03.22.09
Posted in Poetry at 11:33 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
Daniel and I planned to spend this afternoon reviewing the submissions we had received up ’til noon today. The afternoon progressed into evening and then nighttime with a 45 minute break for dinner, during which we continued our discussion. When the clock said 11:00 PM, we called it quits for the day. From the 40+ poem and prose submissions we received, we reviewed 24. It was an arduous task, but it was also a labor of love. I found it humbling to have these writers and poets offer their work to us for review. As we moved from piece to piece, it became apparent how much effort the writers and poets put into their writing, and how different each writing style was. It was a no-brainer when we both rated the same piece with high marks, but when we came to work that we disagreed on, we spent a lot of time discussing why we thought each piece fit or didn’t fit the journal and the merits of the piece.
We will continue to read each piece individually at our own pace, and for the next several weeks, our Sundays are scheduled for the preliminary selection process. The most difficult task is still in front of us, and that will be to select from these pieces which ones will make it into the debut issue. I have gained a new respect for the editors I have submitted my own work to in the past. The selection process is a difficult row to hoe.
O.P.W.
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03.20.09
Posted in Poetry at 10:25 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
Along with submissions from three new poets today - one from out of the country - we received our first graphics submissions as well. I forgot to mention that I added Hanging Moss Journal run by Steve Meador to the Literature Publications page yesterday.
I’ve spent the last few days researching different poetry and literary publications to learn how the editors put their journals together. One thing I’ve noticed is that quite a few use a dark background with white or light colored text to display the poems. I have personally found this to be very difficult to read in the past and I tend to avoid these kinds of pages. Daniel on the other hand likes them.
My next task will be to learn how to create pdf versions of the journal once we approach our publication date to send to the authors. A pdf document of each issue will become available to visitors at the time the next issue goes to publication.
O.P.W.
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03.19.09
Posted in Poetry at 11:11 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
I spent several hours registering Touch: The Journal of Healing at Duotrope this afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from the Duotrope staff this evening advising me the journal could now be found on their site. The information on the Duotrope Editor’s page stated it would take up to two months before a new site - “market” in their terms - would be added.
We received five more poem submissions today, and Daniel and I are going to begin to review the submissions on Sunday. Sunday afternoons will be our review and preliminary selection day.
After serious thought, I’ve removed the Amazon widgets and links from the home page. They detracted from the overall image a visitor would view when they first arrived at the site, and after all, this is a poetry and prose journal. The links can now be found on the Literary Resources page further down the Directory. In addition, I’ve added a few more books written by healthcare professionals and patients to the scroll bar. I personally selected the books (and music) that are displayed after researching them.
The only external link you’ll find on the home page how is for Duotrope
O.P.W.
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03.18.09
Posted in Recipes & Cooking at 10:15 am by O.P.W. Fredericks
Yesterday morning I made a pot of chicken soup with what remained of the carcass from the roasted chicken from Sunday. There were a few chunks of breast and thigh meat, and I had one slice of grilled chicken breast left over from Daniel’s lunches from last week. I brought the carcass to a boil and then simmered it for an hour while I cut up the left over potatoes, carrots, onions, and apple chunks I had roasted with the chicken. After pouring off the stock I boned the carcass, cut up the meat and added all the ingredients along with more fresh parsley, basil, and rosemary and some dried garlic, sage, and savory along with salt and pepper and the last bit of McCormick’s Chicken Base I had. The stock was already brimming with the herbs I roasted the chicken with, but when I tasted it it seemed to need more. While the soup was simmering, I cooked up some Pennsylvania Dutch fine egg noodles along with a handful of medium egg noodles that I crushed into smaller pieces from a bag that was almost empty. At four minutes the noodles were al dente and after straining off the water I added them to the soup and turned off the heat. Yesterday I had the soup lunch with a roll from Sunday’s baking, and the same will make up my lunches for the next week.
We’re going to have left over Sweet & Spicy Crock pot Pork Roast from New Years for dinner tonight with leftover beans and spaetzle from Monday that I served with grilled bratwurst.
I’m off to work.
O.P.W.
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03.17.09
Posted in Poetry at 11:55 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
Submissions for Touch: The Journal of Healing are slowly rolling in, and I’ve added a few links to poetry journals and blogs I frequent. Of note are Feel Good Lost Blog and Tilt Press Blog, and Tilt Press which publishes chapbooks, all operated by Rachel Mallino. Rachel’s Tilt Press co-editor is Nicole Cartwright.
Good night.
O.P.W.
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03.16.09
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 10:15 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
It’s official, spring is here! This morning I found the evidence:
Our first blooms of the year.
O.P.W.
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03.15.09
Posted in Recipes & Cooking, Poetry at 11:06 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
This morning I began to add Amazon.com links to the home page of Touch: The Journal of Healing, but I didn’t like the way the page was laid out. It was very crowded, and Daniel told me it wasn’t balanced. I added the links for two reasons. The first reason is that most of my literature and poetry books purchased over the past two years have come from Amazon. I found it a lot easier to order them online than it to drive the ten miles to the nearest Barnes & Noble or Borders. I’ve gotten some great deals from Amazon, and I wanted my visitors to receive the same benefit. The second reason is, I learned late last summer when someone clicks on a link to Amazon and then purchases something, the owner of the site where the link was posted will earn a small percentage of the sale in the way of a “commission” so to speak. Since August of last year, the fee I’ve received for the link here has come to less than the cost of one month of my website hosting server charge. Now that I’m nearly retired, my income isn’t close to what it used to be, and every little bit helps. I thought if the fee covered the cost of hosting my websites, it would be one less expense I would have to find the money for.
Daniel told me there should be a option in the software to enlarge the dimensions of the website and sure enough it was there. I didn’t realize the software allowed for changes in the dimensions of a page, and I’d been trying to squeeze everything onto a page that was 700 px wide. The new home page is now 1,000 px wide. I may make it larger, but Daniel told me that 1,000 px is a width that most computer screens can display. After enlarging the page, I experimented with placement of the Amazon links and was able to replace the ones I had with vertical links that fit on the far right side.
Several years ago I asked several poets I know which reference books they had in their library. The scroll bar I added includes many of these titles as well as two poetry books written by poets I’ve corresponded with from Poets.org, The Red Light Was My Mind, by Gary Charles Wilkens and Throwing Percy from the Cherry Tree by Steve Meador. I also added in a little Ella Fitzgerald and ABBA music to the scroll, an Amazon search tool, and another poetry/poets book widget.
