Potatoes & Gravy

There is a good reason that some foods are called comfort foods. They give us a feeling of calmness, warmth and often fond memories. Unfortunately many if not all of these foods are not necessarily something that we should be eating at every meal. Unless of course we work a 10 hour day of hard labor. Yet still there are the occasional times when we indulge ourselves and partake of those things that always seem to bring a smile to our face.

A comfort food that can well be called one of my favorites is potatoes and gravy... You know the real potatoes cooked up and mashed just right. Then the gravy that is not from a package but made from the drippings of the meat cooked earlier. My mother being the German she is, had several ways to prepare potatoes. And I think I can safely say we had them every day at least once and sometimes twice. From potato pancakes to fried potatoes and onions they were all so delicious. Yet my favorite by far was when she fried pork chops and made potatoes and gravy.

I have tried over the years to duplicate that taste from her yet I just never seem to get it right. I think much of this is because it just always taste better when someone else prepares food for you.... That is if they are a good cook. Yet from the reviews I receive on my own attempts I am led to believe that I am not too bad at it.

There are a couple other things that give me a smile and a fond memory. My grandma's Lemon Pie: something I later found out she would make just for me when she knew I was coming. Saltine Crackers with a thin layer of real butter spread across the top: This was the treat that my grandma would give us as children when we stayed at her home. Soft white bread with butter and sugar on top: Another treat from Grandma. My moms fried chicken: something I still have not completely perfected. Pie Crust squares: Left over pie crust which is rolled out and topped with sugar and cinnamon. Violet, a woman I worked with when I was young, taught me how to make this. And the list goes on.. I guess I have a few more than just a couple.

Comfort foods bring us a feeling of nostalgia. A remembrance of people whom we love and hold dear. They may not be the healthiest food, yet it is hard to say that they are not good for you. As they take the worries of the day and make them disappear for a bit, giving you a moment of serenity and peace. So I say indulge now and then. Give homage to the memories and the people who with just a few bites can make us feel a little bit better, if only for a while.

The Nurturing Power of Rain

There are not many who would say that they do not enjoy the rush of cool water falling over their heads. Yes at times the sudden change in temperature can be a shock, yet it can also be quite refreshing. Rain is no different. It is mother natures way of washing away the grime that accumulates, making the world and ourselves once again new.

It was a wonderful damp rainy weekend. A weekend to just sit in the house and read a good book or catch up on movies that you have not seen in some time or possibly not at all. A weekend to be still for a bit and enjoy the solitude and peace.

Although the sunlight is loved by all, occasionally it is a pleasant change to have a damp cool misty day. As the rain continues through the beginning of this week, giving glimpses of sunshine as the week progresses, I intend to take advantage of the time. It is a perfect time to capture some photography that only a foggy wet day can give. It is a perfect time to sit with a nice cup of hot tea and read a good book. It is a perfect time to run away into my imagination and work on the story I am writing for my grand kids. It is just a perfect time to enjoy.

Although I know that this slow lazy attitude can not be practiced for long, I intend to hold on to it for a bit longer and enjoy its presence. Happy Monday to all.

The Loss of Wonderment

To many, living the modern life means dealing with daily stresses brought on by deadlines, worries, and a number of other things. There seems to be no time to just stop and listen to the world around us. There always seems to be something that distracts us from taking the time to stop and with all the senses we have experience the moment.

Yet also with this faster pace there have come new ways to cope. No longer does one need to grow and harvest their own food, wondering if the yield will be plenty to sustain them throughout the time needed. There are now supermarkets where one can easily go at anytime and purchase any and all they may need. Why take the time to walk in the quiet woods where the wild flowers grow freely and abundantly, gathering some to take home to admire and remind you of your solace. One can always go to the nearest florist and purchase a multitude of flowers that have been purposely grown in conditions which have been altered. Of course, the advantages that have come to us through the years are helpful and naturally one would not wish to do away with them. However they have come with a price.

We have lost our sense of wonderment. We find the need to work that extra overtime rather than come home and spend time with our family. We choose to stop and pick up take out, rather than fixing a fresh home cooked meal. We stay indoors on a beautiful summer eve as to not miss an episode of the latest reality show on television rather than sit out on the back porch and admire the uniquely beautiful sunset as it paints the sky in pale pinks, oranges and purples.

It is a choice one makes within themselves, whether to take the extra time to experience such joys. Yes, there are those times when it is not a possibility, however in most cases there is no reason that the later of the choices mentioned cannot be taken. Such action could actually help one to deal with the rat race a little more easily. It is hard to believe that one would argue that sitting in a comfortable reclined lawn chair, iced drink in hand, watching the beauty that mother nature can exhibit would be a stressful thing to endure.

My Secret Garden

There is that place for all of us where we go and escape when the stress of everyday life seems to become too much. It is a place that helps us to drift away and find the solace that we so desperately need at that moment. For some it is a good book that takes them away to some other world other than their own. Some lose themselves by closing their eyes and allowing their ears to do the traveling while their favorite music plays softly for some and loudly for others. Each one of us feels that our secret place is the best. And for each individual this fact is true. As we each have our perfect fit.

For myself, I feel that I am truly blessed. On an early morning, just as the sun begins to peek over the horizon, or at the end of a busy day, I can go to my special place and it always seems that all the worries just pass and life is just pleasant. I am speaking of my yard, yet to me it is my secret garden. From the moment we laid eyes on our property I knew that it was special and that it would hold a dear place in my heart.

It is a large yard of about 3 acres with a small pond just off to the side. Willow trees circle the pond while large and small bullfrogs line its bank. A variety of birds have called it home and frequent the bird feeders that are scattered through out. Our many cats and kittens can be seen running and playing in the coolness of the morning or lounging in the heat of the afternoon. The sounds are simply that of peace. Although we have a few neighbors near, we are off the beaten track of the noisiness of a city or the road of a busy highway.

As the years have passed we have worked hard on tending it. Many of the willows that circled the pond initially were damaged in an earlier ice storm. However this clearing made room for other things. Smaller flowering shrubs and scads of wildflowers now grow in their place. A tree house has been built in the large elm and a small wild flower bed is tended beneath her. The squirrels frequent the woodpile nearby as well as the feeder that is consistently filled with their favorite morsels. Large fairy rings fill the yard near the time of the full moon and gifts left under the small oak, which I tended from a sapling, are welcomed by the bunnies that also enjoy the lavender and rosemary that grow along side. We have had an abundance of wild animals visit throughout our time here. Deer, geese, turkey, roadrunners, coyotes, turtles, armadillos, to just name a few lend their presence on occasion. It is a refuge. Not only for us yet for anyone or anything that comes to visit.

It will change even more as time passes and become even dearer to my heart. For it is my place of peace. Where I know I can go and all my troubles for that time will be gone, or at least made lighter. It is a place where my head is cleared and my thoughts once again run freely and uncluttered. Yes, I do love nature and all her glory. For she is where we all first came from. Our sweet dear mother earth. How in her simplicity she shows us her wonder. And just like a mothers soft words, her beauty calms us once again.

Peace
Janie

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