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<\/a><\/p>\nTo say that those cinnamon rollups are just like Mom used to make is an understatement. Every nibble takes me back to one of the few perfect memories of my childhood. Mom and my multitude of aunts were not great cooks, but all of them could roll up those treats made from pie dough, sugar, and cinnamon and put my little self into joyful delirium. My grown-up self still approves.<\/p>\n
Every year the good old USPS does their best to mangle W&J’s gift. This year their “two day” priority mail package, scheduled for delivery on 12\/20, arrived after nine days in the wild. It had apparently spent the extra time being shaken like a maraca. But the battering those cookies took won’t affect the taste. Thank you, W&J.<\/p>\n
—–<\/p>\n
Then came these:<\/p>\n
Four pair of earrings featuring sterling silver seeds or leaves on wires also of sterling or niobium. <\/p>\n These came from old friend Elias Alias of The Mental Militia<\/a>, who you may not know is a stunningly talented jewelry designer, lost-wax caster, diamond setter, and sculptor in gold (samples and background on his past work here<\/a> and here<\/a> and here<\/a>).<\/p>\n You recognize the leaves on that one pair of earrings, I suspect. Well, the seeds on the other three are cast from the same plant (Elias cast the originals 40+ years ago, when said plant actually had seeds; the plants nowadays are sensimilla<\/em> and cloned). Each seed is solid sterling silver with a hand-applied Florentined finish plus a light dusting of rhodium to forestall tarnishing. <\/p>\n Elias doesn’t usually send me Christmas gifts, let alone ones so deluxe. So I’ll tell you that these are in part also promotional items. They’re promoting a conspiracy of beauty and subversion that any freedom lover may soon enjoy. But not just yet.<\/p>\n That’s all I can say at the moment — except that I’ve already worn two pair from the gift box and they’re very comfortable and attractive. I particularly like the niobium wires (the dark ones). Niobium is friendly even to very sensitive skin and easy to wear all day. The earrings are lightweight, discreet, and prettier in person than in the photo.<\/p>\n In a month or so, Elias and friends will reveal the rest of this lovely “conspiracy.” I’ll have more then.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n