The undeniable beauty of…mustard

Ok, we all make mistakes - even nieces… I am still mad at Natalie but I am slowly cooling off. And driving an unattractive Pontiac courtesy of the insurance company. Natalie was arrested! We paid her bail and took her home; though I wanted to drive her all the way back to Saddlebrook, NJ! Michael found her a lawyer and we’ll see how sympathetic a judge will be to her immature behavior. She wasn’t drinking or using drugs but she put many people at risk for the thrill of testing her reflexes. So far she hasn’t said much. How about sorry?

Despite the turmoil, the whole family had a wonderful time (Natalie too!) at the annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival the weekend before last. The fields of bright yellow everywhere just make me think of spring – and it is spring, much earlier here than in NY! The mustard festival celebrates the beauty and bounty that is Napa, and reminds us that no, it’s not all about grapes! We sampled so many mustards that my tongue got numb. I ended up with a purse-full of recipes too. The one I’ll actually make is easy: baked chicken, with a glaze of mustard, butter, honey and a bit of curry. The kids loved it, and kept asking for more samples. Since we’ve lived in Napa they have become junior foodies. Must be the lovely setting! Natalie made Delia a garland of woven mustard flowers, which she even wore to bed, wilted though it was by then. What a lovely day of good weather, food, wine, music and culture too. As you might guess, Napa attracts painters, photographers and many other artists. I enjoyed seeing their work at the festival. The mustard fields are inspirational to the artist in me also, and I will keep their beauty in mind when choosing colors for Redhouse. We really made the right choice in coming to Napa!

Guess what else made me happy this weekend? New business from an “old” customer. Many thanks to both the bride and groom of the big wedding that was not to be. They are great people, and may they live happily ever after (and apart!) I mentioned in an earlier post that after we created commemorative cashmere sweaters for the groomsmens’ retreat the wedding was called off. Not only did the groom not return the sweaters for embroidery removal, but Redhouse was asked to provide shirts for the entire wedding party with the wedding date - and both “sides” celebrated together on what could have been a mournful occasion. I’ve got to say, it was a wonderful party! The kind of event that reminds us not to take ourselves so seriously, and to forgive others (nieces?) for their mistakes…

Happy Spring, everyone!