20 Years of Themes, and still going

2023 Fern Year (aka Seedless and Seed)
2022 It's about Time
2021 Mycochronos The Time of the Fungi
2020 Year of Here (chosen BEFORE it was so needed)
2019 Ball Year
2018 Witch Year
2017 Pie Year
2016 Bird Year
2015 Glow Year
2014 Floraganza
2013 Acid Year
2012 Root Year
2011 Star Year
2010 Noodle Year
2009 Bean Year
2008 Lucky Year
2007 Rodent Year (Sparkling Squirrel Year)
2006 Spice Year (not celebrated much)
2005 Fruit Year (not celebrated much)
2004 Pink Year
2003 Sparkling Year

2024 A Year of All Seasons

It's About Time for a New Theme

 Time Year Begins!

So we have a new year and a new theme.  I still don't have the official name for it, but this year "is about time".

There are some time things I know I am going to be doing, turning 50 prominent among them.  There are plenty of time traveling books and movies (add your suggestions to the post below) and time (but not time traveling) books and movies I hope to enjoy.  There are thyme recipes to cook and maybe a sundial to place in my herb garden. I hope to have a personal best 5K time.  I'm going to keep my house cleaner (it's about time, really) and maybe have an "End of Time" party.

What else?

Time Travel Suggestions

 What are your favorite books and movies about traveling through time?

I have written about a few time traveling books on this blog in the past (Connie Willis's Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog and The Time Machine and mentioned Time Traveler's Wife on multiple occasions).

The Mister and I are starting to list time travel movies we've seen and they range from Star Trek to Looper to Arrival to Interstellar to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. 

Let us know what you think! 

Time for a New Year: Time Titles and Books about Time

 What are your favorite books or movies "about time" or with time in the title, but not about time travel?  Non-fiction (from timekeeping and the nature of time to seasons of life) and fiction both desired. 

Have recommendations for  Love in the Time of Cholera or A Brief History of Time or A Time to Kill or Wheel of Time?  How about Gone in 60 Seconds, 72 Hours, 28 Days Later, 9 1/2 weeks, 4 Months, 2 weeks and 3 Days, or 100 Years of Solitude?

"Time" books go here, along with media with minutes, seconds, or years in the title.

Growing Mushrooms

I started MYCOCHRONOS in the winter of 2021 growing oyster mushrooms in the lab, and then grew blue oysters, pink oysters, and lion's mane mushrooms at home.  They were all from kits and all are highly recommended.  The lion's mane was used for "crab cakes" which were great, and also makes one wonder if the crab flavoring or the crab cake seasonings is what really makes the taste. 

January 27== middlewas started 1 week priot

Second flush of pink oysters

Truffles

 I haven't been blogging about MYCOCHRONOS- the time of the fungus for all sorts of reasons.  You can trust that I have done a good job of growing mushrooms, eating mushrooms, and observing fungal things  (or not, it's actually not a matter worthy of asking for your trust).  
The Mister, ever willing to celebrate silly with me, gave me truffle oil and truffle salt for Christmas, and ordered the truffle supplement when we took Dianthus and Aster out for an omakase meal in Boston.  Then, in a surprise move, he purchased a fresh black truffle at Eataly when we found ourselves back in Boston on January 1.
Salmon sashimi with truffles was amazing, and covered with a lot of truffles.
We used our truffle on pasta one night, on mashed potatoes and beef the next, and on poached eggs and potatoes this morning.  While I really like the heady aroma of truffles, I think I will seek out chefs to do it well, or add a little splash of oil here and there, but will not be buying fresh truffles again soon.  Among other things, I think we just didn't use enough at once, but when something is so dear (in the British sense), it feels right to ration it, even if possession in the first place is the height of indulgence.

Thanks to the Mister for trying truffles with me.

Heavily truffled delicious start to an omakase meal.

Our truffle of 34 grams

Kites and Flowers

 I was walking to work this morning (Monday, May 3) and thinking how odd it was that I haven't seen a kite yet.
I walked home at 10:30 and there were 12 on the power lines in one alley.  
Two friends around town mentioned seeing single kites over the weekend, and they certainly aren't ALL here yet, but I would argue that they truly arrived approximately 9 am this morning.
(In 2020 I saw 2 on April 30 and then a larger bunch on May 1.)

In my other annual phenology update: here's my May Day bouquet (actually picked on May 2).  The peony is the only peony currently in flower (from against a south-facing brick wall), the irises are at about peak, and none of the roses, honeysuckle, or mock oranges is blooming yet.  The wheat is from the growing wheat patch (last year I baked a loaf of bread from it).  My next career might be growing grains for the florist industry.  The Mister suggests that might not be much of a career, but one can hope.