Encaustic progress

I proceeded cautiously with my encaustic painting of the Payson temple.  Control of melt is difficult but I'm happy that I have this smaller, less complex project to practice with in preparation for my larger Layla panel. 

Long Cool Sunday

I didn't get the sacrament today.  I usually sit in the foyer, mostly because of Richard's discomfort, but he wasn't with me today.  When I realized the Sacrament portion of the meeting had concluded with none of the deacons coming to the foyer I decided it was a bit too late to give noticed that the few of us had been passed over.  I left before Relief Society after a strange visit with Diana Graham.  I let the chickens out before going to church and they apparently took a bit of sun before cooping up for the night.  Although I had vowed not to use Amazon so casually, I bought a pair of burgundy boots late in the evening.  When I weighed this morning I was just under 150 lbs., which is good in some ways.  My ketones were 1 and my glucose 91, both of which measurements are okay.  I feel satisfied at this time and don't anticipate I will eat anything before bedtime.  I went back on Facebook after a week of abstinence and not much has changed.  I am surprised at the level of ignorance about the Book of Mormon displayed by many if not most members of the Church.  While I believe the Book must be judged from a faithful perspective, for after all, it claims first of all to be a miraculous gift of God, given that I accept the existence of miracles and the evidence, once one accepts the possibility of miracles, is overwhelming, I can only believe it is the Word of God.

More Sous Vide and other things

I've been off Facebook for six days and to some extent I filled the gap by browsing Amazon.com, which is worse in several ways.  I made a separate post about the matter, deciding to stay off Amazon unless I have an active need for something only found on Amazon.  I have already ordered practically everything I can realistically imagine that I want or need.  Today I cooked my steaks with sous vide at 126 for about 150 minutes.  I feel that although they were more tender, there was a decrease in taste.  It seems that just a little over an hour is the best timing but that depends on the meat.  I also made another batch of peach ice cream with more taste.  I used the cheap iron I picked up at Deseret Industries on the encaustic picture.  This is a learning experience and I'm glad I decided to try out things on the Payson temple painting before going ahead with the Layla panel.  I also made some changes to the small purse I purchased at DI.  It is strange that the body of the purse seems relatively undamaged although the chain is quite worn out and showing different tones of metal.  It seems a nice, compact item. 

What Works for Facebook Should Work for Amazon

Earlier this month I realized that I had spent too much money and would run into a budget problem if I didn't cut back.  Unfortunately I have been self-indulgent on Facebook in the past spending time that would be better spent doing something. I have been off Facebook for about a week and it turned out just fine.  However I spent more time browsing amazon.com and spending money on silly things.  I hereby vow but I will not buy anything on amazon.com unless a serious need arises for the next month beginning today January 11th 2020. In any case I will be too busy trying to use the things I bought. 

Good Day

Today I put my new sous vide to the test.  I cooked two equivalent steaks and found the sous vide method resulted in a more tender version, but at a temperature of 130 degrees for an hour it was too well done.  After eating this morning I worked on my encaustic picture of the Payson Temple agains the backdrop of the snow covered mountains.  The skillet I picked up for 2 dollars at DI worked out well.  This afternoon I drove up to Bountiful where Tisha has bought a house.  It has a nice compact design and a finished basement.  Tisha came with Hannah and Rudy when we went to the park and McDonalds.  The park is located west of the site of the junior high where I spent 7th grade.  A new school with a different name has replaced old South Davis Jr. High.  I went down a slide but it was damp and my progress was slow.  I climbed onto the net tower but only the lower ropes.  The McDonald's was full of children.  My trip home was slow but steady most of the way.  I decided to get a glare blocking attachment for my visor.  I stopped at Day's and found a very nice roast with a lot of marbling.  When I got home I cooked it in the sous vide at 126 degrees.  It made a real difference and I really liked the tenderness and taste.  I also decided to recycle the bin for my wheat grinder which seems a promising container for the machine when it is cooking.  I had tried using one of my glass apothecary jars but the round shape made it cramped.  I purchased some half and half to add to the whipping cream I have been using in my ice cream maker.  I made a fair imitation of the mint chocolate chip ice cream I liked so much.  It is very keto, using cream, half and half, 90 percent dark chocolate, mint oil, vanilla, stevia and Real Salt.  The salt seems to moderate the herbal taste of the stevia.  As far as I'm concerned, my recipe is superior to the current formula for Breyer's mint chocolate chip ice cream which uses coconut oil instead of cocoa butter as well as soy lecithin and other dubious ingredients.  I purchased spring water for 80 a gallon from Walmart and find that it is bottled from Wasatch mountain water.  I find it a good replacement for the Artesian Well water that is now unavailable.

I'm Grateful for the Temple

As is usual on Tuesdays and Thursday, I rose early and performed my daily routine: praying, exercising while listening to scriptures, making my bed, then I showered and got dressed in preparation for leaving my home.  Today I took Alden and Jacqueline to Timpview seminary before driving to the center of Provo and parking about two blocks away from the temple dressing room.  Once dressed in my white long dress I proceeded back toward the other end of the temple and the grand staircase that winds upwards to the chapel where I waited for the 8 AM endowment session to begin.  During the endowment session I climbed the spiral staircase leading to the upper floor of the temple.  After the endowment session finished I entered the sealing office and joined a sealing session.  After I left the sealing room I went down the grand staircase and back through the length of the temple to the dressing room, then dressed, I returned to the far end of the parking lot and my car.  The daily morning exercises and my twice a week attendance at the temple are the main basis of my exercise.  Then there is shopping.  Today after leaving the temple I stopped at Smith's and purchased a package of t-bone steaks that are on sale.  After that I drove to DI and found a skillet although I was looking for an iron. I went west to Orem Main Street and then north to Joann's where I picked up an order for some silver beads and found several packages of findings including catches, crimp beads and a chain for the necklace I plan to make.  Although I usually stop at Walmart Neighborhood market to pick up bread, this morning I was hungry for the steak I had purchased.  At home I let the chickens out of their coop, cooked the steak and took a nap.  I also made some peach ice cream with some peach lemonade drink mix and whipping cream.  I had Adam come over and add windshield wiping fluid to the tank in my car because a warning light came on and insisted that it was time to act.  Fortunately I had anticipated the need and had a couple of gallons in storage.  After napping I sorted my purchases from Joann into the boxes where I keep my jewelry making supplies.  I am really grateful that I have set a routine of going to the temple twice a week.

Setting Up

I decided to do a small encaustic of the Payson Temple before trying to do the large panel of Layla.  However I have composed both pictures on the computer and today I projected them on their intended panels.  Tomorrow I plan to go to DI after I attend the temple and shop for an iron to use with my encaustics.  If I can't find one I will order the small travel iron available on Amazon.com.  It looks like it is free of steam vents.  A cheap iron from DI will likely have steam vents.  I made some mint chocolate chip icecream with 90% chocolate, whipping cream, stevia, salt, vanilla and peppermint oil.  While not the same as Breyers, it seems that Breyers isn't the same ice cream I have favored for so many years.  For one thing, it is now made with chocolate chips made from cocoa and coconut oil plus other additives that I find concerning.