the plentiful imagery of the world

You want to see this 3 year old child recite this poem; it will fill you with wonder and hope and some unnameable thing that feels like watching the stars careen across the heavens, or the scent of heather on the moors:


Litany
by Billy Collins


You are the bread and the knife,
the crystal goblet and the wine.
You are the dew on the morning grass
and the burning wheel of the sun.
You are the white apron of the baker,
and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

However, you are not the wind in the orchard,
the plums on the counter,
or the house of cards.
And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.
There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air.

It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,
maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,
but you are not even close
to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither the boots in the corner
nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am the sound of rain on the roof.

I also happen to be the shooting star,
the evening paper blowing down an alley
and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.

I am also the moon in the trees
and the blind woman's tea cup.
But don't worry, I'm not the bread and the knife.
You are still the bread and the knife.
You will always be the bread and the knife,
not to mention the crystal goblet and--somehow--the wine.


Please, click through to watch if you haven't already. You'll be so pleased, and refreshed, and renewed. 


I promise.


http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/

my pleasure...

I KNOW! 

You're welcome.

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/

little moments

Holy shit, living in the country is never dull! The dogs spotted this flock out the window this afternoon. Click on the image for a closer look...

From allaboutbirds.org:

• A native of North America, the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is one of only two domesticated birds originating in the New World. The Muscovy Duck is the other.
• European explorers took Wild Turkeys to Europe from Mexico in the early 1500s. They were so successfully domesticated in Europe that English colonists brought them back with them when they settled on the Atlantic Coast. The domestic form has retained the white tail tip of the original Mexican subspecies, and that character can be used to distinguish wandering barnyard birds from wild turkeys which have chestnut-brown tail tips.
• The male Wild Turkey provides no parental care. When the eggs hatch, the chicks follow the female. She feeds them for a few days, but they quickly learn to feed themselves. Several hens and their broods may join up into bands of more than 30 birds. Winter groups have been seen to exceed 200.

From wikipedia.org:

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  Wild Turkeys are omnivorous, foraging on the ground or climbing shrubs and small trees to feed. They prefer eating hard mast such asacorns, nuts, and various trees, including hazel, chestnut, hickory, and pinyon pine as well as various seeds, berries such as juniper and bearberry, roots and insects. Turkeys also occasionally consume amphibians and small reptiles such as newts and snakes. Poults have been observed eating insects, berries, and seeds. Wild Turkeys often feed in cow pastures. They sometimes visit backyard bird feeders to search for seed on the ground or in rare cases croplands after harvest to pick at the detritus left over from a threshing machine on farms. Turkeys are also known to eat a wide variety of grasses.

• 
  
  
  

  • 
    
    
    
    
    
    

    Turkey populations can reach large numbers in small areas because of their ability to forage for different types of food. Early morning and late afternoon are the desired times for eating.

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

The little things? The little moments? 
They aren't little.
-  John Zabat-Zinn

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/

ring from every tree

We have 2 wrens' nests outside the front door here on Moss Hill - one in a flower pot by the kitchen window, the other in a holly bush by the walk.  Here are the babies, last week:

Check out these feathered friends, from etsy::

birdzNbeez

byelena

circlelinestudio

claylicious

cottonbirddesigns

jackdawpilate

kissingkumquats

kittyempire3

ladylotus

Lana0Crystal

OIive

lovespelljewels

zinniadesignstc

lizix26

Carols of gladness ring from every tree.

~ Frances Anne Kemble

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/

compared to what? MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON!

Thanks to Jenny of MFAMB for sharing this bit of sweetness. You will smile.

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/

after the egg

I've always liked eggs. Now that I've read this tidbit from iVillage.com, I'm ready to marry them: Overweight adults who ate two eggs for breakfast lost 65 percent more weight (and felt more energetic) than those who started the morning with an equally caloric bagel, recent studies show. Other findings reveal that egg eaters consume 300 fewer calories per day, adding up to a loss of three pounds per month. “Eggs help level out blood sugar, provide energy-boosting protein and are full of nutrients,” says wellness coach Jessica Smith. “If you can’t stomach eggs in the morning, eat them for dinner instead.”

Read about 10 other surprising foods for weight loss here!

Not only are eggs magical weightloss packets with a creamy golden center, there are adorable accessories for them, opening up a whole new avenue of collecting...

Egg Cups:

(This one's for you, ES!)

Egg Cosies:

Unfortunately, I'm  pretty sure chocolate eggs don't count...

mouse over images for source

"Oh, God above, if heaven has a taste it must be an egg with butter and salt, 

and after the egg is there anything in the world lovelier than fresh warm bread 

and a mug of sweet golden tea?"

~ Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/

many, many merry

Have I mentioned that we're planning a wedding? We are - sweet son o'mine is marrying his true love in less than 2 months.

I've only ever played matchmaker once, and this is the result:

Standing atop a gentle rise overlooking the Ohio River, the Farnsley-Moremen House is the centerpiece of a 300-acre historic site in Louisville, Kentucky, called Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing. Built circa 1837, the house stands as a testament to the important role agriculture along the river played in the development of our country.

Two upper middle class farm families, the Farnsleys and, later, the Moremens, brought the Riverside property to life by cultivating the fields and trading on the river. In the 19th century, the Ohio River served as one of America's superhighways and the families who lived at Riverside took advantage of their location. From around 1820 until 1890, an active riverboat landing on this property allowed people traveling by river to stop to trade goods, to take on boilerwood for fuel, or to rest. In addition, a ferry operated out of Riverside carrying people and goods back and forth between Indiana and Kentucky.

Gabriel Farnsley built the impressive two-story brick "I" house with its full-height Greek Revival portico by 1837. Farnsley had purchased the 200 acres, upon which the house is built, with a business partner in 1826. By 1828, Farnsley bought out his business partner to become the sole owner of the property. Farnsley prospered at his Ohio River farm located 13 miles downriver from Louisville. By 1849, the year of his death, Farnsley had increased his land holdings to 400 acres.
 

Alanson and Rachel Moremen purchased the original 200-acre tract in 1862. They acquired additional surrounding properties bringing the size of the farm to 1,500 acres, the largest farm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, at the time. By the 1880s, the aging Alanson began legally dividing the farm among his heirs. Moremen family descendants owned the property until 1988 when they sold the house and remaining acreage to Jefferson County.

The Moreman family posing for a formal portrait, c.a. 1870

Today, visitors to Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing can tour the historic house and grounds which include the reconstructed 19th century detached kitchen,  on-going archaeological excavations (seasonal), and the kitchen garden where volunteers grow many of the same vegetables and herbs that would have been part of meals served during the period.A modern Visitors Center houses an auditorium, museum exhibits and a museum store.  
 

mouse over images for source

Heaven give you many, many merry days.

- William Shakespeare

 
http://www.riverside-landing.org/


http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/