Summer Faith Shaken

So this morning I awoke to this view;

Summer will Come...

At this time of year there is a certain degree of faith required to believe, really truly in your heart of hearts, believe that the winter will end. The nights and days are still bone chillingly cold, down to -19 on Thursday last. The sun is back, but its power feels sapped each night by winter's icy grip. Only true believers start flowers for the summer the faithless don't believe will arrive. I'm a believer-

Bottega/Bottarga

So there's this 'umami rich' stuff called 'bottega' that is made from the salted, pressed and smoked roe of the grey mullet. A sort of fish, not the hair cut, althought I guess the hair cut could be said to have a certain 'funk' about it similar to the umami flavour of this fish roe. I have hatched a plan to make some ourselves. Christopher's aboriginal grandma May is still actively setting nets and fishing. She shares fish with Christopher when he is around and she's got some. Some of that fish has roe.

Can you feel my plan hatching?

There's also the good chance that Christopher will be working fish camp with grandma this summer and pulling nets full of Yukon River Chinook - if there's fish this year. Last year was really sad for everyone with the lowest return ever recorded. We have smoked the roe and frozen it in the past. Perhaps this year we'll get more creative...

Silver Cruet Set

Friends are downsizing and moving to the next phase of their peripetatic lives and gifted us this lovely family heirloom. Each time we use it will think if the good friends who've given it to us, their stories and hopefully more stories to come... and the twists and turns of life.

Cat vs. Squirrel

So this squirrel has decided that our place is the best location for everything wonderful from food to nest lining. Yep, the squirrel has been stealing wool from my stash to line her nest. So, I want the cat to eat the squirrel. He's not had not much success yet.

 Here's the high wire acrobat in action along the clothes line for the bird food.

 And here the squirrel discovers the cat is watching... Squirrel 3 cat 0

The squirrel got away to fight another day.

The forever quilt - A riff on the New York Beauty pattern

I've been working on this quilt for longer than any of my nieces or nephews have been alive. Yep, it's old. Today I finally finished it.It has been tabby cat approved for years, today the red seal tabby cat approval occurred.

puerto vallarta

We are enjoying our winter holiday in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco State, Mexico. The weather is divine, hot and humid. I did almost get sucked out to sea due to my own fool hardy ocean swimming desires and my lack of commitment. If you want to swim in the ocean here you have to go for it to get beyond the surf-line and undertow. I was able to happily surprise my husband with a little wardrobe malfunction as the surf tore my bikini top off, but I'm alive and able to talk about it and my sinuses are really clean.

More to come.