The most recent batch of soap turned out to be quite soft. The portion in the big mold that I sliced has set up nicely in the end but the portion that I poured into the fancy shaped molds finally had to be pried out after waiting some weeks to see if it would set a bit harder. It’s more humid this time of year and that’s about the only factor that’s different between this and previous batches other than a new essential oil. I think in the future I’ll only try one fancy mold at a time and use mainly the big ones that create a loaf of soap to slice.
As Judy so kindly reminded us a few weeks ago, it’s time for hummingbird feeders. Last year I put my feeder right out and was rewarded with earlier than usual hummer visits. This year I’ve been slow to get mine out as there’s been so much going on. Yesterday I finally did get my act together and filled the window feeder. Last year we had two pair. I wonder if they’ve installed themselves in the neighbors yard instead after finding mine empty. I did plant their sweet peas a few weeks ago and the honeysuckle has leafed out nicely.
And speaking of blooming things, the bulbs MIL sent last month have started to show their cheery faces. They are most welcome this chilly damp week!
I’d gone to CT S&W with a very specific shopping list and then a small amount of splurge money as well. Last year I’d admired the lovely alpaca yarn at Time’s Remembered but didn’t buy any. I kept thinking how sorry I was that I hadn’t bought any so I picked up a skein at NH S&W the following month. Over the course of the year I’ve been wondering what to make with it and I just keep thinking it really wants to be a sweater. With that in mind I planned to pick up a few more skeins this year in CT. In addition I splurged on some lovely cashmere and silk tussah roving as well as a cute little (very inexpensive) diz.
When the nurse who does allergy shots realized I’d been coughing for a month and didn’t expect it to go away until end of May or beginning of June she insisted I make an appointment with the allergist. Having been to the GP a few times seeking help with this issue, I didn’t really hold out much hope of help but I did realize the allergist might be in a better position to figure out what does seem to be an allergy related problem. They were booked solid through the end of May but squeezed me in anyway. Doc looked me over and told me a bunch of things I already knew- we are doing fairly well controlling allergies as far as sinus passageways etc. and I am not sick with anything bacterial or viral. Then he told me something new. He reckons I have cough-variant asthma. One of my complaints this time of year is that my lungs feel itchy. I never have tightness or wheezing so I never suspected asthma but that’s indeed very likely my problem. He gave me this inhaler to try out. My fingers are crossed that this will do the trick and my days and nights of hacking like a smoker will soon be numbered. We’ll know within the week.
Staying dutifully indoors has helped a wee bit with the allergy issues. One of the things I’ve kept busy with is a nun costume for my niece. It’s not exactly the sort of things kids commonly want to be for Halloween so I had to cobble something together. The medieval patterns furnished ideas for a robe and round neck thingy which came together very quickly thanks to prior costuming experience with the school play. I grabbed a thick white headband and cut a rectangle of black fabric which can be pinned on to create an approximate of a wimple. It may not be terribly accurate but I think it definitely gives the right idea and it can be easily morphed into something else later on.
The most recent batch of soap turned out to be quite soft. The portion in the big mold that I sliced has set up nicely in the end but the portion that I poured into the fancy shaped molds finally had to be pried out after waiting some weeks to see if it would set a bit harder. It’s more humid this time of year and that’s about the only factor that’s different between this and previous batches other than a new essential oil. I think in the future I’ll only try one fancy mold at a time and use mainly the big ones that create a loaf of soap to slice.
