Bay Leaves & Cashmere

Bay leaves and cashmere, what do these two things have in common?  Nothing actually, but while serving out the stew before dinner I kept finding bay leaves.  Bay leaves reminded me of a bailiff (no rational reason, they just sound similar), which reminded me of a sheriff, which led to the sheriff of Nottingham, and Robin Hood, and the Disney movie Robin Hood.  Thoughts can be a funny thing; one word can trigger dozens of memories and ideas instantly!  Whenever I think of cashmere, for example, I have to remind myself it is not perfume.  When my Grandma P would visit after getting off work, she was often still bedecked in pearls, heels, and a cashmere sweater.  Now being good grandchildren, Matthew and I would run up with a shout and give her a hug.  Without fail she would hug us back gingerly and say “Oh, careful honey I have on cashmere.”  I had no idea what cashmere was, but for some reason I believed cashmere was perfume, probably because along with the fancy outfit she was always drenched in fragrance.  It was YEARS before I learned cashmere was a fancy type of wool, and I still have to do a mental double-take whenever I hear that word.  Oh brain, you are a funny thing; on that note, platypus.