Povey Prattle

March 24th 2008 was the day I adopted my beloved Penne, the first canine love of my life.  I still miss her.  I cried for three days when she died. Penne was not very comfortable with other dogs  (but she and Chardonnay - (a golden retriever owned by my friends G and J ) tolerated each other. Penne loved people,   especially my neighbour Ed G. and my friend Bob L.  She would sing for joy when she saw them, She learned to recognise Bob L's car and would sing like crazy when she saw it, Penne would take pills without resistance, and when I drew near with her ear drops she would bend her head to one side so that I could squirt the drops, and she would love it when I massaged her ears. I still miss her. -------------------------------------------------------- March 24th 2018 I took my new love Zion to the Humane Society of Sarasota County for a programme for children;  one hour of which was to chat to and listen to youngsters abou...

Stock photo' Stock photo'. The old man leaned far forward in his wheel chair as the dog drew nearer.  The gentle dog placed his head on the old man's knee. The old man buried his head in the dog's head.  He sat upright, the did it again. He began to weep.  "Oh" he said, "you remind me of the two dogs owned. I wish that you could stay with me". The man at the end of the leash said "he won't be able to stay with you, but he will visit you again next week". ------------------------------------------------------------------- The man at the end of the leash knocked on the door, walked into the room,  and greeted the woman in her bed. He introduced himself and said "I understand that you like dogs".  "Oh yes" she said.   The gentle dog lifted his head to the bed so that the woman could touch it. The man at the end of the leash asked "how long have you lived here?"  She...

Good Connections Dinner 22nd March 2018 Mediterraneo, Main St, Sarasota. https://www.mediterraneorest.com/menus/#dinner One of Sarasota's best! With good friends Ron and Charlotte Thompson, and Fred and Diana Emrich. English family members Maureen and Bern, Jean and John, Andrew and Izzy, Martyn and Sam, Ruth and Dennis, and Janet have met the Thompsons and the Emrichs when they have visited Sarasota, so these photo's are to make them just a wee bit envious. Irresistible Charlotte T and Fred E  (They knew each other years ago in Reading, MA) Diana E and Ron T jmp and Charlotte T

"As I walked out"  (title of a fine book by English Author Laurie Lee) in Sarasota's Arlington Park yesterday I met a very pleasant man who was walking his very small dog. He warned me that the dog could be growly, but in the event his dog and my Zion did well together. I asked him the name of his dog.  With a touch of embarrassment he allowed that the dog is called Luke Sky Barker. I love it! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ My good SRQ and St. Boniface friend Rick P. invited me and two others for dinner at his home on Tuesday 3/20. He cooked the most delicious Osso Bucco. Stock photo' (not Rick's wonderful version) ... and served it with his home-made Polenta and a wonderful home made gravy/sauce (sauce or gravy depending on the region of Italy where it is served). The meal was very good -  thanks Rick. When I accepted Rick's invitation I told him that I had n...

My good neighbour Barbara B and I meet every ten days or so for an early morning coffee at our nearest Starbucks. We did so this morning.  On my drive home I tuned into NPR news, but wearied by the chatter I switched over to our local Classical Music Station, WSMR. I was enchanted by the choral music I heard. Maybe I'd heard it before, but I can't remember having done so. It was the Sanctus from the Requiem by   Maurice  Duruflé    (1902-1986). This morning my heart was filled with joy and my spirits were lifted. Such bliss in the car. https://youtu.be/3q2wy_oQXzw

The Bangers and Mash were as good to eat as they looked in the picture. Another British "ethnic food" is Bubble and Squeak. If you want to be fancy you can look at Nigel Slater's upscale recipe. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/24/nigel-slater-classic-bubble-squeak-recipe But it won't be the real thing. Bubble and Squeak  was/is? a Monday evening meal using leftovers, Before the advent of washing machines and dryers Monday was Washing Day for British Housewives.  (Americans do the laundry, Brits do the washing). It was a long day, full of hard work. We had no hot running water; whites  (sheets and towels) were washed in a copper boiler, rinsed, mangled, blued, and mangled again, then hung out to dry, (if it wasn't raining). My oldest sister and I have memories of our Mum being so very tired for most of the time.  Who wouldn't be with nine children and no modern appliances. Monday was the most labour intens...

About a week ago my American friend Cindy W. said that she and her husband Wesley W. like Bangers and Mash but that they found bratwurst to be an only tolerable substitute for bangers. Then, through  one of St. Patrick's unrecorded miracles, I saw that Trader Joe's was selling Irish Bangers. I bought some for Cindy and Wes, and some for me. Tonight was my Bangers (so called because unless the skin is scored with a fork they pop [or bang] when being cooked )   and Mash dinner. I made mashed potatoes from scratch (  no ready made Supermarket mashed spuds a.k.a. Wallpaper Paste) , fried the bangers until they were well browned, and served them with garden peas and mushroom and onion brown gravy. So very good! There is a canard spread by the French (minor joke!) that Irish and British foodstuffs are inferior. I beg to differ!  I think that travel writers could well describe Bangers and Mash as an Irish/British peasan...