I haven’t decided whether I want to have these links on the page to begin with. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with this idea after seeing what they look like because the links detract from the overall appearance of the page, and they could detract from the whole experience of reading poetry. Also, I don’t remember visiting any online poetry journal where these kinds of links are present. Now that the links are off to the side and at the bottom, they aren’t as distracting as my first attempts were, so I’ll have to think on this a bit.
After frying my brain with web design, I decided to do something therapeutic so this afternoon I began to mix a batch of bread dough with the sourdough sponge I set to proof last evening. Daniel had mentioned rolls earlier in the week and I haven’t baked rolls in years. Half way through the kneading, I decided to give the rolls a try, just to shake things up a little. In the photo above, the rolls on the right are Italian-Honey-Walnut Whole Wheat Sourdough and on the left are Italian-Honey Whole Wheat Sourdough.
Here’s the recipe:
Italian Honey Whole Wheat Rolls
Ingredients:
1/2 c. sourdough starter
1/2 c. warm water
1 c. whole wheat flour
Mix above in glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap leaving a little space for gas to vent and place in warm spot over night.
Combine above with:
1 tsp. granular yeast - let sit 15 minutes.
Combine:
1/2 cup EV olive oil
2 large eggs
1/2 c. honey
1 tblsp. barley malt syrup
Scramble.
Add:
1 tsp. salt
1 c. warm water
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. unbleached all purpose or bread flour
Combine in electric mixer bowl using dough hook or mix with hands in a large ceramic mixing bowl. Divide dough in half and reserve 1/2 wrapped in plastic wrap.
Add 1/3 c. chopped walnuts to first 1/2 of dough.
Continue to mix or knead first 1/2 of dough adding unbleached or bread flour as needed 1/4 cup at a time until dough is the right consistency then knead until dough is formed. Place in ceramic or glass bowl lightly coated with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm spot until double in bulk - about 1 hour.
Repeat with reserved 1/2 of dough omitting walnuts.
When dough has risen, remove from bowls deflate and allow it to rest about 10 minutes. Cut palm size pieces from dough and form into rolls. Place on a floured bakers couche or linen towel, cover with floured towels and allow to rise until double in bulk.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit with baking stones or tiles covering rack at mid level.
Remove roll dough from couche with a metal turning spatula - like what you would turn hamburgers with - and place in a row of 4, spaced apart along the edge of a long wide thin bread peel - a piece of wood 1/4 inch thick x 14 inches long by 5 inches wide. Transfer to baking tiles starting on the right side of the oven by tilting board and allowing them to slide off. Repeat until the oven is full. Spray interior of oven with water from a spray bottle beneath the rack and repeat this every 3 minutes for the first 9 minutes taking no more than 10 seconds each time.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven to cooling rack.
Repeat until all the rolls are baked.
Store in plastic or paper bags until they’re all gone. This bread remains fresh tasting for one week when stored in plastic or zip lock bags.
Enjoy!
~
I’ll let you know tomorrow how they tasted.
O.P.W.
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03.14.09
Posted in Poetry at 11:00 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
The blog attached to Touch: The Journal of Healing is now up and running. As if I didn’t need another thing to keep me busy … At least it will allow me to keep a running dialogue of what I did and when to the journal site. The only problem is that I now feel obligated to post a new photo with each blog entry.
O.P.W.
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03.13.09
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 11:47 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
I’ve been going though some cardboard boxes that have been packed away, some of which go back to grade school. In one of these boxes, I came across a small cedar box with brass hinges and inlays that I haven’t touched in over twenty years, and that was only to pack it into the cardboard box I found it in when I repacked it from another cardboard box that was packed when I moved out of my parents house in 1980. So for nearly 30 years, the contents of this small cedar box haven’t seen the light of day. It was locked with a tiny brass key lock, so I started to search through my desk for some old keys I’ve kept not knowing what they were for, but sure they were for something. After trying several very small keys on different rings and fobs that didn’t work, I came across the smallest key in my collection. Sure enough it fit and I opened the box. Inside I found an old metal Sucrets box that had holes punched in it and another small key lock. When I opened the Sucrets box I found two tiny lockets with semiprecious stones mixed in with cedar shavings. I remember the lockets and the shavings, but I don’t remember where they came from. Also in the box was another small lock with two keys, a book of matches, and a piece of paper written with the combination for a lock. The combination was for my old bicycle lock.
All evening I’ve had memories from my childhood return and each memory triggers another memory. I think that’s so cool.
O.P.W.
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03.12.09
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 11:55 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
Last week I checked the seven day weather forecast for this week. It said the days were going to slowly warm up into the 70’s by Thursday. No such luck. We’ve been at or just below freezing over night and we hit only 50 degrees on Tuesday, the warmest day of the week.
This past weekend the fish started to become active, sunning themselves in the shallow end of the pond and looking for food, but since Monday they’ve barely made an appearance. The water temperature is hovering in the upper 30’s to lower 40’s, so I can’t begin to feed them.
I do know that spring is coming though. The daffodils and crocuses have begun to poke their head up, and today I noticed green on the lilac bushes where there used to be only buds.
Spring can’t get here soon enough.
O.P.W.
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03.11.09
Posted in Poetry at 11:33 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
The software I use to create and edit Touch: The Journal of Healing allows for RSS feed in a limited capacity. One of the page types that does provide RSS is a blog which can be incorporated with the journal or as a separate site. I’m experimenting with the software to see if I can taylor it to duplicate the journal appearance, but so far, my success is limited. One advantage a blog would offer is the ability to post announcements about the journal without affecting the integrity of the journal pages. Another page type that provides the RSS feed is a photo album theme. I don’t think this is the way I want to go because the journal is literature not photography and the graphics used in the journal will be imbedded within the poem and prose pages. At this point I don’t think a separate album page would benefit the journal in any way.
I’ve made a few changes in the appearance of the journal that will be uploaded once I’ve tested each page for functionality and appearance. I’ve found that some browsers are able to enlarge the page if a user needs to see text larger while others aren’t able to do this. As a result, I’ve increased the font size a few points. I’ve also made minor text changes on several of the pages where I found the language didn’t flow as well as I intended it to flow. I’ve received feedback from a few folks so far and it has been positive. I want to get all the bugs worked out well before the first issue is published, and I remain hopeful that folks will advise me of any difficulties they experience.
