Historical Novels - Medieval Times

It seems as if I have always been interested in medieval history, not sure why but ever since reading the classic Katherine by Anya Seton at age 14, I became hooked on books about the England, France, Wales and  Scotland. The court intrigue, the personalities, the role of the Roman Catholic church and the power they wielded, the building of cathedrals. I like history in general but these times for some reason speak to me. So here is a list of books that I find you can dive into and lose yourself.

Wales:

Here be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman - about Llwellyn, the Prince of Wales and his marriage to Joanna - illegitimate daughter of John, King of England

England:

The Autobiography of Henry the VIII by Margaret George

Sunne in Splendor by Sharon Kay Penman - Richard III of England

Scotland:

Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George

Cathedrals:

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - building a cathedral in 12^th century England

Coincidental Gifts

Delight - joy, enchantment, amusement, to revel in, to relish

I was sitting in a neighborhood coffee shop the other day doing some writing when an older woman walked in - and I immediately knew her. Clear across town months before I had taken a photograph of she and her grandson sitting at a red café table by a window, their faces washed in sunshine - looking at each other with absolute joy. I had come to this bakery in Bexley - owned by the daughter of the grandmother and mother to the boy in the photo - to take photographs of the weekly gathering of musicians. Those photos turned out fine, nothing special really but it was that photograph of a grandmother and grandson that gave me that wonderful feeling of “ahhh” when I pulled it up on my computer screen. One word came to mind "delight" - they were clearly delighted with one another.. As with most of my photos, it’s usually the ones that I have not noticed, that seem to take themselves, that turn out to be affirmations. I had the photo enlarged. framed and gave to the bakery owner.

Now today, almost a year later, speaking with the grandmother, she tells me that the photo is on her dining room wall, that she receives numerous compliments on it.  I tell her that that photograph is one of my all-time favorites, that it reminds me of the way I felt about my grandmother and how she felt not just about me but about my brothers as well.  What were the chances that I would have run into this lovely kind woman, clear across town, in a Starbucks that I hadn’t been to in weeks? That photograph was a gift, running into that grandmother was another one.

* Recent favorite photos on right

Music

Every Sunday after Mass my Dad and I would sit on the dining room floor listening to records. Always Simon and Garfunkel’s Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme album which included the lyrical Scarborough Fair and my favorite Homeward Bound.

In the 1960’s seeing the weirdly disembodied faces of Frank Sinatra and Count Basie on the album cover of It Might As Well Be Swing lying on our red carpeted floor. I have an image of my parents dancing to Fly Me to The Moon across that same red carpet - real or imagined, I’m not sure.

Regretting forever the time I did not turn my car around and go back to visit longer with my father who was in a short-term rehab facility after surgery for cancer. Getting into the car, cranking up Little Feat’s live version of All That You Dream (probably the best lead-in build-up to any song anywhere, anytime).  The slightly lost look on my father’s face up against the self-imposed work deadline. My gut told me to turn around but the deadline won out. I would do it differently if given another chance. Songs do that, remind you of the regrets, the wished for do-over’s.

Recently I went to the Dublin Ohio Irish Festival specifically to see the incredible Eileen Ivers. But an unexpected surprise happened, the discovery of a band called Slide. Their singer Dave Curley’s version of The Maid of Culmore was a gift.  If you are not Irish or part-Irish, that band, his singing, that song will make you long to be.

Download The Maid of Culmore at:www.slide-ireland.com  
Album: Slide BEO-Live

When my father was going through cancer treatments, I would drive him to his doctor appointments. Every time we got to the end of his street he would say, “Hey instead of going left (towards his Doc) let’s go right to Jersey to see your Aunt Jill" (his much loved sister). The other day I was on my way to my own doc appointment, one that always makes me nervous - when I turned on the radio and Homeward Bound was playing.

Sampling from Beth’s IPad:

Chasing Strange - Lizz Wright

The Needle and the Damage Done - Neil Young

Soul Cake - by Sting

The Maid of Culmore - Slide, sung by Dave Curley

These Days - Jackson Brown

The Way you Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra

Classical Gas - Mason Williams

County Line - Pousette Dart Band

Moondance - Van Morrison

Don’t you Worry ‘Bout A Thing - Stevie Wonder

A Taste of Honey - Lizz Wright

Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan version

Ohh Ooh Child - Valerie Carter

Perfect Weekends

This weekend was perfect!  On Friday, dropped off twelve photos at TwistStyle hair Salon for their community artist wall - the theme “Women.”   Later a visit to ComFest - a community festival in its 40^th year - nothing like a good-old fashioned hippie alternative funky festival to kick off your weekend.  Had a couple of kids over for the weekend - always great to have children in the house. 

