(morning writing, health, garden,bread notes)

[elainegrey]

I haven't done much more with the microscope. I flailed at Reddit trying to get references for improving technique, but finally remembered the https://www.nclive.org/ access NC libraries provide. There i found

Bain, Barbara J.. Blood Cells : A Practical Guide, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2022. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/chathamnc-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6837075.

which has instructions -- including proper use of the microscope, each step that should be taken -- plus blood smear troubleshooting images plus a list of places to see other blood smears.  I'm still fuzzy on whether the AI assertion that the scattering of purple specks beyond the edge of the smear are platelets or not is correct. The image is under the cut, and i think it's attractive in the abstract.

Also under the cut is some of my down notes. I've just (well hours ago now) had pecan praline French toast & coffee and feel more optimistic. I made an experimental loaf of banana bread using up some of my odd ingredients, almond flour and mesquite powder. I think i will get more mesquite powder as it is apparently sweeter than sugar, and functioned nicely in the bread. Because the almond flour doesn't have gluten, i added flaxseed. I should have blended the flaxseed with a little more liquid, even though i had more banana than the recipe called for. The almond flour and mesquite also absorbed liquid. The bread is a little more crumbly than i would desire.

 

Thursday night i mowed a little. I had to stop for fifteen minutes at a time to hydrate, rest, and catch my breath. It was not hot. I am just so fatigued. This answered the question as to whether i had been avoiding yard work out of wanting to just read novels and play games. Apparently not.

Friday late afternoon i crashed, and played puzzles on my phone while listening to an audiobook.

Yesterday my tea pot lid, repaired long ago with some sort of Gorilla Glue that foamed, returned to pieces as one part of the repair disintegrated. I assume multiple drops since the repair plus daily steam triggered the failure. I had bought the kintsugi kit with this repair in mind, and so got the kit out, finished repairing the other pieces and restored the lid. I look at all the repairs with dismay, my skill and implementation leaving much to be desired. But - on the other hand - buying other micas allowed basically chip replacements to blend in with the dish. There's a term for that sort of hidden repair; i just couldn't see how a contrasting blob was going to be aesthetic. The lid is no worse than the blobby original repair - it's just over the years tea has slowly stained it to less contrast. But oh during the act of repairing i was so aware of impulsive rushing, making mess that would have been less with a little patience.

Later Saturday i tried working in the yard -- plants need to be in the ground! -- and cleared out a small area and then was done, energy sapped.

Comments

[tamena]

I have a small ceramic plate like that (about the same size too!) that I use when medicating Kilo, I got it to help Karma eat so I could see how much she was eating towards the end with her. It's not as delicate though.