ears open, mouth shut {july 7, 2022}

My dad was the strong, silent type. He didn't like to chit chat. When he spoke, people listened. He was a good listener, too. The man of few words had lots of memorable expressions and the one I remember most is, "Ears open, mouth shut."  When I was younger and he would say that, it made me giggle. I pictured big, floppy elephant ears attached to my head. But then as I went through school and teachers would tell the chatty students to "shut up and listen," I got the importance of ears open, mouth shut.

There are lots of expressions that convey the same meaning as my dad's words:

⁕ God gave us two ears and one mouth.

⁕ The acronym WAIT...Why Am I Talking?

⁕ Think before you speak.

⁕ "Do not speak unless you can improve upon the silence." ~ Quaker saying

Listening is such an important skill and yet people talk over one another because they need to get their point across right now. Listen. Respond rather than react. It's good manners (does that make me sound old?). It's being respectful. To listen, we need to make a conscious effort not just to hear what other people are saying, but to take it in, digest it, and understand. Not only does listening enhance your ability to understand better and make you a better communicator, it also makes the experience of speaking to you more enjoyable to other people.

wordy wednesday...chutzpah {july 6, 2022}

From the NYT Word Finder...find as many words as you can with these seven letters. The pangram (using all the letters) gets you 15 points. 

After finding HATCH, PATCH, PATH, HUTCH, CHAT, CATCH, PHAT, CHAP, and then rearranging the letters a couple times, I tried CHUTZPA and got the message "Not a word." Hmmmm...Let's try another spelling. CHUTZPAH. Got today's pangram.

CHUTZPAH: the quality of audacity, for good or for bad. It derives from the Hebrew word ḥuṣpāh (חֻצְפָּה), meaning "insolence", "cheek" or "audacity". Thus the original Yiddish word has a strongly negative connotation but the form which entered English as a Yiddishism in American English has taken on a broader meaning, having been popularized through vernacular use in film, literature, and television. The word is sometimes interpreted—particularly in business parlance—as meaning the amount of courage, mettle or ardor that an individual has.

cheesy brown rice veggie cakes {july 5, 2022}

One time while shopping at Costco, I saw Brown Rice Vegetable Cakes in the cold foods section. I grabbed a box of these tasty looking snacks, put it in my cart and while walking up and down the aisles, I read the ingredients and thought, "These would be so easy to make." And they are so easy to make. Use whatever vegetables you like.

The other day my veggie bin was full of bits of this and that: a half an onion, a chunk of red pepper, a half cup of fresh corn off the cob, a zucchini spear, broccoli florets, a couple handfuls of spinach. Guess what became dinner 😊 With food prices where they are, this recipe is perfect for using up those random little pieces that could go to waste.

Cheesy Veggie Brown Rice Cakes

2 c. cooked brown rice

1 T. olive oil

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 1/3 c. broccoli florets

1 medium carrot chopped

1 bunch kale shredded

1 red pepper chopped

Other veggie options that would be good: 1/2 c. frozen peas, chopped up green beans, sweet potato instead of carrots, cauliflower, spinach in place of kale...really whatever veggies you like or have on hand.

2 large eggs

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°

Saute onions, broccoli, carrots, red peppers, and kale.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, fold in the cheese, rice and veggies. Add salt to taste.

Grease a muffin tin and put 1/4 c. mixture in each cup.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until done.

Cool slightly and remove from muffin tin.

(Hot sauce is really good on these!)

let freedom ring {july 4, 2022}

The Bicentennial Bell. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

On July 6, 1976, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain toured Independence National Historical Park, including visiting the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The Queen was visiting Philadelphia to commemorate America's 200th Birthday and on behalf of the British people, she presented the United States with the Bicentennial Bell as a gift.

The Queen spoke at the dedication ceremony for the Bicentennial Bell at Independence National Historical Park's former Visitor Center on July 6, 1976.  At the ceremony, the Queen made some profound historical remarks including important lessons learned,

"I speak to you as the direct descendant of King George III. He was the last crowned sovereign to rule in this country, and it is therefore with a particular personal interest that I view those events which took place 200 years ago.
 
It seems to me that Independence Day, the Fourth of July, should be celebrated as much in Britain as in America. Not in rejoicing at the separation of the American colonies from the British Crown but in sincere gratitude to the Founding Fathers of this great Republic for having taught Britain a very valuable lesson.
 
We lost the American Colonies because we lacked that statesmanship 'to know the right time, and the manner of yielding, what is impossible to keep.'
 
But the lesson was learnt. In the next Century and a half we kept more closely to the principles of Magna Carta which have been the common heritage of both our countries.
 
We learnt to respect the right of others to govern themselves in their own ways. This was the outcome of experience learned the hard way in 1776. Without that great act in the cause of liberty performed in Independence Hall two hundred years ago, we could never have transformed an Empire into a Commonwealth!
 
