PEACE, JOY AND LOVE AS A CURE FOR A PANDEMIC OF DARKNESS

Pandemics, I have learned, tempt us to be negative, defeatist and resigned.  Despite our best efforts sometimes things happen beyond our control that wipe out years of hard fought success in a fleeting moment.  But Christ calls us to be strong in the storm,  to look to him to calm the seas, to find peace and love in the world and to be a light in the darkness.  So as you gracefully find your way,  as you seek joy in in simplicity,  as you look into the eyes of defeat brought on by a wave of economic calamity, disease and fear of the uncertain,  remember that you are a beacon, you are a light that the darkness cannot defeat.  Use that light to fill the life of others with joy, peace and love. And in that light know that out of the challenges comes great possibility.  Below are a few words that I hope bring light and life to your world: 

Not everything that has happened this year has come up roses, (indeed very little has) nevertheless the flowers have bloomed. Despite all that we have faced and continue to face, our lives also bloom.  God calls us to be a light to this world, a beacon in an otherwise dark place, and now, in the midst of a pandemic, is a good opportunity to be that light to others.  In this time of Advent, we pray that the love, wonder and glory of Christ come into your life and replaces a pandemic of darkness with a curative balm of peace, joy and love.

French Country Cooking

I experimented with French Cooking today, September 9, 2018.  From the book French Country Cooking: Meals and Moments From a Village in the Vineyards by Mimi Thorisson, I cooked the dish Poulet Chasseur —the Hunter’s Chicken.  This is the french version of a Continental dish which has an Italian alternative that involves a tomato sauce and cheese. The French version is distinguished by a large helping of onions, shallots and garlic.  With mushrooms and a bouquet garnit the dish becomes very aromatic with fresh and uncooked tarragon served atop the dish.  The sauce was delicious, though the butter is calorious. But the butter is so tasty and makes the sauce so smooth, it becomes all worth it.  This is a dish for Autumn.  It would go well with green beens and glazed carrots. For dessert, Mimi Thorisson's Every Day Pear Cake with Royal Tokaji would be superb. While white wine is heavily used in the sauce, I believe Pinot Noir from Burgundy would be a perfect pairing for dinner. Though we didn’t have any Pinot on hand, so we simply used the left over Chablis, and that was wonderful.  This is a classic French country dish.  The kind of dish that brings to mind hearth and home and the love of family and friends.  When serving though, I recommend reducing the serving size  because the sauce is so very filling.  Perhaps 4 oz of chicken breast would be ideal with the sauce. The recipe calls for dark meat, which would probably be delicious but paired with this sauce would be too heavy for my tastes.  How to get the taste without the waddle is the key to this dish. My answer is to go light on the sauce and light on the chicken.

The sauce was deliciously aromatic and buttery smooth. The flavors combined well.  The wife and I shared one large chicken breast and both now feel very full. 

What is it that captures the heart of the French and their love of food and wine?  This dish demonstrates layers of flavor,  cognac, wine, chicken broth, butter, olive oil, thyme, bay leaves, tarragon, onions, mushrooms, shallots, garlic and parsley — all brought together as a symphony of flavors.  Cheers to the French!  It is apparent from Thorisson's excellent book that the French love of life is the key to their devotion to flavor. And for that the world’s culinary experience is so much more delightful. 

A link to this recipe is here:https://www.domino.com/content/mimi-thorisson/ 

Christmas by Anglican Poet John Betjeman

Modern Christmas with its merriment, silver bells, decorated trees and ornaments, owes a debt of gratitude to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who popularized the decorated Christmas tree. In 1848 The Illustrated London News published a drawing of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert celebrating Christmas around a decorated Christmas tree. Prior to that time Christmas trees were rare in London and practically unheard of in the United States.  Queen Victoria forever changed all that and today we owe much of our Christmas traditions to the Victorian era in England.  Below is a video of British Poet John Betjeman reading his poem "Christmas." 

