A SEASONAL LOVE

Gary Fisher...how I love Gary Fisher! At least my Gary Fisher. ..and HERE IT IS!

It is that time of year again, getting on the bike and taking my daily ride. In the spring, summer and fall, I am sure that biking is my first love. However, come winter time and my cross country skis, I am sure skiing is my first outdoor love. But as it is spring, nearly summer, I must say there is really nothing quite like mounting the bike and taking off. I can feel exhausted and just plain lousy, but after just 10 minutes on the bike, I am rejuvenated.

Now there is really nothing glamorous about biking get-ups, but amid all the sweat and headwinds, who really cares. After 15 or 20 miles in the mid-day heat, I am literally soaked, just like an hour session of Holly Parr's Zumba class...and at the end of both, I can say I feel more healthy and invigorated than at any other time of day. Great thanks to Gary and Holly!

THE FLOOR IS LAID

Last week the cement truck arrived at 8:00 in the morning, as all was ready for the pouring.

Weather cooperated, and all went without a hitch.

Smoothing the floor. Rudy had extra cement and laid an entrance for me. He said, as we hadn't talked about it, that if I didn't want it he would have broken it up and taken it out. He has been so great to work with.

It had dried by early afternoon, and he was able to walk around on it with the mechanical 'smoother'. Knowing nothing about basement construction, I am amply impressed!
I am, however, getting very anxious for this project to come to completion. It is a total mess outside, and for some reason the inside of my studio is matching it...mess for mess. Although I am able to work out here while the work is going on, I must say it is a bit difficult. A couple of weeks???

On another (delicious) note...last night's supper consisted of an abundant amount of roasted asparagus (freshly picked, swathed in olive oil, garlic, a bit of oregano, freshly ground black pepper and a dash of sea salt); the last of the morels; a fresh tomato from a nearby Amish greenhouse topped with fresh basil, feta cheese and a drizzle of olive oil...and of course naan straight out of the oven. We decided that we eat pretty well here on Jug Creek.

A THOUSAND LITTLE SUNS

I received an email from a dear friend in Maui whose husband needs 1/2 grocery bag full of dried dandelion heads for a Bio dynamic preparation. So, given the foraging nature I have, and the excitement of the hunt...

*morals---oh, I'll look under just one more tree

*Goodwill shopping---there's bound to be a 'treasure' here if only I look a bit longer
*dandelions---oh, there's another good one over there

...I set out this morning to start on my half full grocery bag

Setting the tops out on this picnic table one by one was not unlike constructing some 'art project' and I found it intriguing.

Some of these flowers measured almost 2" in diameter, and were stunning on the stalk. I think laid out here, they are close to breathtaking. I only wish my photo-taking abilities were up to the task.

Of course, if it rains, I'll be moving them and laying them out somewhere one by one again, and maybe that won't be so 'creative' a project.



Coincidentally, just the other day I went outside and took pictures of dandelions because I thought them so beautiful...as beautiful as many another flower. Poor things, they are totally unaware that they are a 'weed'.

BASEMENTS...RHUBARB...LAMPSHADES

The cabin now sits on its cement block foundation...hooray! I don't feel off-kilter anymore. Things seem to be coming along quite well, despite this day/week of rain.

I am sure there are still a few weeks of work here, but it is getting closer...and I am glad. This is quite a mess to get through, though now that it sits on level 'ground' it is more pleasant to work in the workshop.

Cementing over the outside of the blocks prior to completion and back-filling.

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On another note...it is the season of rhubarb and for us, rhubarb cobbler! My own patch looks healthy and is growing, but perhaps due to its location, it is somewhat slow. I have harvested quite a bit, all small stems that are, however, sweet and tender. Luckily I have a neighbor whose rhubarb is prolific and she is quite generous.

Close to our favorite dessert, Rhubarb Cobbler is a delightful mix of sweet/tart and the crust is both crisp and soft.

Add a bit of Organic Valley fresh whipped cream and it just tastes like spring. (Recipe follows.)

Butter as large a pie plate as you wish and fill with cut up rhubarb. I generally use 3-4 cups of rhubarb.
I next treat this just like pie, but directly in the pie plate. Add 1 (or so) cup sugar. (I use half white and half dark brown sugar.) About 1/4 c. flour and stir all together with a large spoon, being sure to mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle a little nutmeg over the top.

Cobbler batter: Combine 1/2 c. sifted flour, 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 2 tbls. soft butter, and 1 large egg. Beat with a fork until smooth.
Drop by spoonfuls over the fruit mixture. It spreads as it bakes.
Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) for about 40-50 minutes.

