Pickles

The guys in the family are camping (locally) this weekend. I am coming and going from camp, but also playing taxi-driver to my daughters. When I am at home, it is business as usual which at this time of year is canning, laundry and housework, and homework. As I write this, I'm downloading audio files for my Spanish Language course.

The last two days I have spent many hours picking and pickling veggies from the garden. Yesterday I made 6 pints of bread and butter pickles and four pints of dilled green beans (which I love!) Today, I made some basic dill pickles (6 quarts) out of cucumbers that got too large before I got to them. So I cut them into spears short enough to fit neatly in the jars. These will be very, very dilly dill pickles... Each jar has dill seed, dill weed, and still-yellow dill flower heads, all from the garden.

I'm also taking time several times a day to peek at the caterpillar nursery in the front yard, otherwise known as a patch of bronze fennel. I have about 10 swallowtail caterpillars, in various instars, feeding on the fennel. The three or four that were there last month seemed to vanish, and I never noticed any cocoons. I'm afraid the likelihood of making it from caterpillar to butterfly is pretty slim, but I'm giving them food sources (for adult and caterpillar), and habitat, and hoping it helps at least a little bit.

The local farm stands are offering lovely plums, apricots, and nectarines right now. . I sampled a pretty yellow shiro plum at the market, gobbled up two delicious nectarines (one on the ride home in the car) and then stood over the sink when I got home to eat a fragrant, incredibly juicy nectarine. Yum. Just-made pickles on the counter, fruit juice running down my forearms, a breeze blowing in through the window screen... It's been a good day here in the country. I hope it has been a good day wherever you are too!

photos by Aisling, August 29, 2008 1) tiny cosmos in garden trail 2) bread and butter pickles 3) two swallowtail caterpillars

The Warp and Weft of Winter

We finally have some brilliant sunshine coming in through the windows, making this a good morning to snap a few photos. Here are some textural images from inside the Quiet Country House.

The air outside is crisp and very, very cold, but sunlight is glinting off the sparkling white snow. If eight-year-old Sijo wasn't borrowing my boots (his have sprung leaks!), I would probably have outdoor images to share with you.

photos by Aisling, February 7, 2008

1) A quilt my Mom made in front of the southern windows in the livingroom 2)glitter pinecones Tanka made with his babysitter 3) a winter scene Haiku painted years ago 4) the laundry room window 5) a candle holder suspended in the master bedroom

Replenishment...

On Monday, a sultry breeze greeted me as I took my morning walk through the gardens. The wind grew stronger as the day went on, bringing with it across the lake waves and waves of heat and a strange sense of foreboding. A storm was churning far away in the west, but we could feel it moving toward us all day long.

The kids and I went to a local nursery to see if the "bargain bin" had been set up for the year yet. It had not, but there were vegetable plants available at a reduced price. We selected mostly herbs and a pepper plant that already had baby banana peppers appearing and then headed home. I called the nursery to let them know that the garden bench in the pavillion by the shrubs and trees no longer had a price (as evidenced by the yellow tag in Tanka's hand) and that the lovely bronze fennel was infested with aphids (which they might want to tend to before selling any more plants.) While I was on the phone, the power went out, and the line went dead.

I plugged in the "emergency phone" which does not require electricity to call the nursery back, so that I could finish my sentence. Then, I called the power company to report the outage. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon. They estimated that the power would be back up and running by 9 o'clock at night. I was happy to go into "power out" mode, which for me means reading out loud as a family. Unfortunately, my "sales pitch" for Wind in the Willows did not capture the boy's attention. I was astonished and launched into the first chapter with great enthusiasm (it is a read-aloud favorite of mine) but still, they would not listen. Sighing, I went off to read a book on my own.

We ran an errand late in the afternoon, to make sure we would have a dinner that was easy to prepare without electricity. Limerick got home and set up the generator, so the guys had their dinner heated in the microwave. Hiaku and I had mini whole-wheat pita's stuffed with hummus and some fresh ingredients from the herb garden (chives, oregano, cucumber-flavored salad burnett.) We moved the generator around to take care of various tasks and then plugged the large upright freezer in the basement into it, to keep the contents frozen.

