Trivets :: Waterlily

The oak, a noble American tree is famous in legend and history. Native Americans knew it was time to plant corn when white oak leaves were as “big as a mouse’s ear”. Folk medicine called for collecting the winter oak leaves to cure frostbite. The Acorn is the harbinger of new life. Acorns were used extensively as a food source for native North American Indians, and also roasted as a coffee substitute.

Other Gingko Items:

Gingko Napkin Rings

Particularly among the young, Starfish are the most popular creatures when you go tide pooling! They may well be the most unusual well-known creatures. They have no front or back and can move in any direction without turning. Rather than using muscles to move their hundreds of tiny legs, starfish use a complex hydraulic system to move around or cling to rocks. They can move quite gracefully across a surface.

Corals are marine animals of the class Anthozoa. In Greek mythology the origin of coral goes back to the story of Perseus. Having petrified the sea monster threatening Andromeda, Perseus placed Medusa’s head on the riverbank while he washed his hands. When he recovered her head, he saw that her blood had turned the seaweed into red coral. Thus, the Greek word for coral is ‘Gorgeia’, as Medusa was one of the three Gorgons.

The Bay Leaf is the aromatic leaf of several species of the Laurel family. Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. They are a fixture in the cooking of many European cuisines as well as North America. Bay leaves are pungent and have a sharp bitter taste with the California bay leaf a bit more intense and bitter in flavor than the Turkish. The leaves are most often used whole and removed before serving but ground bay leaves are also sometimes used.

In history, ancient Greeks and Romans crowned victors with wreaths of laurel and the term “baccalaureate” refers to the ancient practice of honoring scholars and poets with garlands from the bay laurel tree.