O.P.W.
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03.10.09
Posted in Poetry at 11:45 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
It’s now official.
Touch: The Journal of Healing seeks poetry, prose, and graphics submissions for its debut issue intended for publication May/June 2009. Within our pages you will read works from people who have committed their lives to the vocation of caring by touching the lives of their fellow human beings, be they health care professionals, family members, spouses, lovers, partners, or friends, and from patients themselves. Please visit our journal site and send us your poetry, prose and artwork for consideration.
O.P.W.
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03.09.09
Posted in Recipes & Cooking, Poetry at 11:15 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
I have no excuse for allowing over two months to pass without a single blog entry. Actually, there are many excuses I could use, but none would excuse me from taking a mere ten minutes each day to reflect on something.
I’ve been busy with life. The Poets org Poetry Forum, my private poetry forum and my part-time job in the ER have taken up a good amount of time. I’ve also been cooking large Sunday dinners that consist of pot roasts, roasted chickens, pork roasts, all with with roasted vegetables and pints and pints of gravy; large pots of pasta served with home made sauce; and marinated london broils have kept us pretty well fed through each week. I’ve also been baking different sourdough based breads on Saturdays and/or Thursdays. I use my starter Herman to seed the sponge the morning before I bake which allows it to develop its flavor, and then I begin the process of choosing and assembling the ingredients and mixing the dough around noon the following day. I usually have it in the oven by 4:00 PM which gives it time to bake and cool for our dinner time of 7:00 PM.
I’ve baked batards, braided loaves, loaves in pans, and I’ve risen loaves in round baskets and bowls lined with floured linen towels. When Daniel arrives home from work, the whole house smells like fresh baked bread. I’ve been using a larger percentage of whole wheat flour than I have in the past, and I add any combination of ground nuts, dried fruits, honey, molasses, barley malt syrup, butter or olive oil, herbs and spices, rolled or steel cut oats, corn meal, and different salts and sugars. They’ve all turned out good, but some have been spectacular. The best loaves I’ve made are the Italian herbed, nutted whole wheat, and one loaf of rolled out cinnamon raisin bread which gave it a swirl pattern when sliced with brown sugar baked in. Only one batch didn’t rise well, and I think that was because I forgot I had added the salt and added salt again, but it tasted great. Those loaves I either sliced and toasted with a brushing of olive oil, chopped garlic, Italian herbs and parmesan cheese, sort of like pesto, or I toasted the slices and then we dipped them in small bowls of the oil, herb, garlic, cheese mixture.
All this cooking and baking has allowed me a creative outlet while being cooped up in the house over the winter, and my private poetry forum just finished a 10:10 day poem challenge where collectively we wrote 87 poems between the ten of us who participated which also provided me with a creative outlet. But what’s really got me excited is Daniel and I are in the process of starting an online Poetry Journal.
After experimenting with the software and making many mistakes (my own mistakes that is), but learning along the way, we’ve got it to the point where we’re just about ready to put it online and send out our calls for submissions. The journal reflects a unique combination of our philosophies and we’ve put our Touch on every aspect of its construction. No templates were used so every component you will see we’ve created down to the photographs we’ve taken that are used as background and enhancements.
I’ll post more on the journal once it’s up and running.
That’s it for today.
O.P.W.
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12.29.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections, Recipes & Cooking at 10:40 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
I checked back here this morning in search of my Sweet & Spicy Crock pot Pork Roast recipe, a recipe I created on the fly and couldn’t locate in my cookbook or on my computer. Luckily I posted it here back in September. My brother is down from New York visiting for the holidays and I wanted to make a traditional German New Years Day pork dinner, but with a twist. I’m not a big fan of sauerkraut so the pork roast with sauerkraut and caraway is out.
In the past I’ve baked a ham and served it with coleslaw, baked beans, and cornbread, which as far as I’m concerned covers me for the pig and cabbage combination traditional dinner. I checked with Mom about New Years Day dinner and she hadn’t made any plans so I offered to cook and bring the meal to her house.
You might be wondering what the heck New Years Day, pigs, and cabbage have to do with bread therapy, Julia, and Danielle. When I clicked on the link to my blog, I was surprised to find that I haven’t posted anything here in seven weeks. I thought it’s about time I posted something, so here goes.
For the past twenty-eight years, I’ve baked sourdough bread, usually beginning in the fall until the end of the following spring, and sometimes even in the heat of July and August if I really had a “hankerin’ fer it”. I have my own sourdough starter culture, fondly named Herman. I figured Herman is a living being, or more accurately living beings, who has/have brought much joy to my life by way of my taste buds and stomach, and so my sourdough culture deserved a name. I chose Herman after a favorite patient of mine from when I began my nursing career. Herman, the man, was very particular about things and had to have things just right and in a certain order, and he had to be in control of any situation he was in in order for him to exist in this world. He was plump with a bubbly personality, and he had a complexion that reminded me of bread dough. All of his characteristics aptly describe sourdough starter and so Herman, the starter, was born. Herman, the man, was quite amused when I told him of his namesake. Both Hermans died within a month of each other nearly twenty years ago, Herman, the man, followed by Herman, the culture. Herman the man, died from a heart attack, Herman the culture, from an invasion by red mold, something fatal to sourdough starter. I had to start all over to create a new sourdough starter culture, and it took several years before the second generation Herman was up to snuff by way of taste. The spring after both Hermans died, Herman, the man’s wife, became a patient of mine. I told her my little story and also that I named a favorite goldfish I bought that spring after her husband, who swam in my pond and greeted me each morning, the goldfish not the man. She was touched by the gesture. Ok, back to bread therapy.
When Julia Child’s PBS series “Baking with Julia” aired eleven years ago, I was a faithful viewer, and if I didn’t watch the programs when they aired, I taped them to view later in the week. I don’t think I missed a single episode, and I know I actually watched the programs that involved baking anything with yeast when they aired. To this day I vividly remember the episode on french bread. The guest baker, Danielle Forestier, demonstrated the preparation and baking of a traditional french batard, a bread that contains the same amount of dough as a baguette, 12 oz., but isn’t rolled out quite as long. It looks similar though smaller to a loaf of Italian bread you can pick up in any supermarket, but the appearance is where the similarities end. If you’re interested you can view the program via a streaming video by way of your search engine.
