Thanksgiving evening, after dinner

After dinner, thanksgiving evening at ML's, photo by Mary Stebbins. We were there late. Graham spent a lot of time drawing in his art notebook. As always, click on the picture to view it larger.

Turkey Bones and “The Starving Armenians”

Of course, it is not the Armenians that are starving now, but the sad fact is that someone is always starving, a person, just like you and me.   When I was a kid, the "Starving Armenians were always invoked to get me to eat my cod-cakes and cucumbers.  Then, I wanted to send them the food I didn't want.   Now, I can't help but remember them as I work on capturing the last bits of meat from the turkey carcass.  I want to quit.  It's hard work, separating the few scraps of meat from the bones, gristle, skin and other unnamable scraps in the soup pot.   Ugh.  I want to just throw it all away.  I never understood how eating all this stuff would save any Armenians, but still, throwing away good food seems like a sin.   There are people who would practically kill for this carcass.  So I sit here working, pulling the bits of meet off the skin, bones and gristle.   I know better than to make myselffat because someone else is dying of starvation.  I know that intellectually.   And I've lived on the streets and been homeless and had to beg for food.  I know what hunger is like, real hunger.  I know it viscerally and some great deep fear wells up inside, a hollow hungry place that says, keep working.

 

We've already had two turkey soups from this carcass, now three, as I eat one for lunch, with spinach and oat bran.   But there will be a fourth.  I'd send it to someone somewhere, maybe Darryl, the homeless man we met near Eastern Market in Detroit.  I'd give it to him, if he were still there and I could find him and if I thought he'd eat it.  But I remember when we brought some good food to a homeless person near the Y.   We paid a lot for it, got it at an expensive restaurant.  But he threw it aside in disgust.  It was not what he wanted.

 

So we will eat the fourth soup tonight, the fourth and last, thank goodness.  We're getting tired of turkey leftovers.   Keith isn't that fond of turkey to begin with.  Tonight, it will be cream of turkey soup with white wine, spinach, carrot medallions, and black pepper.   I hope it's good.  I wish I could share it with someone who would be happy to have it.  Instead, we will try to enjoy it for them, and for the turkey who gave it's life, and for the beloved family we first ate the turkey with, and for the friends we love and for the earth that sustains us.   It will nourish us, eaten like that.

--
I am certain of nothing but the Heart's affections and the truth of the Imagination- John Keats
Mary

The Catching Bunnies Game

The Catching Bunnies Game, by Mary Stebbins. This was Friday night when we went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I took it as a possibility for the Frame within a Frame assignment for BP. If you click on it, you can see a larger picture. If you would like to see another picture from the frame within a frame assignment, visit IMAGIK.

I cropped and straightened and adjusted this picture a little and posted it here, at IMAGIK, if you want to compare this with the somewhat "improved" version.

Merthiolate Blue

I had a repeating dream last night which I describe in my dream blog, DreamLitG.  http://dreamlitg.blogspot.com/

 

I do realize that many people are not interested in dreams, which is why I am keeping them in a separate blog.  :-)
--
I am certain of nothing but the Heart's affections and the truth of the Imagination- John Keats
Mary

pie recipe

Pam wrote:   I bet those pies were exemplary.  I had great trepidation about making my two pies, for I haven't baked but once or twice since we moved into this house eleven years ago.  So I was researching recipes for crusts, and for the pumpkin.  The apple's much easier; I often do a "crustless apple pie" in a big glass casserole and microwave it.  I'm the only one that eats much of it so I get to spice it to my taste, which includes LOTS of cardamom, lumps of ginger, fresh nutmeg, and a few other items.  I was pleased with how the pastry turned out, for I was intimidated by that.  Used one recipe for pate brisee from Gourmet , and for the apples' crust adapted one given me at work.  Used some mace in the pumpkin crust and really liked the result.
\       What're your recipes for your two pies, O! Cook of great delights?  If you're into sharing, that is?

My answer:  Well, I use the Crisco recipe for pastry, but we had so much going on that I bought premade crusts at the healthfood freezer section.  All three of us sat around the table last night peeling and cutting apples then halved a few cranberries--I filled the shells.  I put in about 3/4 c sugar in each, half white and half brown, cinnamon and nutmeg--sometimes I use other spices, but was keeping it simple because it was so late after we got back from the movies.  I used empires and granny smith apples.  The cranberries for extra tartness.  Sometimes I also add lemon juice.  The crumb topping was 1/2 c flour, 1/4 c sugar and butter cut with a pastry blender and sprinkled on.  The crisp topping had brown sugar nuts oatmeal flour and butter.  Everyone likes their pies a little differently and of course, I make my pies to my taste--but usually, other people like them too, and they are SO much better than storebought!  A million times better.  Yum yum!

The goblet of Fire

We went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last night.  It was scary and good.  I had forgotten how in scary movies I always get cold and clammy with fear.  I had Keith on the right and Graham on the left and sat holding their hands.  At one point, Gram practically crawled into my lap (Voldemort int he cemetery).  We really enjoyed it-- a good, close, family experience.

--
I am certain of nothing but the Heart's affections and the truth of the Imagination- John Keats
Mary

Pie for breakfast!

I made two apple cranberry pies last night, one with a crisp topping (with oats and walnuts) and one with a crumb topping.  I made them because there was only pumpkin with milk in it at the Taitt thanksgiving. They got done too late to eat last night, so after I had the ymmy steel-cut oats oatmeal with raisins and ricemilk that Keith made for breakfast this morning, I had a piece of the apple crumb pie.  I cut a tiny sliver--but it was so good I cut myself a second one!  (Both together about equal to a regular piece).  Mmmm, pie for breakfast--and boy was it good.  I have to say, please forgive me, I make good pies.

--
I am certain of nothing but the Heart's affections and the truth of the Imagination- John Keats
Mary

Our First Thanksgiving '05

Here we are with all the fixings. Mmm. Erwin, Mark, Erin, Sara, me, and Keith is missing because he's taking the picture. (Click the photo to see us larger than you probably want to!)

leftovers

Yesterday, for lunch, I made the first batch of turkey soup from the Thanksgiving Carcass.  I served it with leftover apple-cranberry pie and leftover pumpkin pie.  It was delcious!  Today, I am alone.  I am having leftover stuffing with leftover giblet gravy and pumpkin pie for lunch.  There's one small piece left and that will be the end of the pie.  (Still lots of stuffing, since Keith doesn't like it).  The stuffing as all full of yummy vegetables:  mushrooms, celery, onions, red peppers, garlic, fresh basil, fresh celery.  Mmmm!  It seems a little odd to be eating Thanksgiving leftovers before Thanksgiving, be we celebrated our first Thanksgiving  in CNY on Saturday.  I sort of wish I'd taken some potaoes and squash to go with the other leftovers--I would have gladly traded, but I was so full at the time it didn't seem possible to ever eat again.  LOL!

If I make it to Detroit on time, there'll be another Thanksgiving there.

--
I am certain of nothing but the Heart's affections and the truth of the Imagination- John Keats
Mary

Reminder: Opening tonight!

My Opening at the Westcott Community Center and poetry reading are tonight. To see the reminder postcard and view the poems I'll read, please visit AMARYPOEM.