black pepper

I'm all atwitter - my black pepper plant (Piper nigrum) is actually blooming! I grow it as a houseplant here in zone 5 in New York state. I've had this plant for a few years and was wondering if it was happy. Growth hasn't been stellar. It lives outdoors on the porch in the summer and comes inside for the winter. But, noticing the blooms, I believe it is adapting well to this climate. Hopefully, the blooms will lead to peppercorns. You can bet dinner spiced with that black pepper will be a special occasion!

The ground outdoors is still completely frozen and any sign of spring and growth is cause for celebration. Right now, green growth is the houseplants and the seedlings I have been sowing indoors. I use a grow light and my south facing windows. Right now I have seedlings of ginseng, tomatoes, white sage, bupulerum, hot peppers, hyssop, lemon balm, ashwagandha, adafetida, roselle, angelica (archangelica and sinensis) and a lot more. When you are a plant nut, it's amazing how a little seed can bring such happiness.

Talking About herbs

I teach crazy quilting and herbs. Maybe a strange combination, maybe not. I also write articles about each subject. In January, my article on calendula appeared in The Essential Herbal.
I will post it on the Green Spiral Herbs web site now that the next issue has arrived. Make sure you check out and subscribe to this grass roots, exciting magazine.

Today, the United Plant Savers Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation arrived and it has our progress report about our Botanical Sanctuary in it. Go to United Plant Savers to read the update.

Another project which I am quite excited about is the start-up of an absinthe company in the Catskills. Why am I excited? Well not just for the taste of absinthe (however yummy that is)...the owner, Cheryl Lins, has asked us to grow many of the herbs she will use in this mythic, mystic concoction. We met with Cheryl a few months ago and gave her samples of our herbs and she was impressed with the quality of what we grow. She wants to keep as much as she can "in the Catskills". We agree! Here is a link to a newspaper article written about her last week:
Absinthe. Oh yeah, I'll let you know when bottles of this fine beverage will be available. You may have to come to the Catskills to get it though!

In the meantime, it's another frozen day here. Spring is still some time away, but seedlings in southern facing windows have sprouted and red-winged blackbirds have arrived in the yard. Not so very long now til my hands can get in the earth again.

Doo, doo, doo, looking out my back door

So goes the old Creedence song. And this was the view from my back porch this morning. It's still snowing, lots of schools delayed. What is a chick to do but stitch, make orange/rosemary jelly and transplant little seedlings?

Here's a peek on what I worked on yesterday. It's part of a crazy quilt I am working on.

Six words

I was watching the morning news (getting the weather forecast of a foot of snow and freezing rain mixed in) and saw a segment on "six words". There is a book out that asked people to write their memoirs in just six words. Fascinating! http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords/ Here is the link.

I thought it would be difficult, but once you start thinking about it, ideas pour out. The web site has some great six worders.

Here are some that I wrote:

Manure heaped. Blooming like roses now.

Magic dreams. Creative soul. Happy woman.

Gathering interesting tidbits. Amusement value high.

Daughter, sister, wife, mother. Big shoulders.

Magic in my fingertips. Stitch. Grow.

What are your six words????

Lunar eclipse

The moon was captivating last night. It was a chilly 7 degrees, so I kept running in and out to check on the progress. The sky was completely clear and we live way out in the boonies, so the intensity of the light from the moon and stars is magnificent. Before the grand celestial event, the moon was so bright, shadows were being cast all over the garden. The start of the eclipse brought a lavender veil across the moon’s face, but as time progressed, a smoky red coursed across the moon. The brightness of the unveiled portion contrasted beautifully with the shadow and my husband remarked it seemed like the bright portion was larger than the shadowed portion. Like an acorn with its cap we decided. How shocking that the night had turned so dark after the grand illumination of just an hour earlier. No wonder eclipses are considered so magical.

This is a picture of "Moondance". I made this many years ago, but thought it would be nice to show after the lunar eclipse. I do have to say that my garden certainly wasn't in bloom last night!

Crazy Quilts by Cindy Brick

Voyageur Press asked me to review Cindy Brick's latest book, "Crazy Quilts: History - Techniques - Embroidery Motifs". It is my extreme pleasure to do so. Cindy is a colleague of mine. I met her in Omaha, Nebraska when we both taught for the Crazy Quilt Conference there. Can't remember which year it was! We both have a love for antique crazy quilts and we both lecture extensively on the subject.

Cindy's book on crazy quilts is a delight. The outstanding photography of precious antique crazy quilts is breathtaking. And as to be expected, Cindy's narrative is well researched and well presented. Although there are similarities to Penny McMorris' book on crazy quilt history, Cindy takes us in more detailed and somewhat different directions. And, as an added bonus, there are many pages devoted to constructing a crazy quilt of your own. There are also many modern crazy quilt artists represented in the book to deliver fabulous eye candy.

The artistic and cultural aspects of crazy quilting is addressed in this book - an avenue rarely explored in depth. It's fascinating to read about "The Industry Quilt" - a gorgeous wool crazy quilt completed in 1924 and used as payment for the maker's funeral in 1936. I remember excitedly driving to see this quilt on exhibit in Omaha. It is a monumental effort of artistry and will.

The ties between our Victorian foremothers is not as tenuous as one would think. Women of today are still voicing their opinions, dreams and artistry through needle and thread, just as our ancestors did. Joy, pain, longing, humor and love are evident in antique and modern creations. "Crazy Quilts" is a fascinating read for those who wish to know more about the cult of crazy. It is also a respite from a busy day. Just picking up the book and starting to thumb through, you see a gorgeous quilt, unique in its making, and pause to stare at the chenille embroidery or silk ribbon. Then, reading the blurb under the photo, your interest gets piqued about the maker and her story. An hour goes by and you realize you have become lost between the pages of a very good book.

Buy it today!

Crazy Quilts by Cindy Brick

Voyageur Press asked me to review Cindy Brick's latest book, "Crazy Quilts: History - Techniques - Embroidery Motifs". It is my extreme pleasure to do so. Cindy is a colleague of mine. I met her in Omaha, Nebraska when we both taught for the Crazy Quilt Conference there. Can't remember which year it was! We both have a love for antique crazy quilts and we both lecture extensively on the subject.

Cindy's book on crazy quilts is a delight. The outstanding photography of precious antique crazy quilts is breathtaking. And as to be expected, Cindy's narrative is well researched and well presented. Although there are similarities to Penny McMorris' book on crazy quilt history, Cindy takes us in more detailed and somewhat different directions. And, as an added bonus, there are many pages devoted to constructing a crazy quilt of your own. There are also many modern crazy quilt artists represented in the book to deliver fabulous eye candy.

The artistic and cultural aspects of crazy quilting is addressed in this book - an avenue rarely explored in depth. It's fascinating to read about "The Industry Quilt" - a gorgeous wool crazy quilt completed in 1924 and used as payment for the maker's funeral in 1936. I remember excitedly driving to see this quilt on exhibit in Omaha. It is a monumental effort of artistry and will.

The ties between our Victorian foremothers is not as tenuous as one would think. Women of today are still voicing their opinions, dreams and artistry through needle and thread, just as our ancestors did. Joy, pain, longing, humor and love are evident in antique and modern creations. "Crazy Quilts" is a fascinating read for those who wish to know more about the cult of crazy. It is also a respite from a busy day. Just picking up the book and starting to thumb through, you see a gorgeous quilt, unique in its making, and pause to stare at the chenille embroidery or silk ribbon. Then, reading the blurb under the photo, your interest gets piqued about the maker and her story. An hour goes by and you realize you have become lost between the pages of a very good book.

Buy it today!