#but........ every easter is sycamore sunday

[puzzlefaggot]

WE MADE IT EVERYBODY..... SYCAMORE SUNDAY

pl spoilers below cut

[catastrophe-jones]

November Hagging Out: Feeding the Dead

💀 For the November Hags: @graveyarddirt, @hagothehills, @anancientgrace, @eccentricnightengale, @sycamore, @hexenmoron, @satsekhem, @anothertroy, @crushedbasil, @queenofloci 

Both my mother’s mother, and mother’s father passed this year, one before spring, one before winter. 

In life, they were a beautiful pair, married 69 years, a church-going couple who rarely fought, giving one another a good deal of space to do the things they enjoyed, but always returning to one another for strength and comfort and love.

I have years and years of fond memories of them both, having spent nearly every Sunday dinner with them for my whole childhood, all holidays spent there, even if we also had a version at our own home, or at my father’s mother’s house.  Every spring full of long walks, fishing and fish cleaning, garden prepping, Easter celebrations and pancake breakfasts, cleaning out the basement, while summer was studded with barbecues for dozens of friends and family, pool parties, berry picking, tomato harvesting, and every fall was awash in the glory of bringing back a deer or two, or three, to skin and mount and butcher and save and share, and every winter there were hills to sled and snowmen to make and trees to decorate and lights to hang, cookies and candies to make, and to share. 

Every season with them was for celebration; my grandmother was the kind of woman who took a picture of every cake she made for a party, and my grandfather was the kind of man who ate as much of that cake as she’d let him, along with spoonfuls of butter pecan ice cream directly from the freezer, several times a day if he could help it.

It was not a surprise that either of them passed -- not to me. I saw it coming, and knew when it would happen, though in my grandmother’s case, I was unable to see her one last time because I was out of state celebrating a longtime friend’s wedding, and for my grandfather, with the pandemic raging, not even my mother could hold his hand to say goodbye, but I had enough foresight to send him a card, and his favorite chocolate, that he might have a little bit of sweetness before he faded off to sleep; even if we could not be with him in the room, he would not be alone.

It is no surprise to anyone who knows me well that for me, food is everything; I cook when I am happy, I cook when I am angry. I cook when I am so messily strung out with grief that it’s clear I’m performing an alchemy of sorts, turning all my feelings into love, into as much dopamine as a perfect, velvety mouthful of savory bisque can give, as much serotonin as can be generated by feeling the crumbling saltsweet of shortbread on your tongue.

And so, in memory and honor of my grandfather, who passed only a short time ago, and my grandmother, who left us earlier this year, I recently made the turkey divan she made for us all every year, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, using leftover bird from the family feast, one of grampa’s favorite meals, and turtles, one of the candies he would eat by the handful, stolen from tins hidden all over the house.

We ate them together, around the table, and played crazy 8s as I did with grampa, when I was just a little girl, and he would always win, somehow always holding an 8 until the very end. We sang songs at the suits (Diamonds are a girl’s best friend! and Heart of My Heart - I love that melody!) and trash talked one another (with love) and in the end, a tightness that had been in me since February finally eased. 

I am... disastrous at change, and at transition, and at saying goodbye. But this time -- THIS time -- I might have managed it well.

It’s an easy recipe, to be sure, and one that, if you scale it up a little, can feed as many people as can fit at your table.

Boil some pasta to al dente, and blanch some broccoli florets in the leftover pasta water -- for me, it was two full boxes of Barilla chickpea rotini, and four or five small heads of broccoli. 

Standing over the steaming water, you can wait and breathe and know that it’s simple enough that even if something doesn’t quite come out right, the whole of it is better than the sum of its parts. Casseroles are forgiving. Comforting. As big-dish meals should be. There is a time for fussiness, for perfection, for demanding dishes that require concentration.  

And then there’s a time for a 9x13 pan stuffed with cooked pasta, because we’re cooking like GRAMMA today, my babies and in Gramma’s kitchen, we EAT BIG.

The water is cloudy because it’s the pasta water. Drain it, but don’t bother rinsing. The starch helps the sauce thicken.

