Somerville Growing Center, twice

I've made it to the Somerville Growing Center on Vinal* Avenue twice in the past week. I went almost a year without managing to walk over; I'm glad I got to see this year's art and improvements. Most noticeably, there are clothes hanging from branches around the whole area, a bit worn from the weather, but colorful pieces, some looking period, others more of the now, all of it embellished and colorful. There are also little white tables, that are actually lidded boxes on legs. Each has a glassed over photo/collage about nature, plus relevant words stamped into the lid (the bee one had words like honey and drone). The top entry to the amphitheater space now has a mosaic in earth tones. The pond has more water flowers than I remember, and the short covered walkway hosts some kind of berries that look like a near relative of blackberries.

I've been wondering for a couple of years now what kind of tree has those little red spiky fruits, and now I know! They're flowering dogwoods, and the name apparently is because dogs like the fruit. (Edible, if unsprayed. I haven't tried any yet.)

The first visit was to see a screening of short films, presented by Women in Film & Video/New England. It took a while to get the screen steady enough to show the seven shorts. I found I much preferred the pieces that were representational and had plot. Not surprising, I suppose. ( Read more... )

The second visit I heard a concert by Asia Mei and the Waters. It started late: the musicians had gotten lost. But there was time to hear some lovely music (that I yet again did not dance to. I've got to get over this self-conscious thing :-). Of course, now that I've heard them, they're moving to NYC.

* No, not vinyl. This Somervillian spelling grates on me. And Somerville has both a Vinal Street and a Vinal Ave. What's up with that?

Farm share, week 13

• six ears of corn
  
• a head of garlic
  
• an eggplant (There were regular dark purple ones, also huge lighter violet ones (I took one of these), and hugely long violet Asian ones, that looked a bit... obscene.)
  
• ten tomatoes (a couple of different kinds, but none of my favorites)
  
• six to eight beets
  
• a small bunch of dried-on-the-stalk cranberry beans (totally unexpected. I've never used them before; ought to be fun.)
  
• ten carrots (some orange, some purple, some light yellow)
  
• a bunch of lacinato kale (choice of kale or some other green (collards?) that I didn't see)
  
• a bunch of red radishes with greens
  
  
• fruit share: six peaches

I'd been hoping for a pint of little tomatoes in the fruit share.

( Boston Organics )

PS. Swag report: for the last two days, there's been a guy handing out packets for Extra Strength Excedrin at the Arlingon station in the afternoon. I'd've thought swag tended to be to promote new products. So far, no headache, so I haven't tried it.