words and pictures....
August 19, 2015
The lone boat floats in the water, it is solitary and complex, yet it appears so simple and serene. The lone boat can only weather so many storms, before it goes adrift. The lone boat may break and be patched up to float again. In time, the lone boat will sink from the weight of what it heaves to shore.
July 14, 2015
Years ago, I played matchmaker to two couples who are longtime friends. The two women in the couples are two of the closest friends that I have. I was instrumental in fixing up each of them with their husbands, earning myself the title of matchmaker. Back in the day, neither of my girlfriends liked to cook so when it came time to invite their new beau’s for dinner, neither of them felt confident enough in the kitchen to cook for their dates. They each called on me to come over and cook for them. My love of cooking spoke for itself in those days as I had three shelves of cookbooks and a library of Bon Appetite, Cuisine and Gourmet magazines on prominent display in my eat-in kitchen.
Some thought should always go into what one might could for a potential suitor for the first time. I usually determine that a dish in the Italian or Mediterranean is typically a good bet for a first home-cooked dinner, after all everyone loves Italian food. As I look back now on this time so many years ago, I cannot recall exactly where my Mediterranean Chicken came from, I just know that it has evolved over at least two and half decades if not more, and it is perhaps one of my favorite meals to cook for family and friends.
There have been so many incarnations of this savory chicken dish in tomato sauce, which could have had its origins in a Provencal French bistro served with a warm baguette and a hearty glass of Cabernet. Cabernet pairs better with this meal in my opinion. Yes, custom would call for a glass Chardonnay with chicken but I prefer red wine and am oft loathe to follow custom. Customs I believe are like rules, they are meant to be broken. Not broken is some blatant way but simply broken in such a way that invokes one’s own style. We are after all, all individuals, and our preferences come to the surface of the pot when we cook. (more…)
July 6, 2015
In quiet mourning I wait
For love
I say to myself where can it be
For in my waiting
I search my soul
And ask of it
Why love does not seek me.
June 24, 2015
When I seek sanctuary from the trials and tribulations of life I spend time in nature. I walk amidst the fields and forests, along the marshes and beaches. I spend time observing nature and becoming one with it. I never cease to marvel at the sights and sounds of nature. I revel in the colors and textures I see before me. I reach out to touch the very palpable flesh of a blade of grass, a pebble or shell on the beach, the bark of a tree. What marvel is the bark of a tree for it is so many colors and textures.
Trees speak to me. They tell me of their struggles surviving in the forest or standing alone in the middle of the field. Trees share their stories with each of us, but we must be open to receive…
Ode to Trees is a lovely essay by Herman Hesse and it can be found in his book Wandering: Notes and Sketches: (more…)
June 11, 2015
Treat this day as though it is a flower bud, opening and unfurling its petals as the moments of the day pass on. Each moment, each petal unfurling, is an opportunity for growth and change. We can blossom in our lives as flower bud changes from a tight, young bud to wide open flower, rich and heady with pollen to germinate the seeds of life elsewhere.
We are the cycle of life, as is the flower bud. We gain nothing if we remain tight and closed, a bud unwilling to open. We must look towards each day and unfurl our lives with happiness, gratitude and inspiration to be the most glorious flower we can be. That is living in the moment.
April 3, 2015
Is A Secret Sacred
Is a secret sacred
Is it to be held
Heartily is some reverential place
Only to be revealed
To the ones of the cult
Is a secret sacred
Is it to be held
Hopeful and tentative in its space
Or should it be revealed
At the alter of great doubt
Is a secret sacred
*Originally posted as a submission for Poetic Asides Poetry Challenge, the 2015 April PAD Challenge: Day 2 ~ c. Pamela J. Leavey.
*Photo: Maudslay State Park ~ c. Pamela J. Leavey
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