Spring cleaning, and memories of Scotland

It's that time of year when people generally start to contemplate spring cleaning. In today's terms, that can also mean cleaning out old files from the computer. I was sitting here going through some pics from (ahem) a little over three years ago on some of my old flash drives. I love randomly finding these little bits of our past, because I almost always end up pouring through every picture I can find, remembering the memories behind the pictures, and sometimes feelings (just a wee bit) nostalgic.

I think some of my favorite spring cleaning finds have always been pictures. Sometimes I find a receipts that jar a memory loose from the cobweb entrenched recesses of my mind, or a small trinket picked up somewhere. This is also why I generally take forever doing spring cleaning, it seems like every other thing I find stops me and drags me only semi-unwillingly down memory lane.

Today I found some old pictures of when we first moved in to our home, my first car, our early years dating, and a fondly remembered pet. I proceeded to spend time thinking about how we started pulling down the fake wood paneling in our house, the first month without living room furniture, and the cleaning!

It was rather disconcerting when we first moved in, because my husband (then boyfriend) and I moved in the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, but he left that night to go to his mom's house about 4 hours away for the holiday. I spent that first Thanksgiving in the house cleaning and scrubbing the kitchen top to bottom. I remember being so frustrated that he couldn't have stayed home that year, and annoyed with work for not allowing us to take time off during the holidays so that I could go with him. But at least when I was done, I worked out all that irritation, and had a nicely cleaned, and sanitized kitchen. I'm glad too, because that year we hosted Christmas together!

One of the pictures I found was from our honeymoon just last October. It's of a petrol station we stopped at on our way from Balloch Loch Lomond area and the Oak Tree Inn, along A82 in Glencoe. Right across from the Police Station. They had this hot food cart there, like we normally see at fairs, and cultural festivals, and the lady there was REALLY animated. We had been on the road for a few hours at that point, and since we were headed to Inverness, had a few more hours to go. I'd say we took the scenic route, but really, I think every route there was the scenic route.

When we stopped to fill up, we decided to get a bite to eat to last us until we made it to Inverness. I ordered a basket of chips (or fries) and while hubby and I stood around eating, these three construction workers come up and order lunch. One of them ordered black pudding. Me being curious I asked what black pudding was. I got the most incredulous look from the lady running the food stand immediately followed by "What do ya mean what'tis blaack pouddin'? Are ya tellin' meh ya've ne'er had any?" (Sorry approximation of her brogue...imagine Braveheart but thicker) She also seemed like she spoke REALLY fast. So when I told her no, we've never had it before, she looked so amazed, like how can you live so long without having it?! look on her face. I think about a split second later she said "Och, tats Ookay, I'll gi'e ya's a wee sample" Well, while she was cooking it, she started talking to the construction workers telling them that they should be sure to come back next week since there would be a sale on something. They informed her that they'd love to but couldn't because this was their last day on the job there and they were going home. Still in the midst of cooking, she rattled off "Och, tats a'right, you'll just ha'e to coome back wi'out yer clothes on". Begin awkward silence, while she's still oblivious and cooking. The construction guys are looking at each other like they were asking how to respond to that, while hubby and I looked at each other, and I was thinking WOW they speak their mind up here! All of a sudden this lady froze and turned around to look at the five of us "I didna mean that! I meant in yer regular clothes!" I think her eyes were about to pop out of her head she had them open so wide. Everyone laughed and the moment passed. She then started going on about how the schools are teaching foreign languages, but not Scots Gàidhlig. After a few minutes the food was ready, and she presented us with our 'wee sample' which ended up being a full serving for both of us to split. It was good, a bit try, kind of unique, I can't really relate it to anything else I've ever had. I would happily eat it again, even though the other name for it is Blood Pudding because it's made with pigs blood.

I really had such a wonderful time in Scotland, I really hope I get to go back again someday, and hopefully for a longer period of time. I can always dream that hubby's job sends him over there for a month or two, and we're at a point that I can go with him. Oh well, back to cleaning,

Anyways, what are some of your favorite finds when you do a good spring cleaning?

Winter leads to beautiful spring, and yummy summer

Sorry folks for the extended hiatus. Between slipping on the ice and screwing up my back for a week, a minor procedure at the Dr's that put me down for another week, and then a nasty head cold, I haven't been thinking too clearly. That all seems to be past now, and man am I glad! It's always amazing the perspective that being physically discommoded gives being healthy. 

I don't know about you, but in my part of the country we get a "January Thaw" every year. It's this time of year people start acting stupid because of an early case of spring fever. You know, those few people who break out motorcycles just because it's 40º instead of 20º. Or start wandering around in shorts and no jacket? Then they whine when it gets cold again. Don't get me wrong, I love this brief warm up, especially because I get a pop of snowdrops in my yard, which are the first blooming flowers in, oh, 3 months, and I won't see any more for another 2 months. Here in Ohio, at least for me, that's a BIG thing. It's the first color that isn't grey since the leaves fell! Oh, and if the crocus pop up for a day, vibrant purple, yellow, and blue! But I know it isn't going to last. It's the same every year. 

This brings me to the topic of this entry, my rant about the cold

WE NEED THE COLD TO MAKE THINGS GROW!

Yes, you read that right. One of the keys to making sure many of the spring and summer perennial plants thrive and provide flowers or food for us to enjoy is COLD. In this part of the country that means COLD, bitter cold, the kind where you go outside and feel like your nose and fingers are going to freeze off before you're done wiping snow off your car. 

Random face in the snow on hubby's car last night.
(All I can hear  in my head is Mushu from Mulan "And it's happy to see you!)

One of these foods that need cold are apples. Yep, the good old All-American fruit. As a country, we seem to love our apples. Apple pie, apple tart, apple butter, apple jelly, apple cakes, apple bread, apple muffins, even just plain old apple by itself. Hell, we even love the fruit so much some of our biggest sell gadgets are made by a company called Apple. Yes, it's really named after the fruit. You can read about it in Steve Job's Biography here. 

Aside from apples, other foods we enjoy that require this extended cold season we call winter, are berries, oranges (a certain level of cold actually enhances flavor and color), apricots, celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, and cabbage.

Some of our prettiest spring flowers that really tell us winter is over need the cold too. Some of these are the most common Easter/Ostara flowers that represent the birth of Spring. Hyacinth, Snow Drops, Daffodils, and Crocus. Without the cold which lets the bulbs rest, we would not get the beautiful and fragrant blooms these flowers are known for. I don't know about you, but for me it just isn't Spring without these.

So remember: Be thankful for the cold bitter months. Without them, many of the plants we enjoy each Spring  and Summer would not flourish for us. There are many more plants that I didn't mention here need this time to rest, and a certain amount of "chill hours" to induce greater yields. So if you're looking forward to warmer weather, full of cookouts, with baked potatoes, and veggie plates, and desserts covered with berries, and jams and jelly and pies of all kinds, then you're just going to have to deal with the cold and think about the Earth instead of yourself first. So zip up, grow up, and get over it!