Beauty

Spring has arrived on the prairie, and brought the daffodils, hyacinths and the promise of more to come. Of course, after spring arrived, we had a blizzard, too. Life can be uncertain - whether you're a human or a hyacinth I guess.

Hyacinths always remind me of my mother. Every spring she would pick some and put them in a fruit jar in the middle of the table, where their scent would permeate every corner of the room. Only now, as an adult, do I see this act for what it was - staking a claim on beauty.

I'm blessed that that very table now sits in my dining room, a few states away. And, I, too, can use it as a tableau for beauty. Like my mother, I find few things more beautiful than what nature can provide.

We all need beauty in our lives. Bits of beauty find their way into our lives unbidden at times if we can recognize them.                  

I bought this little vase at a sale for a dollar. The neck of the lute she's holding is broken, but it is perfect as far as I'm concerned. It can hold just one stem or a small bundle and enhances whatever it touches.



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Art of Gracious Living #68 - Homeward Bound

"It doesn't matter where you live today - trailer, apartment, or a house. You may be rooming in a motel or seeking santuary in a safe house halfway between your past and your future. You may even be without a roof to call your own, camping out on a friend's couch or community cot; held hostage in a palace or pitching a tent on the dark side of the moon. It doesn't matter. If you're reading this, you're homeward bound."
Sarah Ban Breathnach in "Something More"

I love this quote. It speaks so much about our need for home - for a place to belong. Her point is that we are always thinking about home, and going there, wherever that may be.

I love my house, but this is not my dream house. I will one day live in a different kind of house - something in the Queen Anne style, which is my favorite. Those "painted lady" houses in San Francisco are Queen Anne style houses. I love the asymmetrical nature of these large houses, with their gingerbread, bay windows and stained glass. I know they're not "practical," but I love them. So, for me, that is where I'm headed ... my homeward bound destination.

Isn't it lovely that we have the ability to imagine ourselves in another place, another home, another life?


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Art of Gracious Living #67

Finding time for all the things we want to do in life is always a struggle. It all boils down to determining our priorities and then living so that those are where we're putting our energies.

In this Art of Gracious Living I offer some suggestions on how to achieve this.

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Art of Gracious Living #66 - Back from Hiatus

The Art of Gracious Living has returned from hiatus. The topic this week is why taking time away is sometimes necessary.

It's good to examine each obligation you have and determine if it's something you really want to do or not, and if it's something you absolutely have to do. It's healthy to take a break now and then.

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Hiatus

Art of Gracious Living is on hiatus temporarily. Please join me on my blog at www.patsyterrell.com. Thanks!

Creating a Tea Party - Art of Gracious Living #65

Inviting some friends over for a tea party creates an atmosphere where conversation can flourish. It gives us a way to connect with others, which is an essential for our good health.

Of course you can serve something other than tea, but I suggest tea because it seems to encourage lingering over a cup.

But, what's really important is that you have the conversation. If you do want to serve tea, some recipe suggestions are offered below.

Listen to the podcast for more information.

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Cucumber Sandwiches

Cucumber Sandwiches are a tea essential. There are a zillion different recipes. I was chatting with a lady on a bus in London some years ago and she told me how she prepared hers. That is basically this recipe with a few modifications. She chopped cucumber into tiny bits and added it into the cream cheese mixture.

Also, if you're not going to make these right before eating, butter the bread so the bread doesn't get soggy. It has to be butter - not margarine - and that whole side of the bread covered. Just like oil and water - butter and sandwich filling don't mix - and that's a good thing in this case.

white bread cut into rounds (use a glass if you don't have a round cutter)

cucumber - I peel mine about halfway, leaving some green on them - sliced into thin rounds

butter

Filling:
cream cheese
onion
garlic
chives
dill

I mix these ingredients until I like the taste. Other people use different combinations but this is my favorite mix.

I use a bread round, buttered, then a bit of the cream cheese mixture, then top with a cucumber slice and garnish with a little fresh dill.

There's no wrong way to do them. As of yet, I've never seen anyone eat as many cucumber sandwiches as they'd like. They go quickly!



Lemon Bread

I found this recipe in a church cookbook. I made a few modifications, and I really like this bread. If you want a really tangy taste, add more peel and/or lemon extract to the mix.

1/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 to 1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 T. lemon peel
3 T lemon juice

Blend butter and sugar and beat in eggs. Combine dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix in lemon peel and juice. Bake in 350 degree oven for about one hour, until loaf is done. It will slice better after sitting for a day. You can use cookie cutters to make it into a pretty shape. Add some whipped cream and fruit on the side to dress it up if you like. Tea is all about the details.


Ginger Cookies

Ginger cookies are the perfect accompaniment for tea. I love this recipe with the crystalized ginger - it gives them a little extra punch. But you can leave it out if you don't have any.

2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2 ounces crystallized ginger, minced

Mix and form into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Don't overcook them - take them out when they're still a little soft.

Our Stories Help Us Connect - Art of Gracious Living #64

Our stories are how we connect with others. The Kalahari Bushmen believe a man's story is his most precious possession because it's the basis of culture and civilization. The same is true in modern society, but we're more likely to tell someone what we do for a living than what we care about, than who we are.

When I thought about applying this to myself I was reminded of a piece I wrote a few years ago that I gave to some friends with driftwood I had collected at the confluence of the rivers near where I grew up. That is a place I return to repeatedly.




In 2001, I gave pieces of driftwood I gathered at the river to some friends with the following piece I wrote.

I am a person of rivers.

For those of us born to rivers, they are life itself. We speak of them reverently. We fear them. We cherish them. We are drawn to them by a force we cannot comprehend but have no choice but to obey. They flow through our souls. They define us.

We go to the river for strength, for guidance, for solace. We cannot possibly find our way in the world without returning to the river periodically. It beckons to us. We cannot deny its call. We learn at a young age that there's no point in even trying. Not that we want to anyway. The river knows when we are away from it too long. It summons us home.

We gather at the riverside for family celebrations, baptisms, and catharsis. We have rituals, public and private, that are carried out only on those banks.

The confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers is a place I return to when I've lost my way in the world. I have said prayers of thanksgiving and prayers of entreatment from the same spot. I have sought direction and consolation. I will do both again as long as I walk upon this Earth.

I gathered this driftwood on an April Day of 2001 with the idea of sharing it with a few special friends at Christmastime. I had no idea then how profoundly changed I would be by the end of this year. My life will never be the same as it was that day.

I can't give you the river. I can't even explain its attraction for those of us born to it. But I want to share with you a small token of it. May this driftwood encourage you to visit what restores you.

I hope the holidays are a time of joy for you and yours this Christmas.

Patsy
Christmas 2001