Ultimately peace brought a renewal of friendship which has continued and grown over the years and has played a vital part in world affairs. Together we have fought in two world wars in the defense of our common heritage of freedom. Together we have striven to keep the peace so dearly won. Together, as friends and allies, we can face the uncertainties of the future, and this is something for which we in Britain can also celebrate the Fourth of July.
 
This morning I saw the famous Liberty Bell. It came here over 200 years ago when Philadelphia, after London, was the largest English speaking city in the world. It was cast to commemorate the Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges, but is better known for its association with The Declaration of Independence.
 
Today, to mark the 200th anniversary of that declaration, it gives me the greatest pleasure, on behalf of the British people, to present a new bell to the people of the United States of America. It comes from the same foundry as the Liberty Bell, but written on the side of this Bicentennial Bell are the words "Let Freedom Ring".
 
It is a message in which both our people can join and which I hope will be heard around the world for centuries to come." 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

The Bicentennial Bell was cast in 1976 by Whitechapel Foundry in London, the same company that produced the original Liberty Bell in 1751.

purslane {july 3, 2022}

 Weeding my garden and most of what I pulled out was purslane.

Having the purslane in hand took me back to the summer of 2020, when staying at home as much as possible, social distancing, and mask wearing were part of everyday life. 

Many farmer's markets did not open for the summer of 2020. My friend debated whether or not to open hers but she made the decision to do so. Quite a few of her regular employees did not want to come to work due to the uncertainties and fears from COVID. A few of us did come to the farm. Fresh air, sunshine, fresh veggies, talking to people through our masks, people showing appreciation, people sharing stories about what they were going to do with the veggies they purchased.

One of my favorite stories came from purslane.

Purslane is a pesky garden weed but one day it brought about a fun multi-cultural exchange.

An Iraqi woman came to pick eggplant that is grown on the farm. She came back with her basket full of eggplant and purslane. Steph asked what she was going to do with all those weeds and she said, "This is berbeen. I cook with it. It is very good for you." At the same time a man was at the counter buying some vegetables, saw the purslane, and jumped into the conversation. "My wife is from Turkey and she calls this semizotu. She won't let me pull it out of our garden because she uses it in her cooking, too."

Purslane...berbeen...semizotu. This little succulent brought three corners of the world together in one delightful conversation.

Food...the ultimate social agent!

twenty years {july 2, 2022}

20 years ago today my dad died from chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He was 68 years old when he left this earth. 

With the exception of a few years of service in the U.S. Army, Dad's entire career was with Sears. He began in the management training program and then every 2-3 years was transferred to a different store as he went up the promotion ladder. I went to six different schools with the last move when I was a junior in high school.

This photo was taken in 1985 and has a lot of Sears history in it. Dad is sitting on General Wood's desk. In 1924, Robert E. Wood became vice-president of Sears Roebuck. He became one of the most important leaders in that company's history, serving as president from 1928 until 1939 and as chairman from 1939 until 1954. Under his leadership, Sears shifted the focus of its operations from mail-order sales to retail sales at large urban department stores. Wood also created Allstate Insurance as a subsidiary of Sears. 

The piece of art on the wall shows the first Sears building along with the Sears 

Tower, now a notable silhouette in Chicago's skyline. (FYI, it will always be the Sears

Tower to me. Calling it the Willis Tower doesn't sound right).

A Successful Man

"That man is a success - 
who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much;
who has gained the respect of intelligent men
and the love of children;
who has filled his niche
and accomplished his task;
who leaves the world better
than he found it;
who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty
or failed to express it;
who looked for the best in others
and gave the best he had.

~ Author Unknown

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Today is the 183rd day of 2022. We are halfway through the year.

st. brigid {july 1, 2022}

When T and I go to New York City, one of our stops is St. Patrick's Cathedral where we like to light candles for family and friends. This past visit in May, I lit a candle for my brother who is scheduled for surgery today to repair a botched colonoscopy.

There are so many alcoves dedicated to saints in St. Patrick's. I didn't know which one to choose for him. But then I saw St. Brigid. He and his wife were married at St. Brigid's, she has been an amazing advocate to get the best care for him, so this seemed like a logical choice to make.

Who is St. Brigid? She is the patroness saint of Ireland, an abbess who founded several convents of nuns. There are few historical facts about her, she performed some miracles. Brigid holds a special place in the hearts of brewers. Like many women of her time, Brigid brewed ale and several of her miracles are associated with beer. Back in Brigid's day, beer was regarded as a sanitary, more nutritious alternative to water. Once asked for help by a group of thirsty lepers, Brigid spotted some bathwater being prepared. She blessed the water and it was transformed into beer. Another time, she transformed dirty bathwater into clean beer for visiting priests. Brigid's penchant for beer made me smile as my brother enjoys beer.