The Bells of waiting Advent ring,

The Tortoise stove is lit again

And lamp-oil light across the night

Has caught the streaks of winter rain

In many a stained-glass window sheen

From Crimson Lake to Hooker's Green

The holly in the windy hedge

And round the Manor House the yew

Will soon be stripped to deck the ledge,

The altar, font and arch and pew,

So that the villagers can say

"The Church looks nice" on Christmas Day.

Provincial public houses blaze

And Corporation tramcars clang,

On lighted tenements I gaze

Where paper decorations hang,

And bunting in the red Town Hall

Says "Merry Christmas" to you all.

And London shops on Christmas Eve

Are strung with silver balls and flowers

As hurrying clerks the City leave

To pigeon-haunted classic towers,

And marbled clouds go scudding by

The many-steepled London sky.

And girls in slacks remember Dad,

And oafish louts remember Mum,

And sleepless children's hearts are glad

And Chrismas morning bells say "Come!"  

Even to shining ones who dwell

Safe in the Dorchester Hotel.

And is it true? And is it true,

This most tremendous tale of all

Seen in a stained-glass window's hue

A Baby in an ox's stall?

The Maker of the stars and sea

Become a Child on earth for me?

And is it true? For if it is,

No loving fingers tying strings

Around those tissued fripperies,

The sweet and silly Christmas things,

Bath salts and inexpensive scent

And hideous tie so kindly meant

No love that in a family dwells

No carolling, in frosty air,

Nor all the steeple-shaking bells

Can with this single Truth compare - 

That God was Man in Palestine

And lives to-day in Bread and Wine.               

TAGLIATELLE OF WILD MUSHROOMS

Have you ever had a hobby that you are into but then drift away from due to life's constraints on your time and energy.  Such is the case with me and cooking.  Years ago I decided to really learn how to cook.  You know, reading books about chefs and learning about techniques taught in cooking schools.  I also started collecting high end cooking tools, knives, pots and pans.  Then life got very busy,  a move ensued, a down turn in the energy markets struck and the cooking hobby was put on the back burner (pun intended). 

I find myself though now yearning for a return to my old hobby.  I have noticed that with time my tastes have changed slightly.  Previously, I was determined to cook ambitious dishes that displayed complexity. These dishes at the time presented as complex on the plate as well and I was typically happy that I was able to achieve and produce such a dish.  

But with change comes a shift in taste and a greater appreciation for the sublime.  I was recently in London dining at Jean Georges new outpost there in the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair.  While there I had the Mushroom Tagliatelle.  It was a fantastic dish that bought with it an experience which called to mind a warm hearth with warm company.  Great comfort food on a chilly and rainy fall evening.  I loved the dish but noted that, while it requires high cooking skills to get it right, the dish presents as elegantly refined and not overdone.  It was a creme based sauce but it didn't leave me feeling heavy. 

In my return to my old hobby I tried making a version of this dish for Thanksgiving. It came out well but I have a ways to go before it achieves the texture and flavors of Jean Georges's version.  But what strikes me is that my ambition is to increase my cooking skill level so that I can make a dish that presents as simple with divine flavors.   

Another step in the evolution of my tastes toward elegant simplicity.  

ELEGANT SIMPLICITY

The phrase "elegant simplicity" seems to appear over and over again.  It shows up in fashion: "her dress had an elegant simplicity"; in architecture: "the design had a modern elegant simplicity to it";   in science "Elegantly simple organizing principles seen in ribosomes"; in math: "the solution to the formula was elegantly simple"; and in life "Human happiness, true prosperity and joyful living can only emerge from a life of elegant simplicity."

But what is elegant simplicity.  Put another way how is it recognized. How do we achieve elegant simplicity. Stated succinctly, elegant simplicity presents itself to us in the form of solutions that  cut through the complexities and messiness that plague us and present in our mind's eye as a remarkably simple yet elegant solution.  The solution becomes so simple, so obvious,  that it makes elegant sense.  It is perhaps an "aha" moment in which we see something clearly where before it was an inconceivable jumble.  Sometimes, it represents a mastery over an objective problem, but more often it refers to our lives in that it represents a mastery over the problem of ourselves.  A life of elegant simplicity is one in which we have finally seen ourselves, in a true light,  a light that allows us to understand and see clearly our true person.  This understanding leads to an expression of ourselves through our actions, our words, our clothing, our love, our service, our careers, our religion -- in fact every aspect of our lives.

