A Simple Easter

I like words...like to play with 'um and tease with 'um, munch and crunch on 'um, but decided to just let this picture speak for itself.

Sunday at Myra's was a simple gathering of good friends and good food brought together around a beautiful table set with "Nurses" Limoges wedding china, always hand washed and set up in the china press after each use; Sonny's momma's linen tablecloth, starched, ironed and folded just so, and Jude's silver.  Each element bore witness to those we love and those we honor.

A long time back I taught Myra how to make stick crosses...like my Daddy taught me when I was little.  She did him proud, placing one at each plate...a simple reminder of why we gather.  

I was grateful to have been in the fold last night, sharing the blessings and the promise on Easter Sunday.

A simple thank you for a simply beautiful evening.

Head Butt...Head Butt

Well yesterday held lots of surprises.  First, a man from the Richmond City Road works saw Mr. C on the front porch and asked him to move the car so they could patch the asphalt in front of the house.  

 

Need I say more? While I was in the back unloading mulch, Buck picked up the car keys and the rest is history.  He didn't get far up the one way street until he pulled over and parked.  I suppose he was feelin rather proud of himself... until he took a tumble. 

 

I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I came around the front only to be greeted by a chorus of city workmen hollerin' "Lady...Lady" (No Lionel Richie insight I might add). Everybody had saucer eyes except Buck who was puttin' on his best "swag", something he does after a mishap.  

 

After thankin the neighbors who knew where he lived 

and acceptin' apologies from the workmen who swore they would never ask a man sittin on the porch in a rocker with a cane hangin' off the back to move a car again...

I gave him some Aleeve, a hug and then some choice words, which shall remain private. That bein' said, it was agreed  he would just supervise me while I finished spreading the mulch and I made him promise not to let me out of his sight!  By 4:00 I was ready to wash the smell of fear and Pine Bark off me and catch a cat nap.  Buck thought that was a great idea cause he was tired of watchin' me.  He decided  he was gonna sit on the deck and make sure Busser didn't get into any trouble.  So we had a plan.

 

I got that shower thank goodness cause the next thing I hear is, "Babe...Babe!" (no pig in sight). Needless to say, I flew down the steps and this time there is a'plenty of indication that he and Busser had found some trouble, or as he would say later, "probably ran into a tree", cause he was sportin.a goose egg on the back of his head the size of a softball and a nice blood stained shirt to boot. I was no more good, and now I'm the one with saucer eyes, rememberin that lady who fell on the ski slopes and woke up dead!  

 

So, I phoned the Universal Mother and the Nurse of all nurses, Momma Shook, who at 93 is my only "go to" in times of strife.  She wasted no time and sent us to the Emergency Room lickedy split! 

 

By this time Buck can't remember what happened and thinks a tree limb must have fallen out in the yard and wants to go move it. But I convince him that we will get it when we get home. 

 

The rest is history.  In a nutshell...all's well that ends well and it did.  A special shout out  to our great ED team at Regional Memorial and Dr. McGee for the fine use of a staple gun.   That hard head paid off, and we were home in time to watch "Dancin with the Stars" and eat the great dinner plate that VerDell and Bubba left for us on the front porch. 

 

Thank you all for taking such good care of us...here in the Friendly Village!

The Gatherin'

The Gatherin' at Shipman's Farmacy

Last night was the gatherin for Bubba’s birthday, more than a week late I might add, but it worked out fine cause we had all been away from the Village for one reason or another and were anxious to flock together and catch up.  Some had gone home, some on vacation; some just had to tend to business, and that’s where Bubba had been, tendin’ to business, “on his birthday.”   

Early on, VerDell had forewarned us cause if there is one thing you need to know about Bubba it is that Christmas is on December 25^th and New Year’s is on January 1^st and his birthday is on March 19^th and that’s when the celebratin’ takes place.  So Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Birthday hold a strong place in his sense of what’s right and what’s a stretch.  Don’t wish that boy a Happy Birthday a day late cause he’ll look at you with those steel blue eyes and say, “thank you, but it ain’t my birthday,” and leave it at that.

Anyway, when we all found out that Bubba was gonna be out of town “on his birthday”, it’s like the Grinch who stole Christmas, we were right perplexed.  I’m thinkin, what are we gonna do, can’t ignore it and can’t call it a birthday celebration cause that would violate the “it’s not my birthday rule”.  

Lushious said she wouldn’t be touchin that one and I hesitated just long enough for Bubba’s, “not really…but equally as in your face, “twin”, LaNeese,  to step up and say she’d do it whether he liked it or not;  and she’d have corn beef and cabbage to boot cause she still needed to pay homage to Saint Patrick.   

And so it was we came to gather on March 27^th to celebrate Bubba’s 59^th. 

Just the other week, Buck and I were at the “Farmacy” and we noticed how long about sunset the Grackles came to roost in the tops of the still barren trees just outside the front porch.  While all birds roost, some do it alone; others with mobs of compatriots.  I watched them gather as parings of two or three gave way to subgroups of ten to twelve, ultimately altering the natural quiet that sundown usually provides.  As I listened to their chorus I imagined each was ready to share some avian excitement and give a story to their bug-catchin, high-flyin, ground grazin kind of day. 

