Jiggety Jig

Home again, home again. While I was gone, the blackberries in the garden zoomed from white flowers all the way to ripe fruit. This morning's breakfast was one of my all-time favorite combinations: fresh blackberries, strong coffee, and an apple piroshky from Piroshky Piroshky in Seattle. (I brought home four cheese and onion, and six apple, fresh from the oven yesterday morning.) If you are in Seattle, even if you feel you need to avoid the Pike Place Market, stop by the piroshky shop at breakfast time and have one of these with a decaf-double-whatever from the "original" Starbucks which is down a few doors.

Those who know me know that I would not set foot in a Starbucks, and now you know that I would, but only in Seattle, and only if I hadn't gone someplace else first. Starbucks, unlike McDonald's, is not entirely evil. I just try to support the smaller players when I can. I had the very best latte that I think I've ever had at the Cowen Park Grocery around the corner from my friend Karen's house in the "U District". I can't remember who roasted it, but it was perfectly flavored, perfectly foamed, and served (three days in a row) with a smile.

It was good to be gone, but it is good to be back. I live in a beautiful place. Yesterday afternoon when I came home, I took a shower, then a nap (I never nap-- there is always something to do) and in the evening I went to the garden with my basket and picked a head of lettuce, some basil, parsley, cilantro, and some blackberries, eating a few as I picked. I rubbed a few herb leaves as I wandered through the plantings, smelling new things like pineapple sage, and the familiar rosemary, curry and oregano. Mike and I had warm cheese and onion piroshkies with a hand-picked butter lettuce and herb salad for dinner. I was just in heaven.