Enga mellom fjella

Family Foods? Daisy (a short O'Keeffe poem)

Wren got me thinking again. What food do you remember from growing up, especially those associated with family members who've passed on? I immediately think of liver and onions! And Wren asked why? So ... I called my mom (86 years young).

Mom (b. 1922) says dad (1916-1999) loved butter pecan ice cream (I remember maple walnut and a discussion about lemon ice cream).

About her own cooking: spaghetti and meatballs and Swedish meatballs (I know she loved fried cabbage ... and onions)

About her mom (1892-1985): potato pancakes with lima beans, and bread pudding (I remember split pea soup and fresh bread)

About her mom's mom: English plum pudding (... but she was German )

About her dad's mom: deep dish apple pie with only the crust on top (she was Irish/English)

About her dad (1890-1963): New England crab cakes and oyster stew

About dad's dad (1880-1955): any seafood (he grew up in Maryland)

Then my mom calls me back (only her second call this year to make sure I got everything correct! She did add that dad loved liver and onions ... so I'll stick with liver and onions as our "family dish". I guess I get to ask my aunt and sisters now.

SO, WHAT FOOD DO YOU ASSOCIATE WITH PEOPLE?

Insert answer here: ___________________________ (or leave a comment)

Daisy

In autumn,
the golden leavings of shadbark
and one bright sun,
her pristine skirt arranged to pluck:
do you love me,
do you not.

© 2008 Kåre Enga [165.85b] 2008-05-26

http://www.artst.org/okeefe/1928+-+Yellow+Hickory+Leaves+With+Daisy.jpg

ME:

I did nap last evening, then stayed up till 3 but I slept fairly well and today felt reasonably rested. Yesterday was awful; today much better.

Got to the Half-Price bookstore which had better pickings on O'Keeffe and a whole shelf on roses. I bought two books (with plenty of color plates) about O'Keeffe and got a book of poetry: Blossoms & Bones by Christopher Buckley that he published in 1988 based on poems of O'Keeffe.

I also got a book on the sculpture of the Norwegian born physician Kaare Nygaard. Since we share the first name (Kåre has an alternate spelling as Kaare; å = aa) I was curious. Set me back $10. Interestingly it appears to be signed by the artist in 1987 to a Donald Watkins. Hmmm.

Who was he?: http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/2491.html

I found this image of one of his sculptures: (thank you, U. Melbourne, Aus.): http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/collections/grainger/exhibitions/viewing/Disk_One/...

WRITING:

I do often write about death and the passing of people. Since today, the 29th, is known by Baha'is as the Ascension of Baha'u'llah, I thought I'd share three couplets from a poet, 'Andalib, (Mirza 'Ali Ashraf Lahijani) who was there in 1892:

Oh, in life's cup the wine-pourer of the feast of decree
Poured life-ending venom instead of spirit-elating wine.

For every ache there is a remedy, for every trouble a solution,
Oh, for this remediless ache and this balmless trouble.

The eye of creation was stunned, the world's heart darkened,
Heart's orchard was withered, the nightingale of life silenced.

It is a part of a larger work apparently in the ghazal form of that region.

Kansas: Cooling ... slowly ... at 00:00 and 65º. ** Image ID #1295354 Unavailable ** .

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