I re-visited "Like Water for Chocolate" last night.  What a great movie.  It inspired me to make this pillow.

Plus I'm freaking out with excitement (see dirty dye hands above) because my black dye project is looking real good.  I'm on the second to last step.  The fabric is a sweet dark grey slate color at this point which I want to lick cuz it's so delightful but I promise I won't.  That would be gross.

I also wanted to share with you the recipe I used to make Bread & Butter pickles.  It comes from a friend of my Mom's who was a big part of my childhood.  She inspired my vegetarianism at age 11 and is an all around kind and original human being.

Jane's Bread & Butter Pickles
You need:
1 gallon cucumbers or 15-16 medium ones
8 small onions
2 green peppers
1/2 cup coarse salt

5 cups sugar ( i know, it's a lot.  i just roll with it;)
4 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cloves
2 Tbs. mustard seed
1 tsp. celery seed

Slice cukes and onions very thin and shred pepper.  Put all that with the salt in a large bowl (not aluminum) and bury a bag of ice in the center of it.  Put a weighted lid on top and let sit 3 hours to overnight.  Then drain completely.

For the syrup: mix all the remaining ingredients and pour that over the veggies.  Then put the whole deal over low to medium heat on the stove and heat to scalding but don't boil.

And THEN, my dears, can as usual following standard directions available online or in your favorite canning book.  This will make you in the ballpark of 11 pints or 5 quarts.

small moments

crooked beak is the least skittish of my bunch of hens.  here she is:

i'm thinking i should call her something else though.  i don't want her to feel defined by her weird deformity. 

name suggestions are welcome.

and here's the rest of the sillies.  they like to hang under the mock orange bush:

that's major *sshole in the center.  he's been crowing like a madman.  and trying to hump all the ladies whenever he gets the chance. they shun his advances.  as far as roosters go, however, he's not such a bad guy.  he doesn't try to peck me or get all alpha when i'm around. 

and here is one of three giant boxes of tomatoes i'm canning today.  wish me luck.  it's gonna be an all day affair:

and here are the grapes growing in my backyard soon to be jam:

one of my favorite smells on this earth are ripe grapes on the vine.  when i go for walks there are places along the way where they grow roadside.  as soon as i smell them it makes me smile and feel relaxed. 

i'm most grateful for those small things.  small moments of beauty.

i hope you have a good good day.

love, me