Lessons from Ichabod Crane

 

I'm not wanting a scary Halloween this year.

Haven't put out the creepy portraits of my real ancestors that I usually do for Halloween. 

They're here on this post I did in 2013 if you want to see them.  (Many of my blog friends commented on this one but I see that many of them are Instagram only now.) 

I love these old photographs but they may get divided up between our four children because creepy portraits of my dead ancestors hit a little too close to home now..at this stage of my life, during this time where far too many have faced the specter of death--and that's a pretty creepy sentence itself for me to have written!

I never did watch the really scary Halloween movies but I always liked the ones about Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," even Tim Burton's one. But I think Jeff Goldblum, in an earlier movie, was a truer Ichabod Crane to what Irving's character seemed.

I love the picture of Crane above, trying to escape the Headless Horseman. It was an insurance ad in one of my vintage magazines but I forgot to write down which one. 

There are some things to be learned from Ichabod:

If you're courting a wealthy beautiful woman, better be sure your motives are pure.

Parents should think twice before giving permission to a schoolmaster to paddle their children. 

Thinking too much about scary occult things might not be good for you.

You might never be seen again if you insist on being out late on Halloween night.

And watch out for the horseman behind you if you are out late. Especially if his head resembles the Jack-o'-lantern on your front porch.

 

You're welcome. And one more word of advice...

Please wear a mask!

  

Fresh Greens for Supper Tonight

 A knock at the kitchen door after breakfast this morning turned out to be our neighbor bringing us fresh cut greens from his garden.

I filled up my largest bowl four times and washed the greens four times each bowl. 

This box was overflowing with greens.

There were collards and chard and kale and mustard greens.

They smelled so good and were so fresh that it was a pleasure to prepare them. I do cut out the largest stems and I pile stacks of greens on my cutting board and slice everything about two inches wide. 

I use an old Gourmet magazine recipe for collard greens so decided all of these greens would get cooked together using this recipe.

Cook some bacon til crisp and save to crumble into greens. In a few tablespoons of the bacon grease cook red onions, chopped. Add chicken broth--I use a box of chicken bone broth because I save my homemade broth for soups--and 1/4 cup of cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes. Add greens and toss until wilted, simmer covered, one hour or till tender. Salt and stir in bacon.

And of course I'll set out a jar of my own hot pepper sauce to go with the greens!

 

The greens do wilt down a lot but they'll be so good with our leftover supper tonight. We had salmon patties last night, and yes, I've tried making them with leftover fresh salmon but they just weren't my mother's salmon patties that I grew up on. But I do use the best red salmon I can find and I do keep the bones in it because that's where the calcium is. I remove the dark skin and fatty bits and throw away the little spinal cord that runs beside the bones--if you're squeamish, that probably got to you! 

And I have leftover cornbread from last night and leftover black-eyed peas with spinach. And remember, some dried beans can be done by the quick method but it makes a world of difference when you soak black-eyed peas the night before--and put them in the fridge overnight instead of sitting out on the counter.

And tomorrow night we might add a big baked sweet potato each (also from our neighbor's garden). 

No, these meals are not what I would serve company but who has company now? 

Our neighbor also brought us some more of his last banana peppers and that means I'll have to make one more small jar of pickled peppers.

I'm so thankful for such a good neighbor! And I'm just a little bit thankful that his garden is coming to an end for the season because when he brings me vegetables I simply have to fix them, no matter what my other plans for the day were. Our own pepper plants are still producing a few along but I expect they'll stop soon.

October's almost over but my favorite month of all comes next. Pretty soon there won't even be these KnockOut roses for the table and I'm okay with that, even ready for that. We might not even cover anything outside with old sheets when the next frost is predicted.

 

I'm feeling ready for a Black Frost. Then it will be time to make a big pot of chili.

Courting Melancholy Autumn

 

 

Through George Eliot, James Mason and I are courting autumn's melancholy:

Is not this a true autumn day?

 Just the still melancholy that I love--

 

that makes life and nature harmonize.

