a simple yarn

‘I do like a road, because you can be always wondering what is at the end of it. The Story Girl said that once upon a time.’ —The Story Girl, LM Montgomery

Our ‘road’ has a bit of a bend in it, an unexpected turn, and I’m wondering what’s at the end of it.

At summer’s end, we will take ourselves, our children, all our worldly goods and head to the Dublin Mountains, to begin what I consider to be an intriguing life experiment. After all my blathering about eco-friendliness and dabbling with organic veg and wanting to reduce the negative-impact-that-we-have-on-this-earth-otherwise-known-as-our-carbon-footprint, we have now had the opportunity handed to us on a silver platter…or perhaps I should say ‘a metal spade.’ And so, the rubber (or insert other recyclable product here) will definitely meet the road!

And I’ve gotta admit that mingled with the excitement is a healthy measure of uncertainty. Not about going there, but more about being able to work out in reality what is currently just a thought…a desire…a vision. While my hands itch to get into the dirt, my joints aches at the thought of it!

And so justification and rationalisation being what they are, I’ve concluded that I need to beef up the self-sufficiency part of our library with the ordering of-

And maybe my research should include a re-read of-

Ahem, excuse me, but will everyone who is related to me either by blood or by marriage, please close your eyes for the next 2 paragraphs? Thank you.

Okay, I’m in a bit of a pickle. I’d love to show you the current projects I’m working on, but, well…… they’re intended to be ‘parcels-posted-for-the-festive-mid-winter-celebratory-experience-involving-holly-and-ivy-and-plum-puddings-with-brandy-sauce.’ (For you who are not relatives, that’s British Isles code talk to throw off the family who are hopefully not peeking at this point!)

So, you can see my dilemma…the challenge to post pictures of works in progress without tipping off the fam about their Christmas pressies. Got to work hard at either a) creatively giving surreptitious clues while keeping relatives in the dark, b) coming up with other non-festive-project-related blog content, c) hiring techno-hit-men to block internet access for family for next 3 months or so, d) tap into my Scrooge-side and upload cool pics anyway. Sigh. A blogging conundrum.

Right, so for today it’s options a) and b).

Stylised pictoral clue of current work in progressNow for option b)….non-festive topic…kiddies.

And like almost every other parent in the world at large, I make the following statement to no one’s surprise…I am ready for my kids to go back to school. It’s been a nice summer, to be sure, but the frequency of hearing ‘I’m bored and have nothing to do,’ is on the rise, accompanied by perpetually hanging 2 inches from my left elbow, necks craned to see what I’m busy doing. Well, that’s gotta stop. If you are a fortunate parent who has already bid your children good-bye as they trot off to teachers, packed lunches and recess, I envy you. My day is coming on Friday. Yippee! Although……Kiddie-Daughter and Kiddie-Son will be returning at noon that day.

In the eternal wisdom that is the education system in Dublin, my children will go to school for a total of three hours on Friday, their first day of school, and then promptly return home for the weekend. Hmmm…..and that’s counted as a school day.

Ah well, even so, I am busily preparing them for the blessed event. And this year, we’re doing it eco-style! In addition to purchasing recycled pencils and rulers made from re-processed styro cups, I have found book covering ‘plastic’ that is not plastic. It’s made of 100% corn. And no, it does not melt in the rain. Nope…it looks like plastic, acts like plastic, but is 100% sustainable.

Natural book cover & the Irish language
So hopefully the Kiddies will not only learn about the three Rs…reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic, but also reduce, reuse, and recycle!

Note:  As the next few days are busier than normal, I’m combining a few food related bits and pieces into one post and we’ll see you in a few days.

Pesto Postscript
Do you recall a ‘Seinfeld’ episode where George’s rant of the day went something like this…’What is it about pesto? Everybody likes pesto. I try to like pesto. I just don’t like pesto.’

