Things you can cook at 120f

Did you know that you can cook steaks to rare at 120f?

And smoke prime rib. And jerky. And tofurkey.

Eggs, duh.

Fancy lobster ravioli? Mais oui.

Sous vide? You betcha. Roast cocoa nibs.

Fudge. You can make fudge. And jam. And cookies.

Dehydrated meals, too.

You can also get rid of bedbugs by heating them for one minute in your dryer to 120f. And you can proof yeast.

There's a book about torture where people are tied up in 120f heat. It's called HELL ON EARTH.

The upside? Tomorrow is supposed to be worse. (Also, it's only noon. This afternoon will also be worse. Worse. Worse.)

Cleaning up & moving on.

I've developed a worry. I worry that I'm something of a hoarder. Proof? You should see my yarn stash. Or the thousands of photo files on my hard drive. Or the decade of back issues of Martha Stewart and Print magazines.

While no one will get injured by falling piles while in my home, I do worry that I keep stuff that I just don't need. One of those things: blogs. So today, I've deleted two of my blogs, ChvChick and PunkRockGardenClub. It was a bittersweet decision, but here's my thinking...

If you're a Cheverly resident, you're aware that CheverlyExchange (the listserv) has grown into a big information/opinion hub. When we (Stella Scott, Liz O'Leary, Katie Troyner and I) started the blog, it was in response to the main Cheverly blog (ChvBlog) -- there was no Exchange, there wasn't really a way to pose different points of view (other than comments, but we wanted more.) It was fun for a while, then posts dropped off, then we thought about changing the direction, but it never really took. And now, with Stella and ChvBlog co-founder Dan moving away, it seems like the right time to put ChvChick to bed. It was a good run. We still have each other. I love you guys.

I also closed PunkRockGardenClub today, in favor of concentrating on things that are closer to my heart. Maybe someday I'll revive something like it, but it's not in the cards right now. I still love DIY (if you know me, you know that) and I'l always try to figure out a creative solution before buying, but I've felt guilty about not posting too much about this one.

So there. Some cleaning. Now, about that yarn stash...

July. July.

We had an amazing time in Massachusetts. Amazing. Our second year at Solid Sound was phenomenal (even drenched) and I've developed a deep love for Thurston Moore's solo work. Also, a deep love for Western Mass. Surprise, surprise, I took tons of photos of decay and rust and chickens and people, and came back ready to make stuff again (I was a little worn out.)

One of the things I love best about rural Massachusetts? People don't ask what you do. In the DC area, within the first five minutes, most conversations wind up at "Where do you work? What do you do?" There, I asked people twice, but no one ever asked me. Refreshing, especially since I always feel like a fish out of water. It's hard to explain what I do, beyond "I make stuff". I think that if you aren't constantly trying to validate your position, it's a lot easier to get on with actually doing. I aim to find out.

And I want to figure out how to cobble together some sort of career that I don't need to explain to anyone. That's my new goal. Also, I want a pony. Or a really big dog.

Where is all the time going?!

School is over. The pool is open. The Market is in full swing. My sister and her wonderful family have come and gone. We're a week away from Solid Sound. Summer camps are on the horizon. This summer is speeding by at breakneck speed.

I'm worried that I'm going to wake up and it'll be time for the new school year! We're all sleeping late, but I don't feel like we're really well rested. And my plans for plumbing the depths of a bourbon slushee have yet to be realized, though we have made it to Cantler's (Annapolis -- the best crabs!) twice in a week, so I suppose there is some sort of balance. One good thing about all this activity -- I have been completely distracted from the stupidity that's been going on in politics in the past few weeks. It's a good thing, because I think I'd be willing to read the riot act to a few people if I paid more attention.

I had fun at Handmade Mart! Now I'm a slug. With Cable.

I'm still sort of recovering from the flurry of activity of the past month. This past weekend was, in my head, the final big push of the spring -- the opening of Cheverly Community Market on Saturday, and Handmade Mart on Sunday. After all the excitement, I gave myself Monday to regroup (and sleep.) Now it's Thursday, and I still haven't done a whole lot this week (though I have caught up on all sorts of shows and movies, thanks to the cable teevee to which I finally gave in). I keep telling myself that this is much-needed rest. That summer is coming and I'll have wall-to-wall kids. That I deserve a break. The truth? It's hot. I'm tired. And needing a teeny little creative break. Ideas are just starting to flow again, so I'm thinking it's not all bad... Now, back to some cake show. There are a lot of them. They're hard to turn off.

I have to step away from the wax and paint fumes for a bit...

Getting ready for Handmade Mart and the opening day of Cheverly Community Market and I think I need either a nap or food. And probably a bath, since I seem to have coated a good part of my left hand and arm with silver wax.

And here's my big confession: I've never been in a craft show before. I'm a little (lot) nervous. Selling stuff through third parties (stores, etsy) is no problem, but the whole people interacting with me thing? That sends me right back to middle school, where I was painfully shy. Funny, since I blog in three places and take thousands of photos of everyone else. What can I say? It's a quirk.

Have I mentioned that I'm getting excited about Sunday and Handmade Mart? Look for my banner between 10am and 5pm on Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring -- there are a ton of great artists who will be represented, and I can't wait to get a look at their work!

Here's my vendor profile...