During the year “Baking with Julia” aired, and for several years after, I experimented with different ingredients and methods, often combining the ingredients and methods from different episodes or introducing something I picked up somewhere else and from my Mom. Mom is a wonderful baker, who never measures anything, it’s all done by feel. One combination that I found to be a success is Pesto bread. It is very simple to make and requires only a few ingredients. Bread can often be unforgiving if something isn’t done quite right during the preparation, handling, and baking process. This bread I have found is quite forgiving.
During the past two weeks I’ve been baking bread. For me, baking bread is as therapeutic to the soul as it is to the taste buds when eating it. When my brother called several weeks ago, he asked me to bake some bread for Christmas because he doesn’t fancy store bought bread. That evening, I took Herman out of the ‘frig and fed him. Feeding sourdough consists of stirring warm water and flour into the starter and allowing it to become active in a warm place if it’s been stored in the ‘frig. I place the container on the top of the ‘frig over night. By the next morning it’s bubbling and twice the size it was the night before. Here’s my recipe for Sourdough Pesto Bread using a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It will make two batards.
Sourdough Pesto Bread
Ingredients:
1/2 cup active starter
3/4 cup warm water
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tblsp. honey
2 1/2 - 3 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 heaping tblsp. pesto base
1 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Combine in a nonmetal bowl the starter, 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, and honey. Cover with plastic wrap leaving an edge open and place in a warm place over night to develop the dough sponge.
2. Add remaining water, olive oil, pesto base, and flour (reserving 1/2 cup) to the mixer bowl.
3. Stir the sponge and add it to the mixer bowl. It will be sticky so scrape as much as you can into the mixer bowl.
4. Start the mixer on the slowest speed to combine the ingredients until you can’t tell the difference between the sponge and the added ingredients. Add the remaining flour slowly as needed during the next minute or so until the dough begins to take form. The dough should be firm but not dry. If needed you can add 1 tblsp of water at a time to the dough. Mix the dough for about 8 minutes on the slowest speed.
5. Remove the dough from the mixer, form into a ball, and place in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it completely with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place. Allow to double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
5. Punch the dough down and remove it from the bowl to a floured board. Cut it in half and form each half into a ball. Cover with a floured towel and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
6. Form each ball into a batard. Watch the video noted above if you don’t know how to do this. Place the batards on a floured Baker’s Couche, cover with a floured towel and allow it to rise in a warm place for about an hour. It should be just about double in size. Placed Baker’s Tiles and a pan for water in the oven. As the dough nears completion add water to the pan and preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.
7. Turn the dough onto a Baker’s Peel and slash the top with a razor blade or sharp knife. Quickly slide the dough into the oven on the hot tiles and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. The internal temperature of the loaves should be 200 degrees fahrenheit when done.
8. Remove the loaves from the oven when done and allow to cool on a rack.
Serve with extra virgin olive oil to which you’ve added your favorite Italian herbs and freshly grated parmesan cheese, and enjoy, Daniel did!
O.P.W.
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11.10.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections, Poetry at 10:12 am by O.P.W. Fredericks
I’d like to give a shout out to Tilt Press.
Here’s their catalog page.
Rachel Mallino is a casual member of my poetry forum who has been busier that a one armed paper hanger lately. Rachel and her co-editor Nicole Cartwright Denison have just made their selection for their most recent chapbook Handle This Bludgeon and Run Me Through by Andrew Terhune.
Give the site a visit and order a copy of this latest poetry chapbook.
O.P.W.
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11.04.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections, Poetry at 11:11 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
A Pantoum - of sorts
In Time
for Madelyn
by O.P.W. Fredericks
For the times they are a-changin’.
–Bob Dylan
When the last has stood to gentle time
and when gentle winds soothe tired bone,
In that comfort hour I’ll know it’s mine,
In that comfort hour my life I’ll own.
For the times they are a-changin’.
And when gentle winds soothe tired bone
I’ll have given all to one in love.
In that comfort hour my life I’ll own.
In that comfort hour I’ll shine above.
For the times they are a-changin’.
I’ll have given all to one in love.
By example I have lived my life.
In that comfort hour I’ll shine above
In that comfort hour there’s no more strife.
For the times they are a-changin’.
By example I have lived my life,
in that comfort hour I’ll know it’s mine.
In that comfort hour there’s no more strife
when the last has stood to gentle time.
For the times they are a-changin’.
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09.20.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 10:57 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
Today is our anniversary. We spent a quiet day together, and I have been reflecting on how much my life has changed for the better since Daniel came into it. I have never felt such peace nor experienced so deep a love, and I have never known an inner strength as unshakable as I have in Daniel.
I love you Daniel,
O.P.W.
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09.19.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 10:27 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
There was a tang in the air this morning, that first hint of autumn when the sugar maple in the back yard begins to lose its leaves. It’s always the first to signal the change of season. The house was cold this morning, I didn’t think to close the windows last night, and I woke this morning with the down comforter over top of me. I must have pulled it up sometime over night. The white oak has started to drop its acorns. I can hear them bounce off the ground and the picnic table, and some even roll across the front porch floor. The squirrels are busy eating their fill as well as burying the darn things in the flower pots and boxes around the porch. This winter, after I’ve brought the plants indoors, I’ll have a few oak trees sprouting among the basil and lemon verbena. The koi and gold fish are also ravenous, finishing their food in less than half the time as normal. All of these things all my signals that the change is coming.
I harvested the yellow peppers today, all two of them. One was perfect, the other half rotted on the side concealed by the iris it was growing against. I tried to cut away the bad part, but the rot permeated the entire thing. I also brought in two perfect tomatoes. There’s six more that are trying to ripen before the first nip of frost kisses them good morning. I hope they make it.
O.P.W.
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09.18.08
Posted in Recipes & Cooking at 9:05 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
Today I ran out of ideas for dinner, so I went through my recipes to look for a meal that uses Campbell’s soup. I found a recipe in my cooking folder that I received from my Campbell’s email subscription. It’s very easy and it tastes wonderful. I’ve fiddled with it a little, as I always do, to give it a little bit of a kick.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. frozen green beans
2 carrots peeled and cut into oblong wheels 1/8 inch thick
6 pork cutlets - trimmed
Pam cooking spray
2 cans Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can water
1/4 tsp. dried ground sage leaves
1/4 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary
3-4 good dashes Texas Pete’s Hot Sauce
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup dry basmati rice cooked as directed on package
Directions:
1. Spray frying pan with Pam. Heat pan under medium flame and cook carrots 3 minutes. Turn and add green beans. Cover and cook an additional 5 minutes or until tender crisp. Remove to microwave safe bowl.
