MY GINGKO by Sylvia

my gingko

of origins that rise

from lands of jade

with fan-shaped leaves

so fittingly displayed

a crown of yellow foliage

fills my view

so strikingly 

against a sky so blue

then suddenly they fall 

without a sound

yellow leaves now drifting 

to the ground 

a skirt of gold 

now lying at my feet

a treasure where the 

earth and heaven meet

in nakedness your winter bones laid bare

your massive furrowed trunk

left standing there

a monument of centuries gone by

this living fossil rising to the sky

by Sylvia L. Mattingly

November 12, 2020

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Click List

In March, I began shopping for groceries via Kroger’s Click List. That seemed pretty simple in the beginning. You go Online, list the groceries you want and then they designate a time for you to pick them up. Employees bring it to your car, load it up, hand you your receipt and you go home to put away those groceries you’ve “clicked.” Seems the perfect solution during the times of COVID.

Well, that’s true, but there are snags. I don’t want my spinach two days past the “use by” date. I don’t want P.F. Changs meat substituted for spring rolls. I don’t want six bananas when I order one. I don’t want my Tostitos chips packed beneath my canned goods! One must be patient, forgiving and willing to learn before the Click List manner of grocery shopping becomes an acceptable replacement for in-person shopping.

One day I needed a 9-volt battery for a chirping smoke detector. I couldn’t order just that, could I? Of course not. So I allowed the Click List program to make suggestions. A few minutes and $88 later, I had ordered my battery to be picked up in a few hours. The chocolates and ice cream were enjoyed! I’m still learning.

Just Mercy

MONDAY BOOK REVIEW

“Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), has been called America’s Mandela and after reading this book I think that is fitting. The book has been awarded many honors and is a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Stevenson, a lawyer, has spent his entire professional career representing those who had no one else to defend them. He and staff at the EJI took on the cases of individuals who had been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole as children. He defended the innocent on death row. Many of his clients were people of color, all were in poverty and could not afford legal fees.

The book is chocked full of individual cases, but one is followed in detail, that of Walter McMillian. McMillian was arrested for a murder that he was in no way connected to and spent years on death row before Stevenson managed to win his release. All the court proceedings along with the obvious prejudices against this black man are very enlightening.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a just Justice System for all citizens of this country.

Please read about the Equal Justice Initiative at https://eji.org You will find it very interesting.

A Poem by Sylvia

wicked cold evening

it’s mid November
and a cold drive home . . .

i’m surrounded by evidence
of progress and infrastructure
in the asphalt serpent that i travel on . . .
the bridges of iron and concrete
that span a winding river . . .
the steel and glass monoliths
that stretch skyward
above a sprawling city . . .

as i snake past
the coldness of concrete and steel
i’m drawn into the perceived warmth
of a rose colored sunset . . .
a blanket of soft pinks and blues
pulled up against a western sky

i rumble across the river
on a double decker bridge
leaving one city behind
and entering another . . .

i am a child of nature
a woodland soul, as my name implies . . .
a lover of the earth
and all things celestial . . .
now rooted in an urban jungle . . .

as i turn down market street
past the tall inner-city structures . . .
there before me . . .
low on the eastern horizon . . .
hovers a full “beaver” moon . . .
bright and bold against the blue black sky

my mind is flooded with memories
of another beaver moon now three years past . . .
and memories of someone
who is as distant as the moon itself
on this wicked cold evening

by Sylvia L. Mattingly
November 23, 2019

Photos by Pixabay

Little Things

Sometimes we do the smallest kindnesses without giving any thought to what the lasting effect might be. I was thinking of this recently as I made Forgotten Cookies https://crookedcreek.live/2019/12/15/forgotten-cookies/ for a loved one. That recipe was given to me by a dear neighbor over fifty years ago. I’m sure that when she shared that with me she had no idea how much pleasure it would bring for years to come. My family and friends love the cookies and it makes me happy to make them for those I love. I never make these unique cookies without thinking of Mrs. Peters who shared her recipe with me. She would probably be surprised at often I remember her generosity and her sweet smile.

Helen Peters gave me other recipes and I’d like to share another of those with you today. This is the perfect season to bake Pumpkin Bread. Here is that recipe with a few notes that I included over the years.

PUMPKIN BREAD

Ingredients: 

3 cups Sugar

1 cup Vegetable Oil

3.5 cups Self-Rising Flour*

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

2/3 cup Water

2 cups canned Pumpkin

4 Eggs

2 cups Raisins

1 cup broken Nuts (I use pecans and usually add extra)

Directions:

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees
• Dissolve sugar in oil and water, add beaten eggs and then the flour sifted with spices. 
  • Add this flour mixture a little at a time mixing well after each addition. 
• Add pumpkin and mix well.
• Stir in raisins and nuts
• Pour into three greased and lightly floured loaf pans 
• Bake for one hour 
  • Or until done using the toothpick test

* If you use plain flour add: 1.5 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons soda

Paradise

MONDAY BOOK REVIEW

“Paradise” by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer winning author and “Paradise” is one of her many bestselling books. That being said, it is not an easy book to read, especially at first. Each chapter is named for a different woman who is a pivotal character in this convoluted tale. 

The book starts out with violent murders and the reader has no idea where it is taking place or why.  Eventually the story winds around to a town settled by black Americans who hope they are building their paradise. It turns out to be anything but that.