Speaking of sauce, the next part is a cheese sauce, which can be as complicated or as simple as you like.  No time? Pour out a jar or two of alfredo and be done with it. A little time? Try a can of cream of mushroom soup, milk, some minced onion, and 2-3 cups of your favorite meltable cheeses, plus 2-3 slices of American. The secret is the American, honestly. It’s just cheddar plus extra salt and fat and emulsifiers -- it keeps even the fussiest of cheese sauces from breaking. Lots of time? Start with a roux you only cook enough to get the raw taste out of the flour, then add minced fresh mushrooms and onions, then milk, and finish with 2-3 cups of shredded cheese plus the American. 

Stir the broccoli, the pasta, the sauce, and several handfuls of chopped or torn turkey meat from your holiday bounty, and stuff it into a casserole dish. (Side note: you can use any meat here, or white beans, or nothing extra at all -- this was simply a good way for my grandmother to use up some of the massive turkey she’d cook for Thanksgivings, because we would always have leftovers that might last until Easter, because not only was there a turkey, but a ham and pierogies and kielbasa and other casseroles upon casseroles upon casseroles)

Marvel at how all of that managed to fit into a single dish. Giggle and steal a noodle or two, to eat standing at the counter. Just to taste. Add a little pepper.  Pour the extra sauce over it, and then top it with crushed potato chips and extra shredded cheese. Get handsy. Press it all down and in and together so nothing falls out once you’ve popped it in the oven. There is no getting around the fact that this dish is an indulgent casserole, meant to fill bellies with warmth and induce a soporific form of joy, and so if it ends up a heaping mound of creamy, cheesy soporific joy, that’s missing a few noodles and a potato chip off the top, so be it. 

Gramma was a woman with two kitchens in her house, to handle all the cooking she did, strong arms for so very many hugs, and soft, weathered hands that snuck tastes of everything that was cooking, no matter what it was. 

Raw eggs in it? “Liddle bites. ‘Ey don’t getchoo sick if its liddlebites.” 

Too hot to handle? “Liddlebites. Blow on it and take liddlebites. Are ye’ll gitcha tongue all burnted up.”

Right before the oven, you COULD put it in the fridge and let the flavors marry, if you had the time, if you were making this ahead of time. This is the kind of thing you can leave in your fridge overnight and ask a roomate to throw in the oven the next day, about 45 minutes before you’re ready to eat. It will bake up nicely, get melty and wonderful, and be a nice hot dinner once you get home out of the cold.

Whenever you happen to manage it, bake it at 350 for as long as you like, until the cheese on top is barely melted, mostly gooey, or even crispy -- whatever’s your pleasure. If I’m doing it out of the fridge, it can be up to 40-45 minutes, but if it’s straight out of the pans, I only put it in for about 20.

We served ours in bowls topped with finishing salt, a mushroom flake variety that added just a little more crunch. The bowl was hot, the noodles were soft, the chips were crispy, the broccoli still had a firm bite to it. It tasted like memories of Sunday family dinners, of the continuation of plenty. There was always so much of it in the pans gramma made of it, we only ever seemed to eat half at a time, no matter how many times my uncle or cousins would go up for seconds, thirds, or more. We can’t entertain right now, but the flavor of this is family. The feel of it is family. It’s a dish that comforts from the inside out.

Don’t let the not-quite-filled bowl fool you -- that thing is the size of a mixing bowl, and I ate it until I was nearly stuffed, without shame. One thing about my grandmother is that she would pinch your cheeks and your love handles and your butt and gleefully proclaim how fat you’d gotten, and tell you that you must be well-loved. “Merry Christmas! So happy you’re here! Oh, look at how FAT you’re getting! So much love! The food is almost ready. Come, come, have cookies while you wait!” 

My grandfather was the primary beneficiary of my gramma’s love; she fed him as much as physics allowed, and kept him stocked in all his favorite candies and treats. She refilled the dozens of candy dishes that were in all the places he spent any time -- his workshop, his upstairs recliner, his spot at the table where he did crosswords and jumbles, his side of the bed, his downstairs recliner, his glovebox, and so many other cabinets and cupboards. She would buy candy every shopping trip, bags of butterscotches, lemon drops, strawberry-jam filled hard candies, root beer barrels, bridge mix, orange slices, spearmint leaves, Jordan almonds, pastel non-pareils, those dissolving after dinner mints that look like little pillows, and on and on and on. 