I finally talked some family members into a read-aloud, but had to select a book that would appeal to all. I read the first chapter of My Brother, My Sister, and I, by Yoko Kawashima, an autobiographical account set in post World War II Japan. As we concluded the chapter, several household items blipped and chirped, the electronic announcement that power had been restored forty-five minutes ahead of "schedule."

Through this all, the wind blew wildly, but the rain never came. Late in the evening, with sand and dust from the road blowing in my eyes, I watered my recently planted blueberry bushes. I slept soundly all night, never waking, which is unusual for me. When I woke before 6 A.M., I saw a world washed clean of dust and grime, through droplets trickling down the window glass. The much needed rain had fallen heavily as we slept and today the sun is shining on wet green fields, 20 degrees cooler than they were yesterday, and replenished by the nourishing rain.

photo by Aisling, June 19, 2007, Blanket flower drenched with rain

Restoration...

For the first time in longer than I can remember, I had the house to myself... all night long and so far all morning. I've discovered that if I had more "alone time" I would listen to Evanescence and Sarah McLachlan, do yoga, and have a pretty clean house! I wouldn't watch much television, but might enjoy an old movie late at night, such as "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" with Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy, and Katharine Hepburn. I would still take a morning walk in the garden, with my mug of steaming coffee in hand. I'd still go barefoot, so the cold wet grass would wash my feet with dew.

I might nap in the afternoon under the apple tree, as I tried to on Wednesday afternoon after the first day of my summer college course. It wasn't long before two very cute little boys climbed onto the blanket with me, effectively turning my quiet time into Mommy time. There is nothing better than Mommy time, but a little alone time - a little quiet and restoration - makes Mommy a lot more fun!

photo by Haiku, June 13, 2007

Dreaming by the window....

My friend Nan asked to see more of Maude on my blog. I have a fantastic picture of her on top of a hill, with a blue sky above her, but can I find it? Nope. Not yet anyway. In the meantime, I snapped this one of her on Thursday. She was dreaming by the window until I called her name. Despite the old saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, at the advanced age of 12, Maude has learned a new one: country line-dancing in my new front garden. Maybe that is what she was dreaming about, when I woke her to take this photo!

photo of Maude dreaming by the window by Aisling, May 17, 2007

A Closet Make-Over (Or Misadventures in Decorating)

Yes, I have one of those closets. You know the kind. As someone approaches, you shout, "No, don't open that...." You are interrupted in your warning, as boxes and papers and assorted mismatched items fall upon the head of the unsuspecting victim who, seeing the rest of your fairly tidy house, thought it would be safe to open any door. This was our homeschooling closet for eight years. Though we have not been homeschooling during this past school year, I had yet to return the closet to its original purpose of linen storage.

I heard on a daytime talk show last week that paint could be tinted, in the absence of professional pigments, with unsweetened powdered drink mix. Ah-ha! I thought, I can finally paint my hall closet a lovely outrageous color that will make me smile each time I open the door (I've wanted to do that for ages!) So, on my next trip to town I bought eight or ten packets of drink mix to add to some pale pink paint that had been sitting in my basement for years (It was mixed wrong for another customer and the hardware store manager gave it to me, thinking that, with my two young daughters, three cans of pink paint might one day come in handy.)

Into the top of a can of baby pink paint, I emptied many packets of orange and red colored powder, then began to mix. I was hoping to see the paint turn from pale pink to deep, glowing apricot. A strange chemical reaction occurred, and the paint began to thicken and texturize mysteriously. Hmmm, I thought, this is not what they said would happen on daytime TV.

Back to the drawing board... well, to the stack of paint cans in the basement. I found a nice yellow paint, left over from painting the kitchen back-splash five years ago. (Are you beginning to suspect that my basement - with all of these old cans of paint - looks something like the aforementioned closet? *grin*) I grabbed another of those cans of baby pink paint and headed back to my laboratory, er, kitchen. I added some of the pink paint to the yellow and then, in a boldly creative move, poured in a whole lot of red food coloring for good measure and stirred. The result was pale peach, rather than the hoped-for glowing apricot, but pretty enough for my linen closet. I painted the closet late on Friday night, after my boys went to sleep. Then, I spent the early part of Saturday folding and stacking linens in my pretty "new" closet.

photos May 18 & 19, 2007, by Aisling 1) the closet of doom 2) powdered drink mix in pale pink paint 3) the "new" pale peach closet filled with quilts, afghans and other linens.

