Breathing and looking about

A note this morning from C reminded me to look about. Lilac in bloom but not where I could stop and pic, blossom everywhere, saucer magnolia finished, partly by a late frost, partly recent rain and wind, dogwood in full bark.

First swallows all over the pond. Rain is on the way, so I expect there are plenty of insects to catch 

At my front door, the usual crowd of wild and tame flowers suddenly pushing about. First iris bud. I have to look up the wild friends again, poor memory.

And here's the latest reading. The Leon novel is a reread, the essays new to me.  I'm deep into The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury, too.

Also here's the Jacket's Progress. I have to lay it flat and stand to stitch, so as not to get lost.

And, on the olive oil cake front, to my amazement, it tastes much better after a day or two.  Handsome Son visited yesterday and actually liked it. But he did put in a request, while he was at it, for a repeat of the blueberry Newtons. Just in case I went over to  the olive oil cake side suddenly, I expect. Hedging his bets.

Sometimes life's about hedging your bets.

Speaking of which, I'm planning on a couple of nice upgrades at the condo once the plumbing and appliance situation is resolved.

One is a new mantel to replace the one I made and installed decades ago, which finally fell off. Here's where it was

And here's the one at the townhouse

I think the condo one, lighter colored floor, white surrounds, might be good with a paler wood, whatever Artist Michael suggests. He probably has some nice pieces he can pick from. The bas relief you can maybe see, is my work. Artist Michael will know how to accommodate it, I expect.

Raises the whole tone of the place. At the condo it's the first thing you see when you open the front door, so I'd like it to be nice to come home to.

Meanwhile, Son Michael is embarking on a serious cleaning and Winnowing, since I made the case that we need a nice environment for the original artwork mantel. He's usually oblivious to dust bisons and clutter. He's working on it now. I'll assist.

And I will replace the ancient track lights, there since the early 80s, installed by the original owner. It's time.

All in all, some progress. Thanks to you blogistas and other friends, raised spirits, too.

Jewels, vinegar and Mantel

This weekend is taken up, aside from garden decor, with the Arrival of the Vinegars and the total adventure of Mantel. With Julia Alvarez in the wings.

I sent away for various vinegars, and seem to have got a duplicate going, but it was confusing, mainly since some were not available, and my ordering got a bit out of order. My current repertoire

 But it's all good, and you will never hear me moaning that I can't get malt vinegar ever again. Lifetime supply. See that basket of little packets!

But the places we'll go, the dishes we'll try! Because I'm worth it.

The bottle of malt was a mistake for red wine out of stock. And the little packets of malt are great, just rather a lot.

 Big red notice on the inner box of packets: do not cut into this box you will damage the contents. Hard to get in without cutting at least the tape. And indeed that punctured a packet, little  fountain,  lovely smell and just missed my eye. Tight packed. Somebody used to packing sardines? Some of the packets may end in handsome son's kitchen, he being a pretty good cook who uses condiments.

This beautiful little guy expired on my door mat. Look at the color. If anyone knows what he was in life please say. I've seen this insect on the sage and other flowers.

And since the long awaited Mantel arrived, that's the current reading. The last in the trilogy of Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies

Julia Alvarez next

Last evening's Book Passage event was Sara Paretsky. I've read several of her V I Warshawski gritty mysteries, the heroine being an intrepid PI.  Exciting stuff and I had no idea how old Paretsky is, nor how funny and good humored and interesting a speaker. Some writers are not cut out for talking and it's better to read them.

 She's good for both.

 She lives in a small town in Kansas, so we're spared the big city I'm really someone vibes given off by writers who shall remain nameless, no need to give them even more attention. And I loved her account of ordering books from her local indie bookstore and having them delivered right away by bicycle.

Since the Book Passage series are all talking heads, you can do other things, at the same time, so she helped me do quite a bit of seam finishing on my jacket, without missing anything.

Life's full of stuff!