Still, on top of this, he would also buy candy: chocolate assortments, big flats of ribbon candy, pounds and pounds of saltwater taffy, and even more bridge mix and non-pareils, as well as boxes upon boxes of peanut brittle, but the thing he would buy and keep for himself, and save and only share on special occasions? 

Pecan-caramel turtles. 

In gramma and grampa’s house, it was impossible to go hungry. Every cupboard and shelf was full of food, packed there the way one might only think is reasonable if one had grown up in the depression. If you saw food and you wanted to eat it? It was fair game, because gramma was always in the middle of making more. Always. You found candy in a dish? Have a handful. Have two! Don’t spoil your dinner if you can help it, but no one was going to tell you no. 

Except for the turtles. Those were special. You knew he was in an especially good mood when he’d take out a box or a cannister from its hidden location, and spread the love amongst his children or grandchildren. Snagging one of those and feeling the soft caramel catch on your teeth, the toasted pecan snap under your bite, the milk chocolate begin to melt at your fingertips? Heaven. Utter heaven.

They’re not hard to make, especially if you don’t have time to bother with the fussiness of homemade caramel -- just buy some of the Kraft baking caramels. At worst, you’re spending time unwrapping them while chitchatting with family around the table. Pop them in the microwave for a minute, add a teaspoon of water, and do another 30 seconds. Stir, and do another 30 seconds. Heat it up until it’s pourable. 

In the mean time, put clusters of nuts on a parchment-covered baking sheet--3-4 is a reasonable amount per grouping--and put them in the oven for about 7 minutes at 350. 

Melt milk chocolate--bars or chips--until they’re pourable (don’t get any water in there, it’ll seize and then you’re just going to be sad).

I didn’t take process shots of this, because to be perfectly honest, you have to work fast, and I was caught up in enjoying making them, and thinking about my grampa.

Once the pecans are toasted, pour a dollop of caramel over the top of each cluster. Just enough to touch each pecan, so they stick together. When that’s set, pour a dollop of chocolate over the top. Make sure the chocolate covers the caramel, and then exercise all the patience you can muster, to leave them be, until the chocolate has set. 

Should you temper the chocolate first? Sure. Should you add cream to the caramel to make it even softer? Sure. But as my gramma would say “We dunn gots time for det nonsense. Too busy enjoying living."

That being said, these came out perfectly, and I definitely got busy enjoying them.

Chewy, sweet, salty, perfection.

COVID is still here. The orange menace is still in office until the end of January. The holidays are still hard without the warm crush of our enormous chosen family surrounding us -- but for now, we have one another, bellies full of warm food, a little sweetness on the tongue, eyes and ears full of laughter, and hearts full of love. 

American Thanksgiving’s a problematic holiday for all kinds of reasons, but the spirit of the idea I was fed as a child--

Generous and welcoming and overflowing with bounty and gratitude, sharing what we have with others, bringing them to our table. Every wedding, funeral, baby shower, birthday, Christmas, barbecue, graduation, pool party, Easter, Thanksgiving, Sunday family dinner. Every celebration. Every gathering. Every single cookie-studded, spiedie-grilled, squash-roasted, butter-slathered visit bookended by long, tight hugs and unreserved kisses from everyone, for everyone. Food is love; please share in it with us. Pull up a seat. Join our table.  

--was always at my gramma and grampa’s house. 

Always.

To rejoice in where I have come from, and to honor the dead who loved me into being myself, for every start, and every goodbye, for all the changes, and all the things I hope can be the same, I have decided, it will always be at mine, too.

Always.