 

 

We're harmonizing here today, James Mason and I...

 

 

while courting George Eliot's melancholy autumn.

Pshaw! we say, to October sunshine. 

My Favorite Photographer

 My favorite photographer is our son Daniel!  

 

 

 And two favorite models he photographs are our darling granddaughters!

 

 

 

When they visited us recently, our front porch was a good place for this autumn photo shoot.

 

 

 

Our beautiful daughter-in-law is a favorite model too!

 Our youngest granddaughter is a wild at heart nature princess.

 

Her big sister is smart, mature, fun and adventurous!

Our son works in television production and also is part of a growing group of photographers who have returned to film. I wanted to link you to his film Instagram account, dadsoldnikon here-- but I also want to share his Artist Statement from where he exhibits his film photography.

I am an explorer. Ever since I was a kid I was drawn to adventure and exploring the world around me. I still have a desire to dig holes in hopes of finding "treasure." Since I am not Indiana Jones, I have found an outlet to fulfill my calling to explore. Enter photography.

  My father passed down his 55 year old Nikon Nikkomat FTN camera and lenses to me. It sat in my closet for a few years because I was intimidated by it. I had no idea how to load film much less use it. I finally decided to dust it off and took it on vacation about 2 years ago. My father snapped countless photos of us in the 80s and now I was determined to take photos of my family. I shot 3 rolls of film in one week and I never thought they would turn into beautiful photos once I got them back from development.

  Now I take this camera everywhere I go. I travel quite a bit for work and end up in New York City often. I have had the most amazing adventures walking around by myself snapping photos of the city. I am particularly drawn to Chinatown. It has such a raw and unique personality. It has not been commercialized and renovated so it's like walking back in time. I love watching the people who set up sidewalk produce stands. I see people stop by the seafood market shops to pick up dinner on their way home. I run into other explorers and sometimes muster up the courage to actually say hi and maybe start a conversation with them. The most thrilling part of my adventure happens when I ask someone if I can take a photo of them. It takes me out of my comfort zone. I get to have a real conversation with a complete stranger and walk away hoping that it turns out ok when the film is developed.

  I grew up in Nashville, TN (actually Joelton but who has ever heard of that?). We lived out in the country on an old worn out 25 acre farm. My life was full of hard work. My dad taught me how to work from the time I was 5. He owned a roofing company so when we were not working to maintain the 25 acres and the old farmhouse, we were roofing year round to make a living.

  I moved to Knoxville in 2000 to get my degree in TV Production at the University of Tennessee. I met my wife and we bought an old cute little house in Fountain City. We spent most of our free time working on the house and exploring downtown Knoxville. We were those young people without kids who were at every 1st Friday and free concert downtown. I work at NorthSouth Productions. I am our staff director of photography (fancy name for camera operator) and I manage our gear and crew for our reality and documentary series. I have worked at NorthSouth for almost 10 years.

  My beautiful wife, who is happy to pose for portraits anytime, is an artist of all forms. She has been a big cheerleader for me and my new passion of film photography. Our two beautiful girls keep us very busy. Our youngest is happy to pose for photos anytime and our oldest is a film photography Jedi in training.

 

I hope you've enjoyed getting to know more about our youngest son. I'll tell you another secret about him. He is the guy who strikes out on his own after work during a three week film shoot in Europe, with his camera, and stops to talk to locals who take him to places tourists miss and become forever friends. 

After his description of the "old worn out farm" he grew up on, I must clarify that statement! Yes, here is a picture of it the day we moved in when he was 9...

 

 But, here is the house by the time he was an adult, with brand new kitchen, laundry, and second bathroom added on...

 He did learn to work when he was five years old. I wish I had the picture of him and his brothers on top of a roof working when he was about that age. Like his older brothers and sister, there is nothing he doesn't know how to do, thanks to his father. His mom was more of a pushover but he was the best vacumner I ever had. And I still miss him when it comes time to decorate the house for Christmas. 

And I must say that, other than my daughter Christy, my daugher-in-law is my favorite person to have in the kitchen cooking with me. 