2. Brown pork cutlets in pan drippings from vegetables 4 minutes each side until juices run clear. Remove. While cutlets are cooking mix remaining ingredients except rice in a bowl.
3. Pour soup mix into frying pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover an cook for 5 minutes.
4. Return pork cutlets to pan with soup mix and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Warm vegetables in microwave.
5. Serve pork cutlets aside vegetables rice. Use cream mushroom gravy to adorn rice and cutlets.
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09.17.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 8:18 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
This is going to be brief. Tonight we’re having an online discussion on enjambment and line breaks. It’s interesting to see how different poets use these techniques differently to enhance stressed words and emphasize their work. The participation is a little lighter this evening, but the discussion is very informative.
O.P.W.
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09.16.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 10:30 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
Gizzie experienced her first real day of freedom today. Neither Daniel or I realized how little we have seen of her the past two weeks. Chester’s presence required her to live in the basement and I’m sure she considered it a banishment. It’s wonderful though just how forgiving animals can be. Humans should take note. Today was the first day since Chester left that she seemed at ease and she spent hours out on the front porch sleeping on Daniel’s rocker-glider. When I called her in for dinner, it was obvious she knew Chester was gone because she didn’t wait at the front door and listen for him. She just sauntered into the kitchen and ate her dinner in peace. She spent this evening moving from the back of Daniel’s La-z-Boy to my side to the front porch, and back to Daniel’s La-z-Boy. She made this round trip several times. It’s nice to have her back, but I still miss Chester terribly.
O.P.W.
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09.15.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 11:51 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
I realized today how many things had changed over the past two weeks, how much our routines were modified to accommodate and work with a new dog, how quiet the house was, and how much I miss Chester. I spoke on the phone at length yesterday afternoon with my friend Larina about Chester. I told her about what I was feeling, and that after crying my eyes out and making a fool of myself in front of the man who came to take him away, I realized Daniel and I had made the right decision. Could it have worked out, perhaps? Was it possible that at some moment after he and Gizzie learned to cohabitate, he would decide to not listen just one time and attack her? Was it possible if he attacked her he would kill her? Could he have turned on Daniel or myself, without what we would interpret as provocation? Was there something in his past that caused him to interpret a word, as sound, a tonal inflection, a body stance as a threat? The answer to these questions is yes.
It is so hard to know exactly what triggered his aggression. Daniel and I talked at length Saturday night. Our greatest fear was for Gizzie. While he could inflict severe injuries on us, we do not believe he could kill us, but Gizzie is another story. There are several things that nag at me. Whenever I told Chester to sit so that I could put on and remove the soft collar for his leash, he would cower. I wonder if he associated this word with a punishment of some kind from his past, or if a punishment followed that word. I was the one who most often reprimanded and rewarded him for his behavior. Reprimands consisted of no, a stern no, or if he wouldn’t listen, a time out in his cage. His rewards consisted of praise, petting, a belly rub, and for the second week he was here, a small treat, usually a piece of his kibble, as I was advised to do by an animal behaviorist I had consulted about he and Gizzie. I was the one who walked him in the yard most often and corrected his behavior about the koi pond, testing the fence with his teeth, and rolling in the excrement of wild animals. I was the one who most often told him to move away from the basement door when he observed or growled at the cat. Was this all just too much for him? Had he finally had enough of it?
I was told by the animal behaviorist that dogs often try to establish their dominance by positioning themselves on furniture at a level at least equal to if not higher than the humans. He was allowed on the sofa, and he often positioned himself on the back of the sofa or on the arm of Daniel’s La-z-Boy recliner. In talking with the animal behaviorist and the woman I adopted him from, I related the training he was going through. They both told me that Chester identified me as the alpha male of the pack. Were these aggressive incidents his challenge to that position?
I wrote that Chester became aggressive towards me on Saturday. I had just finished taking a shower. I used the same soap, shampoo, and deodorant that I always use, and I was dressed in clothing he had seen me dressed in before. I had walked into the living room to ask Daniel when he wanted to eat dinner. I remember that I had put my hands on my hips when I was talking to Daniel. Was this the trigger that set him to growl and begin the cascade? I don’t think we’ll ever know whether it was a combination of things or one isolated incident, but the bottom line is that we both no longer felt safe in the house with him. In addition to our fear for Gizzie’s life, we were also very concerned for other people who might visit, be they friends, family, or strangers. Because his aggression escalated over the course of those two days, we just couldn’t take the chance.
I called the Vet’s office this afternoon to inquire about Chester. I wanted to be sure he was OK and that they were not going to put him down. When I had talked to the woman about Chester on Saturday, she told me that just the day before a farmer had inquired about a dog for his farm. She said that if Chester didn’t work out for us, perhaps it would work with the farmer, but she had to go visit the farm first and talk to him about what he was looking for. This was all before Chester turned on Daniel. This afternoon I was reassured that they were going to visit the farm, talk to the farmer and determine if Chester might work out for him. I told the woman I had adopted him from that I do not want him put down. She told me that they would do their best for him.
I sit here this evening thinking about this little guy, sleeping in a metal cage when just 3 nights ago he slept beside me on a down comforter, and how happy he was hunting moles in the yard. I think about how fast his little stump of a tail wagged when he ate the food I cooked for him, and I remember most his gentle eyes looking up at me pleading, “Please Daddy, pet me some more.”
God I miss him.
O.P.W.
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09.14.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 10:53 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
For the past two weeks Chester has helped me fill an empty space I’ve had in my heart for five months. I had to have my other dog put to sleep this past April for what I believe was a brain tumor. She was my companion for fourteen and a half years, and to this day I continue to miss her. She took to Daniel immediately and loved him as much as she loved me. Daniel’s grief for her loss was more intense than mine, as I cried rarely and minimally until the week before we adopted Chester, then I sobbed for days. Chester was a rescue and a young adult male Jack Russell Terrier of between two and three years.
Since last night, Chester’s behavior and demeanor deteriorated to the point of trying to attack from within his cage. This occurred when Daniel had returned him to his cage after his second walk this morning. As Daniel closed the door, Chester lunged at the door, snarling, barking, and bearing his teeth. It was obvious he was trying to harm Daniel. I called the Vets office where we adopted him to come to take him away. It was no longer safe to have him in the house. It was four and a half hours before someone was able to come for him.
