Foodapalooza, fabrics and forthcoming attractions

 Yesterday, after the storms, blessedly cooler, I got my mojo back and headed to the kitchen.

But first I went to the library, to pick up two suits, seasons of, that is. And there was a book sale on, oh well. With DVDs.  I scored two seasons of Father Dowling, about whom I know nothing, Chicago priest detective, still in the shrink wrap, and the Reese Witherspoon Vanity Fair, which I've seen and loved. For $1.50. 

 I gave the library lady $2 and declined to take change, to her surprise. I explained I already get my money's worth, it wouldn't be right to fuss about 50c.  It's a point of principle not to take change from the library.

There's my entertainment for the foreseeable future

Anyway, once home, the food factory, I mean kitchen, became the focus of operations.

First, granola, which I haven't had in decades, why not, it's great. All organic. Oats, almonds, cinnamon ( the real Ceylon kind, not the supermarket cousin of it), lemon zest, dried cranberries, avocado oil, honey, seasalt. *Baked at 350°f for 25 minutes, edited because of a question in the comments, thank you Mary.

Left it in the fridge for a few hours, and had a great Suitside supper later.

I now have a large bag of granola in the fridge, another in the freezer. 

After the granola, I pushed up the oven temp to 400°f and rubbed fine seasalt into the chicken, then ran out and picked sage, thyme and lemon balm to strew about, then olive oil. I like the flavoring this way better than inserted.

An hour  later, I had a great supply of roast chicken for several days. It's surprising how much meat there is on a 2lb chicken. 

Then, on to the yogurt

At this point I'm pretty much ready for anything! All food groups and entertainment catered to.

One thing missing from yesterday's whirlwind is any kind of stitching. That's because the incoming storm, rain and winds, brought on a lot of the allergens that I deal with. 

The result was swollen, itching, tearing eyes, despite all my doctor supplied eye drops, nose drops, allergy pills,  etc etc. I couldn't see accurately enough to stitch. So that will happen when it calms down. 

On the bright side,  sounds like that annoying Chinese story about the man and his barn, it gave my stabby neck a rest. The story in question is about a man whose barn, with all his harvest in it, was blown down in a storm. 

Whereupon this man exclaims that's lovely! Now I can see the moon! The story, clearly invented by a person writing in a snug study, with a pot of tea made by someone else, at his side, does not record the man's wife's comments.

There was also a wonderful presentation by the Textile Museum of Southern California, along with other groups, of  Indian and other Asian textiles and how  trading caused sharing of designs and motifs across cultures. I had to do  a lot of editing to bring that to you, and it needs its own post.  Tomorrow.

Meanwhile, on the list of suggested reading, they presented like a complete lecture, notes, labeled slides, the lot,  was this book, on my own shelf and treasured. 

It's the catalog raisonne, add your own acute accent, of a wonderful textile exhibit at the NY Met. Museum a few years ago. The cover is a printed fabric, and I must get into this again today. It's a while since I browsed in it. 

It was a landmark exhibit, probably the first major US acknowledgment of textiles as a  serious art form, and I believe the first big event of the newly hired director, Thomas P. Campbell, an authority on fiberarts. Showed that the Met board who hired him knew their onions, too.

And before I go, yesterday's US Open tennis win by Coco Gauff, brought it home yet again for Black Girl Magic! A big yay for the first black teen since Serena, to win the women's title. And here's a  tribute to all the black women who've won it since 2000.

Happy day, everyone, be like Coco, when people try to douse your little fire with water, and I suspect a lot of readers have had this experience, treat it like gasoline! Blaze!

Photo AC