Frankly, I don’t know if everybody likes pesto. I’ve never really had too much experience with it, but when you a) get a handful of fresh basil from the organic delivery service (which calls it a vegetable, by the way, oh right, I already said that once…) and b) get a sheet of paper giving you a pesto recipe and c) have made a commitment to expand the family’s dinner palette….you make pesto.

Food stylin’ photo, especially for Holly
Result…a very fresh and tasty twist to the regular-weekday-easy-to-make-spaghetti-night. Was a hit with Daughter but Son is a pasta purist, no sauce, nothin’. Anyway, why not share the recipe, just in case you have some fresh basil delivered to your door?!40 grams (1-1/2 oz) pine nuts
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
40 grams (1-1/2 oz) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
50 grams (2 oz) basil leaves (although I only had 1 oz it was ok)
150 ml (1/4 pint) light extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Put pine nuts and garlic into food processor and give it a brief burst of processing. It shouldn’t be totally smooth, but have a slight texture. Add the Parmesan and basil. Mix. Add oil. Check the seasoning adding salt and pepper as needed. Serve as needed or store in refrigerator in airtight container, covered with a little oil to retain colour. Will keep for 1 month. Once container is opened, it should be used in 2-3 days. (I’m not too fussy and don’t have a food processor so I just chopped everything up, threw together in a bowl and stirred.)

Right, so we boiled up some fusilli, mixed in the pesto and topped with a simple tomato sauce cooked with freshly chopped tomatoes (also in the veg delivery) and pessata (crushed tomato sauce). Didn’t need a really seasoned sauce as the pesto was seasoning enough!

And presto….pesto.

And With That Pesto Goes….

Baguettes. The latest victim in my ‘can-I-make-this-instead-of-buying-it’ outlook. The Kiddies voted it a success, but now I’m thinking I’ll need to add another 4 or 5 hours to each day for the all baking I should be doing!

Mystery Veg

Right, so the organic fruit and veg delivery came this week. And yes, I had to ring ‘em to ask what a certain that curly mass was, sitting in front of me. Had a guess, but wasn’t sure. Hard to cook something up when you haven’t yet identified it! So, yes, they confirmed it as curly kale. Hmmm…..don’t really have any recipes to hand for that one. Drat.

Also, you may notice only four vegetables here, rather than the five I order. They forgot the cucumber for the week. Drat again.

As an added stumper, they also forgot to leave a nice little recipe leaflet. But, thanks to modern technology, an emailed copy comes to the rescue. So, in the spirit of experimentation, we are now adding Kale and Leek Pie to this evening’s barbeque. And that, like Irish-weather-for-outdoor-events, may have a very unpredictable result.

‘All life is an experiment.’             -Ralph Waldo Emerson

And so I take to heart Emerson’s commentary and try a few life experiments. We begin with the idea of growing vegetables…

Observation No. 1
We will not be able to have a sufficient vegetable garden out our back door in the city.

Reason 1:  Rabbit named Fern.

Reason 2:  Am guessing landlord will probably frown on digging up turf behind house.

Reason 3:  Even if landlord allowed it, space would not be sufficient and kids would play constant dodge ‘em with the veg.

Observation No. 2
We will not be able to get a garden allotment any time soon.

Reason 1:  Dublin City does not have any.

Reason 2:  Next nearest locale has two areas for allotments. I am No. 155 and No. 97 on the two waiting lists.

Reason 3:  During the next growing season, we will be spending July and August in the US. Hard to grow veg long distance.

Conclusion
Will try Absolutely Organic, home delivery service of organic fruit and veg.

Reason 1:  It’s all organic. Don’t have to hunt for markets or search for few-and-far-between organic produce.

Reason 2:  No charge for delivery, save on petrol.

Reason 3:  Well, I don’t have a third reason, which really bugs me because in my ultra-symmetrical-outlook-on-things, not having a third reason is a bit unsettling! Wait! It’s fairly reasonably priced, as far as organic veg goes….whew! Symmetry…..aaaahhhh…..

