Happy Day

...to all the Mothers who wander here;
...to all the children of Mothers;
...to all the partners of Mothers.

May the sun shine, the leisure be plentiful, and food tasty and well prepared, and the love bounteous. I mean, why not? It's just another pleasant Sunday.

Of Linseed Oil and Memory

Linseed oil, also known as flax seed oil or simply flax oil, is a clear to yellowish drying oil derived from the dried ripe seeds of the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum, Linaceae). It is obtained by pressing, followed by an optional stage of solvent extraction.

When used as a wood finish, linseed oil does not cover the surface as varnish does, but soaks into the (visible and microscopic) pores, leaving a shiny but not glossy surface that shows off the grain. Wood treated with linseed oil is resistant to denting and scratches are easily repaired, but the wood and oil surface is not as hard as a modern varnish, and it slowly absorbs moisture if allowed to stay wet. -- from Wikipedia

My mother, who died almost twenty-two years ago, had an abiding faith in the power of linseed oil. One of my strongest memories is of Mom, stripped down to her summer work uniform (bra and slightly droopy nylon underpants, or sometimes a knitted shell and shorts) treating the kitchen dining table to another linseed oil bath. ( More linseed oil... )