Saturday started with the Clintonville Farmers Market for fresh flowers and amazing organic cheese followed up with a walk in my childhood neighborhood - big old houses and shady streets.  Quick stop by Ragorama vintage clothing shop - purchased a pair of classic brown corduroy pants for a nephew. 

On Sunday fourteen photos put up at Corner Stone Deli. Then a trip to the Columbus Museum of Art - free admission on Sunday!  Meanwhile had  been thinking about making lemon cupcakes. After endless looking through my cookbooks with no luck decided to wing it and use a simple white cake mix from the internet, adding  my own touches to create a lemony flavor.

White Cake Mix - to Lemon Cake

1 cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk, ¼ half & half (or just use ½ cup whole milk)

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon

Mix wet ingredients

Add & mix well:

1 ½ cups flour (I like unbleached)

1 ¾ tsp baking powder

Cupcake liners in tin, pour ½ full in each

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

Icing

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter

1 to 2 tsp of vanilla

¾ box of confectionary sugar

Touch of milk

Mix until creamy smooth

Add & mix:

Juice of one lemon

Zest of ½ lemon (or more if you like)

Beating the Heat

For the last several summers we have enjoyed sitting in our walled backyard observing  Mrs. Squirrel and her annual brood.  Two summers ago we watched her move her young babies, one by one, carrying each one protesting and mewling in her mouth, jumping from one branch to another on to the roof-top to their new location.  Why she decided to move her offspring is still a mystery.

Last year two tragedies struck. The day after her youngsters emerged from the safety of their nest, tentatively moving up and down their “home” branch scurrying back to the nest if spooked, one fell to our patio and I found the following day. Then in the Fall a fierce wind storm shook the nest down, completely destroying any remnants. In early Spring, the trees still bare of leaves it was obvious that no new nest had been built, much to our disappointment.

But good news,  last week semi-hidden amongst the leaves, the nest is back - same exact location, sturdy-looking and ready for occupancy.  On the evening of this year's sweltering summer solstice (90 plus degrees), low and behold Mrs. Squirrel made her appearance. Stretched out along two  branches, her goofy little front feet clasping a narrow branch, her head resting along side, her big pregnant belly splayed out between the two wider-set horizontal branches. She looked like any soon-to-be mother, ready to burst, desperately trying to find a comfortable position on a hot summer night - waiting, waiting, just waiting for her job to begin.

Irish Recipes

Bread recipe from a lovely cooking book called:  

The Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews

Treacle (Soda) Bread

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups White unbleached flour plus more for dusting

1Tbls sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

½ cup treacle or Black -strap molasses

1 ¾ cup buttermilk  (save 2 Tbs back for brushing on dough before baking)

Butter for greasing

Mix flour, sugar, salt and soda into large bowl with hands, make a well and add wet ingredients (which have been mixed together) and mix with hands or wooden spoon - don’t overdo it.

Place on floured surface and knead lightly for 2 to 3 minutes

Shape into a round loaf, place on buttered baking pan, cut a cross on top, brush top with the 2 Tbls of buttermilk

Bake at 400 degrees (I would do it at 350 to 375) for 40 to 45 minutes

Serve warm with salted butter

Beth’s Recipe:

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

1 to 2 lbs ground sirloin - browned

1 medium sweet onion - chopped and sautéed

1 cup or more sour cream

Salt & pepper for taste

(Mix all three together and set aside)

Bag of frozen peas (thawed)

6 to 7 Yukon gold potatoes boiled, then mashed with real butter, salt and Half & Half cream - make it loose so it doesn’t dry out during baking

Layering:

In large casserole dish layer as follows:

-Peas

-Meat/onion/sour cream mixture

-Mashed potatoes

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees

My Weekend - New, Old and Redo’s

I recommend all…….

New

Best Ever Ginger Bread by Mary Leffingwell of G Bar M Ranch, Montana

1 cup sugar

1 cup oil

1 cup molasses

2 eggs

2 tsp of baking soda in 1 cup of boiling water

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cloves

Mix well in large bowl - (per Beth I just hand mixed)

Bake in a 9 x 12 greased pan at 350 degrees - (per Beth I used salted butter to grease the pan)

Or

(Per Beth - I baked it at 400 degrees for 10  minutes and then at 350 for 20 more minutes - made the corners and top a tiny bit crunchy.)

Mary Leffingwell suggests serving with applesauce and whipped cream but since we didn't have any  - we decided a scoop of Whit's vanilla ice cream (or vanilla Hagen Daz would work) was the perfect match!

Old

Started thinking about music that I’ve listened to over the years, Here are two that I absolutely love - YouTube them or download to your Ipod- well worth it.

Ooh Ooh Child by Valerie Carter- from her 1977 Stone’s Throw Away album produced by Lowell George

County Line by Pousette -Dart Band

Redo

I just reread one of my favorite books of 2010, “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Even better the second time around - fantastic dialogue, sweet premise, lovely funny story.