Reading and Rain

The week ended with drenching 3.61" of rain in two very wet days. My heart goes out to those people whose hillsides did not stand whole.

The sun has set on Super Bowl 2010.

The bid to write the introduction to an art catalogue is submitted. Back to reading.

This is the title I found at Border's Books

"Women Who Read Are Dangerous" uses women depicted in compellingly haunting and beautiful images through the ages, reading. By Stefan Bollman- I can't imagine not LIKING this tome.

With more rain predicted this coming week, this is a light the fire, cuddle up under the comforter with a cup of hot cocoa in the living room and read until you fall asleep kind of treat.

Speaking of treats. Guess what I found searching the byroads of blogging.?VintageGardenGal.

The bloggess, Bonnie Manion, writes with authentic pleasure of gardening, home-grown food and vineyard lifestyle. Reading about her chickens, I discovered something about myself. As I commented back, "All my favorite homes to visit when I was a child ALL had chickens in their yards."

This absolutely lovely blog brought to me a sense of peacefulness: my spirit uplifted to a place of calm.

Bonnie was kind enough to allow me to post this photo from her blog. I had asked to use it with a chicken recipe- but I can't bring myself to use images of Julia, J.Lo, Fanny, and Coco at home in the garden as a lead in to roast chicken. That recipe can wait a day or two.

This is the exact link to Bonnie Manion's post at VintageGardenGal http://www.vintagegardengal.com/2010/02/04/chickens-in-the-garden/

You can sign up there for her newsletter, "Scoop from the Coop".

Sunset Image by Gene Sasse, Photographer of the Usual and Unusual. Studio (909) 941-3993

The Gabor Sisters and the Law

Before there was Paris or Nicki Hilton or Lindsay Lohan: there was you. The original Beverly Hills celebrity. Happy Birthday Zsa Zsa.

I hope birthday girl, now that you have a more formal name- Sári Prinzessin von Anhalt- I hope you don't mind a little gossip about your early "run-in" with the law. Not the one in Beverly Hills.

This was much earlier than that one. Much more pleasant . With one Reserve Deputy Sheriff Lou Stark (d 2006).

According to a reliable source, Deputy Stark and Eva may have dated a bit in Budapest. But he definitely took credit for teaching your mom, Magda, Eva and you how to cook Hungarian Goulash.

You are reported to have said this is "THE BEST" Hungarian Goulash ever..

1 ½ pounds boneless pot roast of beef, chuck or blade or stew meat cut
into 1 ½ inch pieces. (Use lean meat)
1 ¼ cup beer or wine (rose or dry white)
½ cup tomato paste
3 ½ tablespoon paprika (red Hungarian)
1 green pepper chopped
3 medium size onion chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
2 T oil or lard or bacon fat

In a pressure cooker add oil and onion. Brown slowly.

Add meat, brown on all sides, add paprika, salt and black pepper, mix well.

Add beer or wine, tomato paste, green pepper, mix well.

Cover pressure cooker, bring to full steam and cook for 20-25 minutes.

About 4 servings

Reader- Thank the beautiful Oregon Sue for permission to reprint the recipe and little story

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For those with a fear of pressure cookers- Sue reports putting in a crock pot for the day or in a pot on the stove for 4-5 hours will also work.

With all the rain (3.2" here in Diamond Bar overnight) this seemed like a good story to pre-empt the "how to clean cactus" based on article The Huntington sent.

I'm pretty certain my husband is much happier to have his wife playing in the kitchen than out with the vacuum cleaner in the rain. Dont misunderstand. He likes when I garden- but like most husbands, he loves it when I cook.

Ciao!

Unable to source image of Zsa Zsa and her prince. The peppers image was found on Wikipedia.

A Week of Reflection

This was a week of reflection. My mother in law is home with us recovering from serious illness.

An assignment I wanted went to someone else. Rejection is as reliable a companion to a writer as rain is to clouds. To be a writer you learn to deal with it. As dead plants become compost upon which the garden becomes greater for, rejection is something a writer uses to cultivate ever better results.

But this one hurt. As a writer, I am supposed to put all the emotion out there for everyone else to share in the pain. But to myself this course is not true.

Bottom line. I wish everyone on the project that rejected me God Speed. My disappointment is my own. Those dearest to me understand what and why. And to everyone else I would like to introduce a lost art. Discretion.

There is more healing value in the sunset reflected in the snow on the peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains than blathering blabbing.

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It is more uplifting to be carried away on the wings of a Monarch found sunbathing on nearly bare rose branches.

More triumph at the sight of a gladiolus which weaved its tender stalk through a thorny thicket.


More delight in the discovery that this daylily- the color matches the sunset sky in the top image.

I have moved on. A new deadline stands ready to leap over tomorrow. New horticultural treasures to give a home in my Diamond Bar garden.

Contrary to what one might think given the shrinking number of garden-related titles found in bookstores and on TV- garden writing isn't dead. It has moved. Some of the best is on the Internet. Often on the by-way we call blogs. My goal is to soon post a reading list. But one is so GOOD I didn't want to wait.

Santa Barbara garden expert and writer Joan Bolton is one of the BEST. Her advice is full of pioneer spirit. Her writing is straightforward, accurate and cheerfully delivered.

Join me in subscribing to Joan's blog at http://joansbolton.wordpress.com/

Invocation

Our Father in Heaven,
We come to You humbly, God before country. We thank you to live a in a land where this is allowed to be normal.

We thank You that we, people of many faiths, ethnic origins; from many levels of wealth and education are able to meet together, to listen and learn. We ask You to bless all who gather here. Reach into our deepest consciousness. Open our hearts. Help us to learn what is Your will; that we will dedicate our political efforts wisely.

