Readers' Choices

Recently another birthday came around. Admittedly, the numbers are getting pretty high. I celebrated with family members who live in my vicinity and received lots of good wishes from others farther away. I’m grateful to, and for, all of you. I also received cards from some of my neighbors here at W.P. And someone sang happy birthday to me over the phone. When the friend called, I was at my family birthday party. The next day, when I checked the answering machine, instead of leaving a message, she had sung Happy Birthday. Nice, Martha!

Anyone who knows me very well knows that I have been an avid reader for most of my life. I fell in love with the printed word as soon as I learned how to read. Or perhaps before I could read, because my desire to do so was what led me at age four, to take my little brother and run away to school, so I could found out what was in those books. Growing up, I can remember hearing my mother say so many times, “She is probably somewhere with her nose in a book.”

As I got older, libraries and book stores became two of my most favorite places. Since I couldn’t seem to walk out of a book store with only one book and ended up with an armful, I forced myself to stay away from book stores and spent more time at the local library instead - much more economical for me.

Much has changed since that day I ran away to school so many years ago, including my vision, unfortunately. For some time I have frequented the ‘larger print’ section of the library for the most part. The fine print of newer books makes them very difficult for me to read. As do other books with smaller or very narrow fonts.

Recently, I saw a news item where book publishers were going to make these types of fonts even more prevalent, because they would use so much less ink and cut their printing costs. I wonder if they have given a thought to eye strain for the reader!

Another big change for readers is the ability to download and read books on a small computer-like ebook, called a Kindle. That was my special birthday gift this year, along with a gift card to load up [download] some books. Needless to say I was/am very pleased.

I remember the fleeting thought of wondering if I would have a problem with the font size. Knowing my love of reading and my vision difficulties, the first thing my daughter-in-law pointed out to me was that the text size could be changed to suit the reader. The case has its own built in little light, so you don’t have to worry about having sufficient light, as well as a reading size that is comfortable.

I’m looking forward to many hours of enjoyment with this new reading tool. I’ve got the Kindle and gift card register, am learning how to use it, and have downloaded one book so far. I still have one library book to finish reading, so I can take the books I now have out on loan, back to the library. Then I can concentrate on this new reading experience. That’s the special gift I mentioned, Trish.

A Story of the Heart

The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser

Paper Back 442 pages – For those with good sight that's okay. My eyes would like a little larger font. I need lots of light to read paper backs. For me, some are almost impossible.

I’ve just finished reading this book and I’m not sure how to tell you about it. So, I’ll just list some of the things you will encounter. Atlanta, Georgia – time period early 1960s: a devastating plane crash; the privileged and unprivileged; wealth and poverty; prejudice and understanding;reaching out in hatefulness and in helpfullness; Christianity, an involved, personal relationship vs going through the motions; artistic talent, depression, yearning and learning youth. It is a beautiful story, haunting in its sadness and uplifting in its hope.

Thanksgiving and After

My plans for Thanksgiving included dinner with Russ, Jan and family; however as sometimes happens to the best laid plans, mine went astray. I didn’t feel well, I think due to reaction to the new medication, that I hope might help with the after shingles pain. I didn’t feel like going anywhere, so I thought it best to stay home. Russ and the two youngest grandkids, Matthew and Kelsey, brought me a delicious dinner; which is not surprising since Jan is a very good cook. Fortunately, this round of not feeling up to snuff didn’t affect my taste buds and I enjoyed it all.

During the first months after getting the shingles, perhaps due to some of the medication, everything I ate tasted like so much nothing. I didn’t care if I ate or not, but knew I had to, so I forced myself to eat, though probably not as well as I should have.

I am gradually feeling better, but my head still doesn’t feel as it should. It’s rocking a bit as I write this; so, more R & R when I finish this piece. This R & R translates to reading and resting.