[dailyaudiobible]

04/18/2022 DAB Transcript

Joshua 16:1-18:28, Luke 19:1-27, Psalms 87:1-7, Proverbs 13:11

Today is the 18th day of April welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it's great to be here with you probably still kind of basking in Easter celebrations yesterday and being together with family maybe, friends. And every time we come to the first part of a new week we talk about it being a fresh start. We’re walking in. We’re gonna live the lives that we live and tell the story of the week. If there was ever a fresh start it's like right now. Understanding that we are free and that our Easter celebrations tell us the story of walls being torn down between humanity and God and that we can freely come into His presence knowing that we are loved. And, so, it is a great week to live into as we continue our journey which will lead us in the Scriptures back into the book of Joshua. We’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. Joshua 16, 17 and 18 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the Gospel of Luke today we have a really really famous Sunday school story. The short man, Zacchaeus climbing the sycamore tree to see what he could see and Jesus passing by. Super well-known story. So, let's look at this story. We probably all kinda know the story. It's pretty short. But let’s look for the kingdom of God in this story. So, Zacchaeus is a tax collector and his fellow Hebrew people despise him. They despise all tax collectors. For them for the most part the tax collectors that they would deal with were fellow Hebrew people working on behalf of an appointed tax collector on behalf of the Roman government. So, to be able to tax collect on behalf of the Empire required significant investment of money into the Empire to get the license or the right to collect taxes. And those were usually Roman people, or wealthy Hebrew people who would subsequently hire other Hebrew people to go out into the villages and be the tough man and collect the taxes. And, so, tax collection. People hated that and they hated those people and they hated the Hebrew people who were involved because it was like they were taking advantage of their own brothers and sisters, their own people for their own selfish gain on behalf of the Roman Empire. And, so, the people didn't like them, and the religious leaders considered them sinners for the taking advantage of their own people. There’s just all of this swirling around. And yet these tax collectors had money, had resources, could buy influence. It’s like a very very convoluted thing. And Zacchaeus was one of the wealthy tax collectors. He had been at this for a while, had resources and he wants to see Jesus. Jesus calls them down from the tree and goes to his house, which causes an uproar or just quoting from Luke, “the people were displeased. He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner, they grumbled.” So, this good man Jesus is doing the things that the people are like, good men, godly men wouldn't do those things. Godly men wouldn't fraternize with tax collectors. This is a notorious sinner. So, they're looking at that as an argument against Jesus. Meanwhile, inside Zacchaeus’s house Zacchaeus is saying to Jesus, and I quote from the Gospel of Luke, “I will give half my wealth to the poor Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much.” So, where is the kingdom of God being revealed and breaking the fourth in this story, among the people who believe they are the chosen ones, and they will restore the kingdom to God by defeating Rome or in the house of a notorious sinner? And Jesus said and I quote “salvation has come to this home today for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” In a story like this one it's very apparent, like we can see the situation and…and lean into the fact that wherever Jesus is is where the kingdom is. And certainly Zacchaeus is being transformed in the presence of Jesus. This story shows us so much about the world that we live in, and our own hearts posture because we will get ourselves together with, the people that think the same way that we do and we will make ourselves a group that is against others. And, so, it's very easy for us to be in that position. We’re like, why would Jesus go there? That's a notorious sinner. Why would the kingdom show up there? That is a den of sin and iniquity. Where else did Jesus ever show up? So, where is Jesus going to show up to reveal His kingdom? It's goona be in the places that are open to it, the places where people know of their need, can see that they need Jesus. But the people walking around who feel like they own Jesus or have Jesus are the ones typically frowning down upon Jesus’ work among the lowly when that is all He's ever done. The question is, where are we in this story? Because we can see the kingdom now. Who are we in this story? And that…that can really change things inside of us when we realize how judgmental we can be and how often we can thwart what God might want us to do. So, we’re coming off of Easter and we’re moving forward as we do, because that's the only way to go. How are we moving forward though? Christ has come for us, even while we were his enemies loving us and restoring and rescuing us. How can…like how can we participate in anything less?

Prayer:

Holy Spirit come into that. This pricks at our prejudice and bias. It pricks at our stories and our wounds and our woundedness and the things that we need to protect and the things that we need to tear down. We have all kinds of opinions on all kinds of things. And, so, often we’re just doing what we’re doing hoping that You’ll bless it when we could be doing what You're doing, and You will bless it. And what You have always done is rescued the one who needed rescuing. And, so, help us to remember that because that was us. We were that person. We must go and do likewise. Show us how Jesus we pray. In Your mighty name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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Check out the Community section. There are links there to the different social media channels that we are involved. So, certainly check that out for you if you're out there as well. But the community section is also the home of the Prayer Wall, which is just here inside this community for those of us who are taking this journey through the Scriptures this year. And, so, it is a place to go and…and share the story and ask for prayer about what's going on in your life, or it's a place to go and read other people stories and have empathy and intercede for them and let them know that you're praying for them. So, yeah, check out the Prayer Wall in the community section, either in the Daily Audio Bible app or on the website.