Tuesday at Home...

During this school year, Tuesdays have been the day most likely to find me at home with no outside commitments. So, Tuesday is cleaning day, laundry and ironing day, and my one real chance for "down time" all rolled into one. I manage that by cleaning in 45 minute sessions, then giving myself a break with the computer, a novel, or a walk in the garden for 10 or 15 minutes before tackling the next cleaning task. Now that I am substituting for the paraprofessionals at our local school system, my Tuesdays at Home sometimes turn into Tuesday on the Run and the house looks a little worse for the wear until the weekend (if i have time to clean) or the following Tuesday.

This morning I brought order to a chaotic kitchen, sprinkled essential oil infused baking soda on the living room carpeting and vacuum-cleaned it, and washed a few windows and floors. I took time on one of my breaks to pick some flowers for the kitchen table. I put a lot of clutter away and did a few loads of laundry. In a few minutes, Tanka and I will eat lunch and then I will pull out the week's ironing. Before that though, I think I will squeeze in a few minutes of reading The Samurai's Garden. I'm very good to my cleaning lady, aren't I? Flowers, lots of breaks, and some reading time built right into the work day! *grin*

photos by Aisling, May 8, 2007: 1) Black Parrot Tulip 2) tidy kitchen and dining room, Tiggy at the window

After the rain...

This morning I took a walk in the garden, under cloudy skies. Nothing was blooming, but I saw a pansy with a soft roll of purple, almost ready to open. I saw the swollen golden buds of crocus and a dark purple iris still encased in it's celadon sheath. As I walked, fat drops of rain fell across the garden slates.

A steady rain fell softly but insistently for quite some time, urging the on-again/off-again creek to flow. After dinner, I took a pair of scissors and headed to the garden with the intent to cut away some of the dry brown evidence of winter. In the garden, I found the first blooms of spring: two crocus, a pansy and a tiny iris. Each had unfurled in the warmth after the rain.

The boys have been playing amid the cattails all afternoon, while down by the lake the seagulls are screaming in wild joy over the arrival of spring. They are not musical at all, but they are loud and exuberant and they have a really good point: "Hurrah! Hurrah! It's Spring!"

photo 1 by Aisling, photos 2 and 3 by Haiku, March 2007

Bounty...

While winter lingers, long and cold, it is hard to remember how bountiful the earth is. Last night I had a sweet reminder of last year's garden harvest, as I took the last of the grape tomatoes from the freezer to add to my pasta sauce.

Artichoke & Spinach Sauté

Sauté in 2 TBSP olive or canola oil:
1 medium red onion, halfed and sliced thin
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

Spash in 1/4 cup wine (red or white) or flavorful vinegar

Add the following:
1 14oz can artichoke hearts
1 1/2 cups frozen (or fresh) chopped spinach
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or white beans
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes quartered or halved

Season with black pepper, herbs, and a seasoned salt mix to taste. (I used black pepper and Jane's Mixed Up Salt.)

Drizzle with a bit more oil or with vegetable broth. Serve over whole wheat pasta, couscous, or just eat it in a big bowl with some bread and a salad on the side.

Notes: To make this *really* low fat, skip the oil in the first step and use only fat free veggie broth. Also, next time I hope I have mushrooms on hand. They would be amazing in this!

The amazing photo of a Jelly Bean Grape Tomato was taken by Haiku last summer!

Photo 2 by Aisling, February 27, 2007

Ginger Chickpea Stew...

My favorite dinner this week was inspired by a recipe in one of my "heart smart" cookbooks. The original had chickpeas and tomatoes, broth and spices. I thought there wasn't enough going on for a filling meal, so I revamped the recipe based on my tastes and what I had on hand at the moment. The result was delicious, filling and very nutritious:

Ginger Chickpea Stew

Put all of this in a big pot:

1 quart vegetable broth
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 sixteen ounce can)
1 small red onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced or chopped
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1 potato grated
1 potato cut in small cubes
1 sweet potato cut in small cubes
1 cup chopped spinach

Season with:

1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put the lid on and cook over medium heat until potato and sweet potato cubes are falling apart and shredded potato has thickened the broth; 30 to 40 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Note: You could sauté the onion and garlic in extra virgin olive oil before adding the broth and other ingredients. It’s so good without that though, that I prefer to skip the oil and keep things lower in fat. Also, this is a slightly sweet stew. For a change of pace Southwestern or Indian Spices would also be delicious. I'm going to try one of those options the next time I make this stew.

