Plum Blossom

Every spring, all over the midwest I imagine, the back roads explode with a froth of white blossoms on thorny limbs.  The wild plum is a angry shaped little tree, misshapen...with black bark and up to 2 inch thorns.  But between late April and early May it yields the sweetest fragrance.
Plunging my face briefly in its blossoms becomes an olfactory time machine.  It can transport me back to 447 Market Street like nothing else.  To a place before there was grown up heartaches and empty nests and financial worry and creaky joints.  There is just me and my mom and dad, my little brother and peach colored cat in a bubble of safe naivety.

That may be one of the reasons that at each summer's end I seek out the small, red fruit to put up into jam.  Come August I'll be arm wrestling the birds and ants and the thorns.

Light Up the World

It was there...and then it was gone.



my Vintage Replogle World Vision Electrified Library Globe had a front page spot and was SOLD.

Dodging Worms

stock photography
fotosearch.com

earthworms and their large

slow cousins the night crawlers

on april asphalt

luxuriate in all eight inches

double hearted

squishy, squashy pink meat

meets 55 pounds of 

hard rubber ribbon

get back to your 

aerations, your

grave robbing and

recycling

and I will test

my steering tomorrow

around the crisp remains

of the hangers-on 

why do worms come to the surface after a rainstorm?

Fuel for a Bike Ride

Week two of the bike pledge.
Even though I was in Judith Lasater's restorative yoga workshop all last week (it was fabulous, first time I experienced sitting at the feet of a master teacher and not just an instructor) I managed to eek out a pedal around the block each night.  Yesterday, 14 miles to the grocery and back.

Today, came home starved from working all day.  Ok, I did crash on Ione's couch for a couple innings of the Twins Opener at Target Field.

Made a plate.  Smoked salmon from VonHanson' (their's kick's Morrey's to the curb...moister, sweeter and slightly oilier).  FYI: I went to school with Pete.
Added some cooked pea pods, an olive medley with more roasted garlic than olives, fresh spinach leaves.  By now my bread and butter sized plate is overflowing, so I grab a salad sized plate and invert the whole works so I can add Richard's grilled concoction from last night.  There are chunks of grilled red potato, yam and onion along with small roasted sections of lime, peel and all, almonds and raisins.  Sounds weird but it tastes fine.
Can anyone tell me if it's dangerous eating citrus peelings...Suzy?
No need for dressing.  I suppose you could add a creamy garlic.  And on the side, kettle chips with cracked pepper and a glass of cheap chardonnay.

Slowly moving toward Schwinn...

Vintage Girlie Goods

Soon to be listed in the shop:

My faves are the life-sized, silver plated Cinderella slipper and the brass mouse receipt holder.

50 Posts

...and 3 Columns.
The first column of facilitating restorative yoga poses is Observation.
The second column is Physical Support.

Tomorrow I will be midway through my workshop for Restorative Yoga with Judith Lasater.
Tomorrow I will learn the third column.

This has been my 50th post to this blog.

The Egg and the Onion

Pink and aqua dyed eggs don't move my soul. Naturally dyed eggs, using onion peel can give a beautifully marbleized finish.  My mother and I found this method years ago.  A recent article in the Trib featured this and other natural dyes. The method I have used where the skins are wrapped directly to the eggs produces more defined striation.

These first two method photos were taken before sun-up, with bad incandescent kitchen light. Medium yellow onions can be tedious to work with. Opt for single large onions. You should be able to cover four to six eggs with the skins from two large onions.  Wrap the uncooked eggs in the skins, being careful to over wrap for maximum coverage. I also used brown eggs as well as white, but they all mellowed to about the same tone. Use rubber bands to keep them in place and slip them into simmering water to cover, adding a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to set the color. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cover, let sit 16 minutes.

I chose large red onions as well, expecting pinker tones, however the outcome was negligible.

Remove with a slotted spoon and carefully unwrap the peels as they cool.














Emerging from the chrysalis.


















Each one is an individual work of art and happenstance.  When they are cooled, put a touch of vegetable oil in your hands to coat them and add sheen.  Of course, refrigerate to keep food safe.

30 Days of Biking

Richard practically double-dog dared me.  I read the Star Tribune's article and quietly pledged to ride my bicycle every day of the month of April, no foolin'.  However, I am non-official since the only link I could find to participate required tweeting and I don't tweet.  There is no maximum mileage required, even a ride around the block qualifies.  Tonight I did the 2 miles round trip to my yoga class in 75 degree weather on my lovely green Surly CrossCheck that is like pedaling through butter.  Out of the 4 yoga participants, one had already heard the good news.
click this link to take the pledge