Nutmeg, Grenada

So if something may be concluded here is that I am incapable of even making a post a month... and beats me why. Believe it or not, these cards have been hibernating in the draft section since the end of April...what happened between the 'I will do an update today' and 'The update is being done' I cannot tell... only that time simply flew too fast... as usual. If I could have at least squeezed this in last night, I would have counted one for May, but no, just when you are compelled to do it, something or someone has to interfere with your plans, and there you go, welcoming June, which already feels too hot and makes me dreadfully anticipate July and August, temperature-wise.


Anyways, less chitchatting and more productivity ain't hurt, no? So let's see what do we have for today...
And today would be what may be called, Glenn's day, since all the cards featured today have been sent from Glenn throughout the years (being that he had just returned from another super cool cruise, I really need to catch up with his cards here :)))

The first card comes from Grenada, showing a nutmeg or Grenada's Black Gold, considered one of the main export spices used to make preservatives, medicine, seasonings, jams and drinks.
I have to say I rarely use nutmeg when cooking (said the one who rarely cooks in the first place), but it does have this kind of specific taste and smell so I  just never feel confident enough to experiment with it, even though I do like experimenting with food, during those rare times you may find me in the kitchen :D)

A while ago I watched this video about cashew processing (talking about manual labour here), and boy is that one tough job to do! I absolutely love love love cashews, but it never would have occurred to me that the process may be so tedious. So i just was curious to see if there is something similar about nutmegs- well, they don't come even close to the cashew, but here we go:

so as you can see, this card was sent... long ago. Shows just how much up-to-date I am with posting my cards, but as they say, better late than never.
The stamp is from a set of 8 butterfly stamps issued in 2006, with this one showing the Cream-spotted Tigerwing (Tithorea tarricina pinthias)

Colours, Aromas and Spices, Madagascar

Well, lets sneak in one more update in May!
That would be thanks to this tedious working assignment I have right now and when the closer you come to the end the more anxious you get (the negative kind of anxious).
So thank God there is a tennis match right now...and while watching that, I thought it would be nice to show a few cards as well, before I go back to the working stuff...yeah, I am multitasking...watching tennis, posting cards, drinking coffee..you name it :P

My first card for today arrived recently...and when choosing the cards for today I came to a realization that this is my first written and stamped one from Madagascar! I got quite confused cos I was convinced I had another w/s from there already, but obviously I was wrong...and that made me even more glad having received this splendid card, showing a beautiful market!

this place is simply a paradise for all senses...and even though our markets are maybe not arranged the same way, here you can find almost all the things you can see on the card, regarding vegetables, spices, seeds etc. Yes, conserving vegetables in jars like that is one of the favourite 'hobbies' of a typical Macedonian person :)
Comes in handy...esp. during winter.
And then those jars that look as if having some sort of paste/spread inside...reminds me of our ajvar or malidzano...mmhmm mhhm mhhmm, feeling hungry at the very thought of it!

But seriously, I could spend hours and hours at a place like this! And probably leave dizzy :)

Stamp was issued in 2012...and that's like all I know about it...for some reason information on Madagascar stamps is quite scarce...though while searching for this one I came across some other Madagascar issues..and boy my jaw dropped at all those space related stamps they have! EXTRAORDINARY!!
Maybe I'll get my hands on some of them...one day :)

Mayotte

Quite shocking how time flies...you just blink, and you realize it is almost two weeks that have past since the last update....where did the time go, I have no idea...even last weekend I didnt seem to have the time to post some cards...
well, seems it's gonna be a busy weekend...I was supposed to go out of town, but I guess that plan goes down the drain...I feel disappointed in a way, but I guess next time....

anyways, before I dive into lots of work again (and maybe some other nice eventful things), Ill relax with some coffee and some cards....where the first one coming from a, for me, new country in my collection...and this time it is Mayotte...well, if it is French related, then it is most probably thanks to Jean-Pierre :)

this card with nice colours shows one of my very favourite scents...her majesty, the `vanilla`!! I LOVE vanilla flavoured stuff (years ago, when I was into the McDonald's thing, I always preferred the vanilla milkshake to the chocolate one....nowadays I stay away from Mc as far as possible...)...I enjoy all sorts of bath foams and body lotions which are vanilla scented...and right now I have three small vanilla scented candles...the only vanilla thing I probably dont like is its concentrate, or in its raw form, coz then I think it doesnt taste even close to the taste it has in ice-creams and chocolates...I guess it is the same as my beloved coconut...

Here on the card you have an example of the vanilla fruit, in dried form, and believe it or not, it is the second most expensive spice, after the saffron...I just am not sure if this card is placed in the right position or if its upside down...but I guess it doesnt make some drastic difference either way...

and here come the precious stamps....with perfectly clear cancellations...they are a part of a small sheet of 4 stamps titled hair-dressings...really cool!

Spices, Nouvelles Images

Just recently I realized that I have never posted a Nouvelles card here, even though I totally love them! Well, the multiples to be more precise...and I think that the majority of people who love the NI, go for the multiples....

This is one of my favourites, showing spices....this is just like the most perfect arrangement you could find at the green market....though ive never seen anything even close to this.
Im not 100% sure of all the exact spices you can see here, but if im not mistaken, there definitely are cinnamon and vanilla...mmmmmmmmm....what I really enjoy with such powederish/nuts products, is when you dig inside the bowl with your hands and just feel them all around your fingers...for some reason, feels ecstatic to me, that moment of moving your fingers deep inside the contents....uhhh, lovely!