And if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you. If this mission that we have a show up every day around the Global Campfire and find a place and kind of create an oasis for ourselves for the Scriptures to speak, just this is little place where we can let go of the stresses for a minutes and maybe be retooled and come back out from the Scriptures with better clarity than we had going in. If that matters to you and is life giving to you then thank you for your partnership. We wouldn't be able to be here if we weren’t in this together. So, thank you. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobile.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app. That's the little red button up at the top break or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

This is Freedom Fighter from Michigan in America and just asking for prayer for our daughter or Cami. She's decided to live the life of the prodigal son. And she's 21 years old. She moved out of our home about a year ago and I think she's still kind of angry and bitter at God and…for how her life story began. She was neglected for a couple years in Russia before she was sent to an orphanage where she spent a couple years. And that's where God rescued her and sent her to us. But unfortunately, she still holds a lot of anger bitterness just as to how her life story began. And she's not being able to see the redemption side of it. And…and she's taken that, and she's moved out and she's pursued the world and she's…she's trying to find the happiness there but now she's really just…just living a broken lifestyle. She's been evicted from her apartment. All of her earthly possessions are in a storage unit of which she's being foreclosed on. She finds herself living on a couch in her boyfriend's house with a dysfunctional family that. And it's just she's…she's living the life in the pig pen and it’s just breaking our hearts. So, we just pray that…that she'll see God pursuing her, that…we've prayed that God would bring her to whatever it takes to win her back to you or to her to Him. And…and then I just pray that you'll give us the patience to accept her back when she does turn to come home, that we’ll still be able to kill the fatted calf and receive her back into our arms with an open heart. So, pray for Cami.

Good morning DAB community my DAB family. my name is Geneva Thirsty for His Grace from Orlando FL. Today is April 14th, 2022. I just finished listening to today's podcast with Brian. And Brian thank you for that powerful read from the word of God in Luke, that we are ordinary servants. Jesus owes us nothing. I have done my duty. Thank you for that. As I continue to journey and share during this passion week on this Maudie Thursday may we prepare our heart in the dark shadows of Good Friday and the bright dawn of Easter Sunday. Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane today on the darkest and most difficult night of his life. Gethsemane, family means olive press. Let us press into prayer. Abba Father You know that we would give almost anything for an easier less painful life. Help us to relinquish our will to Your will today. Father there are so many parts of this world are overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death today. As we remember particular people and places before You now every person on this prayer line, I pray that they will somehow know Your presence is with them and their suffering. Father if it's possible please spare each of us from suffering. We want You to bless us, heal us, show us Your favor Father God. But we realize that You never promised us an easy life. And, so, we pray today sincerely as we know how let Your will be done. If it's not our will, let Your will be done and Your Kingdom come. If it means sacrificing own discomfort our own comfort and losing control of our life. In Jesus’ name I ask. Amen. Be blessed fam...

[singing starts] it only takes a spark to get a fire going and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing. That's how it is with God's love once you've experienced it you spread God's love to everyone you want to pass it on [singing stops]. Hey Sparky I was just listening to the DAB and I heard you and immediately this song came to mind. I think of you as a…as a glowing spark that is being transmitted to others. But here you are today, you're feeling down in the dumps and you're getting into a bit of depression. Your sons are getting older and so they don't want to have anything to do have…to do with you right now. And I remember that so well. I had an only child, and we were great friends until she got to the teenage years. Her friends were more important than me. I know how sad it was. I cried. I thought we’ll never be the same. You know what? She grew up. She got married. She had her own kids. We are the best of friends. So, you and your sons, your relationship continues despite what it may seem. Abba Father I left Sparky to the throne of grace. I pray that You'd wrap Your arms around about him and draw him close. I pray in the new Jesus over any dark depression that's wanting to come up on him. I pray that he would have life again and just sparkle for all the world to see, all those around him would see. I pray that whatever’s keeping him down will be removed and the name of...

