Mersydotes

As they say, "the proof is in the pudding", and I must say this pudding is awesome!  This morning I opened up one of the jars of strawberry lavender jam, not quite sure what to expect. It is delicious!  The strawberries are a bit tart and the lavender doesn't make it perfumy, but rather lends an almost citrus flavor.  What an awesomely, unexpectedly yummy new taste experience! Les fraises et la lavande- un mélange inattendu mais parfait!  Miam miam! ~Mersydotes

I'm always on the look-out for fascinating books that will help us on our journey towards "self-sufficiency with a flair", and I have discovered a new one: Canning for a New Generation .  Every recipe looks fantastic, and many of them have a bit of an unexpected twist- like this one: strawberry lavender jam.  The author also makes canning very straightforward without requiring all sorts of unnecessary extravagant equipment.  Just you, your pots, the stove, and some yummy ingredients. Even though it's not the season for strawberries, and my own little strawberry plant is just getting back on its feet (more about its amazing comeback later!), the local grocery was selling strawberries for a buck a pound, and even though they looked pretty sorry, I thought they could still do well as jam.  They got washed, cooked, sugared, and herbed with the special dried lavender that my parents gave to me. It has been so exciting learning to cook with lavender as a spice.

Even if it rains all day, your hair goes frizzy, your car runs out of gas, and you're at work til 7...even if all of that happens, Wednesdays are still wonderful in our town, because it's $1 taco night! Time to relax, amigos! ~Mersydotes

Hi everyone, it's me Penny.  Can I share with you how hard it is to be a puppy?  I've captured some of the most grueling moments of my day this week! First, here I am soaking up the sun in the living room early in the morning.  I just woke up and I'm ready to run around outside, but Mama is still drying her hair! And in the evening, I have long study sessions with Papa... Sometimes my little eyes just get too tired from all that reading!   I tell 'ya!  It's a real doggy-dog world out there!   ~Penny  

Today during lunch I took a wee bit of a bike ride, as the weather was sunny and warm, and tomorrow it's supposed to thunder storm all day.  So, I seized the moment and peddled of to the par because I had heard that the Japanese cherry trees were in bloom.  And they were! There is a path completely surrounded and covered by the cherry trees, and the blossoms created a beautiful canopy. Every once in a while, a breeze would waft by the delicate sent of the flowers- so delicate and enchanting that you only notice it as it floats away. This might be the only afternoon to enjoy the cherry blossoms, since the rain could wash them away tomorrow. To think that something so beautiful is also so transient... So I sat on the bank of the pond and stretched out to eat my apple. Lovely afternoon! ~Mersydotes

I've just finished a really outstanding book.  I read it for work, and since it is considered a young adult book, I wasn't expecting it to be an amazing, thought-provoking, challenging, engaging, lively, heartwarming story-but it was! The book is Peak by Roland Smith (book picture from Amazon).  And instead of being just about the trek to the top of Mt. Everest, it's a novel about friendship, decency, trust, ethics, and a young man's realization of who/what his true family is.  Much to talk about!  It was great to read on my own (I couldn't put it down!), but I think it would be even better read aloud as a family.  A must read! ~Mersydotes

Mr. Mersydotes and I had a really neat opportunity over the weekend to visit an art exhibit and presentation about the Japanese art of mizuhiki, or traditional knot tying. The exhibit was decorated with big pink paper balls in order to simulate the cherry blossoms that haven't quite opened yet because of unseasonably cool and rainy weather.  It was very cheery! Beautiful knots, sculptures, and bows are created from rice paper cords which are wrapped with silk or other fibers.  I was fascinated by how tiny and intricate the designs were. Originally, the art began as a way for Japanese noble women to tie up their love letters before they sent them to their darlings.  The artist also discussed the traditional aesthetic principles governing mizuhiki.  For example, an odd number of fibers is used for happy occasions (birthdays, engagements, etc.), while even numbers are reserved for more somber events.  Also, light colors are placed on the left to balance out darker

During my little hiatus from blogging, I've been working on a whole bunch of crochet projects.  There is something so relaxing and mindful about crocheting.  Something that allows you to slowly relax all the tension in your body as you methodically count stitches and form something beautiful out of an endless, shapeless string.  If you think about it, crochet is a great example of "inter-being".  The finished project that looks so orderly and complicated is really just one long, simple fiber, and the brand new ball of yarn has the potential to be just about anything!  And recently, my yarn has decided to turn itself into little bears! Here is the first one- his name is Arnold. Before I stitched on his eyes and nose, Mr. Mersydotes thought he was a donkey, but I think he definitely looks like a bear now!   And here are Perceval and Clover- brother and sister bear with adorable little bronze-colored eyes.  The crochet pattern suggeste

Recently, my in-laws gave me a lovely gift certificate which I put to good use for some luxurious wool-blend yarn in yummy pastel colors.  These colors just screamed spring cheer, and I've been having a blast with them!  (As it's been quite stormy recently, the light has been low, so these photos appear a bit washed-out.) My latest crochet trend has been pillow covers.  I'd never before made a pillow cover in my whole life, but now I'm obsessed!  At first, I was a little hesitant to mix together so many different colors, as I am normally a single color many tones kind of a crocheter.  But, as an old college art teacher once said, I let all the worry and fears about the project seep in, and then jumped right in!  It turned out great! The first one I made was a variation on a traditional granny square: The second was the most daring, as I used yellow yarn for the very first time: I think it looks like a very jolly Easter egg! The third and final one gave m

I've recently finished three books that have made my heart happy.  I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for a good read that makes them feel in awe of life and part of the world around them.  The first is Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg.  In an early college psycholinguistics course, I had briefly heard the professor mention the amazing linguistic capacities of African Grey parrots, but I had never realized that these gorgeous animals have such complex emotions that they can learn to express to us humans through the use of language.  It was a revelation to read about how this creature was able to express his humor, worries, happiness, and wants.  Even I, who have always loved and respected animals as fellow creatures, paused to reflect on what this implies for us as humans.  Now that we know how much lives in animals' hearts and minds, we have a duty to be kind and loving.  An amazing book!  I wonder what Penny wants to express? After finishing up Alex and Me,

Hello all! Mersydotes is back in bloggy land, and it feels so great!  After a much-needed break (oh those "creaky bones"!), spring has sprung and with the good weather it's time to come back! Now that the temperatures have been hitting the 70s during the afternoons, I decided to go ahead and plant the patio pots.  How exciting!  I love growing things!    My wonderful neighbor and I went to the local garden nursery together the other day, and it was alive with colorful blooms!  She took some wonderful pictures that I would like to share with you to brighten your day! Would you like to see what's on the patio?  There is a beautiful new hibiscus tree.  It is thriving in the balmy, windy weather and the blossoms are so bright!  I can't wait to make hibiscus tea from the flowers! Also, there is a new little curry plant.  It's so neat!  And the smell is amazing- just like curry, but very gentle.  Supposedly I can cook with it fresh a