Thank you for letting me share my favorite photographer with you! I hope you'll follow him on Instagram!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Revealed at the Pond

 

 

He had always loved the autumn months with peculiar intensity, feeling within them a sense of fulfillment and well-being, as though life were pouring rich distillation into his cup.

Agnes Sligh Turnbull in

The Golden Journey

 

RH does love autumn but he also loves tractors. And we both love seeing the pond in every season. 

But I hinted about how nice it would be when the gravel pile was gone so I would be able to see the whole pond again. And then I mentioned it a few more times. Quite a few, actually. 

 

[My first time to insert a video in new Blogger...does it work? Maybe I won't be able to see until I hit publish.]

And then on a beautiful October day the tractor came and the gravel pile that our granddaughter loved to climb on was gone leaving us a beautiful view to the pond once more. Yay!

Pickling's Done

 

This is my last jar of pickling for the season. I've felt pickled out but wanted to finish up the banana peppers our neighbor brought and decided to make sweet banana peppers this time. 

I found the basic recipe here but decided to spice it up a little extra. 

Basic recipe: 2 cups white vinegar, 2/3 cup white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed. I doubled that and added: 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon tumeric, 1/2 teaspoon celery salt, 1/2 teaspoon Trader Joe's Onion Salt. Heated to a boil and poured over sliced peppers. I refrigerate all my pickled peppers in our extra fridge since I don't make a lot of jars.

There's no way of knowing if these are any good until we try them, around Christmas time. But here's a recipe that I can guarantee is delicious.

 

I tore this picture out of the British Ideal Home, November 2015 issue. The only problem is, I forgot to tear out the recipe! But with finding a basic recipe on Epicurious and then fiddling around with it myself I came up with a dish we love.

Butternut Squash:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and split squash and scoop out seeds. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, spread with softened butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and grate a little fresh nutmeg on top. Squeeze lime juice on and 1/2 teaspoon coriander and 1 teaspoon garam masala. 

Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

While squash is cooking:

Saute one small red onion, thinly sliced and one clove garlic, minced. Add a little fresh spinach chiffonade and 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs, cook 3-4 minutes.

Stir in 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, salt & pepper. You can add 2 tablespoons pine nuts but I didn't. I don't use them unless I can get ones from Italy. 

Fill hollow of squash when out of oven, sprinkle with some feta cheese, crumbled and return to oven and cook 15 minutes more.!

Garnish with basil leaves and top with sauteed salted pecans. 

It is incredible! I do admit to avoiding the feta pieces, just cannot learn to like it. I even bought the best I found at the store but still just do not like feta.

 

 Here's mine the second time I made it. I keep trying to get it to look as pretty as the picture without much success but I doubt it tasted any better than mine. 

I'm getting excited about all the fall cooking that lies ahead between now and Decembe when the really fun cooking begins. So enough pickling, that is unless it's pickled peaches for the Thanksgiving table like my mother always had. Come to think about it, she bought hers and I will too. We've already sampled one jar from a Texas company and they were wonderful. I'll post a picture of them soon.

Pickling's done and thoughts turn to mincemeat.

                      Hal Borland

 

Oh, yes, I'm one of those people who love mincemeat! 

 

 
 

 

Seattle, Washington Fall Fashions, 1955

 

Mrs. Hoge Sullivan wears a Ben Reig suit of salt and pepper tweed while she rides the miniature railroad at the Woodland Park Zoo with her daughter Mary Lou. 

This was about all that Town & Country wrote about this beautiful woman in their 1955 August issue but the internet yielded much more. 

1) The fashion designer Ben Reig was called dean of the New York Couture Group. 

2) Her husband served in Africa and Italy during WW II. And he was the first manager of Seattle's Space Needle! 

3) I found an earlier picture on eBay that was no longer for sale of Mrs. J. Hoge Sullivan and her daughter Mary Lou! 

I love her swimsuit!

 

Mrs. Gordon Ingham wears a B. H. Wragg jumper ensemble of Shamokin wool at the Seattle Yacht Club. 