My omnivore husband loved this in his thermos for lunch the next day. He told a co-worker that he liked it even better than the beef stew I sent with him the day before.

photo by Haiku, February 2007

The Fragrant Country House...

Above the laundry room sink is a little wooden cabinet that I found at a garage sale one summer afternoon several years ago. The cabinet is filled with amber and indigo-blue glass bottles, filled with essential oils for aroma-therapy and homemade cleaning remedies. As you can see from the photo, I have commercial cleaning products on hand (the laundry soap for example) but also the ingredients for more natural cleaning solutions (such as the big jug of white vinegar.) On the best days, my clean house smells like lavender and jasmine, cinnamon and sweet orange. If anyone in the house has been ill, we might catch a whiff of eucalyptus in the bathroom and tea tree around the doorknobs and light switches.

I have several books about using essential oils in the home. Mainly, I "wing it" using what I have on hand in the essential oil cabinet. But, I thought I'd share an air freshener recipe from one of my favorite little home keeping manuals, The Naturally Clean Home: 101 Safe and Easy Herbal Formulas for Nontoxic Cleansers by Karyn Siegel-Maier, published by Storey Books.

"To make your own herbal spray air freshener, first wash the container thoroughly. Then fill it with water (use distilled if it is also going to come in contact with human skin or foods; do not use the spray ion skin within 12 hours of exposure to sun) and add 5 to 7 drops of an essential oil or combination of oils per 8 ounces of water. Here are some suggested blends:

Country Spice - cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, bay

Romance - vanilla, sandalwood, ylang ylang, jasmine, neroli and rose

Far East - patchouli, cedar, sandalwood,lime and coriander

Calming - bergamot, geranium, clary sage, chamomile, and yarrow

There are other combinations listed in the book, which you can check out here: http://www.storey.com/books/book.php/y/7/p/0/isbn/1-58017-194-X Check out some of Storey's other offerings while you're there, if you have time. They call themselves "book publishers of country wisdom, do-it-yourself, and well-being. "

My little blue pump bottle of air freshener is currently scented with jasmine, patchouli and ylang ylang. It smells clean and fresh... and a little bit dreamy.

photo of the laundry room on a good day, by Aisling 2006

Banana Oat Scones...

My original recipe for scones came from a book called The Joy of Snacks. I don't remember the book and may have to track it down sometime to refresh my memory. I think it was borrowed from the library. I have modified the recipe so much over time, that it is quite different than the original (which contains egg and raisins, and does not use bananas.)

Ingredients:

(scant) 2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated (no trans-fats) margarine, melted
1/3 cup soy milk (plain or vanilla)

1 ripe mashed banana

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients; set aside. Blend mashed banana, melted margarine, and soy milk until fairly smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. Shape dough to form ball; pat out on lightly flours surface to form 8 inch circle. Cut into 12 wedges (scones); bake on oiled baking sheet at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm.

Note: I go "skimpy" on the flour at the start and reserve some to add at the end if needed. Not all banana's are created equal! I will (carefully) add more if the dough is too sticky to shape and cut.

photo by Aisling, February 19, 2007

Winter Blue...

After too many colorless days in a row, bits of blue sky peeked out from beyond the clouds this afternoon. It is amazing how sweet and rejuvenating a blue sky can be in the middle of a long, gray winter. The sun made its appearance just in time to let us see it sink down into the lake, while soft colors glowed on the frozen surface.

I was busy in the kitchen this evening, but don't have anything to share yet. My dinner is a work in progress; I'll share when I've settled on an actual written-down version of the recipe! For now, I hope you enjoy Haiku's photo of the late afternoon sun and my favorite Winston Churchill quote:

"We are all worms. But I do believe I am a glowworm." ~ Winston Churchill

photo by Haiku, February 7, 2007

Baby Bella & White Bean Stew...

Four days into a winter storm, the school is actually closed for a "snow day." This rarely happens here. Mostly, we just take winter weather in stride; we're used to it. However continuous snowing and blowing ultimately will slow those of us who live on the back roads down a bit more than usual. Sub-zero temps (taking wind chill into consideration) just adds to the equation.

