Chris Makes a Font

I’m not a fan of pop music, but I watch Tik Tok videos and sometimes someone appears on my feed that makes me melt. I love this guy, B.J. Griffin. He radiates joy and what a wonderful voice!

•

I had to walk Her Highness is semi-darkness so that I could get her back to the house and then get to the dentist on time. What a way to begin the day, with fillings. I got little fillings where my gums had receded, and then I came home to bake on what had become a gloomy day after an early morning clear sky.

I came home with a bloated upper lip, unable to feel anything. My entire upper lip and nose were numb. Not wanting to drink or eat with no feeling in my lip, I got straight to making bread. And oh! How I love my new cooking thermometer gun. It’s so incredibly simple and easy to read. I wish I’d got one long, long ago.

I could see a lovely thick foam on the top of my wet ingredients, and that excited me. It told me that I’d get great lift in my dough, and as it rose so beautifully, the house filled with the delicious fragrance of yeast. Oh, how I love that smell! And my new proofing bowl is perfect!

My appointment was at 8:30 yesterday morning, and at 11:30 my nose and lip were still too numb to eat. I drank in front of a mirror until the freezing was gone. But just as the second resting phase of the dough was up and it was time to put the bread in the oven, my lips felt normal. It was 13:00! And once the bread was out of the oven, Her Highness and I went walking at Elder Cedar.

The second rise was less successful. I was disappointed. Previous loaves of the same dough had a billowing round, high, loaves. I probably kneaded it too much, but its taste is fabulous! That’s what I love about baking bread; it’s so forgiving.

Slow night on the chaise. I was not getting any sound on cable. When I was working on the font piece is did something, following directions from Google, and I fucked -up my preferences file. Oh goody. Two tech problem. Oh joy, at Christmas. The baby Jesus is with me. Fuck.

I am one voice in a growing Library of Dysfluent Voices. Conor, the curator of the Library, sent out a call for submissions asking people to create a font inspired by the story we tell orally in the Library. Aidan texted me today to remind me to submit. The call ends on Dec. 15. I have neither Photoshop nor Illustrator software. I can't afford it now that I am not working. So, I made my image in Word.

Coincidentally, I used to draw words in art class in junior high. The teacher's concern was our understanding of perspective, so I drew words, sitting in parks, and looking like a huge, magnificent tributes to language. My love of words is real, my skill with them is variable, especially since retirement.

Today, Kris comes at noon to help me with the call from my doctor. I have written her what I would like her to say to the doctor for me. It’s going to be interesting because his receptionist is the person who hung up on my TTY operator TWICE when I tried to verify the appointment. Plus, I need to know how often he wants me to have blood tests.

Drama, at Pinecone Park. Here are some photos from recent walks in the forest plus one fabulous Christmas image.

I have a particular fondness for Salal leaves. I use them to
make chocolate leaves, and in bouquets. They turn lovely
colours in the Autumn.

Look at that colour!

Sadly, the camera cannot capture the beauty of this leag.
It is a burnished silver colour like aged pewter.

This was a particularly tall shroom.