Poetry Saturday . . . When Earth's Last Picture is Painted

When Earth's last picture is painted, and the tubes are twisted and dried,

When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died,

We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it . . . lie down for an aeon or two,

Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall put us to work anew.







And those that were good shall be happy; they shall sit in a golden chair;

They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comet's hair;

They shall find real saints to draw from . . . Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;

They shall work for an age at a sitting, and never be tired at all!







And only the Master shall praise us, and only the Master shall blame;

And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame,

But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,

Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They Are!

~Rudyard Kipling







I thought it would be fun to showcase pictures that we had taken at Bateman's, which was the home of Rudyard Kipling, this morning . . . especially as the poem I have showcased is one of his. We visited there one Saturday when we lived down South and what a fine home it was, with beautiful grounds and quite interesting inside as well . . .but they never let you take cameras inside these places do they . . . so you'll just have to visit for yourself if you want to see it. It is just filled with treasures from his travels around the world, most notably India, and of course writings and illustrations from his various works. A fascinating day to be sure!



I hope you will all have updated your bookmarks to this new one:



http://ayearfromoakcottage.org



Otherwise you will get a blank page when you visit me. I hate all this palaver with blogs and such. I don't know why these odd things happen, but that they do. I would e-mail everyone on my list to let them know, but I don't know how to do everyone at once. Also if you were a follower, you will want to re-add yourself as a follower I believe. I'm not sure! I am no expert on these things!



Here's a fine kettle of fish and a delicious meal for some of these cooler evenings that we are having now. A delicious Fish Chowder. I often made this when my family was growing up. It was always a favourite of theirs.







*Creamy Fish Chowder*Serves 4

Printable Recipe



Restaurants all over the maritime provinces in Canada usually each have their own version of this delicious hot soup, and they have remained a favourite of customers for years. What makes a chowder a chowder? I think it’s the rich flavours of the bacon and the milk, but you decide.



1 pound cod fish fillets

2 ounces streaky bacon, diced

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

½ cup celery, diced

2 cups peeled and diced raw potatoes

½ cup peeled and diced carrots

2 cups boiling water

½ tsp summer savoury

1 bay leaf

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup milk

½ cup cream

Large knob of butter



Take a large saucepan and heat it over medium high heat. Add the bacon and fry until crisp. Sauté the onion in the rendered bacon fat until just soft, then add the celery, potatoes and carrots. Stir them around in the fat with the onions for a few minutes then add the boiling water. Add the fish, summer savoury, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Let it come just to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the fish flakes easily. Remove the bay leaf and add the milk and the cream. Heat until very hot, but do not allow to boil. Add the knob of butter and serve in heated bowls with soft slices of fresh homemade white bread and butter, or with crisp buttery toast or crackers if you prefer!







Over in The English Kitchen today, The Great Cornish Pasty!