Yesterday's experimenting

Yesterday was a busy day full of physical distancing and social connection.

The physical distancing resulted in a few more little patchwork projects - some soap savers and some more pot mits.

  

And my first batch of fruit leather into the dehydrator. The house smelled glorious with apricot and coconut. The apricots were harvested from Underhill and I had them in the freezer ready for jam but decided to experiment with fruit leather instead.

I put it on in the morning to use the power generated from sunlight but then the day turned out quite cloudy. It was not quite dry enough by bed time so I got it out this morning but that was too long.

Rather than roll-ups I have flat leather bits but they taste great. Enough for me and the girls. It tastes great.

Next time I will put it on in the evening and then I can monitor it during the next day for the correct finish time.

My technology experiment in social connecting was to set up for reading  to Ivy and Heather online using Duo. It worked well and Ivy is so interested. We are reading The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton. A real chapter book. We are already up to chapter 3.

I was inspired to do this by Marie Bostwick who is currently reading one of her books, A Single Thread, in daily episodes online at her Facebook page I listen on my laptop while I am upstairs doing patchwork. 

Reading to the girls brought back memories of our time in the UK in 1983-84 when Ellen was Ivy's age. I used to read "chapter books" to the family while we were travelling either as we stopped for the night or on motorways, not winding roads. My mum also sent over a cassette of her reading stories and poems to my kids. Then when we came back to OZ we continued the tradition of reading aloud on holidays. 

I am also socially connecting via phone and whilst talking just walk all around the house or even out in the yard. That gives me a little exercise to add to my occasional walks to Carss Park.

Yesterday I also joined a Viral Choir at www.soulsongchoirs.com.au. It is run from Cairns and Brisbane and I'll have to join the practices as pre-recorded because they are run on Qld time and this is way past my bed time.  I'll be interested to see how that goes even though it is not the sort of music I could choose to sing. After all singing is singing.

Good luck to everyone with their physical distancing and social connection.