When we live a life of elegant simplicity we find a way to gracefully be in the world and with others.  As one author has noted in describing a graceful existence:

"It is made up of a poised and relaxed body, smooth and efficient motion, attentiveness, compassion. There is a contented silence to grace; it avoids what is loud and intrusive, and what offends the eye. . .Grace doesn’t make a fuss about itself, but it subtly warms and transforms the atmosphere. At its essence, grace is the transference of well-being from one who is calm and comfortable to those around them."

 Kaufman, Sarah L.  The Art of Grace: On Moving Well Through Life . W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.

The shoe and clothing company Cole Haan just released a video of New York City Ballet dancers elegantly dancing through pedestrians in the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.  You can see the video by clicking on the video link at the top of this post.  The video does a great job of artistically reminding us that as we move through life on an everyday basis we are expressing ourselves,  be that expression elegant or inelegant, our lives for better or for worse are expressions of ourselves.  To live a truly sterling life I hope to unlock elegantly simple solutions. Those solutions provide a key to knowing who I really am, so that I can gracefully present that person to the world.

SUMMER GETAWAY

Where do you like to vacation? If you are like me you like to move around from place to place each year seeing different parts of the country.  It lets me put a bit of adventure and exploration into my vacation.  Others however like to go back to the same place, a place they like and love every summer; an annual pilgrimage if you will to the land of rest and relaxation.  

I just returned from a vacation to the lake regions of Northern Minnesota.  The kids got to see the headwaters of the Mississippi, a spot where you can walk across stepping stones of the Mississippi where it is just a small shallow stream.  We spent time with family, fished the local lakes, went for bike rides and greatly enjoyed the beauty and people of the region. 

Having been on several vacations I am starting to form a concept of what I call a sterling vacation.  Some of the elements include: 

1. Natural beauty of place; 

2. Authenticity of accommodations; 

3. Community interaction that brings a feeling of belonging; and 

4. A sense of escape as though you are a universe away from the toils of daily life.  

How do you get that feeling and come back refreshed.  I am not totally certain but will be modifying this post as I ponder and research that topic.  I will say its not the number of stars on the resort, but the quality and character of the people with whom you travel as well as the new people you meet that seem to make the most impact.  

May your summer vacations bring you peace and rest.  

Holy Week: Love and Sacrifice

Love and Sacrifice

This is Holy Week, a time when we conclude Lent and focus on Christ's sacrifice.  Before Christ was crucified he had one final meal with his disciples.  He washed their feet and instructed them that they should serve each other as he has served them.  He left them with a strong mandate to love each other as he has loved.  And in case anyone misunderstood what he meant by "love" he made it painfully obvious:"Greater love has no one other than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

With that mandate we as humans have our work cut out for us.  We are to forgive each other when we wrong each other, treat others better than we treat ourselves, accept others without judging, not lie to each other, encourage each other, not slander each other and live in harmony with each other.  To accomplish all this we have been given lives, personalities and souls so that each of us in our own unique way can serve others in love.

Christ's commandment puts forth a universal truth which is beyond debate -- if we love each other as Christ loved then our joy will be complete. A study was performed looking at the lives of Harvard Students over a period of decades which demonstrates the importance of love. Begun in 1938, the Grant Study of Adult Development charted the physical and emotional health of over 200 Harvard students, starting with their undergraduate days. It followed them from 1938 until the present.  In 2012 Harvard Professor George Valiant published his findings from the study in a book titled Triumphs of Experience:  The Men of the Harvard Grant Study. What it found was that over the course of 80 years of study the key to happiness was strong loving relationships with others.  Such things as money, genetics, social status, education and work did not matter anywhere near as much as good loving relationships.  