Okay, all ‘listing’ aside, the only down-side to the boxed scheme of having organic produce delivered to my door is that someone else is picking the fruit and veg for me. And actually, that would be fine, but I also don’t really have any control over which produce I’m getting….meaning, I’m signing up for a certain weight of 5 veg (not including potatoes) and 4 fruit each week.

Of the fruit, I know it will be a certain weight of apples, bananas, oranges, and the one other type of fruit. I can live with that. The veg….well, it’s a gamble. I mean, swedes and parsnips are not a regular part of our family’s diet. Can’t say I’m a regular cabbage eater either. Will it be something outlandish? I have no idea. But, you know, that’s part of the experiment, and it’s the thrill of the unknown that has lead to great scientific discovery!

Results
Hurray! Today’s the first delivery of the organic produce…

Now for some analysis…..

Right, kiwi were the ‘other’ fruit included this week. I think it’s about 2.3kg of fruit for €9. BUT, as I purchased it as a combo with veg, it actually was 6.50euro. Not bad. Gotta remember key word, organic. If I were to go to the supermarket, I would probably purchase more quantity, feeding a family of 4. But then again, there is usually some left-behind-yes-we’re-growing-penicillin at the bottom of the basket. So, this might turn out to be the proper amount….

Thankfully, no mystery veg. A lovely colourful array of carrots, onions, broccoli, tomatoes and basil. Hmmmm, when is basil considered a vegetable? Not sure about that classification. But, as compensation, they included an information sheet with a couple of recipes. This week—pesto. I’ll be using the wonderfully scented basil in that! The cost for this amount (sans potatoes), €15. Potatoes don’t come in the box I order. I couldn’t keep up with having that many potatoes every week, so I ordered them a la carte for 4.30euro.

The quality of the produce was gorgeous. It was nicely chilled when it came to my door. The delivery man was nice and friendly. So my total purchase this week 25.80 (because of the potatoes) but next week it’ll be 21.50. If the quality is like this each time, and considering I’m not growing my own, I’d say the extra-cost-cuz-it’s-pesticide-free is worth it!

Do ya think there’s internet access in West Cork? I’m kinda hoping not….
Friend-And-Lodge-Owner-Lucy took her computer on holiday. I’m rather hoping she’s not blog surfing as she may be surprised to learn that what was once her kitchen is now my fibre processing plant!

So….what do you do when you have a) lots of fibre to process, b) lots of space to process it, c) a constant heating source, aka lovely oh-so-quintessentially-country-style-AGA-range, d) time and energy? By golly, you get moving! And, how do I now marry one interest (fibre) with a new interest (eco-friendliness)? Thus, today’s playtime is an experiment in processing fibre with as little environmental impact as possible….

Soaking
With a way-cool Belfast sink to use, I could do the pre-dye soak on more fibre at a time using less water and vinegar overall. Also, because of having another little sink to drain, etc., I could keep the water/vinegar bath and use that same water for after-dyeing rinse as well. Quite pleased with resourcefulness.
Grade: A-

Dyeing
Used food colouring. I know it’s not organic and doubt it’s Fair Trade. Uh oh….and what about my beautiful cochineal colouring? Is it really made from crushed beetles? Okay, not good for PETA-enthusiasts, but on the plus side, it’s natural, not artificial. Not a lot of comfort for the beetles, I realise. I’ll call that one even.
Grade: C

Cooking
Since the AGA range is on all the time, I might as well be using it to cook up the dyed wool. Wouldn’t want that heat going to waste! Only question is which oven, as there are two to put it in? Broiling oven or simmering oven? No temperature gauges. Hmmmmm…..have to hazard a guess on that one. Picked the hotter of the two ovens….every now and then a little bit of ‘brownish-hued-overdone-wool-with-a-singed-twist’, but okay overall.
Grade: B