(I use this same recipe for any fruit in season, and also with my frozen fruit.)
ENJOY!

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My latest weaving project was in response to a challenge given by one of the members of our Fiber Arts group. I brought some extra fine wool yarn to our last meeting and gave some to everyone. Kathy said lets have a challenge to see what we can make with this...and I thought she said 'by the next meeting'. Anyway, I have saved a few lampshade frames over the years and have meant to get to them to weave a shade. Here was my opportunity.

I used the lampshade frame as my 'loom' and warped it with the yarn. I then finger-picked, as in tapestry weaving, the weft. I used various media for the weft, but incorporated plenty of the yarn of challenge.

In the early stages. Fine yarns, tie-dyed cotton strips, hand-dyed silk strips, and some ribbon.

It was time consuming, and at times laborious, but fun to do.

Before its final embellishment. I set it on a lamp and loved it. Still I thought it needed 'something' to make it pop.

And here it is. When the bulb shines behind it, it throws a lovely light.

MOTHER'S DAY

My mother has been gone for several years now. I miss her very much, despite the fact that she feels very near to me. I miss our weekly Saturday morning telephone conversations. I miss calling to tell her of something special that happened. I miss the sharing. I miss the depth of unconditional love that I know she had for me. I miss the cards she would send, and I miss sending cards to her. This is my Mother's Day card.

My only regret about this lovely picture is that my brother, who had not been born yet, is not in it. I don't have a picture assembled like this that includes him. And so I post this picture of my older sister Jackie, my mom, my younger sister Barbara, and myself. This has always been one of my favorite family photos. I believe it was taken to send to my father who was off in the Navy at the time.

I miss my mother so much, but know she is in me...close, truly in my very flesh and blood and bones. She is with me daily, in the kitchen as I cook or bake. Each time I roll a pie crust I think of the perfect circle hers always was. She is with me when I am sitting quietly thinking or reading and as I recall her love of the library and books. She is with Iris and I, especially when Iris insists on a story from when I was a girl. And she is there in the mirror when I look at the reflection...sometimes it is truly her that looks back at me and not just me looking like her. At least I like to think so.

Love...hearts...thoughts are powerful beyond our imagination. Let them take wing with this message and place it in her heart.

A KID'S WEEKEND

Morgan and Macy spent Saturday and Sunday with us. Lots of kid activities and lots of laughs.

Here Grandpa swings the girls...who are NEVER too young for the 'baby' swing. They like to go high, of course, and their toes nearly touch the pine branches that seem up to the sky.

Sisters having a really good laugh.

The next day we visited several 'parks' on the way to Tomah. Ontario's two parks and then on to Wildcat Mountain Park.

She looks contemplative, I wonder what was going through her mind?? Maybe she was just righting herself after going round and round at top speed.

Morgan on top of the monkey bars.

Here is the playground toy that goes round and round just by moving your bottom. I'd never seen one like it before, but by wiggling, you can get up to high speed.

She thought this was a wonderful way to view the world.

Grandpa and the girls...he's just putting on his tough-man look, he was having great fun with his girls.

A rare moment while the Whirlwinds settled in for a cozy picture.

FROM PESKY BURR TO SOMETHING WONDERFUL

Cabin update.
Construction keeps moving along, despite the rains over the weekend. Monday the cement blocks were delivered, and yesterday Rudy began laying them on the front frost wall.

Sand delivered and water transported back to the cabin via barrels.

The first corner has been laid.


On another note. Spring has been so early that I only yesterday afternoon gathered my first Garduni (as the Sicilians I grew up with called it) and Cardoon as I've seen in Italian cookbooks. Gathering Garduni was always a rite of spring at our house when I was growing up, and my city siblings so envy the ease with which I can get it. Still, people around here think perhaps I might not be all there.

The pesky BURR that sticks to everyone relentlessly. (I have used these burrs to make animal sculptures which are truly wonderful.)

The burdock plant, and actually isn't it lovely?? The Sicilians eat the leaf stalk, where I know other ethnic groups eat the root.

Washed, rinsed and cut into a manageable size for cooking.

'Clump' several pieces together and roll in beaten egg.

Quickly roll that clump in Italian Seasoned bread crumbs.

Several clumps sitting waiting to be fried.

Several fried clumps waiting to be eaten. A sprinkle of lemon juice and this is close to the finest taste of spring. (Well, the first asparagus might rival it.)