Just Yoking

1. Where do geese go when they want to search online?
2. What award did the American football player win when he took gifts to Jesus?

1. Gaggle.com
2. The Weissman Trophy

Ginger Bread Houses

One of my favourite advent activites is making ginger bread houses. I went to J.'s class yesterday and helped the 1st grade kids make theirs. They started with a small milk carton and pasted Graham crackers all around with icing. When I got home, A. and I started on our own. We didn't have milk cartons so we had to stick the crackers together with icing, and then leave them to harden over night. Today the boys started making theirs. A. and I finished ours, and J. enhanced hers with some more M&Ms. Now to eat them!

A Bust of Sir Arminius Oliphant

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! I am
proud to present: a bust of the highly esteemed imaginary scholar, the accomplished Sir Oliphant!
Now that we've finished the pleasantries,
you may be asking yourself,"Who is this
Sir Oliphant?". Please do not trouble yourselves
with these questions. He is nothing but a figment
of my imagination.
Now that we have that cleared up, you may be wondering how I made the bust. That is what I
will tell you now.
to start, at the center of Sir Oliphant's head is a wooden rod about five inches long. Around that is
a rather thick layer of paper towel bound with
masking tape in the general shape of a human head.
After I accomplished this, I simply wrapped clay
around it in a way that it still looked like a head.
The first actual feature I formed was the nose.
Accordingly, the nose is a prominent feature in
Sir Oliphant's face. The rest was simple enough,
except for the hair, which, as hard as I tried,
would not be made in one piece.

Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon

My desire to know about astronomy greatly eclipses my knowledge of astronomy. When I heard that Venus and Jupiter were going to be visible near the moon this evening, I went out and snapped this picture on the digital camera. These three won't come together again until 2052.

On Christmas Eve I'd ....

I finished working on the smoke chamber of the fireplace yesterday. It was one of the most unpleasant jobs I've ever done in my life. I had to lie on my back with my head in the fireplace, and reach into the 100 mm slot above, sometimes with both hands to operate the drill. I put seven pieces of tin in place to replace the rusted metal. It had to go up in pieces because of the small gap for access.

Today it seemed worth it as the snow turned into rain and the fire crackled. We hooked up an aerial to listen to Christmas music on the radio.

A. contributed to the advent mood with a picture and story:

"On Christmas Eve, the last [day of] advent. I decorate the tree. I light a fire. I have fun. The end."

The picture shows the fire in the fireplace with a Christmas scene on the mantel piece. She is next to the fire with her mouse slippers on, stringing lights onto the Christmas tree. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

Pop-pop Boat

I recently made a steam boat. The instructions, at http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/boat/makeBoat4_07.htm, called it a pop-pop boat, but it runs fundamentally on steam. First, I made a "boiler" from an aluminium soda can, cut and folded to the correct shape and size, with two straws sticking out. I then sealed the boiler with epoxy glue and silicone sealant. While the silicone dried, I made the hull of the boat with a milk carton, cut and folded. Once the silicone on the boiler dried, I stuck the straws that were poking out of the boiler through a hole that I had cut in the hull and bent them back under. I then glued the straws and boiler in place with a cool-melt hot glue gun. Now steam engines are external combustion engines, so for the "external combustion", I added a candleholder I had made to fit quarter birthday candles. On the day I finished it, I tried it out in the bathtub. On the first run, it worked, altough not very well, but the second try was amazing. The funny thing is, the day after I tried out my boat, a tin one came in the mail from my uncle and aunty in Australia!

Of Making Blogs There Is No End

Check out this new journal on Ecclesiastes
http://ofmakingblogsthereisnoend.blogspot.com/

Field Pack

I found this pack by the side of the road in the bulk collection. Not a bad find!

Fixing The Smoke Chamber

When we first moved in to our house, the chimney didn't have a cap or a working damper, so the rain got in and rusted the smokebox. The damper was replaced and Stephen installed a cap, but the smokebox was still broken. This afternoon, Stephen started work on the smoke box.

First, he made a cardboard model of the piece he needed and stuck it up to see if it would fit. Then he traced the pattern on a sheet of galvanized steel (the pattern, steel, and tinsnips are shown below).
He then cut out the steel with the tinsnips and bent it in the appropriate places with angle iron in a vice, and a hammer. After he completed that piece, he took it inside and stuck it up the 5" by 16" hole into the smoke box and into the appropriate place. Once it's finished, we can look forward to cozy fires this winter.

