Mystery Plant

We got the plant in the photos below, about 13 years ago, probably from Ikea. We took this along when we moved homes.

I don't remember when, but this plant seemed to die. It had no leaves at all and all that was left of the plant was a lone short  stump with  dried, brown skin/bark, loosely clinging to it.   I neither watered the pot nor threw out the stump.

(What's wrong with me? Apathy? Hoarding?) 

And then, a few years ago, the stump came back to life! I simply cannot understand how this thing was alive, all these years...without any outward sign of life... no  leaves, no moisture in the stump, nothing.

The next miracle from this plant is these flowers below.  This  plant has never flowered  from the time we bought it to  NOW i.e. October 2018. For the very first time, almost 12-13 years later, flowers have bloomed,  filling my living room with a lovely fragrance!  

I would love to know the name of this plant. I have searched for this plant in the shops but not been able to find one. I am seeking it to discover it's name. 

This is a lovely unexpected mystery in my home. 

Spoon-making in a day

STEPS TO SPOON MAKING

 The tools and the wood to be carved. 

At the top centre is a part of  a  branch from a dead Cherry tree from our garden. Starting from left: cut-proof gloves, carving knives with curved and straight blade, sable multi purpose knife,  Hand hatchet, beeswax-linseed oil mix

Above:  Splitting of the branch into vertical halves

Below: The shaving off  the bark from the branch (to make a spoon)

Below: The outline for spoon to be made

Below: Scooping out the wood with curved blade knife

Below: Sanding the wood after carving, with 3 different grits...from rough to smooth

Below: Spoon held in  clamp to scoop out the wood comfortably and safely

Above: Spoon after sanding

Below: Spoon after waxing

Below: Final spoon: after carving, scooping, sanding and waxing

Above is a spoon he made today October 28, 2018.

 Start and Finish?

Working with wood is the latest of a long string of my husband's hobbies.His hobbies both excite and exasperate me. The exasperation is because  tools & incomplete projects of his ex-hobbies lay scattered around the house, swallowing precious space.


This spoon is not just the product of a hobby. It's something which kept him engaged & happy. But,  most importantly... it kept us from getting on each others nerves...when inclement weather kept us indoors.
 He whittled  the wood  as I cooked and  photographed  the birth of the spoon.

All in all, a non-argumentative, peaceful and productive Sunday!

Day of the dead...October 27th 2018, Wychwood Barn, Toronto

Went to Wychwood Barns, yesterday to see the  Day of the Dead celebrations for the first time ever. 

(I have seen Day of the Dead only in the James Bond movie  Spectre) 

It was lively and colorful ...the very opposite of the dull , rainy, cloudy, cold weather!

Also  enjoyed hot tasty vegetarian tacos at this festival. 

The lady who crafted the lovely clay figure above was here at this event.

Above is Cocoa pod and beans. 

 Amazingly intricate paper cut outs (I am not sure if they are called paper cutouts or something else) hanging in the hall

I wonder what those beads are on the ankles. They looked like walnut sized nuts of some type to me.

What IS this animal? Panther?

These metal cups were lovely but were a bit too expensive for me.....plus we microwave nearly 99% of the time and these can't be microwaved.

All in all a nice time at the Day of the Dead...despite the depressing weather!