Povey Prattle

From across the pond , maybe 400 yards away, I saw my friend Rabbi Michael, his wee son Jacob, and Rabbi Michael's Mum (also a Rabbi). I waved, they waved back. A moment of grace in Covid 19 days.  ''Photo is of Rabbi Michael, (r) with his colleague Rabbi Glkckman,(l) both of Sarasota's Temple Emmam,-uel

I was rooting around in one of my lower kitchen cabinets this morning, looking for a blender which I thought had gone AWOL (it was in another cabinet where I had placed it  when I re-organised all my kitchen storage). But in the rooting around I found an appliance which I'd forgotten I owned. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember its use.  ( see below) RHUBARB I have been on a Rhubarb kick, mostly because I do not often see it in the markets.   Perhaps you have  seen a photo' of my (in)famous rhubarb crisp. Today I experimented in cooking and made a rhubarb Crumble  (the first time I've made a crumble). with any fruit).  I grew up enjoying the utterly delicious summer blackberry and apple crumbles made by Mum, or by my my big sister Maureen. A crumble  is a dish that can be made in a sweet or savoury version, although the sweet version is much more common. A sweet variety usually contains stewed fruit topped with...

My friends Mary Luti and Anne Minton were marooned in Seville, Spain on account of the pandemic. They made the very best of their predicament.  Every day Mary wrote utterly delightful accounts of life in that part of Spain during the crisis,  so wonderful that we could believe that we were there too. About ten days ago they got booking on Madrid-London and London-Boston flights for today. They held their breath 'cause they had previous set backs with flights cancelled. The good news is that they are now at home in Massachusetts. Mary wrote that there were but seventeen passengers on the 'plane.  Yikes!  For how long can B.A. sustain such flights with the inevitable losses? When Mary wrote that the flights were for May 7th I responded with "although I do not believe in omens but as 7th May is my mother's birth date I'll take that as a good omen for you!"   Mum came through for Mary and Anne today! Naturally my family members and I hav...

Sleep eluded me  during the night of May 5/6. Within ten minutes this rhyme came to mind. It simply came to mind!    (I cannot grace it with the word poem!).  I wrote it down at midnight, lest I should forget it by morning. I thought of a wife and husband in their late sixties.  They live in an old home in the countryside, a home with a big lawn. Their marriage is sound, but they still argue away parts of the day. At the close of the day they reflect at their life in Covid 19 days,  and social isolation. What else did we do that May? We walked in the dew, we ate chicken stew. We argued and fought,  we learned and we taught. And then,  at the end of the day, When the curfew bell rang, we held hands and sang The beautiful songs of our youth. Historical post card from Leominster, MA

5th May There was a rap on my front door at about 8:30 a.m.  By the time I opened it I saw a man moving quickly next door.  He had gotten out of a big red SUV which was emblazoned with the word MEDIC Next door where dear, sweet, dementia afflicted Dawn lives. About ten minutes later the ambulance arrived. I did not hang out in the drive way to rubber neck.  Soon both vehicles departed. Not long after, a hot, bothered, and flustered Jan, Dawn's morning care-giver  arrived at my door.  She could scarcely speak for her anxiety. "Dawn, Dawn" she cried.  "I can't find her, I've searched the whole house for her". * I was so relieved to be able to say that to the best of my knowledge Dawn had been taken to the Hospital. (So it was as we found out later). *   There was good cause to be concerned as Dawn has been known to wander. About a year ago she wandered down the street to Bill's house.  "Help me" she said, "there's a...

It won't be President Trump who has no agendas other than those created by his own  narcissism.  It won't be Florida's Governor DeSantis.   He is like a High School Senior who had a leading role in his School Play, and the next week found himself starring on Broadway.  The Peter Principle at work Here is how I will be informed. It's now eight weeks since Zion and I have been able to do our Canine Therapy gigs at Anchin Pavilion in Sarasota, and Discovery Village in Bradenton. Outside Anchin Zion and Shotsy at Discovery Village. Both facilities are now on utter lockdown.  No family members, friends, volunteers are allowed to visit. The same is true at all nursing homes, assisted loving facilities, retirement "communities";  and hospitals in our area. There's tough love for you. Just as soon as those institutions reinstate "normal" visiting rules   I'll believe that the the rough territory ...

Last Friday I bought some rhubarb at Detwiler's Farm Market.  It's had to find in these parts.  I like rhubarb. Sadly it was not the young and tender pinkish skinned  sort, but older fully grown stalks with stringy red skin. (By the way, it is very easy to peel off that outer skin.) But if life gives you rhubarb  you make rhubarb crisp.  And so I did; adding strawberries and apple to the mix.  YUM. I don't have a strong sweet tooth  and it's impossible to make a one person sized crisp. So I spread the joy by sharing my crisp with three neighbours. That's what you do when you have too much of any good thing.   One neighbour reported that it was par excellent.  Good!