Poetry Saturday . . . Children's Song

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We live in our own world.
A world that is too small
For you to stoop and enter
Even on hands and knees,
The adult subterfuge

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And although you probe and pry
With analytic eye,
And eavesdrop all our talk
With an amused look,
You cannot find the centre

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Where we dance, where we play,
Where life is still asleep
Under the closed flower,
Under the smooth shell
Of eggs in the cupped nest
That mock the faded blue
Of your remoter heaven.
~R S Thomas

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Don't you ever just wish you could be a child again, if only for a moment . . . and be able to recapture all the innocence and joy that was yours before you knew the world was round, and the reality of life punched a hole into your balloon? Every once in a while I catch a little glimpse but it is fleeting at best . . .



I did a bit of a self portrait the other afternoon. I fell in love with it. I do seem to lose myself in another world when I am painting and creating. It's all quite lovely. I suppose it is then that I escape and run away into childish thoughts and dreams . . .

As usual it is available as a card or a print.

If you could spare a few happy thoughts or prayers for our good friend Sybil (A Day in the Life) right now. She's had a hard year filled with great loss, and has just had to have her much beloved pup Dee put down. If you could pop over and give her some positivity that would be lovely, and I know she would appreciate it so very much. It is so heartbreaking when we have to say farewell to our furry family members and we feel their loss as keenly as we would any family member. Sybil is a dear sweet friend and it grieves me that she should have to suffer yet again another blow . . . Sybil, we love you and are carrying you in prayer.

When my kids were growing up I made this tasty supper dish at least once a week for them. They loved it. It’s an old recipe given to me by the mother of a friend out in Alberta when we lived there. It’s called Goulash, but I always told the kids it was called Monkey in the Middle . . . probably because I always put it into the middle of their plates and surrounded it with rice or noodles and a vegetable on the outside. They couldn’t wait to devour it. I’m not sure if that was because it was so delicious or because of the name . . . most likely it was both. This is another recipe from my Big Blue Binder.



*Mrs McNevin’s Goulash*
Serves 4 - 6
Printable Recipe

I have an old blue binder that holds recipes that I have collected from friends and family and magazines throughout the many years. This one is a real treasure and I never make it but what I don’t think of Mrs. McNevin. The mother of a friend of ours, she was so kind to me, a young bride living far away from the bosom of my own family. She took me under her wing and treated me just like one of her own. This deliciously spicy stewed meat goes very well with rice or noodles.

2 pounds of stewing beef, trimmed of any fat and cut into cubes
2 TBS cooking oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
½ cup tomato catsup
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
½ tsp dry mustard powder
¼ cup flour
1 cup water

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Season the meat lightly and coat it in the flour.

Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet and add the meat. Brown it very well on all sides. Add the onion and garlic, Cook for a few minutes longer until the vegetables are softened and quite fragrant.

Add the catsup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, paprika and dry mustard. Stir it all together well. Stir in the water.

Tip it all into a casserole with a lid and then put it into the oven to cook for 2 hours or so, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thickened. Delicious!



Over in The English Kitchen today, you will find some deliciously scrummy Fruit and Nut Flap Jacks!