Water Extraction
During my other dyeing sessions, all two of them, I would fling out the excess water in the washing machine spin cycle. Think…..what is ‘off-the-grid’ alternative? Eureka! Child labour! Got the kids to create homemade centrifugal force by spinning the mesh bags of wool in ever dizzying circles. Also doubles as exercise for ‘em! Multi-tasking, a mother’s dream.
Grade: A

Drying
I don’t know who invented the Sheila Maid, but I’d like to shake his or her hand! This nifty clothing air dryer (or is that air clothing dryer?) is suspended with a rope and pulley system over the ever-heating AGA and since heat rises….voilá…..instant dryer! Of course you need to have rather high ceilings to avoid the cartoon-inspired-banging-of-head-incident.
Grade: B+

Extra points for added benefit of doubling as ‘twist-set-hanger’.

Spinning
As it’s run by foot power and sitting in the glass-enclosed conservatory for maximum lighting, I can spin until it gets dark (or my leg loses all sense of feeling!)
Grade: A

Well, I have to admit, not a bad overall grade for my eco-fibre experiment. But, how about sustainability (an important concept for eco-philes, as I’m learning…)? Well, as I see it, the options are:

Work out time share for Lucy’s kitchen

Tell our landlord we’d like him to replace our stove with an AGA

Buy some land and build a house with 15-foot-Sheila-Maid-accommodating ceilings

Stick with the kitchen I’ve got, but do the hand-swinging-in-a-net-bag method of water extraction to reduce electricity usage

Yep, you guessed it…..d).

I think I’d have to agree with Kermit the Frog on this one….’it’s not easy being green.’

Right so, one of the major areas of consideration in urban self-sufficiency is food. General consensus….whatever space you have, try to grow your own. Challenge…we have Ultimate-Vegetarian-Personified-In-Pet-Form-Rabbit-Fern. She is already having a heyday amongst my flowers, a veritable bunny buffet. As cute as she is, I’m not doing all that work so that she can have an extra full tummy. Solution…grow some things in containers (which can be protected) and perhaps in front garden (where she doesn’t go). In the meantime, I’ve got to find some ‘green’ food sources. And therein lies the problem…

I’m faced with too many decisions weighing up different, although equally noble, ideologies:

Green vs Green(back)
I’m not sure why organic is more expensive. You’d think, wouldn’t you, that if they aren’t putting pesticides on the crops, then the use of less materials would make the item cost less? But, such is not the case and organic is more like gourmet-with-a-conscience. So I’m faced with the first dilemma. Buying ‘green’ or being a good steward of my ‘greenbacks’ (aka cashola, dinero, hard earned income)?

Organic or Fair Trade?

Bananas. In my new-found consciousness, I deliberately walk past the value-bagged bananas (0.99/pack) and look at the organic (1.99/pack). Yikes! What about Fair Trade, then? If I buy these organic bananas, grown in the Dominican Republic, am I contributing to the downfall of a Jamaican neighbour farmer? I’m not sure I could handle the guilt….

Organic or Homemade?

Jam. By homemade I mean, I am buying what someone else has made by hand and with it comes the knowledge that I am buying the ‘best-wholesome-finest-uniquest-no-preservatives-natural-goodness.’ So many superlatives to choose from! And feeling as though I’m bestowing the first prize blue ribbon at the county fair, how can I judge between them?

Irish or US?

Strawberries. So at the very least I want to support local-homegrown-produce when I can. But I have to confess, it’s a struggle to plunk down 2.89 for 227grams of Irish grown strawberries when there’s 400grams of US grown ones right next to it for 2.99. And I know that the US strawberries are deliciously sweet. Sigh. So do I buy from the home-culture or support the local economy?

Organic or Free Range?

Eggs. What makes an egg organic? Is the pesticide-free grain they get? But then again, are these organically-fed chickens in cages? Would free range be a better choice? Which is better for the chicken? Which is better for the egg? Which came first?

And so, with my head in a permanent swoon, I make the best choices I can. In the meantime, though, I’ll have to re-think the bunny dilemma. If I can raise my own lettuce, tomatoes and strawberries, for a start, that’ll be 3 less supermarket decisions I’ll have to make!

