More Prattle from Povey

  All manner of good things in place as I anticipate Hurricane Ian. There is one which you may not have considered. A "What If"   What if the water supply is nixed because of power outages? Of course I have a million gallons of bottled water to drink, and with which to cook. I can use bottled water when brushing my teeth, or washing my hands and face. But what about evacuating (in the medical sense)? We get prepared by filling a bath tub with water with which to flush the toilet. In my case the walk in shower in my shower does not have a plug; and the bath tub in my guest bathroom has a wonky plug.  So I've filled a big old plastic storage box with Sarasota's finest and purest  water. If push comes to shove I plan to evacuate in style!

  Of course you make Coconut Macaroons.  I did so today! How wonderful to think that if I am killed as a result of Storm Ian it will be said that   "He made the greatest Macaroons!"

  TROPICAL STORM / HURRICANE IAN? Who knows when and if it will make landfall over much of the Florida Peninsula. Will it go west into the Gulf of Mexico and then move north to the panhandle.  Bad news for the Floridian Panhandle. Will it, as it drives north,  traverse close to the west coast (potential bad news for Sarasota)? Whatever!     Forecasting the route/routes of   Tropical  Storms/Hurricanes is as accurate as the prognostications of the Second Coming of Jesus. Don't do it! Don't do it, but be prepared!   My preparations included the purchase of cold cereal and evaporated milk; just in case. Having long lamented the absence of Puffed Wheat from the supermarket shelves I came upon this today, Whooped dee do! If the worst comes to the worst I'll sustain myself with this and with evaporated milk.  Could keep me alive for a week or more!

  You write on your list "that fruit which you spread on toast" 

I cancelled plans to be at a wedding in the Minneapolis/St Paul area this weekend.    It became inconvenient due to the sickness of two of my friends.  One has died, the other is moving slowly towards death. My friends, the parents of the groom were entirely understanding. BUT   I had forgotten to cancel the flights. I discovered this when I received an e-mail from Delta, inviting me to check in for my Friday morning  (23rd Sep) flights. 'Twas a shock to my system.  There were two things in my favour. First -  the flights were with Delta, whose customer service in superb. Second -  I paid that little bit extra for a refundable fare. Refundable it was!  Delta will soon  credit my AMEX account with $1435,    Oh what a relief it is.

  Sounds good of course.    Except that I have not owned a Hyundai Vehicle for  six years.  It was pre-owned and it's hard for me to believe that the original MSRP  was about $6,900 when new. I've had a Kia Forte for five years.  It's in mechanically good shape, but has a few scrapes and scratches.   I grow cynical.  Should I decide to trade my Kia in favour of a new Hyundai is there any chance in hell that I'll be granted a discount of nearly $7,000? I doubt it!   And why would I trade a reliable and paid for 2017 car, for a brand new car and brand new monthly payments! I may be stupid when it comes to allowing my car to run out of gas/petrol.    I am not stupid enough to be saddled with new monthly payments And I am ticked off with Gettel Hyundai for their seductive but misleading advertising blitz.

 

  Making a cake from scratch was one thing.  My sense of achievement was worthwhile.   I'll be sure to do it again, paying careful attention to the recipe. "Pay attention!"     Our school teachers often had to say so, as did our parents. If only...... Yesterday, September 19th 2020 , I did not pay attention. In particular I paid no attention to my car's gas gauge.  I turned onto my street after a quick visit to a nearby 7/11 store. I turned on to the street and my car engine fizzled out.  I had run out of gas/petrol for what I think is the first time in my life. I was immediately outside of the home of my neighbour J who, as is her wont, was seated outside.  Not a bad place to get stuck eh?  I could have been on the nearby and bust 17th St.  Silly me, I didn't have my mobile 'phone at hand. So I walked  Zion the approx. 200 yards to my home,  gave him his dinner, and walked back alone to J's home.  From there I was able to call the AAA. Their mechanic show

  Roasted Delicata Squash and Mushrooms;  with Chicken Schnitzel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ( Wonderful Schnitzel     from  Bohemian  Delicious  . 999 Cattlemen Rd., unit C, Sarasota, FL 34232.)

  On Sunday 18th I baked a cake from scratch. I am 78 years old but  I'd never done so before. Good tasting Fruitcake;  with golden raisins and dried apricots  soaked in rum. The cake is beautifully moist, yet it is crumbly when sliced.   Any tips cake bakers?  Should I have added an extra egg for binding?  Do I need a very sharp cake knife? Here is the recipe. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/everyones-favorite-fruitcake-recipe

  What do you know about Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family? The short and truthful answer is that you/we only know what said Royal Family has wanted us to know.  For the most part they have controlled the narrative. The control mechanism has been enabled by an almost shameful deference to Her Majesty on the part of the public media (radio, t.v. print journalism etc.)  Of course  "The Firm" lost the ability to control the story with the divorces of three out of their four children: Charles' adultery and Andrew's deviance anyone. The Royal nadir was when Princess Diana was killed in Paris. The Queen and the Duke stayed aloof at Balmoral (after all, Diana was no longer "one of us".   Only Prime Minister Tony Blair's flight  to Scotland saved the royal bacon. The Queen is Dead.  God save the King. King Charles III devised and controlled the narrative to re-establish the mystique of  Queen Elizabeth.  Everything you have seen since then -  the processio

  On Honore Ave.,  a wee bit south of Bahia Vista.