But as Christ shows us loving each other is frequently easier said than done.  The sacrifices we must make -- the offenses from others that we must both endure and forgive -- while at the same time placing others ahead of ourselves is not an easy task for anyone. But if we are to achieve a truly sterling life, one in which we end our lives polished with a patina of weathered happiness there is one ingredient that must be present -- love.  

I hope you enjoy your Easter and find the joy of Christ.  

Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam

Ernest Dowson

The brief sum of life forbids us the hope of enduring long. –Horace

They are not long, the weeping and the laughter, 
Love and desire and hate: 
I think they have no portion in us after 
We pass the gate. 

They are not long, the days of wine and roses: 
Out of a misty dream 
Our path emerges for a while, then closes 
Within a dream.

Cold Winters - Warm Hearts

When looking at a classic painting of a winter scene, it almost feels warmly romantic.  Of course there is nothing romantic about the experience of cold winter storms.  We Americans have been recently reminded of the harshness that bitter cold brings.  Nevertheless, when I look at paintings like the one below I don't think of being out in the cold, I think of home, shelter, comfortable food and loving family.  Seeing the cold scene brings to mind thoughts of protection from the storm.   It's an odd emotion in response to such a painting, but the painting does not appear to be painted to create cold emotions.  There are warm colors of brown and black with flowing waters and men working as a team. There is the shelter of the ship and the sense of adventure that comes from trying to navigate the Thames in Ice.  It's amazing to me that paintings can depict one thing,  here a winter storm, but produce emotions not experienced by being actually present in the scene.  It reminds me that if I do find myself in a harsh storm, that on the other side of the storm is the warm comfort of home and family.  I hope you enjoy Whistler's The Thames in Ice.  And I hope that no matter how cold it gets you find warm comfort in your life.

Christmas Past

Washington Irving's description of Christmas Eve:

"Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, This bird of dawning singeth all night long; And then, they say, no spirit dares stir abroad, The nights are wholesome--then no planets strike, No fairy takes, no witch hath power to charm, So hallow'd and so gracious is the time."

The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent, Washington Irving, 1819

Beautiful Video Suggesting a Simpler Life: Get Back

Lincoln has posted the following video by Eliot Rausch in which the director encourages all of us to get back to our relationships by putting down our phones and technology and relating to each other.  Enjoy.

http://vimeo.com/64641161

SIMPLICITY

I have been reading about simplicity lately.  It seems that all of the high-tech complications with which we have filled our lives are not all that healthy for us.  In the end the best things for us are those things which God has provided -- fresh air, fresh food and fresh living.  But what does that mean exactly?

The best form of living is to simply live -- to know and be known, to love and be loved, to hear and be heard, to celebrate and be celebrated -- to experience the simple elements of a sterling life.  The best food we consume are vegetables which are no more enhanced or complicated than they were thousands of years ago.  The best air is unpolluted fresh air as crisp and clean as it was when Christ walked the earth.  The further we inundate our lives with technological advancement, the more disconnected we become from the beautiful experiences that make us human.

So does that mean that we should plunge ourselves into ultra minimalist living by throwing out our computers, cars and air conditioners?   Heavans NO!    Instead we need a greater focus on a concept of elegant simplicity.  We need to incorporate technological advancements seamlessly into our lives so that  instead of altering our environment, and ourselves, the technology does its job without interfering with our ability to be human.  And we are seeing improvements in that area.  People are being encouraged to get out in nature, even if nature is the street on which you live.   Human experience is found in the butterflies and fire ants,  the elegant dog and the smelly skunk,  the squirrels and the rats.  

We are finding that meditation connects us to ourselves in simplistic ways: a walk at lunch time around the block brings experience to our minds; and gazing at a sunset is not just for hopeless dreamers but a clear sign of a fully connected soul.

As I type on my computer, I am feeling fully human knowing that my life experience isn't found in the silicone microchip or HD screen, but instead it is found in embracing all that makes us human -- happiness, glee, beauty, pain and suffering.  Indeed, the entire spectrum of the soul is necessary to bring fullness to our lives.

