Day: September 28, 2020

RBG: A Life Lived Fully

Turkey Tracks: September 28, 2020

RBG: A Life Lived Fully

I grew up and married in the days before Ruth Bader Ginsberg began to change the American culture with regard to discrimination of all kinds. I could give you lots of examples of where I was not only “lesser than” the men who formed relationships in my life, but under their thumbs, which meant I was considerably less free than these men were.

Now I’m 75, and I am having a really hard time believing that we have returned to a time where much of what was changed can be made to revert. And, that a solitary white woman who thinks she has the right “truth” might be the fulcrum that makes this reversion possible.

We are all now faced with the power of a minority of white male politicians to change our lives in ways many of us cannot imagine. In the end, I do not think they will be successful, but the burning question is how far away “the end” lies.

Here’s a screenshot of a poem that might have been read at RBG’s funeral service and that holds something different: the power of love to change a culture in ways that are healthy for all human beings.

RBG will be powerfully missed and is powerfully loved by so many people in this country—precisely because she understood the power of love.

Fun and Busy Fall Days

Turkey Tracks: September 28, 2020

Fun and Busy Fall Days

We finally got some rain today—not much so far, but it is RAIN.

The fall days for some weeks now have been clear, mostly warm, beautiful, and very dry. The winter squash and root vegetables are being harvested and are filling up our local produce stores. These two striped Delicata squashes, garlic bulbs, and shallots came from Hope’s Edge, my CSA farm; the Hubbard came from friend Margaret-Elaine Jinno’s garden, which she started this year.

I plan to post a golden beet/carrot/ginger soup recipe in the next day or so.

I’ve never seen fresh Holy Basil (Tulsi) before last week’s pick-up at Hope’s Edge. This herb is a power house for the immune system apparently. I’ve dried mine and will use it in winter teas. The smell is way too strong and medicinal for me to use it in food.

I love coffee, especially in the fall and winter, though the days of sharing it with friends has been seriously curtailed.

These are favorites I keep on hand most of the time.

Green Tree’s Dark Harbor is richly dark and complex. The Origin Select bag holds Green Tree’s espresso mix, which they grind for me to use in my mokka espresso coffee pot. I love to get a latte when passing Green Tree (Lincolnville Beach, Maine) as I love this “Roma” espresso mixture so much.

The “Wicked Joe” mixtures, available at our local Hannaford’s grocery store, are roasted in Maine and each is deliciously different. The Italian (blue bag) is very dark and tastes like a good espresso; the Breakfast Blend (gold bag) is milder and tastes like chocolate with a touch of “sunshine”; and the French (red bag) is deeply smoky and dark.

This fall has been a BIG year for mice coming in to the garage. I’ve trapped 19 out there now. And the other night when I lit the grill, a mouse ran across the grate. I shut off the flames immediately, removed the grates, and saw at least 6 panicked mice—though I’d used the grill only a few days earlier. AC dog went nuts as he tried to catch them as they bailed out of the danger zone. The mice are way too quick for AC to catch in this situation. Fortunately, the nest they were setting was rudimentary and easily cleaned out. Gloves were involved, and I will spare you pics of mouse traps and so forth.

I’m pretty much ready for winter now. Everything has been put away; the snow boardwalk is down over the gravel path to the house; flower beds have been put to order; and the days are growing darker now as the trees are putting on their fall outfits.