Chester showed great promise. He was adjusting well to his new home, and learning what his new boundaries were; e.g. not diving into my koi pond to catch a fish, not peeing in the house - he only did this once, coming when called, and lastly to not antagonize the cat who was living in the basement until we could figure out how to introduce them properly. Three days before he attached me, Chester saw his first deer in the back yard. Since that time his demeanor was off, yet he was still loving and, and full of young dog energy. He had become more resistant to commands to come, or sit, or the word no, and most importantly, to move away from the basement door and not growl at Gizzie the cat.
Since I was a toddler, I have shared my life with nine other dogs - one who had a litter of ten puppies - five cats, six pet ducks, one rabbit, five guinea pigs, five mallard ducklings who I hatched from their eggs when their mother had been killed by a car, one Canadian goose who was raised from one day old - she still had her egg tooth, two mice, and many baby birds who had fallen out of their nests. Chester was my tenth dog. Until Chester, I have never been afraid of a dog, nor have I ever had the slightest worry or fear that one of my dogs would turn on me and attack.
Today my hand is a little more swollen than last night, and the evidence of a bruise is making itself known. It is oozing serum and I am keeping it bandaged. It has become more tender than last night, and it now throbs and stings. There is no sign of infection, and Chester was up on all his inoculations. As a result of the wound, typing is a little tough. The mouse is putting pressure on the wound, but I want to keep the muscles moving to speed the reabsorption of the blood that is there.
O.P.W.
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09.13.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 10:40 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
How do I tell you about this? As some of you know, I have written frequently about Chester, a dog we adopted a little over two weeks ago on August 30.
This evening Chester attacked me, biting me in the palm of my right hand. We had just finished our walk when I started to wipe his feet of mud from the yard, something I have done dozens of times over the past two weeks. Without warning, he lunged and bit my hand leaving two puncture wounds. I spoke with the woman we adopted him from, and she advised me to allow him a time out in his cage while we go to the hospital. If he seemed OK when we got home we could let him out, if not he should remain in the cage ’til morning, only being allowed out to potty. I spent several hours in the emergency department and after returning home, he seemed to be the same old lovable Chester. Daniel took him out for a walk and then returned him to the cage. I remained in another room with the door closed.
An hour later we checked on him and he seemed fine. He was allowed out of his cage with a leash attached. I sat on the couch and he jumped up beside me and pawed me to pet him. I spent a few minutes petting him on his back, behind his ears, and on his belly when he offered it to me. An hour later he again became very aggressive towards me without provocation. Chester was lying on one end of the sofa and I was at sitting at the other end watching the weather about hurricane Ike when he began to approach me slowly with a look in his eyes I have never seen before, one step at a time, pausing between steps. I had a pointer-beagle mix before who moved like this when he was stalking prey. Chester’s head and ears were lowered. He was not growling or bearing his teeth. I immediately averted my eyes and froze. He stopped right next to me staring at me, his body stiff, muscles tense. I softly called to Daniel to take him away from me. He was returned to his cage and it was covered. Daniel has been the one to take him out for his walks, but Daniel has told me that Chester is becoming more distant. Each time he has been taken out of his cage I have gone to another room. He remains there now.
O.P.W.
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09.12.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 10:47 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
Last evening I participated in a lively discussion online between members of my poetry forum. One of the things we discussed, there were many topics - some of which will not be repeated outside of that chat room, was poetic voice.
My dear friend Larina, editor of the online poetry journal The Externalist, led the discussion. I’ve always had difficulty putting into words my definition of poetic voice. It’s sort of like the well debated issue of, “Is it pornography or art, you know it when you see it,” or in this case read it or hear it. I recognize the voice of a poem, and I can now often hear the forum member author of a poem without seeing their name.
~
Among the explanations, definitions, and descriptions of poetic voice were the following comments:
A focus on sound or emotion.
Unique variations that occur consistently within a poets’ work that make that poet “stand out”, a combination of theme, style, technique, and tone.
A poet may find it difficult to recognize their own voice.
A poet often discovers their voice when they listen to someone else read their work
Personal philosophy comes into play, whether we view the universe as having any static components. Poetry is inherently a dynamic art, and style, a momentary vista in a kaleidoscope of emotion.
In life, if you let your perspective dilate, you can see that fine thread of continuity that is ever changing and yet unbroken. For those whom writing is inextricably intertwined with that thread, they are poets and have this kind of voice.
Voice is a personal style of a poet.
Each poet has a different concept of voice, what it is or not, what will inspire it, who has or doesn’t have it.
Voice is a combination of things that make poetry unique to a poet.
It is the totality of the poet.
It’s something really kind of ephemeral and hard to categorize.
There are many poetic voices, confessional, lyricist, narrative, experimental/avant-garde, langpo, accessible, difficult, etc., etc., etc.
~
So use your unique voice and write a poem.
O.P.W.
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09.11.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 10:47 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
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09.10.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 10:49 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
I’ve been thinking a lot about tomorrow. I know I’m not alone when I say I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the first jet struck the first of the twin towers. I remember it was a Tuesday. I was performing a procedure on a patient. It took all of my will power to stay focused on the procedure, but I could feel a numbness overtaking me. When the second plane struck, I was with another patient, performing the same procedure. It was a hectic day at work, and though I was grieving inside, and numb, and angry, and scared, I could not allow my feelings to interfere with the care of the patients. That evening when I went home, I watched the television until 4 AM and went to bed. I remember watching Peter Jennings on ABC, and I remember Diane Sawyer walking through New York as she picked up pieces of paper that had been blown out of one of the towers. I woke on the 12th at 6:30 AM and immediately turned the TV back on and watched until I had to leave for work. I remember the skies that day, devoid of jets, except the few fighter jets I watched fly overhead. All commercial aircraft were grounded.
For the next two weeks I sat glued to the TV whenever I could, wherever I could. I kept KWY, a Philadelphia news radio station, tuned in on the car radio. In the evenings while I had the TV on, I went to the major news networks web sites and read about all the victims. I looked at each face and read all of their biographies and the stories that were written about them. Then I stopped. I couldn’t watch it any more.