Hello DAB family this is Daniel the Wholehearted calling from Maryland. Just had a quick story and a prayer request. My quick story is, the other day I got a robo-call from Spring Hill TN and I picked up the phone and was like, Brian? 'Cause I thought that maybe Brian Hardin from Spring Hill TN was calling me. Brian, just wanna let you know it warmed my heart to think you might be calling me and it definitely warms my heart to hear you read and to talk about the scriptures with us. Appreciate what you're doing. We keep on praying for you and just appreciate everything that your family’s doing. The prayer request is, I've got this car, I got a Ford Explorer that is the worst truck ever. It just breaks down all the time. And it broke down on my wife today picking up my son from school. And, so, I met the…I went to go meet the tow truck driver and turns out it was working when I got there. And I said, well I'm not gonna cancel the tow truck. I'm gonna still have the tow truck come because I don't want to stop working on my way home. So, tow truck shows up and Ernest is driving it and Ernest is sharing with me while he's a loading up the truck, sharing with me all these times that he's almost died doing his job. And after about third or fourth time I said, Ernest do you believe in God? He said, well I want to, but it's been hard. It's been hard since my mom died. And we talked about that, how she died from cancer. And he…I told him about the DAB, said it's a place where the bible’s read fresh every day. It's a place where people pray. He said, well if you're gonna pray, pray for my ex-girlfriend Jessica. She's addicted to heroin and I can't stand just watching her die. And, so, we prayed…I said let's pray right now. And we prayed. I prayed for him and I prayed for Jessica and when we were done he said that's the first time I prayed since I lost my mom. So, let's pray for both of them right now. And I ask you to pray with me. God, I pray for Ernest. I pray you’d give him everything he needs to be the man of God you want him to be. I pray for Jessica, that you free her from heroin, that you give her a new mind in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good morning DAB family this is Jimmy from the East Coast. I'm just calling to pray for some of the DABbers. I wanted to first mention Christy from Kentucky. I hear you. My heart goes out to all those who lose family members right now and are…are just…just feeling the pain. I am praying for you and…and I know it stays a long time, especially if you're a deep…deep feeler. So, I'm praying for you guys. I wouldn't pray for Robbie. Robbie, I…I hear you brother. I've been there. I am there. That's my life. I…I've…sometimes it feels like DID dissociative identity disorder. It's like you want to do well and you are doing well sometimes. And then you you're just…if people just see behind the curtain. You know, I said exactly what you said just a week ago. I…God is good, but I don't represent Him well. And a lot of that has to do with how I feel. So, just know I'm praying for you and it's coming. And just keep…God hears you. He'll meet you where you are. I'm praying also for Erin. Keep…keep fighting. I'm glad you're standing up. And God…God will keep you straight, keep you walking straight. And we're praying for you. I love you guys.

[sussex-nature-lover]

Sunday 21st March 2021

Census Day

Time to be counted! 

It’s like the Garden Birdwatch, but for humans and it’s today.

However, apparently, it’s also World Poetry Day 2021 too.

Poetry reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings. Poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition and, over centuries, can communicate the innermost values of diverse cultures.

In celebrating World Poetry Day, March 21, UNESCO recognizes the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.

A decision to proclaim 21 March as World Poetry Day was adopted during UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999.

One of the main objectives of the Day is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.

UNESCO

Unsurprisingly, the poems I would gravitate towards are nature based.

I Watched a Blackbird

by

Thomas Hardy

I watched a blackbird on a budding sycamore

One Easter Day, when sap was stirring twigs to the core;

I saw his tongue, and crocus-coloured bill

Parting and closing as he turned his trill;

Then he flew down seized on a stem of hay,

And upped to where his building scheme was under way,

As if so sure a nest were never shaped on spray.

I like it, all until you get to the final line, which, frankly, I don’t understand. I suppose the spray could be blossom? The Crocus coloured bill is a description that’ll stay in my mind. I watched a male Blackbird on the fence this morning for ages until it disappeared up the corridor at the side of the house - I’m pretty sure there’s a nest along there.

