Shhh.

When I went to Middlebury, Vt recently, I did some shopping in the Food Co-op there, it is my favorite. I bought some beans to sprout.
I had a sprouter, but honestly, a good old Mason jar is your best bet.
I put some mung beans in a clean jar. (and threw the fancy dancy sprouter in the garbage can)

From studio

I covered the beans with water, and let them set for 8-10 hours.
Note the screen and the rubber band on top. (I knew that broken screen would come in handy if I kept it long enough)

From studio

I rinse them twice a day, and set the jar on its side, shaking it a bit to distribute the beans as evenly as I can between rinses.
Day 3.......delicious bean sprouts that I eat like they were peanuts. Rinse them, and store in zip lock bag in fridge.

From studio

They do not last long.
I got mung beans, and lentils. They are both lovely in salads, in a wrap, any way you want to eat them. They are incredibly cheap, easy, and much fresher than the ones you pay big bucks for in the grocery store.

I am sitting on my sofa, the sun is about to set. The window is open, and there is a lovely evening breeze. It is quiet.
Still. Quiet. Very unlike my house this time of night.
DH is at some political dinner, and the TV is.......................HORRORS.............OFF!
OMG.
Will I go to hell in a hand basket, as I have been warned my whole life? Sitting in the quiet, just the sound of Eddie occasionally licking his lips on the couch next to me (dinner must have been good, eh Ed?)
I love the stillness. I have always loved it, even as a kid. Noise is good sometimes, TV is good on occasion, music is wonderful. But nothing, nothing, is as soothing or as sweet as silence. IMHO.
It has been a long, exhausting week. Lots of commotion, lots of noise, commitments, time restraints, kid restraints. And the grand finale, a summer cold.
So yes, tonight, the quiet is like an old friend, come to linger.
I am filled with gratitude tonight. My dear friend, Penny, has just come through a harrowing medical procedure in Boston, with wonderful results. Thank you, God. She has been on my mind all day, and finally, the phone rang,(a WELCOME noise) and it was her husband with the good news. Hallelujah. She has had a tough road.
And thanks to my friend, Chris, who suggested that I use CARDBOARD.......yes, cardboard, between my placemats, instead of fabric strips.......and besides what other great uses are there for Priority Mail boxes?

From studio

These crazy, colorful placemats I am making have sparked my imagination. At first, I called them Fiesta placemats, until the OTHER HILARY said, "oh, how about TABLE DANCERS".......placemats made from socks.....Table Dancers, oh, my......I LOVE IT.
So that is what they are. Some names just reach right down into your head and say YES.
Like Caterpillar Rugs.....perfect.
I guess if I were motivated, I would be putting a Trademark or something on all these things. If I were. Sounds like a lot of trouble to me.
Much more fun to just weave up a roll of them.

From studio

The colors just happen. Serendipity. Spontaneity. Let it be.

From studio

To my way of thinking, you can just spend too much time trying to control everything around you, when the reality is, if you are just quiet.......... the right color, the right name, the perfect idea.............will come to you in time.