Divine Discontent

I'm still finding many jewels in Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle. This one gave me some insight into why I usually feel a little edgy and not completely content.
She writes, "Divine discontent, a longing to find the melody in the discords of chaos, the rhyme in the cacophony, the surprised smile in time of stress or strain. It is not that what IS is not enough, for it is; it is that what IS had been disarranged and is crying out to be put in place."
I once wrote in a photographic bio that I liked to take photos of the world as I wished it to be. I usually only take photos of beauty or idealistic things. I know the importance of photojournalism. We need to see things as they really are. I just feel that my place in the scheme of things is to record beauty; to inspire. Maybe that's my way of rearranging and of putting things back in place.

WONDERFUL HANDWRITTEN RECIPE BOOK

I asked your Dad to get me the big stepladders out today, so that I could search the top rows of shelves in the dressing room - you guessed it Jonny, I was looking for some particular books amongst all the boxes.





I was disappointed in my search, however I found treasure anyway. I came across this long forgotten handwritten recipe book.

Duck and hare both feature in it - sorry boys!





The handwriting changes, probably with age, from easy to read through to difficult to decipher, but then that is half the fun - it is like learning to read a whole different language.

Recipe one is for Mock Turtle (calves head) - very popular in those days! We won't be trying that one.





Funnily enough there is a recipe for Elder Syrup - very similar to the Elderberry Rob which I made a couple of days ago. This recipe is much more fun though. It is suggested that it should be mixed with rum and taken warm to treat a cold. Must try that one!





What I love about books like this is all the history. I will never know the woman who carefully wrote and indexed this all those years ago. Did she get the book when she was first married, did she live on a farm, in a village, or was she a town dweller?





Her recipes ranged from Lobster through to the aforementioned calves head, complete with tongue and brain, biscuits, puddings, wines, preserves and vinegars, as well as household cleaning recipes.





We ate differently in those days and the value of some things which we now consider a luxury was far less, so I am unable to judge what sort of kitchen she kept, was she well off, or poor?





Whoever she was, I hope she had a happy life. Unfortunately I don't even have a name for her, but to be able to read her handwriting and her recipes is a real privilege.





So, Jonny, it was wonderful to see you and to speak to you this morning! Don't forget to let me have some photographs - either that or get that blog going. Good luck with the 'observation' on Tuesday.





Lots of love,





Mum

xxx

Storms

This picture of the Surfers Paradise skyline has been doing the rounds on the Internet over the last few days. It was apparently taken during a big storm we had earlier this week, showing the Q1 (which claims to be the tallest residential building in the world) being struck by lightning. Apparently it was struck eight times on Monday night's storm. If that's true, I suspect it probably took a few more this evening. I wonder how much this possibility was considered during the pissing contest that motivated some developer to spend a few million on the "world's tallest residential building" (at least until someone comes along and builds a bigger one).
I suppose if it can survive eight lightning strikes, it's clearly there for the long haul. Still, I just wonder if that news might have caused some of those considering purchasing an apartment there to have a second thought. I just wish I'd been the one who took the picture -- I've been trying to photograph lightning for years without any success at all. On the other hand, there's always Photoshop.

Winter Ride

Damn, it felt good to be back on the bike! Over 2 weeks since I rode. Weather had been in the pits. Today dawned clear, light winds, and promise for moderate temperatures.
The ride will be the first one for the winter riding season. The thermometer in the car was reading 37, plenty warm enough. Parked at the Wabash Trace Trailhead headed toward Manawa and the Trail Center. A little wind from the SW, but not enough to stop me.
What DID stop me was the ice on the paved trail. Everything was fine until I got to the road to mountain bike trails. Just past there, the trail was ice-covered (see photo). I was not ready to tackle the ice, to rode around the lake.
On the way back to the trailhead, I decided to ride on over the Xtreme Wheels. Added a couple more miles and short visit with Bill.
Forecast looks good for most of the week. I'm planning to end the year with a bike ride on Wednesday. Who's up for a New Year Day ride -- start the year off right? (FYI, as of today, the Lake Manawa Singletrack is ICE)

Black Hills Fat Tire Festival

Information of the 4th Annual Black Hills Fat Tire Festival is up on their web site. Disappointed to see that this year they are again doing the Mickelson Ride on Saturday/Sunday. This denies Mickelson Ride folks time to visit the vendors, demo a bike, and watch any of the races.
The other problem that you don't have a chance to sign up for a Monday morning ride. Last year the easier ride(s) on Monday were (apparently) canceled by that morning. Started to make a ride, but when I could not keep up just climbing the muddy hill before the singletrack, I gave up.
IF I attend this time, it will be to see my friends, and take photos in the Badlands and Black Hills. It would be nice to complete the Mickelson. But not sure I want to use the whole festival to do it. Also, never got my "Beer-Muda" t-shirt that year (was told they did not arrive.) Looking forward working more with HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography.

Bringing Home the Tree

You'll have to start at the bottom and go up to view these photos in order.  
We went to a tree farm a few miles away and cut a Leyland Cypress tree down.  We got the next to cheapest one for $30.  It still galls me to have to buy a Christmas tree.  
Growing up in Tennessee, every year we would go out into the woods and cut our tree down.  In the first years                   of our marriage we did the same thing.  
Then we moved to South Georgia where white pines or cedar trees don't grow like weeds on the side of the road.  Our land is either open fields, pecan trees, or thick woods.  
So we have to go to a store and BUY a tree.  Going to a tree farm is a better choice to me.  At least we get to be involved in the cutting down process, and it's as fresh as it can possibly be.
And here's the real question of the day....does this jacket make me look fat?  Yes it does, so don't answer that question!

I'm Practicing

I got up kind of early and did a road ride yesterday. I figured I should start getting up early and practicing some early morning riding.
It was hot.
I did a little loop around here that we call the pinehurst loop. It's a favorite during hot weather. You're down in the canyon with all the pretty trees and it's nice and cool.
It wasn't early, early. It was an 8:30 a.m. ride. But that's early for me nowadays. Lately I don't get going on the bike till 11 a.m. or noon, after working on my part time gig.
I forgot how many more people are out riding in the morning. Aha, I thought, here they all are.
And then I spent the rest of the day at school, listening to a poetry slam, eating potlucked lunches, having cake, watching balloon tossing, saying goodbyes and so on. At the end of the day, we went home with a years worth of papers and stuff - it being the last day of school and all.

It's officially summer vacation here.

So in celebration of summer vacation, I decided to cook dinner. I'm not one of those who really likes to cook a lot. I will and I do because that's what moms do - but if I can get out of it I will. But I did, since it's now summer and all.
And I drank a can of budweiser while I was making dinner, because that's all we had down in the garage fridge.
And then the oven caught on fire.
And I realized I might be terrible in an emergency situation. Much like how I often stare at the toilet overflowing (i say often, because it's an event that occurs often in a household with children) in disbelief, I did the same with the oven while on fire.
At first I thought the oven light was on. And I looked in to see if the stuff I was cooking was cooking ok. And it took a few seconds to register that what I was seeing was fire. So I opened the oven and stared some more. And I was on the phone at the time, and had to tell the person I was talking to that I had to go and then I put the phone on the cradle.
And after staring some more and still seeing flames, I called Morgan. Who was in the shower having just arrived home from his bike ride. And he came out and put it out.
And then I said that I think we need to clean the oven.
At least I was calm. That would probably help in an emergency.