A much more modern poem is to the Robin

Robin In Flight

by 

Paul Adrian

Let’s imagine for a second that the robin is not a contained entity moving at speed through space, but that it is a living change, unmaking and remaking itself over and over by sheer unconscious will, and that if we were to slow down the film enough we would see a flying ball of chaos, flicking particles like Othello counters, air turning to beak in front just as tail transforms to air behind, a living being flinging its changes at a still universe.

This would require infinite alignments. Each molecule privy to the code of its possible settings, the capacity of a blade of grass to become the shadow of a falling apple by pure force of the tree’s instinct. Every speck of world with the potential to become stone, dog’s breath, light twisted through glass, filth under fingernails, the skin’s bend at the bullet’s nudge the moment before impact, the thought of a robin in flight, the thought of the thought of a robin in flight.

If you are into poetry you might like to listen to Frank Skinner’s Poetry podcast. I’ve only heard one and that directed me to the poem below. Oh and by the way, while I think on, don’t confuse International Poetry Day with National Poetry Day, the annual mass celebration on the first Thursday of October that encourages all to enjoy, discover and share poetry. This year, National Poetry Day (UK) takes place on 7 October 2021, and the theme is Choice. 

West Midlands Poet, Liz Berry reads her poem The Birmingham Roller

and Liz definitely showcases linguistic diversity for sure. The Frank Skinner poetry podcast  takes it line by line unlocking unfamiliar terms, discussing the imagery and the memories and emotions it evokes for him. 

WHAT DID I LEARN TODAY?

A group of Pigeons in flight is called a ‘kit’ who knew.

A kit of Birmingham Rollers in flight (some shown in mid roll)

Photo credit:  Johan Breunis, 2016 from The Roller

Across the lane

Away from the arts, it’s been a dull and mildly blustery day here (up to now when the sun’s putting in an appearance) which is perfect for the new series of Line of Duty on TV later and...

NOTE FROM THE KITCHEN:

Yesterday I had avocado, roasted tomatoes and a couple of poached eggs with sourdough toast. Crow had the toast and poached eggs with chestnut mushrooms. Something like that mid morning keeps us going until supper.

Whatever you put on toast though, it’s hard to beat cheese (unless it’s mackerel rillettes) 

Stout Rarebit with easy Tomato Chutney from the TV programme Sunday Brunch (Channel 4)

I haven’t got around to making this as yet, but my oh my I like the look of it here. You’ll gather there aren’t too many things I enjoy more than cheese on toast, well, there are loads of things I enjoy as much, if not more, but I adore cheese on toast, it’s so easy and so comforting in the cooler weather. When I was pregnant with Ms NW tE a lady cook at work would make me a slice of cheese on toast topped with grilled tomato and a smidgeon of HP sauce every morning. Bliss. I craved it, along with at least one orange every day and a bag of roast chicken flavour crisps. All the guilty pleasures are coming out now.

RECIPE:

Recipe on Instagram @sundaybrunchfood

After all that, we’re not having anything on or with toast, it’s fish pie later with whatever veg I decide nearer the time and that’s OK because I love fish pie too!

[dailybiblelessons]

Saturday: Preparation for the Sixth Sunday in Easter

Hebrew Scripture Lesson from The Writings: Proverbs 2:9-15

Then you will understand righteousness and justice  and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart,  and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; prudence will watch over you;  and understanding will guard you. It will save you from the way of evil,  from those who speak perversely, who forsake the paths of uprightness  to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil  and delight in the perverseness of evil; those whose paths are crooked,  and who are devious in their ways.

Psalm 67

May God be gracious to us and bless us  and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth,  your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God;  let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,  for you judge the peoples with equity  and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God;  let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its increase;  God, our God, has blessed us. May God continue to bless us;  let all the ends of the earth revere him.

New Testament Gospel Lesson: Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Year C Easter 6 Saturday

Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from Holy Bible New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Image credit: Painting by Niels Larsen Stevns: Zakæ (Christ And Zacchaeus) Randers Museum of Art, Randers, Denmark. Photo by Gunnar Bach Pedersen, via Wikimedia Commons. This is a public domain image.

