It’s Sunday

And it’s really cool this morning. I had to switch out my short-sleeve t-shirt for a long-sleeve t-shirt. I’m NOT complaining.

With one thing and another, I didn’t cook until early afternoon on Friday, so I ate a really late dinner meal (on porch with book!). I tried the convection feature on the new oven, but I’m not convinced the convection fan is working right, or at all. But the lamb rack was delicious nonetheless. So, I had easily-heated leftover food yesterday and for dinner today.

Yes, I like rare meat. Rare is where all the nutrients are. And, in the yummy meat fat, which gives me long, slow, steady energy. I roasted the peppers in the air fryer, cooked the frozen green beans in the microwave, and boiled the potatoes on the stove. I reserved my daily fruit for supper, but did have my after-dinner espresso, with raw milk and raw honey.

Yesterday was filled with small tasks, like the trip to Loews where I bought these beautiful cyclamens to replace the spent plant in that pot. (Yes, that pot needs to be scrubbed in the sink–a task for today.) I went back and forth with the red or the deep pink cyclamens, and settled on the red to pick up the red in the Croton Petra plant on the porch. I didn’t consider the red roses, but… It’s all good. And cheerful. And fresh looking.

Cyclamens are perennials. And they are fairly cold hardy. In the Mediterranean region where they derived, they bloom in the winter, die down in the spring, and come back in the fall. Pansies are great plants in the fall too, and Lowes was filled with them in so many beautiful colors.

Here is the Croton Petra plant on the porch–pink cyclamens would definitely fight with the Croton Petra. This plant is actually a tropical evergreen shrub, and outside it can get to be about three feet. They don’t like temps that go down to the 50s.

Tara Faughnan’s 6-month improv, creative block project (online class) started October 1. The first project is called “Zipper,” and I pulled this palette from my stash yesterday. Later today I’ll start playing. “Zipper” looks really fun–the block could make a nice pillow. Or, a block that gets put into an improv quilt alongside other blocks. The solids are more graphic, but there’s no reason someone couldn’t use prints if they wanted to do that.

I am waiting for more garment pattern tracing paper to come on Tuesday to finish tracing a tunic pattern I want to make–it is meant to go over the gorgeous leggings DIL Tami gave me earlier this summer. I tried two local stores for this paper, but neither had it. I wanted a top that could be layered and that covers my bum.

I did get the binding on “Summer Camp” yesterday, and I halted on Traverse to hand sew down the binding so I can show it at the next local quilt meeting. Traverse is pouting on the hassock, but I keep reminding her that I’ve ordered two spools of Aurifil 12-wt thread from Red Rock Threads to go in that lavender-ish bar you can just see at the right edge of this picture. (One of the two colors ordered will go well with that fabric and will be added to my 12 wt threat collection.) I was working on the row below, with the orange-ish elongated hexagons set on the gold/brown fabric, and it is coming out nicely.

I really love this “Summer Camp” mystery quilt.

Later today I’ll walk in this lovely cool weather, and I’ll do another round of watering the grass and plants. I’ve been watering every two days as it is so, so dry. And I do not see any rain in sight. I play my music while walking and sing along. When watering, I “Zen out” with the music and the hose–stopping only to visit with neighbors who stop by to indulge in short visits.