Monday, September 18, 2017

Ted Kooster Poet Laureate

ABC Wednesday
September 20th, 2017

The letter is K for Ted Kooster


Ted Kooster was born on April 25th, 1939

in Ames, Iowa

He worked for many years as Vice President
of an Insurance Firm,
writing his poetry in the mornings,
in the evenings,
and during his spare moments.

For two terms Poet Laureate in the United States,
a Pulitzer Prize Winner,
now he writes children's books,
is a Professor at the University of Nebraska,
and is Editor of a newspaper column

"American Life in Poetry"

which is carried in 150 newspapers
 throughout the country
as well as being distributed
by email,
and used in classrooms.
(From Wikipedia)

I have his book
"The Wheeling Year -
A Poet's Field Book"

in which he says about September

"One of our old neglected apple trees is so burdened with fruit this year that a limb has cracked, turned brown, and drapes, limp-wristed, bejewelled with apples that ripen, day after day, on those lifeless fingers.  This morning I noticed that hornets have come to set each garnet in golden filigree"


and he goes on to say, about September...

"Labor Day weekend, rainy and cool, and the second hatch of barn swallows are still in their nest under the eaves, three of them, downy and mewing, their beaks like buds just opening, while the rest of the swallows, an extended family of a dozen or more, including the year's first hatch, wheel round and round this axis, crying,  as if to unwind the invisible thread that holds them here, 
with winter coming".


A beautiful expression of a poet's awareness
it is well named

"A Poet's Field Guide"

Open it to any page and there is a vignette of life;
creative, imaginative, heart touching, sometimes poignant
and very beautiful.

For more expressions of the letter K visit
here at ABC Wednesday
with thanks to all who maintain this meme.






Sunday, September 17, 2017

Sunday morning Scones

Sunday, September 17th, 2017

Cool and smokey this morning, and with the weather report over
 let me tell you about making scones!

I have this fabulous recipe in our church cookbook "Secrets of a Small Town",
 inserted by a dear friend who is, unfortunately,
long gone from our midst.

She suggests doubling the recipe, and each time I make it, that's what I do!

It was a great hit at after-service refreshments last week at church,
 and I'm always in for things that make an good impression.

Being a 'bake right after breakfast' type of woman, (as I age), 
I got busy right after the second cup of coffee
 and threw together these marvelous biscuits.  

All went well, and I slipped them into the 425 degree oven,
forgetting that the last time the oven performed at that degree of heat
the super-sensitive smoke alarm led me a merry chase 
up and down the hallway, with a towel to quieten it.....
until at last I had to plug in a fan to make a breeze and calm it down.

Sure enough, - as the timer was about to go off at 12 minutes
 the alarm started to wail, 
and only increased its cries 
when I took those lovely scones from the oven!

What do the neighbours think??

Living alone,
and with diminished hearing,
I know it is a comforting 'thing'
to have outside my bedroom door..

but seriously??


Well, it's no wonder it kicked up such a rumpus...
Look at the bottoms!


I shall serve them with butter and jam 
and a sharp knife to cut off the burnt part, and they will be delicious.

One can get away with that kind of thing when one is ancient,
and family will be happy that I still have the
ways and means and the wit to make scones.

Even burnt scones....

Here is the recipe...

Jean's English Scones

2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs (save one white)
1/4 cup currants
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of margarine
1/4 cup of mixed fruit

Mix flour, sugar salt and baking powder.  Cut in margarine.  Add fruit and mix.  
Add milk, one whole egg and one egg yolk.
Stir until moistened.

Turn out and knead well.  
Roll out about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut into shapes, put on cookie sheet and brush with egg yolk.
Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 425 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes

Watch carefully, - if your oven is sensitive take a peak at 11 minutes.

I doubled the recipe and used cheese instead of fruit. 
so I ended up with nice cheesy scones 
with black bottoms!!!

I plan to spend the rest of the day winding a warp 
to put on the loom...
and hoping all goes well!