Egg of the Universe

Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder

There are few beverages that enjoy the reputation and mystique that absinthe commands.

It's fabled to be highly addictive, and inducing hallucinatory flights of fancy - as evidenced by the writing and painting produced by famous turn-of-the-century artists, poets and the like.

It has been OUTLAWED in the US, till fairly recently, thanks to this air of mystery.

The prohibition has ended now, which is sort of bittersweet for me. Lovely, because now you can try the *real thing* and not have to suffer licorice flavored liqueurs. Sad, because it's losing some of it's magic - 'the man' has decided it's not a psychoactive drug laden beverage, just highly alcoholic.

I love the idea of absinthe for the same reasons I love the idea of High Tea: I find the era fascinating, and the process involved nothing short of magically ritualistic.

Proper absinthe glasses are glass or crystal, with a reservoir that measures a shot of absinthe. They have a kind of angular deviance to them - at once elegant any mysterious looking. The absinthe spoon is a singular tool and come in artful designs. The main requirement is that the spoon has holes in it to facilitate water flowing through a sugar cube resting on the spoon. But the shapes of the holes and even the material of the spoon is completely up for grabs.

Then there is the process of the classic absinthe drink. It's not a quick dumping of ingredients and a stir. Oh no. There's a sort of meditative style to it. First, the absinthe. Then the placement of spoon and sugar cube. And finally the s l o o o w pour of cold water over the sugar cube. The result: a cloudy liquid that smells like herbs drying in some forbidden place of knowledge and gnarly powers.

Needless to say, I've ordered my glass and spoon and I've got a place in mind to purchase my first bottle of absinthe. Will imbibing inspiring in me works of art and literature? Will it initiate a careening madness? Or will it just lead to a wicked morning hangover? We shall see...

Follow here for absinthe visual delight.

Something to drink?

I'm cultivating a mild obsession with tea. Specifically, your victorian/edwardian variety. I'm not much interested in the other tea cultures I'm afraid, although I can thoroughly respect their merit. For me, the aesthetic of the victorian high tea is the thing.

I think it all started here:
I should note, that in my own tea party, the dishware is a touch less eclectic. Forgive me, as I combine interests. My tea set comes from The Village - otherwise known as Portmeirion.
I'm also a big fan of small plates. Which, if you think about it, is certainly a part of the tea party tradition. Not only can you sample a variety of teas but there are also finger-ready sandwiches and other confections for tasting.

Some resources:
Teavana
MightyLeaf
Blue Moon Tea
Tea Forte
A $1,750 Russian teapot, shaped like a pumpkin

Bittersweet (but mostly sweet)

I'm a fan of NOTCOT.com - it's my go to place for aesthetic stimulation: rest assured there's always a new piece of design delight.

One of their latest posts featured Bittersweet NY. I was browsing their website when I found these:

Maggot Charms.
That's right. You can wear gold or silver maggots, fashionably, around your neck.

It reminded me of a little doodle I did my first year of art school:

"crow sez ' i found a maggit'."

Moving!

I will (one day) back post about the wedding and honeymoon but at the moment we are moving!

Good bye Crofton and University Square!

Hello Wynfield Park!

(from my iPhone, waiting for the gentlemen to get back from the dump)

Honeymoon: Boston and Salem

Sam + June Halloween Wedding 2009

Thanks to everyone that took these snap shots (and all the others!)