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Today I ... (The Digital Pat on the Back Thread)

 
gardener
Posts: 1871
Location: Japan, zone 9a/b, annual rainfall 2550mm, avg temp 1.5-32 C
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What did you do today?

Maybe it's not enough that you feel it's worth a thread of its own.

Maybe you need a digital pat on the back.

Some of us are lonely.

Some of us don't have people that really appreciate our permie habits.

But we can support each other!

Post your minor accomplishments below!
 
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I replaced both thermostats I’m my father-in-law’s hot water heater.  One was malfunctioning and letting water heat way too hot, causing the safety switch on the upper thermostat to kick the elements off.
 
L. Johnson
gardener
Posts: 1871
Location: Japan, zone 9a/b, annual rainfall 2550mm, avg temp 1.5-32 C
930
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Kevin Hoover wrote:I replaced both thermostats I’m my father-in-law’s hot water heater.  One was malfunctioning and letting water heat way too hot, causing the safety switch on the upper thermostat to kick the elements off.



Nice work!

Yesterday, I put Coco coir in the last remaining hanging basket so that I can use it for plants. I had three that were left here, but no pots that fit. Cutting the coir to shape was tedious... I also darned about 6 socks and started sanding a spoon.
 
gardener
Posts: 838
Location: South Carolina
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I baked breakfast cookies for my toddler, using frozen raspberries from my garden. I've been wanting to bake her something sugar free, and these were successful. We both liked them.
 
L. Johnson
gardener
Posts: 1871
Location: Japan, zone 9a/b, annual rainfall 2550mm, avg temp 1.5-32 C
930
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Today I made the frame of a teepee? or something like that with my son.

He's been begging me to help him make a "shelter" for the past few weeks.

"Why do you need a shelter?" I ask.

"Because it's cold outside." he says.

"I like to wear my shelter on my body" I say to him pointing to my jacket and noting his lack of one.

"It's cold even if I do wear my jacket." He says...

Building a shelter seemed like a fun thing, so it has begun.
 
gardener
Posts: 2518
Location: Ladakh, Indian Himalayas at 10,500 feet, zone 5
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L. Johnson wrote:Yesterday, I put Coco coir in the last remaining hanging basket so that I can use it for plants. I had three that were left here, but no pots that fit. Cutting the coir to shape was tedious...  



How do you use it in your pots? Is it a liner in a mesh basket, instead of a pot? Or in the bottom of pots for drainage? Or what? I've got a crate of coconut coir that a South Indian housemate pulled off whole coconuts in order to cook last year. I put some in the worm bin because I'd heard worms love it, but it doesn't seem to have decomposed at all. So I'm curious about other uses for it.

Today I checked the stored winter squash (pumpkins) for damage, and found that one of the little Japanese kabochas was going moldy. So I cooked all three in chunks. Forgot and left them in the oven too long, so it's quite dry and very sweet. Half I pureed with some homemade yak bone broth I had, and kept the other half in chunks. The Lofthouse C. maximas, on the other hand, are still in perfect condition, so I think I'll only grow those next year.
 
L. Johnson
gardener
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Location: Japan, zone 9a/b, annual rainfall 2550mm, avg temp 1.5-32 C
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Rebecca Norman wrote:
How do you use it in your pots? Is it a liner in a mesh basket, instead of a pot? Or in the bottom of pots for drainage? Or what? I've got a crate of coconut coir that a South Indian housemate pulled off whole coconuts in order to cook last year. I put some in the worm bin because I'd heard worms love it, but it doesn't seem to have decomposed at all. So I'm curious about other uses for it.



I wasn't very clear was I. Here's a photo. I bought the coir in flat sheets. I had to cut it and fold it to fit these baskets. I assume the baskets probably had some coir in them when they were new, but I found them empty.

I do also use it in the bottom of my pots and seed trays to keep the soil from falling out of the holes. My wife's grandfather used to use these little pieces of plastic mesh... which I'm still picking up and unearthing every time I move something in the garden. It's nice to switch to something that will breakdown eventually.
coco-coir-in-a-hanging-basket.jpg
coco coir in a hanging basket
coco coir in a hanging basket
 
pollinator
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Hung 20 195w solar panels from a kit with a friend, on ground mounts that we assembled! Next step: running some conduit for the first time. All very exciting stuff and satisfying to learn and do! I'll probably make a whole thread for this solar project later :)
 
steward and tree herder
Posts: 8682
Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland. Nearly 70 inches rain a year
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Jonah Bassman wrote: All very exciting stuff and satisfying to learn and do! I'll probably make a whole thread for this solar project later :)



Oh yes please do make a thread Jonah! Either in projects or solar forums. There's always something new to be learned, and technology keeps moving on too!
 
gardener
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Rebecca Norman wrote:I've got a crate of coconut coir that a South Indian housemate pulled off whole coconuts in order to cook last year. I put some in the worm bin because I'd heard worms love it, but it doesn't seem to have decomposed at all. So I'm curious about other uses for it.


