More Prattle from Povey

                                       SUBLIME Zion and I walk most mornings at Sarasota's Bayfront Park. There I love to sit on a bench and remember these words: "What is this life, if full of care We have no time to  stand   sit and stare?"                                  RIDICULOUS  I illuminate my Flamingoes (Harriett and Wilbur) each night for the benefit of my neighbours. Harriet and Wilbur are a gag gift from my friend Ann A.

Print of a water colour by W. Pasko (dated 1956 or 1986) , depicting Park Square in that City. Given to me by the congregation of St. Stephen's Parish, Pittsfield when I ended my tenure as their Rector  (1984-2000). St. Stephen's is the building (center) with the roseate Longmeadow Sandstone.  

                     In the wild.    Photo' by my brother David. Boo and hiss.   No such outdoors plants with bulbs in semi-tropical S.W. Florida. Life is diminished without tulips, daffodils etc. ( except in indoor pots at yer local florist or Trader Joe's ) 

  Some light reading for now.  From the Sarasota County Libraries Fruitville Library.

  A.     I don't like it because I've never tried it. B.     I've tried it but I don't like it. C.     If given a choice between Kombucha and Cyanide I'd probably drink the Cyanide. D.    I often make a Kimchi and Kombucha soup. E.     (Author's Choice).  I eat Kimchi and I drink Kombucha, but never at the same meal.

  A.    I don't like it because I've never tried it. B.    I've tried it but I don't like it. C.    Only if given a choice between Kombucha and Cyanide would I          drink Kombucha. D.    I often make a Kimchi and Kombucha soup. E.    (Author's Choice).  I eat Kimchi and I drink Kombucha, but                never at the same meal.

  Cocoa the resident dog.    She and Zion were shamelessly making eyes at each other. 

  Many American Churches will have (or will have had) Pancake Dinners on this Shrove Tuesday (open to many who have not been shriven!) Oh those ghastly American faux pancakes. A semi emulsified slurry, swamped in false Maple Syrup.  Ugh In the post Christian U.K.  (and maybe Ireland) the real thing is served. The "real thing"?    Crepes dammit, Crepes! In many families they are sprinkled with confectionary sugar and fresh lemon juice. Today this ex-patriate Brit enjoyed a Staffordshire Oatcake - a Crepe by another name.  I made mine from a splendid mix imported from England.  Of course  (tongue in cheek) the Staffordshire maker is  

  On route 41 in Manatee County next to Captain Brian's fish restaurant, at the back end of the airport. And now also at the former Bavarian Bakery on the south trail in Sarasota. Apple Strudel, Cheese Danish, and German Apple Pie German Apple Pie with buttery crust to die for! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- On Central Ave, SRQ Swiss Raclette with wild herbs. Raw cows milk  from  Ashbrook Vermont.  The best American equivalent of the French Morbiere.

 My Consp--atory Theory There is an International League of Potato Mashers whose mission is make Mashers all but invisible in "that Kitchen Drawer" ;  which many of us use to store large kitchen items ( draining spoons, spatulas, cheese graters, pizza slicers, a nest of measuring cups and the like). It's an evil plot! ---------------------------------------------------------------  "Well I Never" At Sarasota's Bayfront Park this morning Z and I met a fifty-something couple with their dog.  The man went gaga over Zion:   Quelle surprise! After our walk Z and I drove about three miles north to the fabulous German Bakery (Mama G's). Guess who was in line before us? The couple we'd met twenty minutes earlier at the Park.   The man asked  "are you following us?"  Smiles all around.

March 3rd Podiatrist March 9th    Primary Care Physician **   March 24th   Cardiologist ** ** Each has to approve my Cataract Surgery April 6th   First Cataract Surgery in Sarasota April 7th Check up on Cataract surgery in Bradenton April 10/11/12   Four routine appointments with Vascular Surgeon with ultra sounds etc. April 20th Second Cataract surgery in Sarasota April 21st Check up on Cataract surgery in Bradenton April 27th Overnight Sleep Study with Pulmonologist May 11th   review of the Sleep Study with    Pulmonologist May 18th   First of three Mohs Surgeries.

  Forget the bread.   A spoonful of Trader Joe's crunchy and unsalted Peanut Butter.  Then a spoonful of Polaner Cherry Preserve. Blended in the mouth and then swallowed. Just about irresistible!

                                                                     (Stock photo' (not from yesterday) Zion and I were walking in Sarasota's Arlington Park yesterday  afternoon (Feb 14th). As we walked north we came across a group of eight or nine of my age seniors who were walking south. I positioned myself  mid path to block their way. I looked them up and down and said "oh my goodness, it's the Church Youth Group out for a stroll". A man said "you've got that right ". A woman said  "boy you are smooth!" They continued south, grinning from ear to ear. Zion and I continued north, also grinning.               Brighten the Corner Where You Are .

  Severely lacking in  “Melanin”  as I am , and living in S.W. Florida, I see my Dermatologist six times a year.   My February 2022 appointment was on St. Valentine's Day.     I took each staff member a big bag of M and M's -  you know the ones with a caramel center. Smiles all around. My appointment this year was on 8th February, a bit early for Valentine's Day. Not to be bested I took a brown bag with four packages of Girl Scout Cookies to the Office this morning, arriving at opening time. A receptionist took my bag of goodies to the Doctor's desk. Even before a left the office complex an early bird staff member called to thank me, and to laugh at my Wacky Humour. Here is what I printed on the bag From the English Patient on St. Valentine’s Day .     Once processed by the Intake Officer I am frog matched down the hall way to my cell.     There I am interrogated fiercely, and sometimes asked to remove an article of cloth...

  Oh furgoodnesssake I couldn't unlock it on Sunday morning 12th Feb. My walking fracquaintance Bob showed me how to scroll the screen with my finger 'til after a bit of trial and error I could access the 'phone icon. A tedious process! I saw huge repair bills in my future. Then  furgoodnesssake , my 'phone sprang back to normal on Sunday afternoon . This reminded me of the time when James A. was Clerk of the Vestry (the elected governing body in the Episcopal Church). James was in the Office photocopying the minutes of the previous meeting.   The dreaded paper jams ruled the roost. James  (now teaching Physics in Germany) muttered to me " this photocopier  has a spirit, and it's malevolent". Yesterday that malevolent spirit messed around with my i-Phone!

  I was driving West on Fruitville to turn and continue my journey South on Washington Blvd. I chose to risk a left turn on the Orange light.  The camera caught me!                                     A costly risk.

Saturday Broccoli, Carrot, and Cheese soup.  Disgustedly unhealthy, with half and half and cheese.  But oh so good. https://gimmedelicious.com/broccoli-cheddar-soup/ I amended the recipe by including some leftover carrots. Sunday Lamb shoulder chop, cooked to perfection (pink and juicy) in my air fryer. Mixed veg - leeks, red peppers, and fava beans. Lamb is my favourite meat. Leeks and Fava Beans are my favourite veggies. Fresh Fava Beans  (a.k.a.) Broad Beans are hard to come by. They are hard to prepare - first de-podded and then rid of their tough outer skins. I've found an online site where I can get frozen Favas, with all the hard work already done. (Cusinery),   Grown, hand picked, hand peeled, blanched and flash frozen in Egypt

  .......   as I was the other day. They were being sold outside my local supermarket this afternoon.  There was a roaring trade. Smart Girl Scouts -  'tis a busy supermarket day with the Super Bowl being played tomorrow. May I say "smart cookies?"

  Austin (U.K.) A 30 Car Chapter House, Bristol U.K. Cathedral, late 12th Century.  Here I robed prior to being Ordained as Deacon in 1976.  Of course I was well aware of the hundreds of Monks and Priests who'd been in this place  through  eight centuries. That word Austin.  It's a contraction of Augustinian.  What is now Bristol Cathedral was once the home of Augustinian (Austin) Friars.  The Austin Church became a Cathedral after the dissolution of the Monasteries, and the subsequent creation of the Diocese of Bristol. I was vaguely  aware of Austin, TX as the capital of the Lone Star State until I was was there for a wedding four years ago. I'll be there again  in a couple of   months to join in the celebration of a significant birthday for  my beloved  friend Dr. Grace Jones. Whoop dee doo!

NEW 1 Recommended by my Dermatologist for dry and/or dead skin. NEW  2 Focaccia and French Bread from Mama G's Bakery in Sarasota. Baked daily. Makes Supermarket bread, baked from prepared dough, taste like sawdust.    But to score you have to be at Mama G's at the break of dawn. That works for this morning lark. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OLD My Dermatologist got rough with me on Feb 8th.  I am glad. Because of this,  MOHS surgery is in my future. MOHS is almost routine for me and I'll be glad to see the Surgeon, Dr. Bogart .  She and I like each other.

 

  Immediately  to the east of my home in Glen Oaks Ridge, Sarasota  is the three hundred  acre City owned Bobby Jones Golf Complex. It had fallen into terrible disrepair.  However the City of Sarasota voted to make it a  Conservation area and to replace the former two 18 hole courses (one British/one American)  with one 18 hole course , and to deed and develop the spare land as a nature trail for all of us. We should be so lucky! This land could have been sold for "development".  The Bobby Jones complex also includes a nine hole  Executive Course.  That too will be renewed, but at a cost. The cost is that a flood retention pond is being drained, and will be filled in. Fish deaths abound. The lore is that those stately birds the Wood Storks have an appetite for dead or dying fish. I think that is is so.

 via Jacqueline M G

 Via David S

At Home for Breakfast     Fig Preserve and Peanut Butter on toasted  "Good Seed" Bread.  SO GOOD!  Knocks traditional PB and J sandwiches (on White Bread)  out of the ring. Out and about for Dinner VEGGIE GATEAU at MeLANge rice crepes layered with faux chorizo & mozzarella, leeks with spinach, walnuts, nutmeg, cognac & apple cider sauce

petit-déjeuner Peanut butter and.....? Not that super sweet semi-slimy Grape Jelly (which most certainly doesn't taste like grapes) Peanut butter and fig preserve. A good combo. The Peanut butter is new to my local market. It's made by a women owned business in Plain Field, Ohio. Gorgeously crunchy, no salt, no sugar, simply peanuts. I spread the P.B. and Fig Preserve on open faced and toasted Dave's Good Seed Bread. Dîner My quarterly visit to MeLANge. Vegetable Gateau I was with my dear friends Constance and Dain Perry, from Massachusetts. Dain is the son of my great mentor DeWolf Perry