I encourage all to find their way to live a life of elegant simplicity, it will truly be a sterling experience.

LEATHER TANNING -- HOW THE ELEGANCE IS MADE

I recently purchased a pair of shoes from Alden of New England. I got the Norwegian Split Toe in calfskin leather.  They are by far the most expensive pair of shoes I have ever owned  ($570 including tax).  One reason that Alden shoes are so expensive is that they are made from excellent construction with the finest leather.  The leather comes from the Chicago based Tanner, Horween.  (www.horween.com).  When you look at pictures from a tannery like the one above you come to understand that the elegant leather on your feet, your watch and your car come from less than elegant beginnings.  It is truly a sausage making type operation.  But quality leather is an essential, yet costly, part of sterling products.  My car's seats are wrapped in leather from the Scottish tanner Bridge of Weir. (http://www.bowleather.co.uk).

I have learned that the best leather available is known as Shell Cordovan.  Shell Cordovan comes from the tail end of a horse and is apparently the smoothest and best leather available.  Since horses cannot be slaughtered for hides, the only Shell Cordovan available comes from horses who have died of old age, illness etc....  One horse will produce only a single pair of Shell Cordovan shoes.  Consequently, the shoes are very expensive.  I chose to pass on the Shell Cordovan's this time, given the $635 price tag.  But maybe next time.

In the mean time I will be enjoying this wonderful purchase:

HARVEST TIME

Harvest time occurs around the autumnal equinox. Between the vernal equinox in March and the Autumnal equinox in September, the Sun spends more time illuminating the day in the northern hemisphere and therefore the days between March and September are longer than the nights.  It is during this season that crops grow and become ready for harvest.  Typically around September 22 or so the Sun focuses its rays on the equator of the earth so that days and nights are relatively equal.  Soon thereafter harvest begins in the North as the nights grow longer and days grow shorter.  The first full moon after the autumnal equinox has become known as the Harvest Moon.  Perhaps the Harvest Moon got its name because that particular full moon helped to illuminate the fields as farmers worked long days into the night to bring in the harvest.

In our modern society with powered lights in the fields and harvest performed mostly by workers driving combine type machines, the Harvest Moon seems largely irrelevant.  Indeed, harvest time is relatively unimportant to our diets, as crops grown around the world are imported so that every day of the year is a celebration of the bounty of the world’s harvest at our local grocery stores.  

Nevertheless, even though thriving on global agriculture, harvest time is still celebrated in our urbanized world. This month there will be county fairs and harvest festivals across America. I notice that a great many Anglican churches in England and a few Episcopal churches in America will be celebrating their Harvest Communions this Sunday October 14. 

Alice Waters, the famous chef from Berkley, California, has created a revival of celebrating the bounty of the local harvest.  Now chefs and restaurants across America have menus that feature locally harvested, seasonal, fresh picked fruits and vegetables. 

As the days grow cold in the distant north they find themselves with freeze warnings in South Bristol, Me. Autumn, harvest time, is short there with winter following quickly on its heels. Here in New Orleans we are experiencing the crisp weather of cool fronts. And for us in the American South its festival time.

AUTUMN COLOR

 

The Autumn Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1833)

Go, sit upon the lofty hill, And turn your eyes around, Where waving woods and waters wild Do hymn an autumn sound. The summer sun is faint on them — The summer flowers depart — Sit still — as all transform’d to stone, Except your musing heart. How there you sat in summer-time, May yet be in your mind; And how you heard the green woods sing Beneath the freshening wind. Though the same wind now blows around, You would its blast recall; For every breath that stirs the trees, Doth cause a leaf to fall. Oh! like that wind, is all the mirth That flesh and dust impart: We cannot bear its visitings, When change is on the heart. Gay words and jests may make us smile, When Sorrow is asleep; But other things must make us smile, When Sorrow bids us weep! The dearest hands that clasp our hands, —Their presence may be o’er; The dearest voice that meets our ear, That tone may come no more! Youth fades; and then, the joys of youth, Which once refresh’d our mind, Shall come — as, on those sighing woods, The chilling autumn wind. Hear not the wind — view not the woods; Look out o’er vale and hill — In spring, the sky encircled them — The sky is round them still. Come autumn’s scathe — come winter’s cold — Come change — and human fate! Whatever prospect Heaven doth bound, Can ne’er be desolate.