Making a file handle

I was using the chainsaw to rip wood from someone's apple tree (cutting it into short planks), when sparks started shooting out. I thought the wood must be hard, but later discovered I had cut through a nail three times. Needless to say the blade is sad now, so I went to buy a file, but first I had a hunt around my files (file files) to see if I had a nice one. I have two, one is nearly worn smooth, the other is a little rusty but so sharp it seems like it has never been used - and has no handle (I don't remember where these came from; a garage sale or someone's discards). So I thought about making a handle, maybe out of apple wood (although I have lots of hickory, and I just sharpened up my new (antique) draw knife today). If you give a mouse a cookie.... Anyway, while hunting through the files, I came across a triangle file that I have had since I was a teenager.
I used to make stuff at Grandma's house (pre-teen) with her rasp and vice. Later when she moved out of her own home (and we moved to Auckland), the rasp and vice came to our house. So I had made a handle for this file of mine. The handle cracked when I first put it on (no ferrule) but it is still tight and going strong. I must have made it out of a piece of one inch pine that was lying around. It is pretty greasy now though. So now I have to get busy and make a handle for the chain saw file.

Magnolia Warbler dies

A song bird died in our yard, trapped in the tree house, so sad.

He seems to be a pine warbler. I can't tell the colouring apart from a yellow-throated vireo, but he doesn't seem to have a notched beak, and the song I heard in our yard this morning sounded more like a pine warbler (so it seems that these birds are around).

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Pine_Warbler_dtl.html http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Yellow-throated_Vireo_dtl.html#fig1

Shopping List

Little A decided to make me a shopping list today--fully illustrated! It has two items on it, "korn" (corn) and "cat-tilop" (cantalope).

That's a range (stove) on the left, shopping cart on the right. and a grocery store fruit case at the bottom.

Organic Connections

By the calendar, summer is nearing its end. But my garden doesn't know that yet. Capsicum/peppers (cubanos), yellow squash, and tomatoes are still ripening. Nasturtiums, chrysanthemums and roses splash bright blooms amongst the delicate white alyssum. While some of my sunflowers are now bowed down by their weight of seeds, others continue blooming merrily.

The blooming season here begins in late March or early April (crocuses and daffodils) and lasts into November (mums and pansies). For veggies, it's peas (May/June) to pumpkins (October/November), though I didn't grow either of those this year.

Usually the tomatoes flourish along my driveway, but they weren't quite so abundant this year, even though I followed the usually successful practice of planting basil with the tomatoes (the two plants feed each other's roots and basil keeps pests off the tomatoes). However, I've been delighted with my cubano pepper experiment. Somewhere I read the suggestion to plant pepper plants in front of rocks because the heat reflects off the rocks onto the pepper plants and peppers love heat. So I placed a few pepper plants in front of the few big rocks that decorate my flower bed --it was a roaring success!

I learned my love of gardening from my father who, in the midst of his very full pastoring schedule, managed to grow a huge garden every summer (still growing a sizable patch even now). I helped with the cultivating, planting, stringing of lines and weeding. It was never a chore--always a joy--an organic connection that bound our family together. Already I can see the same organic connection taking root in my own children. Pure joy!

Mum's Self-Crusting Quiche

When my oldest was a toddler, he hit that stage where he began to reject vegetables. My mother-in-law, Judy Anne, offered this recipe as a way to “disguise” the dreaded veggies and get them into the boy. Twelve years later it is still a big favorite with my children.

Quiche, Self-Crusting. (Judy's notes: "quick to prepare, nutritious budget dish.")
In a large bowl mix 3 eggs, 1 cup self-rising flour (or plain flour plus 1 tablespoon of baking powder), 1 ½ cups milk, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Method:
Into this bowl add 2 cups of left over mashed veggies, bacon bits, pieces of ham, onion, frozen mixed veggies, mushrooms, corn, asparagus. Use anything edible from your fridge. Grease pie dish. Spoon in mixture, then garnish with parsley, tomatoes, grated cheese.

Cook 30-40 mins. 180 degrees Centigrade.

Judy was a master budget-chef. She could concoct the most delicious of meals on the barest of budgets and make it seem easy, even when she was very sick with cancer. The kitchen has never been my native habitat, but Judy never criticized or belittled me (even though I was feeding her son and very first grandson). She empowered--- coming alongside me as a helper and a friend.

Thank you, Judy! I miss you still.

Flying Monkeys Attack

This is a newspaper clipping I found on the sidewalk the other day.(he he) (I got the picture from the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)

Judy Anne's Speedball dip pens

Of the very few tangible memories I have of my mother, her dip pens and Speedball book have always been special. Others are some pottery she made, her water colour paintings, knitting for the kids (especially the oversized jumper for JJ), apron, scarves, cook books. Her Speedball book is marked 6/- (6 shillings, no pence), and also E/- (whatever that means). Inside she wrote her name and there is a stamp COUTTS the CHEMISTS, Chemists & Booksellers, WHANGAREI, N.Z. She must have bought it when we lived in Whangarei (c. 1964-67). I don't know if she did any calligraphy before that. She probably took a night class. I don't remember ever seeing her use her pens, although she helped us with our school projects, and must have made posters for Happy Hour (vacation Bible school).