I was numb for months, but slowly the numbness wore off to be replaced by a deep seated, controlled rage. I wanted revenge! I watched our country prepare for war. I listened to horrible words spoken by many people about striking back, knowing that many of the words were twisting the facts, but I didn’t care, I wanted blood.
For the next two years, I supported our troops, “adopting” several individuals and platoons, and I spent thousands of dollars on supplies and postage to mail them each care packages on a monthly basis. I converted a room in my home to “the troops room” where I stored the supplies and shipping materials, and I found myself on a first name basis with the post mistress at my local post office. I wrote hundred of letters to each of my troops and learned of their birthdays, anniversaries, and when their unborn babies were expected to arrive. I even wrote to some of their wives.
Then I realized my country had gone crazy, and I stopped.
O.P.W.
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09.09.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 10:44 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
This morning the rain started around 9:00. There were two sections to the storm, and the first wave provided a continuous rain, heavy at times until just after noon. I spent the morning watching the weather radar on my computer to time my walks with Chester. In between walks, I washed eight large leaves of lettuce, wrapped them in a linen towel and put them in the frig to dry, and spent time on the two poetry forums. Instead of using the leftover pork roast for the bean soup, I defrosted leftover ham from two months ago. It was baked with ginger ale, cloves, and honey, and I’ve used ham cooked with this recipe before for different soups. It always comes out very well.
At noon, I added the ham after I diced it, stirred the soup, added a cup of water and left it alone. The rain has stopped and there was a large area on the weather radar devoid of rain so I drove over to the O & A Farms produce stand to pick up cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, and red onions to add to the lettuce for a salad to go with the bean soup. On the way home, I stopped at Genuardi’s Market and bought a wonderful loaf of an artisan bread to toast for garlic bread. When I got home, I prepped the vegetables I was going to add to the salad and put them in the frig for later.
I spent a few hours on the two poetry forums and then at 5:00 this afternoon I took Chester out for a walk and worked on the pond. While we were out, I measured the water level in a bucket that I sat on the sidewalk before the rain started. We received 2 inches of rain, that’s 6 inches since Saturday. As the minutes ticked by, the second wave of rain continued to dissipate, and finally disappeared. Daniel had told me he would probably be late this evening because of a project he was working on for a client, so started to take the things I needed out of the frig to finish making dinner.
At 5:30 PM Daniel called to say he was on his way home. I rushed through making the salad and sliced the bread, drizzled it with olive oil and then sprinkled it with garlic powder. Daniel arrived home just as I was putting the garlic bread in the toaster oven so I offered him his bowl of salad to start. The soup was gently boiling in the crock pot so I ladled out two bowls and let them cool a bit while the garlic bread was toasting. I usually just have bread and butter with soup but the garlic added a special something to the meal. I’ll have to do it again.
O.P.W.
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09.08.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections, Recipes & Cooking at 10:31 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
I called the Vet’s office today and talked to the woman I had spoken with when we found Chester. I explained the situation of Chester and Gizzie, the progress he has made in his behavior, and how his is settling in. She listened to everything I said then told me she’d like to consult with an animal behaviorist she works with to help the animals she rescues adapt to their new homes. She told me once she had some information, she’d call me back. Before we hung up, she said there was a second person she was going to call as well. I remain hopeful that we can make his adoption work.
Just after noon, I assembled the ingredients for my bean soup. I began to soak the beans this past Saturday, just as Hanna began to dump her version of rain on us. I’ll include the recipe below. In the past, I’ve soaked dried beans for a few hours in a large sauce pan and then brought them to a boil, then reduced the heat and allowed them to simmer for about 3 hours before I assemble the ingredients. The trouble with dried beans is that they remain crunchy after cooking in the crock pot for up to 12 hours. It isn’t until the second or third day that they’ve softened. I’ve used canned beans, but they literally fall apart in the soup and there’s a lot of waste when I rinse the beans until the water runs clear before I use them. I rinse them because I can’t stand the smell when I open the cans and it also helps to minimize the associated aftereffects.
Bean soup is a favorite of mine, right up there with split pea and lentil. This time I used four different dried beans, kidney, pinto, navy, and black. I usually use whatever is on hand, but I selected these varieties when I went shopping because of the unique taste and characteristics of each. I want to see how they’ll taste combined. During the first 24 hours I rinsed the beans and changed the water three times. After that, I’ve done this twice a day. I believe this will help with the aforementioned aftereffects and it will help them to soften. On a side note, if I didn’t know better I’d swear Chester has eaten beans every day since we brought him home.
3 day Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup each - dried kidney, pinto, navy, and black beans - soaked 2 days
1 - large onion cut into small wedges
2 - carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 - stalks celery cut into 1/2 inch pieces - include the leaves, they have the best flavor
1 - large can diced or peeled tomatoes with juice or 2 1/2 lb. tomatoes diced
2 - bay leaves
2 tsp. - fresh ground sage
1 tsp. - fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. - fresh ground lemon pepper
1 tblsp. - fresh ground sea salt
1 tblsp. - McCormick’s Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp - dried chopped rosemary
1 tsp. - ground garlic
2 tsp. - dried chopped garlic
3 hefty dashes of Texas Pete’s Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp - Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp - dried basil
2 cups - cooked diced pork or ham
3-4 cups - water - added as needed to keep the beans submerged.
Equipment:
1 - 5 or 6 qt. crock pot
Start in the afternoon.
Assemble all ingredients except the meat in the crock pot and turn on high until the soup boils, about 3 hours. Reduce the heat to low for 3 hours. Alternate settings between high and low 3 hours each, except over night leave crock pot on low. DON’T LIFT THE LID TO CHECK! - YOU’LL LOSE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF HEAT AND WATER VAPOR.
Only lift the lid to add water as needed to keep the beans submerged.
The next morning, (obviously lift the lid) stir the ingredients and turn crock pot on high the remainder of the day until serving.
6 hours before serving, add the meat and stir again.
Serving Suggestions:
Prepare your favorite garden salad and select your favorite dressing.
Get yourself a nice loaf of crusty bread. Slice bread into 1 inch thick pieces. Drizzle with olive oil or spread with butter. Sprinkle with garlic powder and place in toaster oven until the garlic bubbles and the bread begins to brown.
Serve the soup steaming hot with your salad and garlic bread.
Enjoy!
O.P.W.
