Author: Caryn

New journal

On By CarynIn Tools
New journal (192 pages) on old journal (maybe 400 pages?)

I’m so excited. There is nothing quite like starting on a new journal! Brand new pages, an open slate stretching forward in time. I use the journal as my memory, not to record every moment, but to recap events so I can look them up. It is not a diary, not a bullet journal (although I do sometimes have a doodle or two to make entries easier to find), and not a lab notebook (although that point could be argued about my past journals).

My new journal has a beautiful tree embossed on the cover and is the first one I’ve purchased online. It is more the size I usually use. When it was time to get my last journal, I had a terrible time finding one I liked. I ended up with a book twice as big and it took me over two years to fill it. The fabric cover wasn’t as durable, and the spine broke. Since the brick and mortar method of shopping failed me, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to risk an online journal purchase. We’ll see how it goes!

Spider in the spider plant

On By CarynIn Wildlife
Grass spider making a web in my spider plants

I saw the grass spider in my houseplant and honestly it was just too cute to have a spider in the spider plant. He was catching and eating the irritating gnats left over from a failed indoor herb planting, and he was not in the way.

Grass spider web

However, when his web started extending past the plants and over taking the window, and he was looking a little gaunt because all the gnats were gone, I gathered him between two cups and released him outside.

Hard boiled eggs

On By CarynIn eggs

Not just hard boiled, I suppose, but cooked in an Instapot for 5 minutes, pressure released, then the eggs placed in ice water. The eggs I cooked were laid within the past 5 days, and I peeled them an hour or so after they went into the ice bath. Not every egg peeled as easily as this one, but I didn’t have a single egg where the shell stuck to the white. They all ended up beautiful and smooth. Perfect for deviled eggs!

Photo still taken from video. Video credit to my eldest.

His boots!

On By CarynIn dog

Griffin’s new boots arrived, so we put them on and took a walk. He had a small adjustment period, but settled into his new footwear pretty well. They certainly stay on better than old socks! And no stickers in his paws.

Dog boots to keep stickers out of his feet

Nasturtiums

On By CarynIn Garden
Yellow Nasturtium

My nasturtiums bloomed! However, they are not climbing nasturtiums. I was rather hoping for a nice shady vine to climb up the chicken coop, but alas, no. These are about 18” high with no signs of tendrils or runners. I’ll have to try for something vining next year. However, they are pretty and smell nice. They don’t taste of much, though. The leaves remind me of lily pads.

Orange Nasturtium