IT BEGINS AGAIN

Hello everyone!  Well!  March certainly came in like a lion, didn't it?  Hope this post finds you all safe and sound. 

We started our seeds!   Can spring be far away?   Just the usual tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.  Plus we needed to start some more Alpine strawberries, as I'm concerned how all the freezing and frost has affected them this winter.  Another thing that we discovered is that we get just as good results from onions when we start them from seed as we do when we buy those onion sets.  It's always a source of wonderment to watch those tiny blades of grass develop into lovely onions.  Whoever doesn't believe in miracles has never planted a seed!  We're growing an antique variety that dates from the 1700s.  It's always fun to plant those unusual varieties.  Plus these are supposed to be good winter keepers!  Another seed we are trying is soapwort or Bouncing Bet (love the old name, don't you?).  I used to have some at another house, but  neglected to  dig any when we moved.  Never could find any plants again.  So hopefully we'll be able to grow our own "soap".  Here's how to make a shampoo from the leaves:

Soapwort  Shampoo

a dozen leafy soapwort stems (roughly chopped)
1 pint water

Bruise the stems lightly with the back of a spoon in an enamelware  or any non-metallic pot. Add the water and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  At this point, you can add a handful of fresh  herbs, such as chamomile for blonde hair or rosemary for dark hair.  Just toss into the infusion and cover the pot.  Allow to cool, then strain and use immediately or store in the fridge for up to two days.

Ta Da!  Paraban free shampoo!  Oh!  And lavender would be a lovely addition too!

This weekend we hung some circa 1940s wallpaper in our little hallway.   Now I know this style wouldn't be for everybody, as a matter of fact, it probably only appeals to three people on Earth.  And fortunately those three people happen to abide at Sweet Briar Cottage!  This is a very special wallpaper because it is the exact one that is in the set of my favorite movie, The Trouble with Harry.  Different colourway though.  For that matter, the movie is a rather strange comedy that a lot of people don't "get".  But I love everything about it, from the clever dialogue, the beautiful Vermont setting, the Bernard Hermann score (love this guy), to the wonderful character actors (Edmund Gwynn and Mildred Natwick).  But isn't it funny that I'd come across the very same wallpaper?  After all it was manufactured over sixty years ago!   And isn't it fortunate that I'm married to probably one of the few men that knows how to hang old, unpasted wallpaper?  And isn't it a miracle that our little old-fashioned hardware store still stocks wallpaper paste?  I'd say, it was meant to be!

PS:  When I enlarged this picture I noticed that now I need to touch up the green trim.  One thing leads to another!