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09.07.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections at 9:33 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
After a week of forced separation, and after much discussion and contemplation, Daniel and I decided to introduce our two four-footed companions to each other today. BIG MISTAKE! While I took Chester outside for a walk, Daniel brought Gizzie, the cat (nicknamed Gizmo like the Mogwai from the movie Gremlins, but not after the Mogwai; or Mozilla similar to Godzilla, but not after Godzilla; or Mo Mo; or Mo dill a, emphasis on the first syllable which is held the longest, or … Ok, you get the picture) up from the basement and put her in her cat bed on top of the liquor cabinet in the dining room. “On the liquor cabinet in the dining room?” you ask. Because of the layout of the house, she is able to view us when we’re in the living room, dining room, and kitchen from this vantage point, and that’s how she wants it. What Gizzie wants Gizzie gets, she’s a cat!
When Chester and I entered the house, Chester knew immediately that the cat was near. Daniel stood in front of the cabinet petting Gizzie while Chester sniffed about with intent. Gizzie watched Chester with intent from an altitude of four feet. Try as he may, Chester could not locate her, and his search took on a fervent pitch. I picked him up and showed him where she was from about five feet away. It’s a good thing I chose this distance and had a firm grasp on his collar. I have never witnessed such fast reflexes. He immediately attempted to launch from my chest towards the cat. Gizzie hissed. Chester barked and whined. Gizzie hissed some more. After a few moments I put Chester on the floor while I held on to his leash. As if on a pogo stick, Chester launched himself into the air, intent on latching onto Gizzie. Gizzie peered down at him and with each leap launched controlled swipes towards his face.
Chester realized there was a chair next to the cabinet and made it up onto the seat before I was able to grab him. Had I not done this, he would have been at the cat in an instant. I moved the chair away from the cabinet and placed Chester back on the floor. He continued his feverish leaps into the air while Gizzie continued her swipes near his snout, alternating her hisses with growls. This continued for another five minutes. At four minutes, Chester began to tire and his altitude lessened with each leap. As he neared the point of collapse, I picked him up and took him out into the yard to cool down. He headed straight for the stream at the pond and immersed himself in it, lapping up water as he moved through the water iris. His thirst finally sated, he climbed out and came to me exhausted. I carried him to the porch and dried him off, thinking the encounter had drawn to a conclusion. Not so.
I kept him on the leash as we entered the house again, hoping he would retire to the couch, but prepared if not. Not! He headed straight for the cabinet and cat, and launched himself into the air with greater determination than before. Gizzie, recognizing the seriousness of his intent, increased her pitch and volume, and began to connect with great accuracy across Chester’s snout, but she did not draw blood. I allowed this to continue for another two minutes, and when the first sign that Chester’s launches weakened, I took him away into the living room, with him barking all the way. Gizzie immediately launched herself into the air and landed on the floor ten feet away at the foot of the stairs leading to the second floor. She disappeared up the stairs in an instant. Chester tried to pursue her, but I had a firm hold on his leash. I immediately took him outside to calm him down. Again!
When I returned, Daniel had closed the door at the foot of the stairs, allowing Gizzie time to recover in a safe environment. Chester sniffed around and after a few minutes determined Gizzie was not near. He returned to the couch and collapsed, falling fast asleep in less than a minute.
After a while, Daniel and I discussed what to do, and whether I should call the Vets office where we adopted him to take him back. This was very upsetting to me and I have remained nearly silent the remainder of this evening. I simply don’t know what to do. My heart is aching at the thought of losing this little guy, who has become so dear to me, while at the same time thinking of Gizzie and her sentence to the basement at no fault of her own. Chester has made tremendous progress in his behavior and he has become comfortable here. He is no longer on the alert at every new sound, and he doesn’t feel the need to follow either Daniel or I at our heels whenever we leave the room, at least for a minute or so. Late this evening I found tiny scabs in the fur on Chester’s snout. At first I thought they were fleas, which shouldn’t be there because of his flea collar. I realized that Gizzie had indeed connected, but again she was very restrained. We took a chance to see if they, or he could get it our of their/his system(s). It failed.
I’m going to call the Vet tomorrow to seek advice on improving the chances of getting these two to coexist without antagonism or the fear of bloodshed.
O.P.W.
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09.06.08
Posted in Thoughts and Reflections, Recipes & Cooking at 10:05 pm by O.P.W. Fredericks
I prepared for Hanna and her wrath today by draining the pond of about 800 gallons of water, cleaning out the rain gutters and down spouts of leaves, sticks, and walnuts deposited there by squirrels, and by checking the foundation of the house several times during the storm. It was all for naught. When the rain had stopped, I had to top off the pond with the garden hose, there was no deluge to overtax the gutters and down spouts, and the foundation held. The estimate for our area was 3 - 4 inches over the course of 8 - 9 hours. We did get a smidgen of water in the basement, really just a damp spot just inside the bilco doors, (like those that would lead into a storm cellar). We could have done with twice the rain we received. We haven’t had any measurable rain in nearly a month.
Just before the rain arrived, I put together the pork roast in the crock pot. What a treat. It was moist, tender, and just on the sweet side, with just a touch of fire. I modified the recipe I mentioned yesterday, as I always do, and boy-oh-boy am I glad I did. The ingredients make a wonderful spicy-sweet compote that is attractive and goes well served over or beside the meat. With the pork roast I made potato pancakes from a Panni box mix, and french cut green beans. For dessert we had a pint of sliced strawberries that I added 2 teaspoons of sugar to and allowed them to marinate for several hours over Hostess cake cups with fresh whipped cream, Hershey’s syrup, and Daniel put coconut on his serving.
Sweet & Spicy Crock pot Pork Roast
Ingredients:
1 - 3 lb. pork roast
1 - can crushed pineapple
1 - c. chopped dried cranberries
1 - tsp. ground sea salt
1/2 - tsp. fresh ground tricolor peppercorns
4 - good dashes Texas Pete Hot Sauce (used 2 if you want a mild tang)
1/4 - tsp. crushed rosemary
1 - tsp. McCormick’s Italian Seasoning
2 - tblsp. soy sauce
1 - tsp. garlic powder
1 - tsp. dried chopped garlic
2 - tsp. dried onion flakes
2 - tblsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 - tsp. freshly ground sage
1 - tblsp. Mrs. Dash
Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours. Remove roast from pot and allow to stand 15 minutes before cutting. Serve compote over meat slices.
Give this recipe a try. I think you’ll enjoy it.
O.P.W.
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