3/27/2016 Easter

A fun day with a hitch. I met Raven in Sebastapol at Whole Foods. We took a walk over to Tailor Maid Coffee for a fine cup. They roast it right there, the good stuff.

Another vardo went by, we walked towards it and it disappeared, reappearing later, we got to check it out inside. I should have taken a picture. A nice vardo, bow top style with double dutch doors and a partial clear roof for plenty of light. A small propane stove with sink, bed, a wood stove, nice storage beneath. A small one but comfortable. Well made.

We did the farmers market, a fun one with crafts and food booths, of course the veggies. I picked up some fresh celery and garlic. We stopped by the Goodwill store where I found a nice Corning Ware lasagna pot for next weeks potluck at work. A deep dish square ceramic pot that will fit in the microwave at work, perfect for what I need. We stopped back to Whole Foods where I bought more tomato sauce Marinara, more lasagna O noodles and some baby spinach as I think a vegetarian small glass bread pan I have would be a nice addition.  

Down the road to Raven’s new house, a simple place, main room with comfy air bed and separate futon couch,  lace covered table, small computer bench. Nice little kitchen, hand made cabinets by the landlord, nicely done. Bathroom with a shower and a bucket to preserve the water as it gets hot. Out back is a yoga room and a wonderful garden. Plenty of raised beds, onions, a lot of garlic, leeks, fava beans to plow under, asparagus in it’s glory this season. The compost bins are perfect. These people worked hard for such beauty. I met Henna, the land lady, she let me have a fine leek. Nice pad Raven, for a short time. We headed for my place home.

Dishes done, laundry in the dryer as Raven arrived. Jamin, the neighbor’s grandson stopped by, he’d like to make a wooden sword. I find a nice scrap piece of birch plywood 1 1/2″ wide, should work well. A sharpened pencil on the lapidary grinder sets him well.

I’m thinking I have a leek, potato leek soup. The net kicks a recipe, to modify. It would be better with bacon, I cook up a batch chopped crisp, drained aside. Just a little grease. Potatoes, mostly golds and two, a russet and a red, peeled, the leek less the tough leaves chopped. I planted the sprouting potato eyes in the garden as I gathered an herb garni of thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley and sage. All in with free range chicken broth to simmer.

I helped Jamin cut his sword on the band saw, showed him how the sander works with safety goggles. An angled fake edge. A short roll of E tape to secure the cross guard and cover the handle. He’s happy.

I break out the immersion blender and break down the soup. This is a  good tool. Add the bacon. Wow, tasty stuff, I munch a bowl. Raven wants some for later, I jar a pint and a tub for lunches, with more for now, yum.

Raven has a new radio CD player from Luis. She figures it out on line and installs it all on her own. It totally works, wow. She requests a CD to test it. In my car I have a copy of her album, appropriate, it works.

On the guitar, I need to secure the pickups with the backing springs included. I find a #23 bit should fit well with thread clearance. I set the bit depth to what should be right and drill the holes for the bridge pickup. As I secure the pickup with some difficulty, one of the screws breaks, oh no. These screws provided with the pickups are too long, they’ll be out the back. 1 1/4 is max, these are 1 1/2. I try to remove it with pliers, won’t budge. Raven asks if I can carve it out. Not an option. Thinking, I could drill it out on the sides. I drill three holes around the screw, loosening it enough to wiggle it back out with pliers. A 1/4 inch dowel will fill it, using a ‘D’ bit, 4 mil less it gives it a pressure fit, banged in place. Re drilled it fits. That was a serious challenge resolved, the hitch. I’ll need to get new screws or cut these down to 1 1/4″. I will also need some brass screws to secure the E cover and the bridge.

Slowly it becomes a sweet instrument.

3/12/2016

Another fine day. I headed to town late as I slept in. Coffee at Bucky’s and Safeway stuff. The Dollar Tree has 9 volt batteries for pocket amps. It’s raining a lot with flood warnings. I stop at Shelton’s for O veggies and more bulk sugar for marmalade. Home.

I cook up a batch of chicken veggie soup, this ones great too. I have a bagget, sliced up thin, dipped in olive oil on a plate, in the baking pan, salt, garlic powder, dry basil and chopped fresh rosemary, in the oven at 350 F until crisp. These are so good to munch or put in soup, tomato bruschetta would do too.

I glued down the back panel inlays with super glue and hickory sawdust outside, inside and to join the two layers of rattan. The electronics compartment has plastic wrap to release it.

