Weekly update - Aug. 6, 22

We are not watching a movie tonight. I rarely watch anything in the evening, so that two night movie fest felt as though it took up a lot of time, though I'm glad we did it.

• Yesterday I took K., Y., G., and L. to American Science and Surplus because I needed some supplies to be able to dye wool. I think I can say most of them have now found their favorite store. There was so much that was ogled. Steampunk gears, pirate maps, knives, gas masks, Army surplus, magnets, pens, and any amount of other goofy somewhat useless items mixed in with the genuinely useful. It is the only place I know where I can find beakers in mm, funnels, glass stir sticks, protective eye wear, and syringes of all sizes in one place at crazy low prices. If you live in the area and have never been, you should go. If you don't live in the area you can still check out their online store and just wonder at the vast array of things they sell. 
• Last Thursday I had a large hay delivery arrive. Seeing this in my barn makes me exceedingly happy.

• It was a good baking week. Not only did D. make the brioche I wrote about, but a few days before K. made chocolate chip cheesecake. He had never made cheesecake before and it was very good.

• I did some more rearranging of the house due to the new couches. The biggest change was moving a rug from the family room into the living room. I truly don't know why I didn't have it there to begin with because it looks so much better there. Ignore the vacuum, I didn't realize it was in the picture when I took it.

• If you are friends with me on Facebook you've already seen this. In my week long search for dyeing supplies I headed to a thrift store that P. had found a while back looking for dye pots. This store was... something. It literally had everything. After I found what I was looking for I wandered around just to see what was there. That is when I came across this.

It is a large framed piece of antique SE Asian embroidery. How could I leave it behind? It is going to look amazing hanging above one of the new couches. J. is very excited to move around nearly everything we currently have hanging on the walls to make room for it. J. is gracious and willing to move pictures for me, but I know it is now his favorite activity.

• J.'s current activity is framing in the new back door. He did a good bit of the outside today. I think it is looking very good. 
• The door has been in for a week now and I am still finding myself going to the sliding door before I stop myself and go use the new one. Every. Single. Time.
• I'm afraid I have some sad farm news. Yesterday morning J. went into the chicken pen to discover one of the geese dead in the corner. It hadn't been attacked, it just looked as though it had gone to sleep. None of the other birds looks as though they are sick, which is good. Watching the goose that is left honking and staring at the pen door last night as if to say that we forgot to let in her friend was kind of heart wrenching.
• I spent a good chunk of last week with the calendar sorting out all the fall activities we have and the classes I will be teaching. I have always disliked putting it all on the calendar and this year was no different. It just feels so overwhelming to think about it all at once.
• If you are looking for a good book to read I recommend The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. It is kind of a crazy book with the main character waking up in a different body and reliving the same day over and over trying to solve the murder that happens at the end of the day. It's kind of like murder mystery meets Groundhog Day. If you do read it, have a little patience at the beginning because a takes a couple of chapters to find your feet. I also read it with my finger tucked into the cast of characters page because I kept having to refer back to it.
• My new acid dyes came today. I think I have everything I need to try dyeing on my own. I just need to work up the nerve to mix up the dye stock. A day that is not suffocatingly hot would also help because I want to mix them up outside.
• Nefertiti likes the new couches very much and does not like to share them.
• I have about 25 books on hold at the library because I am about to start planning our school year at the end of the week. Most appear to be on their way, but one of them, which I really need, is just sitting there. This will not be helpful if it doesn't arrive in a timely manner.

And with that I'll day goodnight. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.