Povey Prattle

As I walk out with Penne each day I encounter folks in many varieties of dishabille . Men, well past a "certain age", shirtless, in shorts, and with utterly unattractive bellies. Women,  (older than I) in ugly house coats, or even in nighties - fetching the morning newspaper. Each to her/his own, I suppose. I often see,   (early every morning, at a distance),  one particular woman  as she walks her dog.   She is always dressed in simple elegance. 'Tis a joy to behold. This  morning we came face to face .  We greeted each other. I said "may I offer you a compliment?".  She nodded her assent.  "You" I said, "are always dressed so beautifully". She replied " I do so because I have to work". "What kind of work?"  I asked. "At T..le Bro..ers" Funeral Home" she replied. I said "now I understand, and I admire your gracious appearance". She responded with a smile.  She thanked me. ...

Regular readers will know that I am very partial to Gazpacho -  a delicious cold soup, to be enjoyed in hot weather. Here is how Wikipedia describes it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazpacho Today I made what I call "faux-cho". I had about 3/4 of a litre of store-bought "Bloody Mary Mix". (I bought it earlier in the year when my English friend Muriel Q, and our Anglophile friends Jack and Donna C. came to my home for a lunch which featured "kippers".   I figured that these friends might enjoy a pre-lunch "Bloody Mary", which they did, and I did not.  Hence I had a surplus of "Bloody Mary Mix"). "Waste not - want not"  indeed, but "Bloody Mary Mix" on its own is hardly refreshing. So I took the bloody mary mix I had, and  added: 1.   (Store bought and in a plastic container) chopped peppers (of various hues), 2. Two large peeled and cut up tomatoes, 3. Some stale French (baguette) bread, which I h...

"There's nowt so queer as folk"   (English Idiomatic expression), from back in the day when "queer" meant odd or unusual.  See: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/british/there-s-nowt-so-queer-as-folk "There's nowt so queer as folk".     This came to mind the other day when I walked with my dog around the pond at Glen Oaks Manor, and there encountered the G.O.M. handyman,  one L.rry    L.rry loves to ride around his pale in a G.O.M provided Golf Cart.  He also likes to chat with all and sundry.   Here is a verbatim of our conversation from a couple of days ago.   L. "Look at that  stupid duck, he is eating * seaweed".   JMP " Well?  -    ducks are vegetarians after all".   L. "It tastes like crap".   JMP. "What am I to say?,  I have never tried it".   L. "I'll never touch it".   JMP walks away knowing ...

God's Grandeur, by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889) The world is charged with the grandeur of God.     It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;     It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod? Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;     And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;     And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod. And for all this, nature is never spent;     There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; And though the last lights off the black West went     Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs — Because the Holy Ghost over the bent     World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

I noticed this morning that the dog poop bags I use have a printed slogan.  It reads: "Find a pile, Pick it up. All the day, You'll have good luck". Goodness gracious, I never knew this. I have some other suggestions. "Use this bag To pick up shit. The exercise will keep you fit" AND "Use this bag - Retrieve dog crap. Good Karma's sure To come right back". Your versions are solicited.