There is a palm tree in our front garden and frankly, it’s a liability.

Actually, I haven’t quite answered the question as to why there are palm trees in Ireland in the first place. But the one in the front garden is not overly attractive and not particularly useful. What it does do is block valuable sunlight from our front room, which doubles as my workroom. More annoyingly, it sheds. Not small blossoms or anything of the like. No, it drops these dagger-like swords over everything giving me the feeling of having another child to pick up after. I’m perpetually cleaning up.

Moreover, after constantly collecting these swords, I do not know what to do with them. They don’t compost (well, perhaps they do, but I’m thinking their half-life is much like plastic nappies). They puncture the plastic rubbish bags and would fill the bin too often. As we have to pay each time the rubbish bins are emptied, that can become expensive. All because of a shedding palm.

What to do?

Well, in viewing things through my new-found recycling lens, I’ve had a think about these irritants. I’m a weaver, so why don’t I weave something out of ‘em?

Now I must say that I don’t fancy myself a basket maker, but weaving is weaving, is it not? Over and under, in and out. Trouble is that the palm fronds were not very long and so there was a lot of grafting in new fronds. Kind of messy and had to re-think my non-existent-never-done-this-before basket weaving methods. But after a morning of trial and error, the results were not entirely horrifying. I indeed had a basket, albeit a wonky one.

Certainly I realise that the aesthetics of the basket are a little lacking, looking at it in its empty, naked form, but put in some fruit and…

Have to say that I’m pretty chuffed about that (’chuffed’ is a good thing…). If I were to do it on a regular basis (cuz the palm’s still shedding…), I think I would do something not-so-three-dimensional. So, I tried a mat.

Okay, in reality who wants a house filled-to-the-brim with mats. Coasters maybe? But still it has to be said that I’m pleased to have moved the palm fronds from being loathsome liabilities to tolerable assets.

There is a fine line between being enthusiastic about a new thought, pursuit or experience and being smug. I confess it’s a bit of a risk, for you may toss this in the latter category. I hope not, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.

Back in 1975, the BBC aired a sit-com called ‘The Good Life,’ depicting a fairly affluent suburban couple who, much to their neighbours’ horror, decide to ‘get off the grid’ and find ultimate happiness and much humour in a self-sufficient life in suburbia.

Confession: I think that show is funny and I am a self-sufficient wannabe.
There is something in me that wants to reduce our dependency upon that-unseen-Big-Brother-monster-known-as-the-grid. I want to unplug, reduce, reuse and recycle (to recycle some well-worn, hackneyed phrases). Okay, that was easier when we were living in our own home on 2 acres in suburban Ohio. A bit more challenging in an urban rental in Dublin.

Well, the most obvious solution is to get out of the city.
Every time I’m sitting in the middle of perpetually-non-moving-traffic, I ask myself why not leave it, the country would be lovely! But, the kids are finally settled in school and Husband-Will-Who-Uses-Bike-As-Second-Car focuses much of his work in the city centre, an easy commute. So, the greater challenge is to be as self-sufficient as possible in a rented house in Ireland’s capital. Gonna have to give this some thought…and get some good advice. Bought these two books and will give ‘em a read through…think my thoughts…see where I fit in the cycle of things.

Don’t worry Mum, it’s not about joining the Green Party, being a Communist or becoming a vegetarian. It’s just about simplifying and doing my little bit to preserve God’s green earth…while it’s still green. Oh yes, we’ll also be retreating to the Dublin hills this week to do a little house sitting and animal minding, while I practice my yarn spinning as well. I’d like to think I can ponder these things while I spin, but being a newbie, I’ll probably have to concentrate on yarn. No matter, this is the type of thing that needs mulling.

So, that’s what I’m about these days…thinking my embryonic thoughts and spinning them into my simple yarn of life. And I hope that doesn’t sound smug.