feed the cat

Happy New Year everyone, and don't forget to 'feed the cat.'

Sorrel info for Zanne

Hello Zanne,
Tried sending
an e-mail
but it
bounced
back so;
Thank you
for visiting
my blog.
As with all the
successes in the garden , our sorrel thrives
on healthy neglect.

The seeds were planted, 3 to a hole, about 4" deep. The soil there is a heavy clay loam, quite wet but well draining, at the top of a south facing slope. We are about 1800 feet above sea level and here it is cooler and with high humidity. The seeds we planted were from Tropica who appear to be a French company called Technisem. Of course we now have lots of seeds from the plants but I am slightly hesitant to use them as there was some mealy bug on some of them. We didn't use any manure, or fertiliser, as the soil in that spot has been nourished by years of leaf fall, mangoes, kitchen waste etc. All we did was watch them grow. If you are interested there are more garden stories here, Garden ,although, with my usual efficiency, I seem to have forgotten to note when we planted the sorrel. I think it was in June. The plants are now producing new flowers. I have visited GoGrow lovely blog, I will be visiting often.

Season's Greetings

Amidst
the
tinsel
and
the
wrapping
paper,

Season's
Greetings
to
everyone

and
most
especially
to

all of you who comment on this blog, with love and best wishes to all,
from Zooms and T. xxx

I'll be down by the river

Beside

the

river

basking

in

dappled

sunlight

ripples

and

eddies

recite

soporific

symphonies

blue

sky

reflections

vie

with

deep

pool

desires

and

there,

shade

and

light

and

quiet

contemplation,

redeem.

Tradition

T
returned
home,
triumphant,
last night,
having,
successfully,
secured
our
Christmas
dinner.
Apparently,
he
was
extremely
lucky
as
there
were
only
seven,
of
the
original two hundred and fifty, remaining in the shop.

Ho, Ho, oh no.

For those of you not looking forward to the festive season, (or even if you are)
may I suggest that you find some solace at

A Kite Rises

where there are words that delight.

It's almost Christmas because......

I really, really want to write a poetic, artistic, amusing post but , with only one week before Christmas and, trying to be a good Grenadian wife, I have cobwebbing to do, walls to wipe, closets to clear, chair set covers to wash, paint and varnish to buy, and , of course, new curtains to sew and hang.

Sorrel, story and secrets.

This is West Indian sorrel
which we grow from seed.
Sorrel is the traditional
Christmas drink in the Caribbean.
It is refreshing and delicious,
it has healing properties
and is the perfect partner
when mixed with rum.




After harvesting the waxy
calyxes,







they are cleaned,
by removing the seed pod,
and washed,
before combining them with
'sugar and spice and all things nice.'




This website
www.meredithlaurence.com/?p=37
has more information and includes this delightful
Anansi story.

I like to put ginger in my sorrel,





and
other
secret
ingredients,
which,
if you are passing on Christmas day,
you will be very welcome
to
come
and
share.

Technology, or not technology, that is the question.

It seems that the real challenge, for me, at Illustration Friday is not, in fact, to create a suitable image, but to upload the required thumbnail. Having spent all of this afternoon trying to do this, using all the permutations of my 50x50, yes it is a jpeg file, renaming, resizing, re saving, I was ultimately left with the option of not submitting, not using a thumbnail or using the image from last week, which I did, out of desperation.
As usual, all, or any, advice will be gratefully received.

Excess

'Excess'

Charcoal on paper 7" x7"

Continuing with the self imposed discipline, by participating in the Illustration Friday weekly challenge, 'Excess' was difficult, which is why it was posted so late.

Of course the obvious interpretation would have been me, lying in the gutter, with my favourite bottle of red but things aren't quite that bad yet and, besides, it would have to be a drain as we don't have gutters here and even I can't go there.

Our day out.

Our days are usually spent

hard at work.

The garden, construction, art and craft,

together with the daily cycle

of domestic dalliance,

tells of a life that is full and fruitful,

rewarding but structured.

Which is why, when we get the chance,

we run away to spend a day

together,

just us two.

Saturday found us here, at Levera Beach,

looking out at Sugarloaf Island.

T was feeling the heat,

a momentary diversion

from our island tour,

a need for sand and sea water

and sun on my skin.

He indulged me,

stoically,

sustained by the promise of a soon to come

ice cold Carib.

Driftwood of magnitude

lay brazen

by the shore,

whilst the island chain of the Grenadines,

seemingly strung

a little closer than usual,

invited and dared,

come visit, come see.