Raven and Sparrow

Too much mess

I swore I wouldn't let the blog languish, but my tiny slivers of time have been completely consumed by wrestling this mess to the ground. This is actually Saint Mike's mess, but the corresponding inside mess is my responsibility. I was handling the chaos of remodeling with good grace (I thought) before I went to work, but since then I just can't bear it. The good news is that progress is being made. I hope to have photos of the kitchen just as soon as the detritus settles into its proper place. I have scrubbed the disgusting concrete floor, washed the impenetrably dusty windows, moved almost everything kitcheny out of the living room into the newly navigable kitchen and rescued the dining table from the hot plate and microwave. There is a host of details still to complete, but soon....

Last week was complicated by jury duty.  I wasn't too pleased about being called so early in my new job, and hoped I wouldn't be selected but too bad, I was. Actually, I didn't mind. I have served on juries before. The cases can be interesting, but the group dynamics of a jury are fascinating. Thirteen people are plucked from their lives and thrust into a new and isolated group with a compelling common purpose. Its weird. This time the other jurors turned out to be charming. We never got to deliberate on the case  (after four days of testimony the parties reached a settlement) so our friendliness wasn't tested, but I really enjoyed the time I spent with these previous strangers. The hours were much better than work, but I did lose my days off, and that was tough. Since the case concerned a back injury, I am now much more knowledgeable about the physiology of the spine.

A peachy ending to a gorgeous day

The weather is perfect. We wake to calm clarity already warm, watch the sparkle of the sun as it moves across the water through the day, and then sit out in the lavender twilight without sweaters. The stars are more visible than usual, because there is less moisture in the air. At times like this, the Pacific Northwest is exquisite.

New sink, clean dog

We just gave Sunny a bath in ta-dah! our new kitchen sink. I would include a picture of the sink, but it is just barely visible amongst the junk still surrounding it. However, the end is finally in sight. The refrigerator has been moved from its former hiding place across the hall to the kitchen proper, the sink is functional, and so is the stove. Now if we could just get all the far-flung kitchen paraphernalia stowed and the construction debris removed we will be almost civilized. It took Saint Mike and I three full days to install the counters and the sink, partly because the sink is over-sized. Eventually this will be my dye kitchen, so I wanted a big, deep sink and a gooseneck faucet to accomodate my dye pots. It turns out that any special size sink costs lots more, but a regular sink just didn't cut it, so I splurged in this one area of our very low-budget remodel. I am anxious to show pictures, but the final bits are taking a long time. 

India underneath

I bought this patchwork/embroidery at a local festival this spring because I really liked the color combinations. Often this kind of Indian handicraft has a kind of chaotic color scheme, but this one was both active and harmonious, in my opinion.   I immediately began to think of ways to use it on the table, but didn't really have any dishes that went with it. I imagined matte black or dark brown earthenware, or maybe something in hot pink. Then I remembered the red plate I bought as a Christmas possibility a few years ago. I paired it with a gold Noritake goblet I found in a secondhand store, and nasturtiums from the garden. I like the intensity of it; it's not like my usual pale choices, although it is still low on contrast. I wish I had a napkin that was a more purple blue, but along with my one red plate, this was all I had. In real life I wouldn't use this cloth under a plate as I have shown, because it wouldn't wash well. It is small enough to be used diagonally in the center of a table as an accent, with the plates sitting on something more washable. In that case, I would like to have napkins with a more active pattern.

Tres bizarre

I had to work today so I missed our hometown Fourth of July parade. Saint Mike went without me and snapped these photos. Our parade is pure Americana and therefore a perfect way to celebrate the Fourth. It is very much a home-made affair, which is the source of its charm. Anybody can march and some of the costumes people wear are hysterical. My perennial favorites are the dogs dressed as George and Martha Washington, although Mike didn't see them this year.

Almost every group and business in the town has representatives in the parade. The Corvette Club and the Gold Wing motorcyle club make big showings every year, and of course there are horse patrols, scouts of every description, and lots of trucks. We are usually a little short on bands, with the high school marching band, the county band and the bagpipe ensemble being the only ones I can remember.

A few years ago we brought a French exchange student with us to this parade. He watched in silence as the flags, the mayor, the crepe-paper encased bicycles, the costumed animals, the precision lawnmower drill team, the waving mermaids from the local dry cleaners (I don't know), the political candidates, the kazoo band doing Yankee Doodle, the car clubs and the fire engines went by. His only comment on the entire display: "Tres bizarre."

   

It is a little strange, but so full of good humor and community mindedness that all is forgiven, or even celebrated.

Pink napkin in place

Having dyed my napkins pink, I immediately began to think of how I could use them. The black and white cloth is one of those pareos they sell on the beaches in Hawaii and Mexico. It is rayon, and I bought it for eight dollars in a little town just north of Puerto Vallarta. It was a perfect day. Endless margaritas came my way without effort as I basked in the sun on the white sand beach fronting the charming village, chatting with my dearest friends and watching the waves rolling hypnotically. The next day was somewhat less perfect, but I had this cloth to remind me of what had been. This place setting reminds me too. I tried to introduce more yellow orange, but didn't have the wherewithal on the short notice with which I was working; that is I couldn't find anything of that color that really added the spice I imagined. I fell back on the green banded ribbon I bought for my grey-green setting. I have been much inhibited in my place settings by the fact that most of my little decorative doodads are in storage, or lost forever. I keep thinking of some odd thing that would be just perfect in shape, color or theme for the setting I'm developing, and then no, I can't find it. Grrrr.

Pink napkins

I finally got the napkins I dyed in cochineal washed out and ironed. I am a little disappointed in them because the color has a grey undertone and because the dye is uneven. Both problems may be the result of the pot I used, a very small enamel canning pot. Thinking that I was only dyeing two napkins, I chose the little pot for convenience, but the napkins filled it very thoroughly and were hard to stir. Also, canning pots sometimes have dings in them that expose the rusty metal under the enamel and cochineal is very sensitive to that, preventing the hue from achieving its purest tones. If you remember, I started with twice as much dye as I intended and figured the second and third dips (in the same dye bath with no new dye added) would be stronger. In the bath, the second dye batch looked as dark as the first, but as you can see, it dried much lighter. I may re-mordant and dye the second and third dips again.