1) B. H. Wragg was famous at that time for its separates to be mixed and matched, the fabrics often designed by famous artists.

2) Upon the passing of our model above at the age of 77, The Seattle Times wrote about how she (then Annette Ingham Lobb) and Gordon Ingham met. Her father took her abroad "to discourage an undesirable suitor." 

The plot twisted: Young Gordon Ingham, a fellow passenger, proposed on Dal Lake in the Vale of Kashmir. She accepted. They stayed married until his death in 1988.

Gordon and Annette raised four sons and were active in many charitable causes. But what really intrigued me was that she was a prolific although unpublished poet. I love what Annette said:

I would like to have been a really good writer, but I know I am not. But I like to write, and so I do...it's good therapy.

And amen!

 

 Mrs. Thomas A. Davies is the great-granddaughter of one of Seattle's founders and is program director of the Seattle Art Museum Guild.  She's wearing a dressmaker suit of Lesur wool (one of the best quality fabrics of the 1960s).

I couldn't find anything else out about Mrs. Davies but there is plenty about her great-grandfather, David Thomas Denny, a member of the Denny Party that traveled by covered wagon to Oregon, and then by ship to Seattle, landing September 25, 1851.

 

 

Mrs. William L. Green is shown at the Seattle Flower Mart wearing a box-pleated suit of red wool by Henry Frechtel. I came to a dead end with Mrs. Green but Oh, how I would love to go to the Seattle Flower Mart! And Pinterest is full of models wearing beautiful Henry Frechtel designs.

 

I love the photo above! First of all that automobile. Look at all the leg room! Next, that suit!

Mrs. Lawrence H. Arnold arrives at Canlis Charcoal Broiler with her husband in a Packard Patrician. She wears British worsted by Irene. 

1) There was hardly a leading lady in Hollywood in the 1930s who was not dressed by Irene! And in the early 1960s Doris Day film Midnight Lace, that gorgeous black lace outfit was designed by Irene.

2) Canlis is Seattle's landmark fine dining destination, the most upscale dining experience there. It is still owned by the same family, in a midcentury-modern house. The "old-school posh" restaurant is temporarily closed of course but I got hungry just looking at pictures of the food plates on their website. 

3) Mr. Arnold died in 1962 of cancer and a library was donated in his memory, and that of his mother, to the Hutch, world known institute for cancer research. 

 

Mrs. Charles Callahan is at the Seattle Tennis Club wearing a casual tweed dress by Mollie Parnis. Parnis dressed two presidents' wives, Mamie Eisenhower and Lady Bird Johnson. 

 

 

Mrs. Walter P. Shiel, Jr., the former Barbara Jean Harlow, is watching the Kalakala Ferry at Coleman Dock. She is wearing a coat of Anglo tweed by Frank Gallant who designed coats and suits for Saks, Lord and Taylor, etc. I found Barbara Jean as a 12 year old in the 1940 census. 

 

Not a very good picture but I love the neckline of Mrs. Peter Barrett's cocktail dress of silk and rayon satin by Ceil Chapman that she is wearing at the Seattle Yacht Club. 

Ceil Chapman designed glamorous cocktail and party dresses in the 1940s to 1960s. She was Marilyn Monroe's favorite designer. She designed Elizabeth Taylor's trousseau in 1950 for her wedding to Conrad Hilton.

 

I'll end my three 1955 fashion posts from Town & Country with a dress for the young. Miss Sally Jensen and Mr. George Philip Koon are at the Olympic Hotel. Her ballgown is white lace over ombré shades of tulle by Howard Greer who designed for Katharine Hepburn. I found plenty of Koon family members in Seattle but nothing specifically for George. I did find a Sally Jensen in the 1940 census, which would have made her 18 in 1955. That sounds about right.

The magazine said this about Seattle in 1955:

It is a sleeves-up city which enjoys meeting new challenges and takes a fierce pride in solving its own problems without government assistance.

 I didn't make that up, folks. I promise.