 That’s the way it is with the Villagers, there are those of us who always arrive early, settle in the kitchen with the host and take a few minutes of time to share a laugh or sweep a floor before the “flock” arrives.  Once in group however, we move about in our own little peckin order , buttin’ in or at times shoutin’ over one another if the story isn’t going to our likin.  Pretty soon the chatter grows and you wonder if there are ten or twenty of us makin all that racket.

When folks are over here, my favorite part is to be in the kitchen and listen to five conversations goin’ on at once, that’s when I know the gatherin is goin’ well. Last night was like that, each of us from time to time, hoppin from limb to limb to make sure we weren’t missin something;  all the while sharin a song, a story, a triumph, a laugh; while celebrating a year past, and a year to come, around the roost in the Friendly Village.

So Happy Birthday Bubba, cause if you have a birthday in the woods…and nobody hears…it really ain’t a celebration…now is it?

Magpie's Delight Three Berry Deep Dish Pie

• ¾  cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 cups frozen mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries)
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• ¼ cup orange juice,
• 2  teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 egg white and 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar (for top of pie crust)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.
2. In a large mixing bowl, wisk together the sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Add the berries and toss to combine. Sprinkle in the lemon juice, lemon zest, orange juice and combine well.
3. Spoon the berry mixture into the pie crust (I use Pet Ritz store-bought roll out, in the box) Dot with butter cubes.
4. Place the top crust and cut a vent for steam to escape.
5. Brush the top crust with egg white and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
6. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes then reduce heat to 375 for remaining 30 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles. If the crust begins to brown overly so, cover the edges with aluminum foil.
7. Cool completely on a rack before serving.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Note:  I like an ugly deep dish pie, so I use a pyrex dish and crumple the top crust all around.  Sometimes I use my cookie cutter and make stars to overlap on the top crust.  Do whatever you love…it always taste good.

Weed-eatin'

“ I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant”
― Alan Greenspan

There are some things that I just over-work.  I practice sayin’ what needs to be said over and over because I want it to be "exactly right".  But I've learned there are just times when what somebody hears has more to do with what they’re expectin' to hear than what’s actually being said, or to put it another way. 

“I know you heard what you think I said, but that’s because you were “loaded for bear” and wouldn’t be happy until you had fired off a shot. "

Truth be told, I guess we’re all been guilty of carryin’ a loaded attitude at some point and time in life; doesn’t make it right to aim it at innocent folks though.   

Buck told me once that I was mad because I needed to be mad and that was fine, but to point it someplace else and then handed me the weed-eater   He took a risk, but it payed off.

I’m not gonna prolong this post but I do have to mention that, the same goes for an apology,  Even when you speak from the heart, if that other heart isn’t ready, or is all puffed up and defensive, neither words nor deeds will find their rightful place. 

Some things take time…and weed-eatin’.

Invisible ink...again

I have been writing...I have been, in my head again.  It happens, the mind is never an empty pallet, it's colorful and fancy, and creative and funny and perfect.  Ahh, the word...perfect.  It's been hard to start since the last loss.  I have no idea why it affected me so.  I had been trying so long to get that story down...and then it flew away.  I suppose I think if I put it here it is in it's own way...permanent, but not so. 

But anyway, I ran across this and I thought...well that's perfect.  

Travelin' with VerDell and Lurlene

Self Medicating….In the Comfort Zone

The experts will tell you straight out that comfort foods; be they warm, soft and starchy or salty, sweet and crunchy are most often consumed in response to emotional stress.  That being said, I am so grateful that I had that five pound bag of taters in the pantry last week.   That and cheese, but the cheese story will have to come later.

I was tellin' a friend about my Christmas and all the things that went on and she said, "Good Lord, it sounds more like the "Little Advent Calendar of Horrors."  I rolled...and even imagined what that little calendar would look like.  But bein as I don't want to put energy into that project...I decided to cook up something instead. 

I know I talk a lot about usin' food for comfort, but I also use talkin with good friends who share my wicked sense of humor to bust out the boogy zone.   Can't beat'um...or mash'um or butter'um but they are the best medicine in the world.

Thanks everyone...for helpin me eat taters, and broccoli casseroles and all things fat and fluffy!  You save me every day.

Mashed Taters

The ultimate comfort food: can be substituted for Xanax or Zoloft as long as walking five miles is added to your daily routine.

5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 teaspoons salt, plus more, to taste

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 1/4 cups half-and-half, heated

 Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Put the potatoes and the 2 teaspoons salt in a large pot, add water to cover the potatoes by 3 inches and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 

Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently cook the potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well in a colander. 

Add the butter and gradually add the half-and-half, beating constantly with a large spoon, until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Season with salt and white pepper and transfer to a warmed serving dish or a soup bowl that fits comfortably on your lap. 

Serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10 or 1 to 2, jus depends.