Trees and saris

 Today the mystery plant is twice as tall as the last pic you saw, 

Has started unfurling five part compound leaves. 

So it may be ash, hickory or black walnut, unless you have a better idea. In any case it will probably be about fifty feet tall when it's done.  Most likely a squirrel donation. All local trees.

And remember the doctor's appointment postponed from September 2 to late December in account of Ida? One hitch is the follow up mammogram to the scare I had in the spring. It's not over yet. 

Anyway how to get it done on time.. so I called the doctor's office. No chance of an appointment before January, better stick with December after all. But star nurse Christine said, nah, this is easy, when she got back about fifteen minutes later, a landspeed record, I already faxed over a script, just call them and set it up. Which I did, and they did, for October, bang on schedule. Middle management gets it done.

Breathing happily, I promptly had a good idea. While the sari is waiting its turn to be made into clothes, why not let it hang, to air out and lose the packing creases. In a doorway.

I replaced the tired handweave which will get a turn in the dryer to dedust it.

New portiere. And you see how much fabric this is. I knotted it up at the back so the front would just brush the floor.  You can see the drape. Perfect for a skirt, among other things. 

I'm going to be that old lady who always wears green silk..so much fabric. Or that woman who cuts up portieres to make dresses, like that woman and the curtains in the movie.

Here's the pair, wedding sari left, new sari right. Approved by antique dolls in their shared rocker.

Once again my stuff is multitasking.

Of door curtains, cabbages, cats, beads and other such things

I didn't include a picture of the door curtain yesterday, because by the time I thought of it, the light was too low for my modest camera equipment and ability.

However today is another day, or Day, and I'm busily doing whatever keeps me going.

I started with a chair yoga stretching session on YouTube, really good choice for today. I found how tense I was, and felt a lot better after the stretches. And I wondered about cooking something new.

I found a flatbread recipe, oil, flour, water, kneading, resting, rolling, and thought that might be good, best to stuff with something, but what? And while I was mulling about that I found a great cabbage recipe.

So I switched to that, for lunch.

I added in baharat because it seems to be good with cabbage. The recipe didn't specify salt so I went with that because maybe it would be fine.

That flour, Aurora Mills stoneground whole-wheat, from Maine, is expensive and worth it. I've made my best bread with it, so I'll see how it works with the flatbread.

Here's the YouTube source of the cabbage caper

Picture is of recipe cooked in Teflon, mine came out a bit different in castiron

Here's the second part, after I had to tip it out onto a plate then invert it to finish cooking. After the turning over is when the cheese is added. Then you cover it and cook a few minutes more.

As you see, the cheese is overdone but the inside cooked nicely. I think a lower heat next time. It would be prettier but probably wouldn't taste much different.

Lunch is served. Next time I will also add salt. It does need it. In fact I might saute the onions ahead with salt, while starting the cabbage, eggs and flour, then stir them in.

Anyway it's pretty good.

I also realized ah, here's what I can stuff that flatbread with. There's plenty, so maybe a couple of lunches. Which may be comfort food or victory food, depending on the next few days. Cabbage wraps. I might add in pickled beets. Or maybe on the side.

Cabbage usually gives me really psychedelic dreams, colors not on the spectrum, adventure narratives, last time involving white horses, so we'll see what tonight brings.

And about door curtains, finally I'm getting to the door curtains.  They're like this, at least mine are

Closed

Open

Not to be confused with portieres, which replace doors. Read on.

Here's an Indian wedding sari, a gift

An Indonesian artisan handwoven fringed length, a fair trade piece originally cream, which I dyed with I think onionskin dyes

And a purpose-made Japanese one, hand embroidered both sides in sashiko stitching. These are used in shop doorways to deter flies while being easy to stroll through, because of the divide. From a friend who got it in Japan, and I can't remember the correct Japanese name.

I expect you could have portieres that didn't originate in Asia, but I don't seem to have any that didn't. Funny, because Victorians were mad for them, making them of big handmade paper beads. I used to make paper beads, but not portieres of them. Because cats.

Why tear off doors? Two words: worktops, cats. When cats can come and go in closets without being shut in, needing rescue when you finally find them, or needing the door opened yet again, firm (loud)  requests on this point, you see the benefits of the portiere. The other word, worktops, is what happens to the doors. They end up in the studio with work all over them, cheap and sturdy.

I think I'll spin now.