GOLDEN LABS

Yellow Labrador Retrievers are one of America's favorite pets, and the above Lab is certainly our favorite pet.  A beautiful animal, full of love and charm, yet even in his playfullness he can strike a stately pose. The first registered Yellow Lab in America was signed up in 1929 by the American Kennel Club.  Several thousand if not millions of Yellow Labs have been registered since, but for our money the above AKC registered Lab is one in a million. 

Our dog is a British Labrador.  While we are not sure what the British designation means it apparently at least means a gorgeous dog with a wonderful disposition.  Not just man's best friend, but in the modern lingo, Man's Best Friend Forever (BFF).  This breed has a wonderful history and is one of America's favorite dogs for a reason.  So here is to the Yellow Lab, may fun and playfullness reign forever in the life of this wonderful animal.

Check out the history of the Labrador Retriever at http://www.lorkenfarms.com/labrador%20Retriever%20history.htm.

HURRICANE ISAAC

In the 1948 Movie, Key Largo, there is an exchange concerning a hurricane:

Ralphie: Hey Curly, what all happens in a hurricane?
Curly: The wind blows so hard the ocean gets up on its hind legs and walks right across the land.

This week in New Orleans we were visited by Hurricane Issac.  It has an impressive satellite image but coming in it had a hard time gaining strength barely making it to a Category 1 storm.  But it still packed a punch with 80 mph winds.  It blew through the night of Tuesday August 28th and Wednesday August 29th.  Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a smaller storm turned into a terror for some when it stalled just after coming ashore, and whipped the coast with its winds for almost 24 hours -- getting up on its hind legs and walking right across the land. 

 

New Orleans fared well with its $15 billion dollars in improved levees.  Thank you America for those tax dollars, they came in handy for this storm.  The experts say that if we had the old levee system we would have had significant flooding in New Orleans.  But as it happens we had very little flooding within the levee system. 

 

Unfortunately, those who lived outside of the levee system though did not fare well with significantly high waters and thousands flooded.  Keep them in your prayers.  

BACK TO SCHOOL

It's time to return to school -- sports, homework, education, enlightenment are the order of the day. New friends are sure to be made and old relationships are sure to be broken.  To those of us who have served our decades in American schools and now see our children navigating these muddy waters, it seems well worth the struggle.  As Edward Everett once said "Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army."

To all the students of every age may you have a sterling year.  Let the games -- and gamesmanship -- begin!

MAINE IN THE SUMMER TIME

Mid-Coast Maine in the summer time.  What a wonderful place:  beautiful views, cool temperatures, lobster buoys dotting the bay like easter eggs.  Truly a fantastic vacation.  Henry David Thoreau said it best concerning Maine -- "There  certainly men would live forever, and laugh at death and the grave."  -- The Maine Woods.

A STERLING LIFE: STEPHEN COVEY

Stephen Covey was the author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He passed away on July 16, 2012. A force of nature in the business world for his simple yet insightful seven steps.  Win-Win was one of his steps and that phrase has become a mantra in the business world.  His recommendations concerning P/PC balance and always keeping the end in mind are the steps that seem to impact me the most.  If you grew up in the 80's or 90's it is impossible to not know about Covey and The Seven Habits.  But it has come to my attention that several of those educated in the 2000's have not been exposed to Covey's wonderful insights.  I highly recommend you study and practice these habits.  It will most certainly lead to a sterling life.

USA Today Article on Covey's Life Appears Below:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/story/2012-07-16/stephen-covey-appreciation/56258068/1

Amazon Link to the Seven Habits:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Habits-Highly-Effective-People/dp/0743269519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342825666&sr=8-1&keywords=seven+habits