For lunch, I just ate a big bowl of yesterday's Baby Bella & White Bean Stew. This is a recipe that I came up with after hunting for one online, but not finding what I was looking for. I thought I would share, in case anyone else looks for excuses to buy Baby Bella (little portebello's, a.k.a. crimini) mushrooms. This warm, filling stew is a really good excuse!

Baby Bella and White Bean Stew

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

3/4 cups chopped onions (a combination of red and green, or just whatever you have on hand)

6 cloves garlic, (4 chopped roughly and 2 crushed)

2 cups sliced Baby Bella mushrooms

2 (16 oz) cans veggie broth

2 (16 oz) cans white beans

1 cup frozen chopped spinach

1/2 cup plain or whole wheat couscous

1/4 cup red white or balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 to 1/2 crushed red pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil. Saute onions, garlic, mushrooms and spices until mushrooms are golden. Deglaze the pan by stirring in wine or vinegar. Add broth, white beans, and spinach. Cook on medium high until the broth comes to a soft boil. Add in couscous and turn off heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

This will really thicken up, so add more veggie broth if you want it more soupy. If you like things spicy, this is good garnished with crushed red pepper and/or a little shot of hot sauce.

This will make 4 to 6 generous servings.

photo by Aisling, February 5, 2007

Missing the Moon...

On the second, the Hunger Moon lit the night sky. Somewhere up there, it was full and round and bright, but I did not catch a glimpse. On the drive home from town earlier that afternoon, the sun was shining weakly through banks of heavy cloud. As I went further north, it suddenly appeared as if the road dead-ended at a solid white wall. The only way home was forward, so on I went into a world of white - white road, white sky, white air - seeing nothing beyond a few feet in front of my vehicle.

Fortunately, we made it up the steep hill and down the winding narrow road that takes us home. From that moment until now, the snow has not stopped. Yesterday, we braved the roads to take Haiku to a friend's birthday party and, as a consequence of that choice, today Limerick had to brave worse roads to bring her home. He had to leap at the chance early this morning when a neighbor plowed the road and the end of our driveway. There was a good possibility that he wouldn't make it out later, as the snow is falling and the wind persisting.

The dark towering maple trees on the back hill look like pale white birches. Snow is clinging to the entire length of each branch, pressed into place by the force of the wind. My candle is already burning on the kitchen window-sill. I am definitely not going out in this weather... Even Maude our intredip German Wire-Hair Pointer, does not want to linger outdoors. Today, I'll get my daily dose of fresh air from the cold wind whistling through the edges of the front door!

photo of Maude, by Aisling, February 3, 2007

One snowy day in January...

Saturday morning the entire family headed deeper into the hills and woods of winter, to join Sijo's Boy Scout Den for a morning at a Sled Dog Rescue Kennel. This kennel has a mission to let each rescued dog continue to enjoy the sport for which he/she was trained, but to never push a dog beyond his/her limits. Quite a few young boys, and Haiku (the token girl in the bunch) had their first experience driving a team of sled dogs up a little well-groomed trail. Tanka took his ride in the basket of the sled, and delighted the driver (the owner of the kennel) by laughing joyously for the duration of the ride.

We were also lucky enough to meet Noweesh (spelling?) a wild mustang rescued at auction from an unmentionable fate. This shy beauty shares his outdoor living space with a few ewes, a musky ram, and an adorable miniature goat.

Mother Nature provided a deep, drifty, picturesque setting for our Sled Dogging Adventure, which was lovely but made it a difficult drive home. We had planned to go skating on the neighbor's pond in the afternoon, but there didn't seem to be any activity going on there as we drove past. Once we were settled in our warm house, we weren't inclined toward outdoor activity. The boy's sleds lay all day at the bottom of the hill upon which the house sits, getting buried by deeper and deeper snow. In the evening, I feel asleep listening to the wind throw waves of snow against the windows.

The Quiet Country Kitchen...

Haiku and I enjoyed a light, easy dinner with an Asian attitude last night. I made Butter Bean Cakes with Asian seasonings. These were too delicate and flaky to be used as a veggie burger, but were wonderful, drizzled with Hoisin Sauce, and served with rice and steamed green veggies.

