April is National Poetry Month

 

For the first time in many years, I forgot that April is National Poetry Month.

I have always, in the past, enjoyed posting favorite pieces of poetry here at Meanderings and Muses during the month and am a little disappointed in myself for forgetting this year.

But.

Better late than never -

Horizon (to Tristan Tzara) by Philippe Soupault

The whole town has come into my room
the trees have disappeared
and evening clings to my fingers
The houses are turning into ocean liners
the sound of the sea has just reached me up here
In two days we’ll arrive in the Congo
I’ve passed the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn
I know there are innumerable hills
Notre-Dame hides the Gaurisankar and the northern lights
night falls drop by drop
I await the hours

Give me that lemonade and the last cigarette
I’m going back to Paris

(translated by Rosmarie Waldrop)

The rage by Nikita Gill

 

Easter - Past and Present

 

Friday in Meat Camp

 

Staying sane and content.

How do you do it?

I do it, more and more, with fierce deliberation.

Refusing to allow others to steal my joy is a choice I'm holding onto with both hands.

(Again - queue my song) - 

1. I Won't Back Down

   Song by

   Tom Petty

   Well, I won't back down
   No I won't back down
   You could stand me up at the gates of Hell
   But I won't back down
   

   No I'll stand my ground
   Won't be turned around
   And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
   Gonna stand my ground
   And I won't back down
   

   (I won't back down) Hey baby
   There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down)
   Hey I will stand my ground
   And I won't back down
   

   Well, I know what's right
   I got just one life
   In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
   But I'll stand my ground
   And I won't back down
   

   (I won't back down) Hey baby
   There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down)
   Hey I will stand my ground (I won't back down)
   And I won't back down
   

   (I won't back down) Hey baby
   There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down)
   Hey I won't back down
   

   (I won't back down) Hey baby
   There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down)
   Hey I will stand my ground (I won't back down)
   And I won't back down (I won't back down)
   No I won't back down
   

   Songwriters: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne. For non-commercial use only.

Right now I'm taking a wee break from Facebook.

Our house is all clean thanks to the very wise decision a few years ago to start having someone come do it for me.  The best gift I have ever given myself.  Nothing makes me happier than a clean house.

I've put out some pretty Snapdragons

I'm doing some cooking, but only the cooking that interests me when it interests me - I'm looking forward to fixing a nice Easter meal for the two of us, setting the table with nice china, silver, and crystal.  Today, however?  Chicken salad sandwiches.

I'm planning trips - one upcoming trip for me and Donald.  One for me and a girlfriend next year.  The planning is a huge part of the fun of it.  

I'm getting ready to make a little beaded bracelet for a friend.

I'll be diving into the next Jeff Talbot mystery a little later today.

And I may treat myself to some on-line shopping for something new.  

A new-to-me vintage scarf always makes me happy.  

What I'm not doing is reading the news other than headlines so I am aware of what slippery slope we're sliding down today.

Cooking! THIS is a keeper!

 Here's what's cooking today at our house - 

Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

by

Alexandra Hill's Just Add Hot Sauce

Mm mm good (i hope!).   It's the first time I've ever fixed it.  And I have made notes on my changes

https://www.justaddhotsauce.com/home/2017/10/10/slowcooker-jamaican-brown-stew-chicken

IN MY KITCHENON THE GOBRUNCHIN

LA COCINA CANDLECWF COOKING CLASSESABOUTCONTACT

 0

#SLOWCOOKER JAMAICAN BROWN STEW CHICKEN

OCTOBER 12, 2017

I LOVE JAMAICAN FOOD! Like.. seriously, LOVE!!

When I lived in NYC, my friends and I use to go to this amazing Jamaican carry out in the Bronx with the best oxtail, jerk chicken and the brown stew chicken... OMG!

So this past weekend, I made my version of brown stew chicken. Now listen, I am not Jamaican and I feel like every Jamaican has their super secret recipe (Hi Nyrie!) in to how they make these authentic dishes. I tried stew chicken on the stove top and it was a major fail, it had no flavor at all and the chicken was tough so I decided to try it in the crock pot and let me tell you.. IT CAME OUT SO GOOD! 

What I love about crockpot cooking, you just add everything in there and let that baby do its thang! Try the recipe below and remember, tag #JustAddHotSauce

Ingredients

- 1 pack of skinless & boneless chicken thighs (cut into cubes) - I did not cut mine into cubes, just dumped the thighs into the crockpot

- 1/2 yellow onion

- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar

- 2 Tablespoons ketchup

- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced (about 2-3 cloves)

- 1 teaspoon browning sauce 

- 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme - I didn't have any thyme so used a few short shakes of poultry seasoning

- 1 teaspoon hot sauce or chili sauce

- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced - I didn't have any ginger and didn't worry about it

- 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

- 1 small red pepper, diced - I didn't have a red pepper so used a few shakes of dried red pepper flakes

- 1 small habanero pepper, finely minced (or 2 if you like it spicy, like me!) - I did not have a small habanero pepper but did find a jar of sliced jalapenos in the fridge and chopped up a few of those

- 3/4 cup chicken broth

- salt & pepper to taste

Steps

1. Add a little EVOO in your crock pot while it is heating up. Add in the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, red bell peppers, thyme & habanero pepper.

