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Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

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Check-In Post - Aug 21st 2025

Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.

This Week's Question: Share your favourite crafting tip, if you have one.

If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is cloudy and mild. :D

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/22/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/22/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is cloudy and cooler. :D

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered spaces to put the irises.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I planted a Dangerous Mood Bearded Iris (lavender standards with near-black falls) in the purple-and-white garden. I planted a Montmartre Bearded Iris (purple with yellow edges) and a Ziggy Reblooming Bearded Iris (yellow standards with burgundy-and-yellow streaked falls) under the maple tree.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered the newly planted irises.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered the old picnic table and the patio plants.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and septic garden.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden and some of the savanna plants.

Cicadas and crickets are singing. Fireflies are out.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

Entry tags:

Check-In Post - Aug 20th 2025

Entry tags:

dessert,
ice cream

Avocado Ice Cream

Avocado Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 large avocados, peeled, seeded, and sliced
4 cups medium or whipping cream
3 tablespoons tequila or light rum
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

Combine the avocados and 1 cup of the cream in the container of a blender or processor. Add the liquor and whirl until smooth.
Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Beat the egg yolks with another cup of the cream.
In a saucepan, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and whisk to blend thoroughly. Slowly whisk in the remaining 2 cups of cream and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened.
Whisk half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Pour the mixture back into the pan and stir over medium heat for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and chill for 2 hours.
Combine the avocado mixture and the egg yolk mixture in the container of an ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is partly cloudy and sweltering. It rained a little last night.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/19/25 -- I put out water for the birds. I've seen a male cardinal.

EDIT 8/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/19/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/19/25 -- I watered the barrel garden and the old picnic table garden.

EDIT 8/19/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and the septic garden.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

Entry tags:

Check-In Post - Aug 19th 2025

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is mostly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few house finches and sparrows.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen a hummingbird in the forest garden. I couldn't tell more detail than that, but presumably it is a rubythroat as that is the only kind typically found in Illinois. It may have been attracted to the water, or the robust colony of red salvia blooming in the barrel garden.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I did a more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I potted up 24 sweet cherry seeds.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I watered the old picnic table and the patio plants.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

Entry tags:

Check-In Post - Aug 18th 2025

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I watered the patio plants and the old picnic table garden.

I picked 4 goldenberries.

I've seen a male cardinal.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

I picked 2 red cherry tomatoes.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden and a few of the savanna seedlings.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

Entry tags:

Check-In Post - Aug 17th 2025

Entry tags:

Whale Watching

I should immediately add that although we did see whales, I was not able to get any pics of them! Unfortunately the boat, which was not that large, was rocking too much to focus and the whales came and went too quickly even for the camera phone. Did catch the sea lions on the buoys but not even the ones briefly following us out of the docks as they were there and gone too quickly.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a male cardinal, and a mourning dove.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I did a more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I watered the patio plants and old picnic table garden.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

I picked 5 ground cherries and a red cherry tomato. The ground cherries are related to tomatillos, with a sweet fruit inside a husk. They are about the size of a chickpea with a faint pineapple flavor. :D

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden and a few of the savanna seedlngs.

Cicacas and crickets are singing. Fireflies are out. I saw a bat.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: My Desk

Entry tags:

Check-In Post - Aug 16th 2025

Entry tags:

seafood,
shrinp

Asam Prawn (Tamarind Prawn)

Asam Prawn (Tamarind Prawn)
YIELD 4 people PREP 10minutes mins COOK 5minutes mins TOTAL 15minutes mins

Ingredients

10 oz (280g) shell-on big prawns
2 tablespoons tamarind pulps
1/4 cup water (4 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

Rinse the prawns with water and pat them dry with paper towels. Trim the antennae and devein each prawn by making a shallow slit along the top.
Mix the tamarind pulp with 4 tablespoons of water. Extract the juice by pressing the pulp. Set it aside.
Add the tamarind juice, tamarind pulp, and salt to the prawns and mix well. Marinate for 10 minutes.
Heat a wok and add the cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, pan-fry the prawns until they are cooked through and slightly charred. Add the sugar and stir to combine well with the prawns. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Entry tags:

animal: bat

Nature diary

Yesterday I stood on the balcony at half past nine, when it was a little less hot outside then inside my apartment. I listened for bird calls, but there were none. Even the swallows and the seagulls seemed to be asleep already. Instead, there were bats!
They weren't easy to see, but as I was looking at the sky, I noticed those little dark shapes fluttering by. They looked almost like leaves in the wind, but clearly had a mind of their own, flying back and forth in front of me.
I wonder what species they were. It's impossible to tell. They could have been pipistrelles, given how small they were, but there's no way to be sure. During the day, they probably live in holes in the old trees beyond the lawn, or perhaps in little cracks in the walls of the building.
I hope they caught a lot of mosquitoes.

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny and sweltering. :P

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen a flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I watered the patio plants, old picnic garden, and new picnic garden.

I picked a red cherry tomato.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

Entry tags:

Check-In Post - Aug 15th 2025

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is sunny, humid, and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I watered the patio plants and old picnic table garden.

I've seen a male cardinal in the forest garden.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden, telephone pole garden, and some of the savanna seedlings.

Crickets and cicadas are singing. Fireflies are out; I haven't seen them in a while.

There was a skunk in the south lot.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

Entry tags: