More Prattle from Povey

 the anaemic photo' of my  steamed cod lunch with a more robust photo' of today's breakfast Bacon with U.K./Irish style Baked Beans on Toast.

  Lunch today                        Steamed Cod and Roasted Asparagus

 

We had fierce winds on the night of Nov 22/23 This vessel evidently broke its mooring line and was probably washed up at high tide. "Adrift from Moorings"    There is a sermon here, but I won't be preaching it!

  Some thirty five years ago I was in mainland Europe with my friends Joe and John.    We had no maps  (nor GPS/SatNav), but we found our way driving around France, Italy Germany and Belgium. Paris of course, Venice, Florence, Sienna, Assisi, Gubbio etc. And Munich, Dachau and Antwerp.  We slept in the car; in a tent; in cabins, and once in a while in cheaper hotels.  I got very sick in Florence. After Florence we became very silly about the name GIOTTO. We used it as an exclamatory. In Gubbio I bought three little boxes of crayons with the marketing name of GIOTTO, one for each of us  -  just for fun. The other day I opened a treasure chest box. Guess what I found?  My Giotto crayons, thirty five years on.

 

Here is the story https://mamagsbakery.com/kenneth-city-mama-g-s-german-bakery-and-coffeehouse-our-story

    They have been camped out at the West Lake for about three weeks. I have no idea of their breed -  Noel A B will know. They were in the water when I drew near and opened the car window.  Then they came rushing in my direction. This indicates that they are somewhat dependent on humans for food.   I hope that nitwits are not scattering bits of bread.  Horrid for all ducks.

 

Sandhill Cranes.  They've been in my neighbourhood for about two weeks.  I wonder if they are sussing out a nesting place.

  I am in the nay camp. Why spoil a good tuber? Many of my good friends are passionate for marshmallows on their mashed sweet potatoes. Here is my compromise

  Of course I enjoyed my lunch of Black Bean Soup and Geier's English Bangers. But (ahem) a good friend thought that it looked awful in its almost monochromatic state. So I tried again today, this time with some colour Mushrooms, Corn, and Sausage. N.B.  Geier's English Bangers are superb.  They are not pre-packaged so there is no information re the contents. I.E. they can be bought as singles, or three, or four etc. So good, but very salty.    I'll have to go easy on them.

  Bayfront Park, SRQ   6:45 a.m. Nov 19th. Crisp Temperature (low 60's F).  Bright Sunlight Zion and I strutted our stuff with glee. How lucky we are to live in this neck of the woods. Looking into the sun. Later in the day Z and I were at Haarts Landing, Nathan Benderson Park, and Arlington Park. We get out and about.

  Panera Bread Black Bean Soup; with Geiers' English Banger.

  When, two months ago, I made an appointment for Zion's grooming today it did not occur to me that today was the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Zion is groomed in a Plaza at the sprawling or as I call it the University Town Abomination; good land devoted to dubious retail and indifferent restaurants. The traffic moved easily enough. Parking was a nightmare. I parked about half a mile (I exaggerate) from the Groomer's store. As I drew near my worst fears were realised. The outdoors sound system was playing the Little Drummer Boy. I'd prefer never to hear this pathetic song, let alone on November 18th.  GRH! I repeated the journey and the parking lottery two hours later. Now I could smile.  Zion cleans up very well!                              At a neighbour's home

  Sir Bobby Charlton, English footballer exquisite, and mensch. I wrote the other day  about "Abide with me" as one of his funeral hymns. Another was "How Great Thou Art".  It's not one of my favourite hymns, but then again it wasn't my funeral! They sang "Jerusalem"  (Blake/ Parry)  "And did those feet in ancient times, &c".  'Tis one of those songs which is half way on the tongues of even secularised English women and men. Sadly it's also  become a jingoistic song for the English left and right political parties; Labour and Conservative. But what about the "dark satanic mills"?  My English literature teacher in High School believed that Blake (the Romantic), was railing against the rationalistic mills of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. ( Incidentally the Episcopal Church Hymnal 1982 uses the Parry tune for a hymn which begins with "Oh Day of Peace"   but it's rarely sung .) My lovely twist and goo...

      Our Pond Bobby Jones Golf Course 1 Mist Booby Jones 2 Mist Bobby Jones 3

  Footballer Sir Bobby Charlton was not only a magnificent athlete, he was by all accounts a decent human being -  to the max His funeral recently took place at Manchester Cathedral. The choice of music was terrific -  more about that tomorrow. For now I'll talk about the greatly loved (and sometimes derided) "Abide With Me, fast falls the eventide" 'Twas not chosen by accident.  Back in the days when English/Welsh football teams did not have fancy and rich owners, and the players were not Beckham like celebrities  ... back in those days as well as regular league games there was a knock out competition  for for the F.A. Cup.  There still is but it's become show-biz like. The F.A. Cup Final used to have a unique feature.  Before the match started the crowd would sing the first verse of Abide with Me. 'Twas known by all people in culturally Christian England and Wales. The custom has been discontinued.   But I like to think ...

  Healthy maybe, but one sip and my whole body puckered. Probably best in small amounts in a Party Punch.

  At a local Sushi/Ramen Cafe Maybe close is  Reyna's Taqueria, about 150 yards away

  It's that I am crazy about Mama G herself. I was at the Bakery a little later than usual on Saturday 11th. There was a line and I spotted the Mama G caps. They'd escaped my notice before. I decided to buy one. Mama G said that the hat was "on the house!"  I will wear it with pride.

  Cream of Vegetable Soup with Fava Beans (cooked and   puréed) Mirepoix (courtesy Trader Joe's) Pomi Brand finely chopped tomatoes Cooked in Vegetable broth;  with a pinch of salt and of pepper, and a shaking of  turmeric. Heavy Cream added when cooled. Eat hot or cold

  "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them." In honor of Armistice Day, Old North Church's annual Remembrance Sunday service will be held on Sunday, November 12 at 11:00 a.m. We will be joined by the British and Commonwealth communities in Boston, including His Majesty's Consul General from the United Kingdom and the acting Consul General of Canada. We will hear the "In Flanders Field" poem at the start, following 2 minutes of silence at 11 a.m., followed by a piper playing "Flowers of the Forest." Both Consuls General will read and lay wreaths at the church's war memorial following the service. Wreaths will also be placed by the Royal Marine Attaché to the British Embassy in Washington and representatives from the Belgian Navy, the British Officers Club of New England, the British & Commonwealth Remembrance...

I see FaceBook Memes which say "Keep the Poppy Going" . First I must say that the wearing of lapel poppies in the U.K. and in some Commonwealth countries has nothing to do with the American VETERANS DAY (though the dates coincide).  Veterans Day has to do with all those men and woman who have served in the Armed Forces etc.  We remember our  war dead on Memorial Day. The history of Remembrance Sunday in the U.K. is tortuous! (see below).  Sadly the wearing, or not wearing of a Poppy has been hi-jacked by some in the U.K. as a matter of patriotism.  Newscasters etc. who do not wear the poppy are deemed to  be unpatriotic.  That's awful, especially because the Poppy was in its earliest day a sad remembrance of  the  blood bath which was World War One, not a celebration of militarism. I am all in favour of the wearing of the poppy provided that it is uncoerced. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_Sunday

  National Zoo’s giant pandas fly back to China Panda's with Wings?

  I I posted this the other day.  My Fort Myers friend David S noted that onomatopoeia is one of those delicious words which slips off the tongue.  I agree. David then taught me another delicious word "Conestogo"  David writes  "lI earned it in a Seventh grade art class. (in Gardner MA) I remember the teacher saying she loved how it “trips off the tongue”. She was right. As a dumb limey I had to learn the meaning of the word so that I could insert it into a conversation   Fat chance! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conestoga_wagon ============================================== There is a British /Australian word I like which doesn't slip off the tongue.  You may never ever use it.  I don't care! PANTECNICON It's an arcane U.K. word for a Furniture Removal van.    Australians still use it in an abbreviated form. See this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantechnicon I offer my PANTECNICON in exchange for your CONESEGO

  It's been part of my life for forty years. Sarasota's Clock Gallery called today to say that it is beyond repair. So I have authorised the purchase and installation of a new mechanism, at a cost of just over $500. It's a good month for such an expenditure.   I receive the U.K. equivalent of Social Security ( I worked for it) four times a year.  November will see a quarter's money deposited in my savings account. I never include the U.K.  Social Security in my annual budget.  So it will come at the right time for this unexpected expenditure. I should be so lucky!

  It was about five years ago that I first met Kathy N, a retired pediatrician from Wisconsin. It was the day after Thanksgiving. She was walking with her miniature poodle "Milo" at Sarasota's Bayfront Park. We exchanged greetings. I asked her about her Thanksgiving Day. It had been gloomy.  It was her first holiday after the death of her beloved husband.  Not every holiday is a cause for joy. We chatted.  I asked if she had a religious faith.  She said that she was a nominal Catholic.   With that knowledge I offered to pray for her. Prayer or not, I had/have a gentle respect for Kathy. But she had not returned from Wisconsin this year. UNTIL today. There she was at Bayfront Park.  Whoop dee do .   What a blessing.  We had a lovely reunion. Kathy/Milo/Michael/Zion

 

  It was 5th November (Bonfire Night/Fireworks Night/Guy Fawkes Day), in either 2003 or 2004.  I was in England and staying with my brother Martyn and his wife Wendy.  We were in the back garden letting off a few domestic fireworks.    The 'phone rang. My brother answered it and then called for me. At the other end of the line was the Revd. Ian Douglas, one of the Priest Associates at St. James's in Porter Square, Cambridge, MA He had devastating news.  Annette S. Hunter the Sexton at St. James's had been killed in a road accident.    Oh no, not our beloved and quirky Annette. She had gotten off a 'bus after dark  on a ill lit Boston Ave. in Somerville/Medford.  As she crossed the road she was hit by what must have been a speeding driver.  The entire parish was in deep grief.  Oh no, not our beloved and quirky Annette. The Parish Vestry had already gathered and they gave me a gift.  They said "Do not break your vacati...

 

 

  I'm a financial supporter of the Sarasota Orchestra.   I believe them to be an  outstanding  regional orchestra.   And I respond warmly to their principled support of musicians and staff during the Covid shutdown.  Despite a lack of performances the S.O. paid 80% of their normal salary. My financial support (it's not a huge amount) led to my admission to the S.O. Fermata Society. That in turn led to an invitation to attend an open rehearsal (today).  The work was Beethoven's Eroica Symphony - a winner if there ever was one. It was fascinating to see how the guest conductor  (David Alan Miller) teased out the best from the musicians, and how the musicians responded with various questions, nods, and smiles. It was almost like viewing a mystical ceremony.  I had a bonus. The principal Cellist, Natalie Helm , lives in my community. We sometimes see each other as we walk our dogs. And there is the co-Principal Horn...