2. Add the brown sugar, ketchup, paprika, hot sauce and browning sauce. Remember add salt & pepper to taste.

3. Add in the cubed raw chicken. Stir everything together to make sure the chicken is covered with everything.

4. Pour the chicken broth over everything. Put the lid on and cover on low heat for about two hours. Stir occasionally. Add salt & pepper to your liking. 

5. Serve over rice & beans!

Cheers to eating!

ALEXANDRA HILL

#CO

“Cooking is love.. made edible”

— MY MOM

Feeling SO Much Better!

 

What a difference a day makes (along with mega doses of steroids), huh?!

Yesterday I knew things were improving when

a)  I felt like writing

b)  I felt like shopping

Today I woke up ready to face things.  All the Things.

I'm going to share some suggested reading for you - including Feel Good Reading along with some This Will Fire You Up to Keep Making Good Trouble Reading.

Hopefully Yours by Connie Schultz. Ms. Schultz does, indeed, make me hopeful.  I always ALWAYS love what she has to say.

Sunday Thought - Fighting the Regime's Cruelty by Robert Reich. WE can DO this!!

Letters From an American by Heather Cox Richardson.   Don't miss this one.

An ENORMOUS Rally Included Joan Baez and Neil Young by Scott Dworkin.   Now we're talking!

And a perfect read for Sunday morning from The Everyday Parisian, Rebecca Plotnik.  Go by and wish her a Happy Birthday!  Add some lovely to your morning!

Morning Coffee in Paris by Rebecca Plotnik
available HERE






Mwah!

😘

Yes, I'm still sick

 Dammit

I am, frankly, a pretty hardy and healthy soul.  Always have been.  

My doctor commented on that fact when I visited last week by saying how unusual it is to see me between my regularly scheduled Wellness Visits.

That said - when I do get sick I feel like the world is ending.  I know, i know - a little dramatic, right? (I got that drama gene from my mom).

I am, in a quiet way, trying to fight the broader doom facing our country under this administration in my own small way which includes reading fewer of my substack columns which I've unsubscribed to for now - only temporarily; I am not "a head in the  sand kind of person." But I DO (strongly) believe in self care.  One again, queue my song -

1. I Won't Back Down

   Song by

   Tom Petty

   Well, I won't back down
   No I won't back down
   You could stand me up at the gates of Hell
   But I won't back down
   

   No I'll stand my ground
   Won't be turned around
   And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
   Gonna stand my ground
   And I won't back down
   

   (I won't back down) Hey baby
   There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down)
   Hey I will stand my ground
   And I won't back down
   

   Well, I know what's right
   I got just one life
   In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
   But I'll stand my ground
   And I won't back down
   

   (I won't back down) Hey baby
   There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down)
   Hey I will stand my ground (I won't back down)
   And I won't back down
   

   (I won't back down) Hey baby
   There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down)
   Hey I won't back down
   

   (I won't back down) Hey baby
   There ain't no easy way out (I won't back down)
   Hey I will stand my ground (I won't back down)
   And I won't back down (I won't back down)
   No I won't back down
   

   Songwriters: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne. For non-commercial use only.

I have been known to belt out this song on more than a few occasions.  A lot of those occasions were in the car, Donald driving, windows down - Me, Mr. Petty and Donald - singing.  Loudly.  Oh, yeah.

Since I can barely squeak out a few words in a normal conversation without having a coughing fit, no singing right now.

But a lot of reading, and thanks to NetGalley along with a few favorite oldies from my own library, some very good reading.  More on that in a later post.

While going through my email this morning, I couldn't resist Scott Dworkin's column entitled  "Joy Reid Shares Great News." I love Joy Reid. Respect her. Miss her! I believe we are in very serious need of journalists like Joy Reid who refuse to back down.  They are the spine of this country.

This resonated with me - you can read the entire column here

" . . . And on the tyranny we face right now, Reid offered some inspirational words: “Autocracy is exhausting and it’s designed to exhaust you … the worst enemy of autocracy is joy.” She urged everyone to take action, no matter how small: “Do something that you can do ... and be joyful. Have some joy.”

Y'all.  Yes!  It IS exhausting!  But we have to take action.  We also have to take breaks.  Rest our weary selves.  And find our joy.

Little things can be important.

Donald and I have a couple of candles in our windows.  Flameless LED cordless  candles on timers.  They come on automatically, then turn off automatically.  If we've been out and arrive home during the evening, seeing those candles flickering "Welcome Home" makes us happy.  Even getting up in the night for a midnight snack or potty trip, I find myself looking over towards a window to check on a candle, and it will make me smile.  Little things. Much needed things.  Our own small joys as acts of resistance.  

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
— Margaret Mead

Y'all, we are ALL in this together.  Grab your joy!  Stay well.