Many of the names are difficult and characters blend together in a stew that eventually goes from simmer to boil. This book has racial tension, social issues and sexual intrigue.

Overall all I give it a 4.5 score out of 5. I believe that a writer as talented as Morrison could have told this fascinating story with less frustration for the reader.

Monarchs

Monarchs hatch on milkweed plants in North America and then spend the winter in Mexico. Twenty years ago, there were at least a billion Monarchs in North America and now there are ninety-three million thanks to herbicides*. Shame on us.

Since we as humans are responsible for this loss we need to do something about it. First, stop spraying poisons! Second, save a little space to plant milkweed, which is the only plant that monarch caterpillars eat, and other native plants for nectar. If we all do a little bit it can make a big difference.

Many flowers are terrific sources of nectar for monarch butterflies. They include purple and yellow cone flowers, sunflowers, marigolds, poppies, daisies, verbena and many more. This is a good time to make definite plans for spring. My daughter, Dianne, has a butterfly garden each year that includes milkweed and native flowers.

 

* Source: “Late Migrations” by Margaret Renkl, New York Times contributor

 

Photos by Pixabay

Solitude

the lovely peace of solitude 

in the woods 

i find the lovely peace of solitude

where the only sounds i hear

are the chirp of birds…

the rustle of wings in the undergrowth…

the forage of squirrels in dry leaves…

and the occasional trickle of water

i follow a stream that parallels the trail…

leading to a wide creek and on to an expansive river…

the sun, so strong for November, 

warms my skin,

reaches its apex, then begins a slow steady descent,

casting long shadows across the leaf littered floor 

most leaves have fallen,

only the rich yellow-bronze of the beech cling tightly to their branches…

vibrant against the smooth, gray,

graffiti laden bark

i follow the creek…

a watery ribbon of reflected color,

until the trail snakes away

into the deepening woods

there is solace in these woods

and i cherish every step,

planting my boots firmly in the mud 

to leave an impression…

evidence that I was here,

along with the footprints of 

many kindred spirits

Sylvia L. Mattingly November 9, 2020

Lab Girl

Book Review Monday

“Lab Girl” by Hope Jahren is a book that covers it all and does it brilliantly. Jahren is a serious scientist whose excitement about her work is infectious. She studies soil, seeds, plants, and especially trees and it is hard for the reader to not become involved in her work in the lab and in the field.

The author has many challenges including being raised without affection or the assurance that she was loved. This, as well as her bipolar disorder, made her relationships complex. She honestly shares her life’s story professionally and personally.

I recommend this true story which is a national best seller.

Elliott

A week ago, I realized that Elliott was ill. First, he became very vocal. He followed me around meowing and looking at me expectantly. Soon I saw that he was frequenting his litter box with no results. It was Saturday afternoon and our vet’s office was closed so off we go, to Elliott’s chagrin, to the Emergency Vet Hospital. After several hours, an ultra sound and x-rays it was determined that he had a urinary problem. Duh.

They were unable to get urine for a test, but sent him home with antibiotics and pain medication. The fight was on. No amount of begging, force or tuna fish could get the meds down Elliott. He continued to struggle to pee and seemed pretty uncomfortable until Monday morning when we went to our own vet.

Here they were able to extract urine for a test. They found a small amount of blood, but no crystals which were expected. As we awaited the results of a urine culture we tried different antibiotics and still he would not take them. . . not forcefully, not disguised in food. Surprisingly he improved and started to void almost normally.

On Thursday the vet called to say there was no bacteria and not to worry about giving him the antibiotic. Well, Elliott had already made that decision on his own! After a long discussion with the vet we decided that his problem was stress due to the grief of losing Zoe, his housemate, a couple of weeks ago.

I knew that Elliott was a lover. He spends a lot of time on my lap and sleeps with me every night. I did not realize the bond that he had with Zoe. He always followed her around, but I, and she I think, believed it was more stalking than affection. She would hiss at him and he’d leave her alone for a bit. Now I think I was wrong. Elliott misses Zoe and the stress affected his urinary system which is not uncommon for cats.

So, here I am, almost $700 later with a sensitive boy missing his girl.

Zoe

Elliott

How Do Others Feel?

https://mobile.twitter.com/amaramarasingam/status/1325115363005181952

Dark Anniversary

The Atomic Bomb

Seventy-five years ago the United States dropped the first ever atomic bombs on two cities in Japan, killing 225,000 human lives. The additional injuries and illnesses leading to slow deaths are not calculable. There is no dearth of information and horrific photographs to document this hell that befell the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

“The 20th century was a test bed for big ideas – fascism, communism, the atomic bomb.” P. J. O’Rourke

Photo by Pixabay

VOTE

Tomorrow is Election Day in the United States.

If you have not already voted, please plan now on voting tomorrow, your last chance. This is an important election and if you care about the future of our country now is your chance to have you say.

Pixabay Graphic

Appropriate Poem by Pat Bush

Tuesday morning, I will vote.
I’ll go by land, or go by boat.
Whatever it takes, I’ll have my say.
Wouldn’t consider any other way.
I’ve studied hard, seen where they stand.
(It’s always good to have a plan).
No more questions or second-guessing.
The choice is mine. I’m not stressing.
It takes less time than running amok.
Always vote. Don’t be a schmuck.

 

 

HALLOWEEN WAS FUN!

As always Halloween was fun at the Bynum’s. Dianne and Floyd had everything spooky for family and Trick or Treaters!