Friday's Terry's Projects update

Well, really, the only "project" I did was to finish that book today. Also, I have bread in the oven right now. I think it's going to turn out quite tasty AND good-looking. I don't always get both, heh. I've been trying to develop skill in using a razor blade to cut shallow, oblique slits in the tops to allow the interior dough to expand (I learned this in the Julia Child classic cook-book). It worked pretty well this time, I think. You're also supposed to spray the top with water just before putting it into the oven, then one minute later, then one minute after that. That's supposed to keep the top of the crust from baking hard immediately, thus thwarting the expansion you're hoping for. It looks like it worked this time, as I said.

Upcoming projects I really need to address: Putting plastic over certain windows in my house. That *may* not get done until after I've returned from my visit to California. I'm also going to sew a new top over my hassock, which has worn completely through - gosh, it only lasted 28 years! May as well make matching chair-arm covers, too. I lucked out and found fabric that really matches the old stuff well.

Other projects - that I probably ought to do before going to CA - getting clippings of some of the plants out on the front stoop, to keep over winter. I didn't do a very artistic job of potting last year's over-winterers, but there's always next spring! I found a cool little set of thick glass vials in a metal rack at a garage sale for like $1. I'm going to put the slips in those. Might even make a bit of an experiment out of it - try plain water, plain water + dilute plant food, plain water + root encourager, plain water + dilute plant food + root encourager - see if any particular approach promises more robust cuttings, quicker root growth, and the like.

I'm thinking about going to a nearby garage sale tomorrow. I stopped there Thursday, happening across it during my errand-running, and they had a lot of autumn decorating goodies. I'm a sucker for autumn decorating goodies. Bright leaves, pine cones, bittersweet, acorns, pumpkins, etc. I picked up a nice set of four autumn-y cotton napkins for a dollar there. I've got Game Day coming up Nov. 1st - maybe I can get the front step prettied up by then...hmm...

Autumn in Paris...

View of my apartment's courtyard in October 2012...

Spectacular tree in Les Jardins des Plantes...

I've been thinking about Paris an awful lot recently. Maybe you can tell. 2017, maybe? Prices are going up and up, I'll have to start saving now. Hmm...Now there's a project worth doing!