Garden Bloggers' Muse Day ~ May 2011

'May Night'
'The spring is fresh and fearless 
And every leaf is new, 
The world is brimmed with moonlight, 
The lilac brimmed with dew.

Here in the moving shadows 
I catch my breath and sing-- 
My heart is fresh and fearless 
And over-brimmed with spring.' 
~ Sarah Teasedale, 1884 - 1933


Mull over more May muses over at 'Sweet Home and Garden Chicago'

Save the Whales…

So as summer and sun and heat ramble in , It’s time to turn to the cool blues

of water...

I don’t have much blue in this casa…

but am thinking of painting a wall in the den one of these colors of cool water

but I can play around with a few pillows…

and Henry.

He is a whale of rather large proportions of the lightest most diaphanous linen

I love him. you can find one here

But...

I’m just not sure what to do with him

any suggestions?

Then... when you figure that out,

meet my new found friend…

Penelope

Fresh from New Zealand Artist Melina Martin

her lot in life will most likely be a tea towel…

But Henry is far to big and fancy for that.

thoughts?

The Waiting Room

O IS FOR?

OVERFLOWING!

As is in my coldframe and I am off to a plant sale at the weekend!

You can ogle more Os over at ABC Wednesday.

32 Across,39 Down

''In Northern England, a pudding made at this time of year from the young leaves of the bistort plant" (6 - 6)

Easter has passed in a most pleasant mish-mash of gardening, greenhouse time and allotment time. The weather has been warm, almost too warm at times, so in an effort to remain pale and interesting, I have also been indulging in other favourite activities - reading and doing crosswords. My mother and I both try to complete the same weekly general knowledge crossword and compare our respective progress over the phone. Sometimes we provide each other with answers, especially if either of us is being hampered by one stubborn clue, as was the case when she asked yesterday if I could help with the above clue. She had already made more inroads than me but had reached an impasse.

Although I have spent all my adult life in the north of England and have done my fair share of pudding eating the above clue had me foxed. I had an inkling that the first word was probably Easter but it was the second part of the clue that was puzzling. I finally had to concede defeat and resort to the internet to find the answer. In doing so I came across a fascinating website - Historical Foods, which I have bookmarked for some serious browsing in the future. As well as festive recipes there are regional recipes from the U.K. and Eire, North American recipes and recipes from certain historical eras. There is also a fictional feasts section which includes recipes inspired by 'The Hobbit'.

I tend to think of puddings as sweet concoctions but this turned out to be a traditional savoury pudding. It is made in Cumberland and Yorkshire from the young leaves of the bistort plant with the added ingredients of onions, oats, barley, butter and eggs. Bistort or to give it its Latin name persicaria bistorta is a perennial plant, which usually flowers from June to October. It's the younger, tender leaves and shoots which are used in cooking from April onwards. The roots can also be eaten but take much more cooking.  The plant can be found growing wild in moist meadows, by waterways and on damp grassy roadsides as well as in open woodland. Apparently many local villages in northern England hold competitions to find the best tasting pudding - that held at Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire being the most well known.


Now just in case you have not already guessed the answer is Easter - Ledger, although the pudding is also known as Easter Ledge Pudding, Easter Giant Pudding, Dock Pudding, Herb Pudding, Passion Pudding and of course by the more prosaic name of Bistort Pudding. I am not sure about the reference to Ledger/Ledge and would like to know where that comes into the equation. Maybe more research later today but then will I ever finish the crossword? Do please let me know me know if you have tasted this delicacy or have more information about this particular pudding.

Ibanez Acoustic Bass Guitar - 3

Color….color…coloriscious…

The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.
~Marcus Aurelius

I may have mentioned before that I have synesthesia…

a melding of the senses…of sorts.

Words and numbers and letters all have a correlating color

I remember names and places and dates… first by the color or colors

they construe in my mind

and they blend together and form other colors...to keep me on my toes.

When I was introduced to Artist Michelle Armas’s work a few months ago...

I found it compelling. Almost musical in it’s flirtation with color.

She told me that

she also has a cacophony of color swirling around in her own mind

…she too has synesthesia.

“ It is how I do simple math...green plus purple equals black!” says Michelle

makes complete sense to moi.

yep.

So…now I have a happy inducing Armas piece of work in my home.

An Armasm hee

And it has already enjoyed a few different rooms...

I imagine it will keep moving around leaving a happy little wake of color behind.

I have seen her work throughout blogland….Allison at My little Happy Place recently acquired one…

yum

As did Jenny at MFAMB

If you are looking for a shot of color…some happy…a cacophony of thought.

and who wouldn’t...

If you want your own little insider world into synesthesia…

Michelle Armas is generously giving a 15% discount on her Art

to Lime in the Coconut Readers...

just type in COMEBACKSOON when you place an order
here:

Color…what would we do without it?

Seriously?

Ibanez Acoustic Bass Guitar - 2

...the headstock of the Ibanez Acoustic Bass guitar.