ALNM: 1001

Okay, the docs for the German placket are done. Had to fudge a little on proving gold couchwork—I have textual notes that they did wool couching, and gold couching was period and arguable there at that time, but it’s hard to tell in the portraits if something is couching or simple embroidery. So there you go.

Next up, I think, will be to tweak the docs for the mask and the banner. Then I’ll have just two to write, which will feel easier, even if they’re going to be the difficult two.

We also ran more errands—the spa store for cleaner, A Krystal Moon for more arabic gum and ground benzoin for the rose beads (I totally felt like Willow, whipping out the little boxes to get my magickal herbs…), and WalMart (even though I’m pissed off at WalMart right now, for unilaterally bowing to the pressure of a small but vocal minority and pulling all the “lad mags” from their shelves—problem is, they were convenient on this trip) for a few items to finish The Project That Cannot Be Mentioned.

Back home, Ken made fajitas for supper—yum—and then we romped, and now I’m catching up on a few things before “Keen Eddie” starts. It’s a new show, and I loved the first ep. It’ll let me get more embroidery done. [g]

Yesterday we also ran errands—food shopping, and Cost Plus World Market for an esoteric list of things like cheesecloth and Lady Grey tea. We made shrimp and tofu stir fry over brown rice for dinner (with assorted veggies) and hosted sewing night, helping folks out with corsets and the like (and we girls all had a bra discussion that resulted in our showing them off—twice). Afterwards, Ken and I were hungry again, so we made more rice and ate the leftover stir fry, and I embroidered a bit while we watched TV.

Back to work on ALNM, while I wait for comments on BH. (BTW, I’d like to send a special thanks to my mother, who wins the award for first person to return full comments. Thanks, Mom!) I’m actually skipping ahead a little, but it’s to a scene that was bugging me because I thought I had no ideas for it, and the last couple of nights as I’ve been falling asleep I’ve had some good thoughts about it. So I’ll scribble them down, and then go back and finish the last bit I’ve left hanging. And call Sarah and work out what scenes she’ll be working on.

I’m behind on other things I need to do, but it’s good to be working on the longer-term projects, and it’ll all come out in the wash.

Neil Gaiman has the coolest blog with the coolest links. Just wanted to mention that. Andy Serkis’s acceptance speech for Gollum’s MTV award is…ohmigod. I cannot do it justice. Just go.