend tomorrow.  In a box it goes.

I am making something similar for myself and will be working on those hems as well.  I put pockets in mine and I will have to see how well those work before I finish anything.  Maybe, I will also get some time just to sew.  That would be nice.

I liked how this picture turned out so I thought I would share it.  It is something that ended up on my Instagram account.  I needed to walk badly this morning but knew it would only happen if I got up early.  So I was out before the sun rose.  It made for a pretty picture.  I would say it was a quieter walk then usual but that is okay.  It made having to talk non-stop for three hours this morning much more bearable.

Oranges

I swear that I live in the biggest small town on earth.  I know it is the fourth biggest city in the United States but it is very  much a small town.  I have the hardest time finding things here at times.  Fabrics.  Yarns.  Things to make the things.  That even includes food stuffs.  If I am willing to travel ten miles (this is within the city limits) I might be able to find the ingredients that I am looking for.  If I do not wish to that, I either have to grow it or make it. 

I make the food to make the food to make the food.  It is my life.  Let us not talk soup at all.

I was trying to get the ingredients together for kugelhopf and panettone in my neighborhood.  I just did not wish to drive anymore.  Not this season.  I started saving every orange peel.  Which I really have to ask the boyos to do for me.  I am good for one orange or tangerine.  Not as many as I needed.

I started with making candied peel to begin with.  That went into the panettone.  It clinked on the china plate when I was done.  Not the prettiest but it would do and I had some to save.

The next thing was that I took a bag full of peel and dried them.  This took about six hours and half way filled a quart canning jar.  But I will have dried peel for chai later in the year.  I can say that this area grows citrus so it is in season here.  I just have to keep gathering.  And feeding boyos oranges and grapefruit. 

When the grapefruit happens, the same will happen to its peel.  As well as the lemon.  Then I will also start in on the extracts.  I may be plotting a few Christmas presents for next year already.