[danalberard]

11 Fish Fry Places You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Fresh fish? Check. Mac salad? Check. Potato salad, French fries, rye bread? Check, check, check. During Lent in Buffalo, there’s no shortage of neighborhood pubs, taverns, restaurants, and even churches serving up tender, delectable fish fry. With only so many Fridays left before Easter, you’ll want to make the most of each one by sampling the catch at these establishments that are just a little off the beaten path:

Joey’s Place

Joey’s Place, 1122 Hertel Ave., Buffalo Known for its friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere, Joey’s Place offers traditional battered fish fry or broiled, lemon butter crumb and Cajun options. You can also expect a smorgasbord of sides along with your fry including delicious French fries, macaroni salad and cole slaw. Joey’s also boasts one of the latest kitchens in the city, occasionally offering food until 4am.

Jades Bar & Restaurant, 4495 Broadway, Depew This neighborhood bar and restaurant has been a staple of the Depew community for decades, serving Polish fare like golabki, sausage and pierogi. Although under new ownership, the “every day, year round” fish fry recipe has remained exactly the same – just as it was over 45 years ago.

McPartlan’s Corner

McPartlan’s Corner, 669 Wehrle Dr., Buffalo A local fish fry institution for half a century, McPartlan’s cooks up the quintessential fish fry – light, flaky and never greasy. As with most fish fry places, you get your choice of a half or whole haddock fillet, but what makes McPartlan’s unique is the wealth of other seafood options available including scallops, shrimp and clams.

Bailey Seafood, 3316 Bailey Ave., Buffalo Among their dozens and dozens of seafood options, Bailey Seafood serves one of the best fish frys in Western New York. What’s unique about Bailey Seafood are its options. Customers can pick from options of catfish, haddock, tilapia, cod, bass, red snapper, yellow pike or butterfish. Each order comes with French fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and hushpuppies.

Wallenwein’s Hotel

Wallenwein’s Hotel, 641 Oakwood Ave., East Aurora Located in the charming Village of East Aurora, Wallenwein’s, or lovingly called “Wally’s”, has been a neighborhood-favorite hangout forever – and that’s an understatement. If you’re looking for a no frills kind of fish fry joint, Wally’s is calling your name. Offering beer-battered, panko breaded varieties and the rare Buffalo-style (hot sauce and blue cheese), you’ll want to get to this EA staple early as seating is limited.

Rodney’s, 4179 Lakeshore Rd., Hamburg Where else would you rather eat a tasty, fresh fish fry than right along the shores of Lake Erie? Located about 15 minutes south of Buffalo, Rodney’s puts a unique spin on their fry – serving a corn meal-coated fillet that has some people calling it one of the best in the region.

Happy Swallow – photo courtesy of Am-Pol Eagle News

Happy Swallow Bar & Restaurant, 1349 Sycamore St., Buffalo This east side bar and restaurant will be packed to the gills during Lent. A very popular, breaded fish fry can be found at Happy Swallow in the weeks leading up to Easter. Served with all the fixins, this is the place to go to rub elbows with the local fish fry enthusiasts.

Boomerang’s Bar & Grill, 995 Niagara St., Buffalo This west side restaurant’s motto is “food so good, you’ll keep coming back”. This statement couldn’t be more true as, over the years, tales of Boomerang’s fish fry prowess has spread throughout Buffalo and beyond, keeping lots of hungry fish fry fans coming back for more.

South Side Social

South Side Social, 444 Elk St., Buffalo The South Side Social and Athletic Club, as it’s formally named, is as under-the-radar as you can get. Only open to the public on Fridays during Lent, entrance requires visitors to be “buzzed” in to dine on this deliciously battered South Buffalo fry. It’s all part of the experience!

Pamp’s Red Zone Bar & Grill, 1492 Southwestern Blvd., West Seneca A relative newcomer to Buffalo’s fish fry scene, Pamp’s is taking it to a new level. Not only do they offer Cajun, Italian, Lemon Pepper varieties of their haddock, but their traditional fish fry is also served 4 days of the week (Thursday to Sunday)!

Wiechec’s Lounge

Wiechec’s Lounge, 1748 Clinton St., Buffalo On Clinton Street in Kaisertown lies an old-time fish fry purveyor that seems to be growing in popularity as the years pass by. Revered for their massively portioned haddock fillets (served breaded, battered, Cajun or broiled), Wiechec’s has held true to the mantra of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

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