  From today's Sarasota Herald Tribune   " St. Andrew’s sits in a quiet corner of Edgartown, off the main drag where summer visitors feast on dripping ice cream and oysters."

  The compass points west.  It is disoriented, (or as we British are wont to say "disorientated"). Zion was disoriented beginning on Thursday of last week, when I took him to the Pet Resort which was to be his pad for a few days, as I went to and from Pittsfield MA for a Funeral. It is a first class facility, and my dear Mr. Z was treated well.  But it was not his home.  He was disoriented.  He shredded his bed to bits. Was he missing me?   I like to think so.  But maybe he was chiefly disoriented  because our daily and familiar routine was disturbed. Those of us who share our lives with (cats and) dogs know that they are creatures of routine. Zion and I were re-united  last Sunday afternoon.   Of course we were pleased to see each other.  However it took a day or two for Z to realise that life had returned to normal.  It was not until Tuesday last that he was reoriented to our daily routine. I understand.    Last year I spent two weeks in a fine Bristol, U.K. Hotel as I took

 From the Front Entrance Door Panels.  I'll let you know when the awesome arrives. (Not so awesome was a three or so ounce bag of Sun Chips for $3.25 )

  The flight attendant said that face masks were  no longer obligatory .  I heard that masks were no longer  necessary. Therefore I forgot that masks would probably be helpful. Hence I am coughing, hacking and sneezing like crazy.  Silly Me!                                                Poor me!  

                     With Bishop Barbara Harris and Gwen Sears

On Saturday September 10th the Funeral is at 1:00 p.m..  U.S. Eastern Time  (6:00 p.m. in the U.K., probably 7:00 p.m. in France) https://www.ststephenspittsfield.org A screen like this will appear Click on the Video at the top of the page.  Do this at about 12:45-12:50 and you should be taken to the "warm up" video by the techie.  Stay tuned and the service will begin at or about 1:00 p.m. Alternatively you can go  to  https://www.youtube.com/user/ststephenspittsfield/videos Look for  the warm up for Sep 10th, click on that and the service will begin as above. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do remember that the Video will be archived, and will be viewable at the St. Stephen's You Tube Channel (probably from Sunday onwards) jmp

                                                 Chicken Livers with Fried Eggs

  Joe R is a member of the BLM Zoom conversation we have each week. For Joe's family the Company Store was ever present. Here are two accounts of that grim way of life. Joe wrote them  for his children and grandchildren. There is a wee bit of overlap since Joe wrote them at different times.

  They were an occasional treat when I was young. Mum would cut them into halves or quarters for us to share.  Armed with a dressmaker's  pin we would tease out the small fruits. We avoided the pith at all costs .  I'll put it this way (speaking with a lisp),  the pith is  pithy. Last Shabbat (Friday 2nd 2022) my Rabbi Michael Shefrin spoke from    t he Bema    at  Sarasota's Temple Emmanu-el  about the religious motifs  of pomegranates in Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism .  The whole Shabbat service is lovely.  You might well  enjoy the whole ( wonderful music)  or simply listen to  Rabbi Shefrin's  address which comes in at about 38.12. https://www.facebook.com/TempleEmanuelSRQ/videos/366479989033167

  In truth they are leaves on a Pagoda Plant.  ( Clerodendrum paniculatum)

  l We were at my local Walgreen's Pharmacy this morning. Zion was so happy.  He is a bit of a mascot there, deeply loved by the pharmacy staff, who love him and give him a treat. But no treat today,  Mr, Z was so confused. He could not understand that the District Manager has banned the practice of giving dogs a treat  (Health and Safety and all that) so Zion  could not get his usual nibble. Who are these District Managers? I'll be back at the Pharmacy; bearing in my pocket a treat to sneak into the hands of the staff.    Please do not tell on us,

  N.B.   Some will be de riguer in the current zeitgeist. https://nosweatshakespeare.com/resources/shakespeare-insults/

  "Darn good food in my World"   My Newfoundland cousin and I laugh about this label.  There is no such thing as a Wild Kipper.   Kippers are created from Herring, which in this case were "wild". (N.B. There are no farmed Herring!"                            The Food Which Americans Love To Hate!