Salt, Jorts and Donna

Yesterday I added a salt to my  collection, thank you Sandra. Basil salt. 

Reading clockwise from the clear container: kosher, coarse seasalt, basil salt, mix of dried basil and seasalt,  here wrongly labeled, but now corrected, can't get good help these days, regular iodized salt, Himalayan pink. My little container of spicy ground kosher still in the cabinet, camera shy.

I use them all for different purposes including cleaning. Kosher salt and olive oil make a great scrub for cast iron, preserving the patina and the nonstickitude. Table salt and lemon juice clean copper on the rare occasions when I clean my only copper, a tiny little pan.

Yesterday was a perfect sitting outside watching clouds day. Mare's tails or contrails, still lovely.

While reading ny latest Donna Leon

Taking place in the pandemic.

And for people interested in the phenom that is Jorts

Right side of history, I'd say. 

Speaking of phenoms, goodbye and thank you to Serena, best of all time tennis player and fighter of racism. Never forgot her parents.

Also a more permanent farewell to Barbara Ehrenreich, whose Nickel and Dimed among other writing, spoke for the working poor, RIP.

Happy day everyone, rest on, fight on, never forget where you came from.

Photo AC 

May Day, and other things too

 Happy May day!

And while we're frolicking, here in coats and gloves, let's remember it's also the Feast of St. Joseph the worker, celebrating the trades and all other workers. 

And remember the personal cost to the pickers of our food

Each bin holds about half a ton. They split $30 payment. For hand picking half a ton of fruit. 

When we complain about the price of food, we remember what the workers earn.  Machines can't pick citrus and stone fruit without damaging it.  Owners and middlemen take a much bigger cut of the eventual retail price. United Farm Workers Union working to protect their workers.

Spoken as the proud daughter and mother of union members, as well as a past personal member.

Currently registering support of Jorts the Cat, and his symbolism in the current resurgence of the trade union movement. You don't know Jorts? He has a Wikipedia entry. Check him out!  It's his birthday.

Meanwhile closer to home, my frugal heart was happy to score a patio chair at the dumpster, thus continuing a long personal tradition of never buying outdoor furniture. 

Perfectly good pieces to be found at the beginning of the season. Sometimes I swap out current found pieces for new finds.  I currently have three chairs, one a poolside lounger and the two you see here. All found at dumpsters. I'm still using a crate for a side table, until I find a good replacement.

All we need now is warmer weather.

Happy day everyone! 

And look for the union label!