Friendship. And bread.

What could be better, right? Except that it's really a thinly disguised chain-letter-as-food. A friend brought me some recently (a slurpy-gross-looking ziploc bag full of starter, that is), and I let it sit on the counter for days without doing anything*. And by that I mean without either committing myself to throw it out, or to nurture, feed, and then cook it. I'm talking about "Amish Friendship Bread", dontcha know. If you've ever received a starter for this and are at all like me, you have also thought "must be named that because if they're still your friends after you gift it, well..."

Chain letters and bad email jokes sent out to long lists of people whose personal email address you never wanted to know.... wait a minute! MY address is on that group email list, too! humbug. It just doesn't seem like fun to me. And this starter thing? Reminds me way too much of those terrible predictions of d00m coming YOUR way soon if you don't do the right thing and pass it all along.

So. I was not so into this concept. And then, I caved. Well, the slurpy looking bag came along with a sample of the bread, which was indeed yummy (but. Amish?? really??) It's also really hard for me to throw away something that is food... something about Biafran waifs and children starving in Ethiopia. I know, I know...

I changed up the recipe a bit: less oil, more applesauce (Thanks, Moosewood!) add cardamom, etc. And then I set about finding 3 more victims uh, friends to whom to pass along the left over starter to. I did it. And they seemed pleased, strangely enough. Will wonders never cease? I even kept some starter so I can make coffee cake for the next office breakfast meeting. Then, that's it, I promise. And that means I "will have to wait until someone gives [me] one back."

At least it's better than having all my future plans come to dust! Cheers!

*Turns out this is exactly what you are supposed to do with the stuff...

Tomatoes, sage, strawberries and thyme!

Today I started my garden. It's a container garden. I have to laugh at myself: I have such a hard time waiting for the nights to get warm enough here, and then I go and plant stuff that will never, ever, really grow in this climate: tomatoes, eucalyptus (wtf!?), thyme, sage, strawberries. It's like I think that by planting them, I might cause there to be enough sunny days for them to grow. Climate change aside, it ain't happening!

The mint roots I had started to give up on coming back to life? When I started to hack them out, they smelled really good, so I left them in, just in case. Maybe they are a little wick, maybe I'm just imagining things. I don't think they'd smell that strongly if they were really all dried up and dead. I hope they are alive, because I'm really ashamed if I'm the only one in the world who can actually kill mint. But, maybe that's a marketable skill... I *did* overhear someone at the nursery asking about how to get rid of bamboo...

Boy, is it fun to dig in dirt! Oh, and there's a flowering plant a friend gave me last summer from her garden, which was supposed to come back, but wasn't and wasn't.... Today, I saw the first little sprouty pieces coming up from the old plant. Don't remember the name of the plant. Hmmm. Still need sweet potatoes and petunias. Also tried to plant some cuttings I have had sitting in water for many months. And some new ones as well, with a first attempt to use rooting hormone. Angel wing begonia (had this plant for 5 years before I knew what it was....Thank you teh internets!) and some housey plant thing, and a baby from the spider plant. Yeah, I'm a real horticulturist. What can I say?

Speaking of climate change: have recently discovered that with short short hair, I now can wash it quickly in sink. Am v. pleased to find a way to save water easily and also feel less guilty on the days I do take a long shower. Unforseen benefit. Yay.

Current Blogger Crush

Ok, here's my most recent blogger crush: Crazy Aunt Purl.
Even if you are not a knitter. (I am not, although I do really admire folks who make things.) She's funny. And, she's just published her first book. She blogs about her life, knitting, getting things together post-divorce, her cats, her garden adventures, her neighbors... Be prepared for it to be a major time sink if you read the comments: she gets hundreds per post, it seems like(unlike some people!). But, honestly? Her posts are usually the best part anyway. Except every now and then you come across a gem of a topic in the comments... Stuff you just don't see every day. I like the lightness of her voice.

Hold your breath

This weekend the second tour of the French presidential elections will take place. Hold your breath. This is an important one. Hopefully Sarkozy will not get the vote, as he has already begun dismantling many social programs as part of the current administration. In Bercy last week, he even said:
« Dans cette élection, il s'agit de savoir si l'héritage de mai 68 doit être perpétué ou s'il doit être liquidé une bonne fois pour toutes ».

Ouf. I predict major social upheaval if he 'wins'. Which he might. After all, apparently many of the new electronic voting machines (made by a company which supports him) have recently been 'updated.'