Underfoot and overhead

After a day of total deloogin' rain yesterday, the sun is back. Not even much mud, which means we needed that rain.

So a nice local walk ensued.

There are whole worlds underfoot

And I'm told trees communicate with each other. I wonder if they talk across species and varieties? These beeches seem very confidential, wonder if their neighbors are included in the decades-long convo?

Back home to find panic next door. Refrigerator broke down, no service can be done during the lockdown. Sooooo, frantic moving of food.

 Their other freezer works and is full from recent big shop. Which is why I have a giant bag of ice stored for them in my freezer, not without some squashing in, mine pretty full too.

 So today we're all glad about that because I took the bag of ice back and they've set up the ice chest to help for now till they figure out what next. Never a dull moment.

 Yesterday was her mother's funeral, away from here, which is how they didn't find out until just now about the breakdown. Whereupon they both had breakdowns,too.

And I thought, having done what I could, I needed to go away and play a bit of music.

Editor's Note: if you are not a sight reader or find early music almost as exciting as watching paint dry, skip the next bit.

I played these three suites, composed by Anonymous, from a 1700s book for solo instrument. Probably, knowing the music world, composed by a woman, but moving right along.. I'm playing them on alto, but they're cleverly designed for soprano and tenor, so I might try that, too.

Then I played a bit of Michael East, Elizabethan feller, and I wanted to show you typical handwritten then printed music. Don't imagine I'm rippling away like Michala, though. Just a competent player. Mostly..

 I got most of my music from workshops run by great players who are often editors and arrangers too, and share what they've arranged, or their colleagues have.

  My interest is in medieval, Renaissance and Elizabethan music, and it's a lively world. And it's a small one, so print runs tend to be small, nowadays from the arranger's computer.

Last evening I rounded off my Alec Guinness Film Festival with The Man in the White Suit, and I don't know if there's ever been a better comedy ensemble than in the Ealing studios.

But now, chop wood, carry water, scrub bathrooms, since I cancelled my cleaning family and them toilets won't scrub themselves.

There's a wonderful word that explains everything is part of life, not an interruption to it. Shakuhachi.

 Always good to remember in frightening times. Everything that happens, welcome or feared, is a part of life. A lot of us are at home now. But our "real" lives are not suspended, they've just taken on a new form for us to explore and learn.

Likewise during my long caregiving years, my life wasn't on hold. It was very full, with happiness in there, too, if you looked for it among the stress.. Sometimes I needed stronger glasses to see it, but it was there.

 In fact it was during those years, that I attended a workshop conducted by a shakuhachi flute master and learned about the concept. Very timely learning.

When the student is ready, the teacher appears!

Italian American Festival 2014

When Handsome Son was much younger, our annual day together was the 4H show at the local county park.  Then he grew up and it moved to another location, and we were in urgent need of our annual funnel cake destination.  Last year at the same county park,  this was the Italian American festival and we liked it so much that we went back this year, and found it many times bigger.  I guess a lot of people liked it.

 Almost opening time


The food is a big event at any Italian activity, and there were a huge number of food vendors, mostly cooking on demand and ranging from old fashioned tomato pies (old Trenton doesn't say pizza!) to great cheesesteaks, which though they are a Philly food, are actually wonderful coming from Trenton. 

 Handsome Son patiently modeling for the photographer while planning lunch

And lemonade made from scratch, containing actual lemons.  And the funnel cake. We were too kneedeep in sauce and onions and pasta marinara and peppers and confectioner's sugar to chronicle our food odyssey, but take my word it was good.

Lovely day with crafts and a big set of terrifying rides, 

and a historical display indoors of Italian contributions to the culture

Trevi Fountain in fiberglass!  heh

 Posters of Italian productions

including newspaper clippings about homeboy Alito of the Supreme Court, a local boy, and many musicians and entertainers.  

The local live music was pretty good, too.

And there was bocce with keenly competitive games and players of all ages.  

If I ever have a team, that lady in the green blouse is my first pick.  killer bocce player.

 And the little girl in pink threw a mean ball, too.


And street signs brought from Chambersburg, The Burg in local parlance (Stephanie Plum's stomping grounds, you know?).

And food prep is a big deal in this event, with this great salesman chopping and shredding garlic and ginger and Parmesan and chocolate all over the place, the smells were wonderful.

Oh, and the barkers for the food vendors: where else can you get an announcement "Eggplant Parm to die for!  Eggplant so fresh it's still growing!"

And a huge crowd of happy well fed people in the hot sun and thankfully slumping down in the shade. And as the sun sinks slowly in the west, your photographer does likewise...

Field and Fen Forages at the Farm for Food

Another invented dish today:  

cubed red sweet peppers, chopped green beans, cubed firm tofu, sharp cheddar, chunk of basil pesto, two eggs beaten with Italian seasoning and kosher salt.  Buttered dish, all poured in gently, topped with several curry leaves.  Baked at 375 for 25 minutes.


Very good lunch.  Originally designed to be two meals, but I ended up enjoying all of it.  Life's short.  Speaking of which, note the upcycled flower vases and other things pressed into service to hold utensils.  Much more appealing than the old plastic dishwasher insert they are replacing.

Stitching on my butterfly this morning.  Playing music this afternoon.  Cooking in between.