The book got so much use that it fell apart and was taped with cellotape (obviously very acidic). I took out the rusty staples and removed the tape, and stitched the book together as a single signature (also covered it with contact plastic). It's funny that I now live not far from New Jersey where the Speedball book was published.

We were all interested in lettering as kids since we used fancy letters for our school projects, especially old english. We would always trace or copy the letters from the Speedball book, everyone had one, but we never actually wrote with ink in the calligraphy style (although that possibility always intrigued me).

When I came to USA, C. was already writing calligraphy, mostly with felt tip pens (with a calligraphy point). My interest was renewed, and now JJ is taking on calligraphy (with fountain pens with calligraphy nibs). The first font he mastered was uncial, and he went from there. We bought him a set, and grandparents bought him a set. Recently he got another set at a yard sale for $1.

I just bought some india ink (thinned out so it is good for fountain pens too) and a holder for the dip pen nibs (I have two holders of mum's, but I can't find them at the minute). We have had fun using them again (and trying to read the writing on the nibs!). copyright 2008.

Twelve Pages of Speedball Charts, click here (pdf file)

Fixing the Dungarees Clip

September 6, 2008.

Alas, the shoulder strap clip on the girls' dungarees broke. It was made of zinc based alloy and I could snap the broken pieces in my fingers. The solution was not really a blacksmith, but I took some copper wire out of an old piece of 14 gauge Romex electrical wire. Using pliers I bent it into a rectangle, then hammered the ends down so they would overlap at the join. Using an electrical soldering iron I soldered the join so it wouldn't just spring apart. A small file the size of a points file took the rough edges off, and we're ready for school again.

copyright 2008.

Changing Sump Pumps

When we moved into this house four years ago, two holes in the concrete housed pedestal sump pumps, and another sewer pump was in a covered basin in the basement bathroom. I have since dug the two sump reservoirs down two feet and installed proper basins. In one, I changed the pedestal pump for two submersible pumps. The pedestal went to the second basin so there was a back up there. Over a year ago the older one (1950's?) overheated and has been unplugged since. I bought a submersible pump to replace the other pedestal pump, and later received another submersible from Ralph.

Today I finally installed the submersibles in the second sump. All the same fittings were used so it went fairly smoothly, although hot work in a corner of the basement, bending over a hole in the closet. I have yet to buy a proper cover for it, so it just has a trash can lid sitting over the hole now.

I prefer the submersible pumps because they are cooled in the water and don't overheat, whereas the pedestal pumps need air circulation and overheated because I covered them. I want them covered to keep radon from coming into the house, and to control the humidity, and for safety.

I'm glad that's over. Now I don't have to worry about the basement flooding because the pumps are old.

Back to School Labeling

Back to School Labeling, August 28, 2008


Be sure to put your child's name on all their school supplies. That's what they say. But such a long list of supplies! And what's with the requirement of sharpened pencils? It took me nearly three hours to label, sharpen and organize this years' batch of stationery supplies.

Interesting items. One first grader is required to supply a box of baby wipes and a bottle of hand sanitizer--germ control at its finest. Maybe the bathroom sinks and soap dispensers are out-of-order at that end of the building this year? The junior higher needs two packets of lined paper and two packets of pens—just for English. That's more paper than he's used in his whole school career before now. Who knows, maybe this year, he'll conquer his writer's block and write the next Eragon. Then there are the boxes of tissues-- none for the first graders, two boxes for the middle schooler, three large boxes for the junior higher. The bigger they are, the snottier they get???

Anyway, the supplies are all boxed and ready to go.

I'll admit it, I have drawers full of spare supplies yet at home. Just can't resist those amazing back to school sales on stationery.

--Danger, Mum Working.

Making a Linchpin

August 25, 2008

A couple of months back, we got an Ariens lawn tractor off freecycle. It has a 15 hp Briggs and Stratton engine, and 42 inch mowing deck. Tyres and everything are good, but it moved forward a little, then stopped. Finally I figured out the problem. The engine bolts had rattled loose or off, which meant that the whole engine moved and took the tension off the drive belt.

A couple of days ago we picked up a trailer/cart for the tractor, also from a person on freecycle. We were planning to make a trailer anyway because the kids had decided to use it for hayrides during harvest season. So now we have a ready made trailer, also with good tyres and in working order. The only thing missing was the pin to connect the two. A nail worked for a while (actually D came up with a 1938 date nail from a railway sleeper), then I made a pin on the forge.

The stock was an old bicycle pedal arm (one piece with pedals attaching directly - no cotter pins). I had already started to make this into a ring so I opened it out, drew it down, cut excess off, bent a loop for a handle (and stop), and punched a hole. The punching went really well considering I haven't done much. I used a hot punch I made from the coil spring. Since I don't have an anvil, I punched it over a piece of steel that someone had blown a hole in with a gas torch.

The pin is only a small piece, but that bit of ironmongery is the linchpin of the whole system!