I get a lot of this stuff after opening green (water) coconuts. It doesn't break down. At all. I keep finding it everywhere. It does drain well, so bottom of a pot would be useful, maybe.
I do find if I cut the coconut husks in half (or even more cuts) the husk shrinks pretty well in the sun, and then it's small enough to burn ok in the rocket stove, so that's my solution.
 
Tereza Okava
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L. Johnson wrote: I also darned about 6 socks  


Good for you! PITA, to be sure, but so nice to be able to hang onto socks that you like!
 
L. Johnson
gardener
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Location: Japan, zone 9a/b, annual rainfall 2550mm, avg temp 1.5-32 C
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Tereza Okava wrote:It doesn't break down. At all. I keep finding it everywhere. It does drain well, so bottom of a pot would be useful, maybe.



I mean, it must break down eventually... but that resistance to decay makes it attractive as a hanging planter material. Just like my cedar raised beds.

The turkey tail mushrooms have found their way into my cedar logs already though. I wonder how long it will take them to break down the round wood. I mean, even rotting cedar round wood works pretty well for my hugel bed borders... especially if the soil is well structured by that point.

Anyway, Today I canceled three class observations because I'm sick and taught 2 other classes because they're on-line and I don't have to worry about spreading my sick germs to the students... I count that as a minor accomplishment.

I also started tying branches onto the sides of the "teepee". Kind of haphazard, but so far still sturdy. A lesson in building survival shelters for sure. I also now see why most of the survival shelters in survival guides are tiny... it takes a long time to put them together! Especially if you're going to be covering them with any sort of insulating or water proofing material like lashed grass or sod.
 
L. Johnson
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Location: Japan, zone 9a/b, annual rainfall 2550mm, avg temp 1.5-32 C
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Today I cut my own hair.

I was waiting until the hint of warmer temperatures approached. The nights aren't getting as cold now.

I've been cutting my hair for almost 2 decades now. Saves a lot of money. I finally replaced my clippers last year. The old ones might have been repairable by an electrician... but alas, I don't have that level of skill. 17 years isn't too bad of a lifespan for a pair of hair clippers though.
 
pollinator
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Location: Chilean Patagonia
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Today I washed several days worth of dishes, using Paul's water-conserving method from the video.

I also had 2 beers, then homemade goulash, a cup of strong black coffee, and then made oatmeal raisin cookies for the whole gang. Quite a successful Friday night if you ask me.

Also composted oatstraw left over from an infusion, dumped it right into my favorite geranium. Did a comparison with another geranium, mulching her with cornhusks from the sweet corn we used in the goulash. We'll see who ends up happier.

This evening I meditated for the first time in a reallly long time. First time I've done guided meditation, and it was fantastic. Up to the moment it has eliminated a sciatic/lumbar and leg pain that has debilitated me for months now.
 
L. Johnson
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Today I tried and failed to make a basket from bamboo type grass, but it was a good learning experience while I was looking after my kids in the garden.

I put together a potato salad and did combo for prep for gyoza.

I managed to wrap and cook gyoza for dinner and wrap enough to freeze another 40. Bonus is that I used the leftover filling to whip up a quick soup combined with canned beans, corn, and tomatoes.

Finally, we have some food ready to eat in the fridge and freezer. Enough for a couple meals or more of no prep eating.

My gyoza filling is 90% vegetables including chayote and Chinese cabbage from the garden!

Whew... And now it's time to get the kids to sleep
 
L. Johnson
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Today I failed a lot...

I failed at making a basket out of grape vine prunings...

I failed at restoring my plane blade...

I failed at clearing my head with a walk...

BUT

I now know I don't really want to make baskets. Hah.

I learned some new techniques for working on Japanese plane blades - including ura-dashi.

I got some exercise for my body. And I totally believe in the mind-body connection.

All in all, I feel better now than I did this morning, despite lots of failures.
 
Acetylsalicylic acid is aspirin. This could be handy too:
GAMCOD 2025: 200 square feet; Zero degrees F or colder; calories cheap and easy
https://permies.com/wiki/270034/GAMCOD-square-feet-degrees-colder
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