Povey Prattle

I am grateful for your nice comments about my conversation with an Amish man in our Bank. The Amish, being industrious people, first came to Sarasota to grow celery in the winter months when crop farming in more northern climes was impossible. There is now a super wild life preserve in the area where they grew their celery. It is called "Celery Fields" in honour of the Amish. It's a great places for "birders", 'specially at day break and at twilight. --------------------------------------------------------------------- But who are the Amish?  What is their history? Why did some of them come to north American shores?   How do they prosper in 21st Century Canada and the U.S.A? To move us from touristic and sentimental views of the Amish (horse and buggy in Pennsylvania, tricycles in Sarasota etc) I recommended this book:  It is a dispassionate, concise, and scholarly introduction to the Amish (and it is very readable). Publish...

This text from 1 Corinthians 13:13 has been in my mind today.  I'll tell you why. I have a savings and a checking account  with the Everence Federal Credit Union (formerly known as Mennonite Financial Services), at the branch located in the Pinecraft area of Sarasota. Pinecraft is the heart and centre of Sarasota's Amish/Mennonite population. That population is swelled in the winter months when many northern Amish retirees become snow-birds! No Horse and Buggy Amish here, instead they ride bicycles and tricycles. (The popular lore is that Amish people ease up on their rigorous disciplines when they are here:  "What happens in Sarasota stays in Sarasota!)  Naturally many of them do their banking at Everence.  I was there this morning, and boy was there a line, and a long wait. One young man was at the counter for ages.  It seems that he was transacting a cash transfer with a very new cashier/teller who was unsure of some procedures a...

Zion and I went today to an assisted living community about 1 1/2  miles from our home. There we visited the memory unit known as " Anchin Memory Care at Aviva" to be tested and assessed   as a Therapy Dog (and owner). We passed with flying colours.  Zion was his usual gentle self. He brought many a smile to people with varying degrees  of memory loss. There's a bit of paperwork to be completed so that we can be formally certified as a  therapy team, after which Z and I will visit Anchin each Friday morning. Our assessor (a fabulous English-born woman) fell in love with Zion. And he brought such joy to various staff members as well as to residents. I watched carefully and saw that Z. was tired after about 35 minutes.  Enough is enough.  Here we are outside of Anchin Who would not love his face! 'Twas good therapy for me too after having earlier attended (at St. Boniface Church) the funeral of the joyous and blessed Lea D. who...

Detwiler's (pronounced Detwlyers) is our local Mennonite owned Farm Market with three stores.  (T he FARM bit should be in inverted commas [quotation marks].  I believe  that they get much of their produce from a Tampa Bay area wholesaler). Farm or not,  Detwiler's has a pretty good Fishmonger counter.  It was there that I bought some Cod at a fair price.  I asked for "that big piece".  That big piece  weighed 2  lbs!  I lb is in my freezer.   I used the other 1 lb to make Codfish and Potato cakes "Newfoundland Style" http://allrecipes.com/recipe/17777/cod-fish-cakes/ Some of  ones I made I gave some to my friends C and R.   C is of Newfie heritage.  She said "   "Authentic and delicious" He said  "Best fish cakes ever" Nothing to do with me, I just followed a recipe.  But I am glad that C and R enjoyed them. --------------------------------------------...

I bought some 'baby" carrots thinking that Zion might like them as a snack (some dogs do). He was not in the slightest bit interested, so I used them to make carrot and ginger soup. The first batch had too much ginger, so I cooked and pureed some frozen carrots to supplement  the soup, and then added some heavy cream. G...O...O...D! (Many years ago at St. James's in Porter Square, Cambridge, MA we had mid-week small group pot-lucks.  Parishioner Ann S made the best salads, I offered home made soups.  Both were well received.    Ann and I dreamed (fantasied) of opening a Soup and Salad  Cafe!) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Later in the day Zion (a.k.a. Mr. Perfect) tried to snitch some food from my kitchen counter. I caught him in the act! I am guilty. He pleaded guilty. And then he begged forgiveness.  I could not refuse! I am guilty, but I am so very ...

Home made Fish Stew  (Yum!) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- My "off the cuff" recipe 10 - 12oz store bought Fish S tock. A pinch of salt. 1 1/2 lbs Catfish  (cut up). One large Zucchini (topped and tailed but not peeled)  cut into small pieces. Five or six Plum Tomatoes cut into small pieces. Six or seven baby Dutch Yellow potatoes (quartered). Six or seven Pearl Onions. 8 oz un-skinned Chorizo, cut up. A splash or two of Thai Yellow Curry Sauce. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Simmered for about 20 minutes. Utterly delicious, and enough for three days. -------------------------------------------------------- Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes.

At my advanced age I have become a devoted fan of the novels of Chilean/American author  Isobel Allende, I have devoured her books "Eva Luna", and "Maya's Notebook".   Now I am enjoying my way through "The Stories of Eva Luna". Are there any other Isobel Allende fans out there?