Raven arrived, letters from the govie with money in them for her, more Valley fire cash, cool. She has a new place now in Santa Rosa. We dug around in the garage to find my old electronics box as I need a good switch. Score, I have more parts than I remember, but the really good switches are there, as well as a bridge rectifier I will need for the big amp I’m working on. I find the right hardware to secure the switch.

The rain’s let up, we walk to the river in boots to check it out. It’s still ten feet below the bank, great, but a lot of water is flowing all the way across. As it’s starting to rain again I pop open the umbrella and we cut through the vineyard home.

Raven is doing research on the computer as I head for the garage. Clamping the guitar down with a pair of sweatpants to cushion it, I use the belt sander to grind down the inlays until flush and smooth with the back. As it is, the hollows make a great percussion instrument on the back with several different tones.

I hand drilled a hole to remove the electrics panel but missed wood, it came out alright. I carved a new piece on the band saw and sander to glue inside to fit. The rattan didn’t all stick in the E pocket, I hand glued it in. I had to sand the E cover to fit the expanded purfling. It fits now. I gathered all the electronics, cut a piece of cardboard to fit the cavity, sketched the layout arc and installed to parts into the cardboard. I looked up the schematic on the web.

I’ve wired parts in place on the cardboard, still need to solder things down. I still need to drill the holes in the guitar face, small from inside using the pattern, then larger to size from the outside to hopefully prevent grain blowouts. The washers and nuts should help cover. I may need to re router it to reduce the thickness, we’ll see.

A switch to choose which pickup, tone, volume, and output jack. A simple circuit should be good. I’ll use the black pick up wire to solder the pot backs as a ground connection. I’ll need to drill in the bridge ground to connect the strings to ground. That may be tricky. or clean, we’ll see. The bridge is next, we’re close.

Rainy Day Creations

It’s been awhile since I’ve made an entry, glad to be back.  An intense rainstorm is moving through the area and I’ve been housebound, so decided to catch up on some ideas I’ve wanted to finish. The first is my Kitchen Witch apron, the apron being a gift from Dan’s friend, with my addition of a witchy patch to the front.  I looked hard for something, as it’s not really the season for such things in craft stores.  Head shops, online, and finally found this really cool sewing shop called, “The Legacy” that had SOMETHING.  Here it is, the simple “ceremonial gown” of a Kitchen Witch.

The next project niggling at me was to make “crystal Essences”– collected rainwater, saltwater cleansed crystals, and affirmative statements the needed tools.  I let the rainwater sit in the light of the New Moon, and crafted two essences out of this charged water, one from Quartz, one from amber (a resin, not crystal, but you get the idea).  Each essence has a corresponding affirmation that fits with the magickal quality of the crystal, and will be used in my Magickal cooking (and did my inner agnostic have a field day with THIS).  But who cares, it’s FUN…I need to make some pretty labels.  Here’s the brewing Amber essence:

I’m thinking of making another essence from the bright yellow dandelions outside my door next, if it would stop raining for them to show their plant faces :}.

3/5/2016

This morning I did a surgical removal of the steel toes from my new work shoes, stitched them back up with saddle stitching and inside knots invisible. Wow, they finally fit perfectly comfortable. They still look good.

I was supposed to go to Elliot’s today to calk a shower. I got as far as the Santa Rosa B of A bank when I got a call from El, his tenant isn’t ready, can I do tomorrow instead. Sure, why not, I have plenty to do here. I drove home with a stop at Wally’s for shampoo and a Chinese meal at Panda, I could do as well but I was hungry. I stopped at Sally’s and found another toaster oven for $3 why not, a Cuisinart, I just plugged it in, it works, all four burners and stainless. Home.

I worked on the guitar, whittling away at the largest back panel to fit the doubled rattan purfling, It took awhile using the curved Xacto blade I modified, a little more here and there until it finally fits.

I need to make lunches for next week, a batch of chicken veggie soup, I make good soup, this batch is fine, four buckets, three frozen. I marinated the rest of the chicken (O soy sauce, garlic powder and five spice) and broiled it, should have used the new oven.

It’s been raining a lot. Finally letting up a bit.

I wrapped the electronics cover with plastic wrap a few times after sanding until the rattan fit. It’s ready for super glue.

I hope it works. I think I’ll try a test on the plastic wrap with super glue to make sure I can get the E cover off after gluing the purfling.

The bigger section will need a little sawdust to cover the excess cut on the top. To be glued later, then sand it all flush. The electronics and bridge still need to be installed. A good day.