I'll post a recipe when I make it again - which I will. I am a "little bit of this, little bit of that" cook and don't always know how much of each ingredient I used. I made this up as I went along, using what I had on hand, because I didn't have the right ingredients for the Butter Bean Burger recipe I've used in the past. I did use my favorite Food Network trick though (which I think I learned from watching Rachael Ray), which was to make a mini-burger and completely cook it. After a taste test, I decided things were "just right" and went on to make the whole batch. There were supposed to be two left over for Limerick, who likes to add our vegetarian main dish to his omnivorous meal as a side dish. However, Haiku *really* liked these, so there were no left-overs!

I'll post again later this weekend about our morning with the Sled Dogs!

photo by Haiku, 2007

Pretzel Days...

About once a month, we bake pretzels on Sunday afternoon. We have nothing on the calendar for today, so this will be a pretzel day, I've decided. Once I've made two big pots of soup - chicken noodle for the omnivores and spicy black bean soup for the vegetarians - I will clean the kitchen and the fun will begin.

I will make a big double batch of pretzel dough, divide it by five and give everyone enough dough for several large pretzels. I'm the non-creative pretzel maker in the bunch, always trying to perfect a quick, simple twist into the perfect pretzel shape. The kids tend to use their imagination, creating various symbols and character. Little Tanka tends to make a lot of 'Snakes" or "blobs."

These are not your typical pretzel shop creations, golden and heavily salted, but they are fresh from the oven, made and home, and whole lot of fun!

Soft Pretzels (single recipe)


Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups flour
• 1 egg
• Salt for sprinkling on the pretzels

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt and flour, and mix until dough starts to form ball. Knead until perfectly smooth, on a floured surface. Roll into long strand and form pretzel or other shape. Place shaped dough on greased baking sheet.

Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

photo by Aisling, Fall 2006

The Winter Garden...

I love this passage from one of my favorite gardening books, Hollyhock Days by Sharon Lovejoy:

"In my gardens I always try to remember the birds with saucers of water and giant bouquets of wheat, corn, millet, and sorghum. I tie them to posts and bird feeders. They look beautiful in the bare winter garden, and they are a true treat for the birds."

In upcoming months, I will be sharing some other information from this lovely book, which contains my favorite nomenclature for the full moons. I missed posting about the January Moon, which is called The Snow Moon according to the information Sharon Lovejoy shares from the September 1925 edition of "Everygirls: The Magazine of the Camp Fire Girls."

You can learn more about this book, and Sunflower Houses, and the other wonderful gardening books from this author here:

http://www.sharonlovejoy.com

A little bit of trivia: The Winter Garden is the name of a book I wrote and submitted to a publisher several years ago. Alas, my little coming of age story was (very kindly) rejected. I guess I will always feel a bit wistful when I hear the phrase "the winter garden."

photo by Aisling, January 2007 - before the snow

Cilantro...

No, this isn't an herb garden post. Give me a few more months and there will be plenty of those! This time Cilantro refers to the name of a new set of sheets I purchased this weekend from a holiday gift card Limerick and I were given. I took Haiku to the city this weekend to use our gift cards. She bought clothes and I bought a much-needed set of sheets.

I probably shouldn't admit this, but we were down to one set of very worn sheets for our Queen sized bed. When I washed them (yes, I do that fairly regularly) I had to hurry up: wash, dry, put them back on the bed. So, now I have a beautiful new set that looks very pretty with the polyester crazy quilt sewn many years ago by my paternal grandmother.

Polyester Quilts are a funny thing. No one "oohs and ahhs" over the luxuriousness of polyester. Are there enthusiasts for man-made fabrics as there are for natural fibers? Not that I'm aware of, and yet these quilts (I have a couple) made by both of my grandmothers - probably in the 1970s - of the remnants from their polyester dressed or pant suits, are the most comfortable bedding I've ever had. I have the quilt flipped the "wrong way around" right now so that only the colorful stitching shows against the green backing fabric, just to highlight the new striped sheets.

I met a family at the annual fireworks in our village last summer who were picnicking on a polyester crazy quilt. They agreed that it was the most comfortable blanket they owned. The woman regretted to admit that while it had definitely come down through the family, made by her mother or grandmother, she wasn't sure about the origin of the fabrics. I can look my quilts and call to mind an image of Grandma or Mammaw in a certain dress, or spiffy pantsuit.

photo by Aisling, January 2007