Many of us are concerned. We are concerned that there are those who believe the state is Almighty. We pray for the knowledge, love and determination to meaningfully change wrong priorities.

Last night many of us watched and listened to the State of the Union address. Help us to use our perplexity with how some elected leaders in Washington DC are campaigning, when they should be governing.

Many of us would like to ask that President Barack Obama apologize to the Supreme Court. We believe he told a falsehood about a decision they made under the color of his authority- and if that is right, that is wrong.

We ask you help us find the words and the courage to persuade those who do not understand that when we disagree with them, it is not because we are not listening. Help us to demonstrate listening is an active process. We believe that we are governed by consent of the people. Grant us steadfastness, that we will not ever be bullied into submission.

We acknowledge our own shortcomings. When we confuse beautifully delivered words with truth, we shortchange the intellect you created is with. Teach us words and actions to dispel questions of our integrity and heart with dignity.

As this is my faith, I offer this prayer in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Invocation given the Diamond Bar Republican Women Federated
Jan 28, 2010

Copywrited Image by Gene Sasse

Yes, I wondered if this was the right venue to post this prayer on. When I re-read the two highlighted sentences.... this prayer was offered from my core principals. To only say it to people who largely agree with me, that denies the opportunity of a teaching moment.


I understand, I may not like what comes back in such a public forum. Have at it.

Blessings

Summitridge Park at dusk. The cares of the day sink behind the hills 0n the horizon. It is easy to contemplate the Glory of God, to count my blessings here.

To a family without a home, darkness falling is not so full of comfort.

I would like you to do yourself a favor. Click over to Inland Temporary Homes (ITH) http://www.ithomes.org/.

While national statistics show the average rate at which homeless families are able to transition successfully from shelter to permanent housing at a rate of 50-60%, ITH’s success rate consistently hovers at a near perfect 95%.

I would like to thank Gene Sasse for reminding me that we all have something to give. Even with the general state of journalism, a writer can write even when she has to guard her checkbook to stretch the balance between billable hours.

I'm not going to give you the exact place on the website Gene went live with for them earlier today to read how to give some time and get a free day at Disneyland. I want you to click through the site. Discover the instructions while you search through the Internet corridors where the tale is written. To find the secrets behind ITH's success in diverting families off the path that leads to being homeless.

There is nothing I could have been paid to do which would have brought the satisfaction of writing the text for their new web site. These sentences were a joy to write for CEO Leanne Drieberg and her crew

"Success isn’t something found at the end of a path. It is found along the journey. Every day. We succeed because our program teaches our clients to create their own opportunities with honor. To do what is expected for a more successful life."

Photo of mother with child by Gene Sasse. Used with permission.

Rambling between Rains

Last week, close to 9 inches of rain washed in to our consciousness why insurance companies are hesitant to cover second homes. If you aren't at home, you are less likely to be able to correct any systems before they fail.

We didn't flood. But it was startling to look up and see water lapping across the brick patio. So much rain pounded with so much intensity for so long that debris clogged recently checked drains.

So out in his raincoat, my husband, aka my hero, went out with hoe and turned the tide back away from us.




Mr. Muddy isn't in my tub. He was found at the end of Oregon Sue's morning missive, which led to the discovery of a site filled with darling pet images ready to caption.

When it rains, California functions differently than most of the nation. We are more likely to stay at home. But friends sending images keep us from being locked down. Sandy in Beaumont, courtesy of Oregon Sue, sent this image of mountains thickly frosted with snow.

Trisha Bowler shares the glorious winter sky. It is just as majestic as when fire swept the hillsides, but the leap the heart makes at the site is from a different direction.

Mark Twain opined

“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.”

Last week, it was good to have laughter. In her hospital room, my husband shared with his mother this darling little You Tube clip Pigeon Impossible http://pigeonimpossible.com/.

Her giggling took me back to when dear friend Sharon Shepherd, who as cancer was stealing her from us, recommended Patch Adams: the Robin Williams movie about the healing properties of laughter.

All prayers go out to the people of Haiti- to the first responders and the families who support the efforts of the good people called to help in disaster. Until they can all laugh again, please consider a donation to Direct Relief International, Project Hope, Feed the Children or your favorite charity there. May God grant that from the unstable ground, Haiti may rise like Lazarus from the dead.

http://ihasahotdog.com/ will link you to pet pictures to caption.

The relief agencies are easily found on the web. Just copy and paste the name which
interests you. Prepared to be awed by what individuals in this greatest of nations are capable of organizing and donating.

Rain

In Riverside, my husband was stuck in a hospital parking lot: hail knocking on the hood of his truck. In Seal Beach, Judy got something I didn't know anyone in California thought to set up:a robo call from the authorities notifying her to find shelter from a possible tornado.

In my protected little patch of earth I tend in Diamond Bar, wind usually only comes in from the west in gentle breaths. But today, a gale of wind drove the rain in a nearly horizontal plane from the northeast. Thunder rattled the nerves.


When it was all over, in the foothills of Alta Loma, photographer Gene Sasse caught the magic of a full rainbow. Look how his vision makes the power lines in the distance look like they are sheltered in a glass globe. Had he had pointed his camera lens further to the hill- the scene would have been set in a snow globe. Being half Irish... I wonder if there is a pot of gold on each end.


Dusk. Overhead, the azure sky glowed like gossamer with a spot light shining through. All around, darkly ominous clouds began to circle, closing in: I wonder if this is what those caught in the eye of a hurricane see. A nebulous of calm and beauty nearby surrounded by unknown danger. Looking back towards where I call home- this is the view as Gene saw it from his home vantage.

Images by Gene Sasse. Used with permission and gratitude.

To see more of Gene's work, please visit his site. http://www.genesasse.com/