Needless to say, I spent a relatively lazy weekend, mostly doing just the essentials: one of those essentials being food intake. I had some broth left after putting the dressing together [before I began feeling so punk]. The broth would make good soup I thought. Then the idea of dumplings entered my mind, but it would have to be the quick and easy kind. So, I chopped a few carrots and a short stick of celery in my little food processor, along with a bit of onion and set it to boil. Next, I got out some baking mix and mixed about a half cup of that with a little olive oil, water, and a small amount of protein powder into a thick dough.

I wanted small dumplings, so I rolled the dough into about marble sized pieces, and dropped them into the boiling water. The broth absorbed enough of the dough to slightly thicken the soup. All of that, including the cooking, took little time, energy and effort. I think it was one of the best soups I’ve ever made.

Now back to resting again.

Apple Pie - Old Newspaper Clipping

Recently, I came across an old recipe that I had clipped from a newspaper, probably about 30 years ago, possibly even a bit more. I had never tried it; as I haven’t done with many of the recipes I clipped. [Hey, I like to read recipes in newspapers, magazines, and in cook books.] Most of the old clippings I still had, had gone the way of the blue recycle bag; but somehow this one, found a place to stay and hadn’t been thrown out. I’ve never had too good luck with recipes that I’ve clipped from newspapers. I’m not sure why. Occasionally, though, the recipe lived up to my expectations, or perhaps I should say, my hopes.

This clipping was for an apple pie recipe: no top crust; water added; quite different from the apple pie I used to make. Still - apples, sugar, and cinnamon are a powerful combination. I made plenty of apple pies when my family was around: for holiday meals, Sunday dinner, and the occasional ‘just because I wanted to’ dinner.

My husband and children all seemed to enjoy the apple pies I made, and so did I. I don’t believe anyone else who ate them found fault with them either. But, once upon a time my mother ate with us, or I took it to a bring-a-dish meal. She said my apple pie tasted good, but she liked juicier apple pies. The difference in the pies I made was that I combined a bit of flour with the sugar, dusted it over each layer of apples [usually 3 layers], then lightly sprinkled the layers with cinnamon. The pies were not dry, but juice didn’t run all over when you cut the pie. Mother said she didn’t add any flour to her apple pies.

We all have our own tastes and preferences in eating, and she was a very good cook, so I’m sure my mother’s apple pies tasted good too. [As I said in another blog, the only apple pie I recall her making were those delicious Apple Custard pies.] Even so, if I want a juicier apple pie, I’ll put it in a square or oblong baking pan, and call it, “Cobbler.”

Today seemed a good time to try that clipped recipe. I cut down on the sugar, because I decided a long time ago, that most foods just didn’t need the amount of sugar called for in many recipes. I also cut the amount of water added, and I’m glad I did. [If I hadn’t, I’m afraid that juicy pie/cobbler would have run all over the oven.] The pie tasted very good, but I want to make it again, and then I’ll post the recipe for you. There is one more difference too, but you will have to wait for that, until I do the recipe here.

Poems

I mentioned the poem, "The House by the Side of the Road," by Sam Walter Foss, in my blog about my Dad. When I did the search, I first did so by a line from the poem, and I found several sites. After I found that, and searched by the title, I got several more sites. If you searched by the poet's name, perhaps you would find some of the same, and possibly more. There are a number of sites about him and his poems. There is one site that lists many of his poems, which I haven't taken the time to check out yet, but I will. [Drat that curiosity factor.]

Perhaps my liking for poetry comes from the memorization we had to do, I don't know. Another favorite poem, maybe the most favorite of all is: "Abou Ben Adhem" by James Leigh Hunt. I'm bad about remembering the names of authors that go with what work, so I had to look up the poet on this one.

I also like Walt Whitman's poems, my favorite there being: "Oh Captain! My Captain!" When I learned that as a child, I had no idea who it was really about. I didn't learn that until much later. And who can forget "The Raven," by Poe, if you've read it. Also remember "Annabelle Lee," but so sad. I didn't have to check the writers of these last ones, but others of their poems, I probably would.