thisendoftheswamp

Among the things we brought from the house is an Oriental rug that was a gift from my parents. It was in their dining room for about thirty years, and in our bedroom for another twenty or so. It laid flat on the floor in both of our homes, quietly keeping our feet warm.

When The Squire and I moved into this condo we put the carpet in our new dining room, and it has apparently decided it doesn’t care for these new digs, as it seems to be trying to escape.

Every Saturday morning, I get down on my hands and knees and push the rug back across the floor. Once a month, The Squire and I move the table and chairs, roll up the rug, and then unroll it, making sure it is absolutely flat.

One end is held down in the middle by an antique cedar chest, and I put industrial strength hook and loop tape along the sides. The middle is under the table, and you can see that even that area has some tiny ripples. Sometimes you can see where the rug has actually pulled the loop part of the tape away from the hook part. Beats me.

The Squire says it is trying to move back south, heading for its original home in Roxboro, NC. Makes as much sense as any other explanation.

My BFF recommended The Jackal’s Mistress to me, and boy! am I glad she did.

Jackal was the name Southerns gave Yankee soldiers during the American Civil War, and the story revolves around a wounded Yankee soldier, left to die by his unit, and the Southern woman who reluctantly rescues him. That’s all I’m going to tell you, other than the fact that I devoured all 300-some pages in one sitting.

The author is Chris Bohjalian, and your local library should have a copy.

Mary Ann, over on https://ajoyfulchaos.blogspot.com/ was talking about bean soup, and it brought to mind a recipe that I happened to stumble upon one day when I was looking for something quick and easy to throw together. As it happened, I had all of the ingredients on hand, which made it even better!

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional) grated zest of 1/2 orange
2 cups grated beets 1 1/4 cup stock
14 ounce can lima beans drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon wine vinegar

Sauté the onions, caraway seeds and orange peel until soft but not colored. The Squire does not care for caraway seeds, so I omit them. Add the *beets, beans, #stock and vinegar and cook over low heat for 10 minutes longer.

*If you can find canned shoestring cut beets it saves a lot of time and mess.
#The original recipe called for beef stock, which we don’t use in our house, but mushroom stock will serve just as well. Suit your family’s taste.

Spoon into bowls, and top with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt, and sprinkle with parsley. Theoretically, this serves 4.

When I took out our trash this afternoon, I discovered the sad, sad end to a long life.

This is a small community, so I was aware that one of our number had died, but it is jarring to see that family members have simply dumped a lifetime into the trash.

Being the waste not, want not type that I am, I pulled out two door hangings – a pretty little Valentine’s Day heart-shaped wreath and a pocket trimmed with lace and paper flowers. There was also a rolling pin that looks to have been from the 40s or 50s, possibly part of this lady’s hope chest. A pretty little towel, still in the wrapper, that read “Bless this Kitchen”.

I found a sweet little teapot, trimmed with grape vines, six Pyrex custard cups, a canning jar suitable for homemade jelly, and a hinged glass trinket box (which I propped open with a bit of silver card). Plus, a working surge protector.

I’m keeping two of the custard cups, but everything else will be packaged and taken up to a local thrift shop. There might be more treasures buried in there, but even I have my limits. Besides, it was getting dark.

Maybe I’ll look again after church tomorrow.