and here we are, wading ankle-deep into august already... how long has the summer been, three or four days, huh? it really feels like i blinked and missed it, although i know we had seemingly endless hot days, which mostly kept me hidden indoors. hints of autumn are in the air already, and that suits me just fine. today is a proper rainy day at long last, and this weekend will be devoted to mushroom hunting. i've had luck with chanterelles and russulas already, but hoping to stock up a bit for winter as well, and maybe find something new and exciting...
when i moved this spring, i looked at the bare bushes in the yard, thinking "please be white currant" sort of sarcastically, because i always dreamed of having them in the garden but no cuttings ever took root. i also wasn't sure which side of the property line they fell, but one day my landlord asked me if i wanted to pick the berries, and sure enough, one big shrub is a white currant! it's basically a red currant without pigment, but they are so otherwordly and delicate looking, and not at all bland tasting. there's loads and i can have them all. combined with the red ones from my allotment, i could easily fill my tiny freezer, but i'm leaving room for other berries, too. so my diet is heavy on the currants at the moment. blackcurrants will soon ripen, too...
other pale things, pinesap and coral fungus from the forest home, spotted on my last visit. these guys are pretty reliable, even though the pinesap may not appear each year. this one was remarkably white, usually they are quite yellow-y. the coral fungus' exact species is unknown to me but it's not a known edible, sadly, because it looks so inviting i just want to take a bite. also, i'm pretty much certain this is what my brains look like.
i've done a decorative thing in the apartment! i've been quite slack with putting the place in order but my brother & sister-in-common-law visited last weekend so i spruced things up a little. this shelf is one of the things i own that makes a home feel like home. the pilea that i almost killed has thrived in the new home, with better light, and it has a little friend in the pot, too, a tiny rat-tail plant cutting i snipped from my friends' house while cat sitting last year. for the longest time i completely forgot what it was or where it came from. sorry for the dark photo, because this house really has the most amazing light.
my wee runty rattie really has grown up. they are both tiny in my eyes, but having visitors exclaim how huge the rats are has convinced me. we are also all a bit flubbery around the sides, so everyone's eating habits will be under scrutiny and exercise must be added to our busy schedules of munching away at treats...yes, everyone includes yours truly. the dreaded fall of starting anew is upon us. i'm hoping to begin yoga classes after a good ten years in between, just some very gentle hatha lessons, but something more rigorous would be a good idea, too. we'll see...
the lace week was a bit of a blur and i was too focused on being social to take many photos. i saw an exhibition of historical dressmaking, which reminded me how much i like empire cut dresses, although my current obsession is the edwardian silhouette. i saw some new hidden yards in the old town, bought very reasonably priced sour cherries and enjoyed a gluten free grilled veg pizza, soon followed by the most gluten-filled vanilla custard donut, freshly made, which caused me trouble but no regrets. it's a once-a-year thing, one of my summer to-do follies. i ate a lot of cake and pie, and made amazing makizushi with marinated chanterelles. there was a great, big, international food fair which i totally avoided, because it's just too much temptation for my wallet right now. also not a fan of sweaty crowds. there was a hobby horse show in a park i happened to walk through one day. wish that had been a thing when i was a kid. we just imagined the horses with my friend...
speaking of stuffed toys, here's sysi's best impression:
