Not too shabby for my first sourdough loaf after a 15yr hiatus. Rye starter. 70/30 white/whole wheat. 🥖

Imbolc blessings

The foxes visited our pond on multiple nights this January. We’re likely one of the few places nearby with accessible water this time of year because of the deicer for the fish. 🦊

Neat little ice chimneys formed last night on the pond around the deicer. (There’s an air bubbler under the deicer to oxygenate the water for the fish while the waterfall is off for winter). I’ve never had this happen before. 🐠🐟

Got to keep the coffee warm! Found this easy Chemex cozy pattern on ravelry and used up some yarn in my stash 🧶

Most of my sewing is by hand, sitting in an arm chair or on the couch. I’m forever making little piles of thread ends and cut corner remnants. So today I made this handy little “basket” (out of scraps) to catch all the loose ends.

Made the cutest little pincushion today 🦉 he might need a name 🪡

I love making these little workbags (from a Burnley & Trowbridge hand sewing tutorial). I use them to keep my WIPs. I’ve just been using whatever fabric & ribbon I have around, so 1 is all cotton, 1 is silk with a wool lining, & 1 is all silk. 🪡

I mean, okay…

Et voila! Solstice around the corner & the Yule tree is up. Until we moved to Nebraska, I never put up a tree this early. But Xmas starts in October here & is in your face like nowhere I’ve ever lived - if you haven’t reserved your tree at the tree farm before thanksgiving, why are you even alive?

Nothing sums up the in between times quite like the day Ma and Pa Turkey welcome our annual Charlie Brown Yule tree.

Prep for more Suzuki teacher training continues… next summer will be Bk 4. Now working on Bach Minuet I (Partita in Bb). For teaching/training I play the piano (I’m not a harpsichord teacher) but for fun I take all baroque pieces to the harpsichord. It’s a different sonic and tactile experience. 🎶

Des Moines by day. Downtown and the East Village are sleepy on a Sunday morning.

After dinner last night, stopped in at Exile Brewing. Way too busy on a Saturday night so we just took two pictures and left. Random lady waiting in line watching us leave after the pictures, “that’s all you’re doing?!?!?” 🤣

My first night in Des Moines. Driven through this city so many times over the years on the way to somewhere else. Been to the capitol building. But tonight we’re spending the night. Will do more exploring tonight, but did a little tonight on our walk to dinner. It’s a fun little city!