Kyrielle

Tuscan sausage and bean stew with spinach and squash

2017-11-14T19:50:00.000-06:00

I got home from work today with no inkling what I'd fix for dinner. Tell me I'm not the only one...

But then it's mid-November with all that it entails: gray skies, damp, chill breeze and a kaleidescope of color in the leaves.

Soup weather.

I love soup. My husband prefers stews, thick and hearty. Soups are fine as an appetizer or side dish, but I don't (usually) try to pass off my tomato basil cheddar bisque as a meal around here.

Maybe I could kill the proverbial two birds with one stone and manage to satisfy both my craving and his appetite with one main dish!

I thought about the ingredients I had on hand: northern beans, spinach, sweet Italian sausage, an acorn squash, plucky herbs that survived our first frosts.

Yes, a stew it must be.

You should know: This was a real winner. My foodie husband said it was the best I'd ever made, then listed off the other soups I'm famous for. He wanted to be sure I could duplicate it next time. (Don't be like us and invent toothsome dishes and forget to write down the recipe! Like for his outrageously delicious clam chowder. We're still mourning that loss...) And he wanted to take some for lunch tomorrow.

Stew di giorno

This is my recipe, based on one I found in an old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, Soups and Stews, from the Cooking for Today series called Tuscan Sausage and Bean Soup.

The Stew
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
olive oil

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 acorn squash, peeled and cut in bite-size cubes*
14-16 ounces diced canned tomatoes
1 16-ounce can great northern beans with liquid (or garbanzos)
generous splash of red wine (I used Port.)
1/2 pound chopped frozen spinach
fresh chopped herbs (I used an assortment: basil, oregano, parsley, marjoram, thyme, 2-3 tablespoons; you could use a teaspoon of dried Italian blend.)
Bay leaf
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
freshly grated Parmesan

In a stew pot or enamel Dutch oven, fry sausage until it starts to brown. (It's nice if the sausage stays in plump morsels.) Remove from pot. Drain well.

In the pot, add a splash of olive oil, onions, garlic, and acorn squash. Let the onions wilt and brown slightly if they want to. Add the tomatoes, red wine, half the herbs, bay leaf and salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer until the acorn squash grows tender (about 20 minutes).

Add the beans and spinach. Bring to a gentle simmer until spinach is tender. Add the remaining herbs and more salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and let sit until serving time (while you make the garlic cheese bread below). Serve with a dusting of Parmesan.

*How to peel an acorn squash: First you (carefully) cut it in half, stem to blossom end. Then cut in wedges, being careful to cut in the valleys. Then you peel each section with a sharp vegetable peeler. It's so much easier to roast these things, but you don't come out with chunks that way. Or you could use summer squash as in the original recipe and put it end toward the end.

Garlic cheese bread
loaf of French bread
softened butter
garlic powder
Parmesan
Equal parts grated sharp cheddar, colby-jack and monterey jack cheeses (or your choice, just use plenty)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut French loaf in half lengthwise. Cut 6 inch sections (to look like boats) and butter them well. Put them butter side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with garlic powder and Parmesan. Pile on an assortment of cheese. Put in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until cheese melts. Garnish with parsley if you like. Turn on broiler for a few seconds to brown the cheese slightly.

In which I return a third duvet cover

2017-11-07T07:14:00.002-06:00

This is not a post about food. We are still eating well around here, but I interrupt the cooking report to bring you news of my latest foray in home decor.

When we got married, nearly six years ago, my husband had a denim duvet cover. With green vines embroidered on it. And covered buttons. He liked it. I liked it. So it got to stay. And it stayed. And stayed. I have no idea how old it was.

The original denim duvet cover (in better days)

Finally, over the past couple of years, the broadcloth backing on it began to split at the top (under our chins). Every time I shook out the duvet, it would split a bit further. And washing it didn't help matters any. The plus side was that it was easier to adjust the feather duvet inside the cover if it started slipping down inside.

I thought about using duct tape to keep it together. (I knew an elderly man from the Greatest Generation who did use duct tape on his sheets when they ripped, and because he epitomized the millionaire next door, it leant credence to his practice.) Except I didn't relish the thought of duct tape against my chin. Not at all.

I've been looking for a denim duvet cover to replace ours, well ever since we got married.

Folks, they don't make them like they used to. Truth be told, it is hard to find a denim duvet cover at all. And it had to be denim because, well, ahem...our two 50-pound rescue dogs do find themselves on the bed sometimes. And my husband lounges on top of the duvet. In his work clothes.

First, I used a gift card from Pottery Barn that we got as a wedding gift to order a matelasse duvet cover in a shade of blue that approximated denim. It ended up being more gray than blue. It was not denim at all. I liked it, but my husband didn't. I spent $15 to ship it back.

Then I tried a Calvin Klein duvet cover in midnight blue from Macy's. It was too dark. It looked almost black. Plus the fabric was kind of flimsy, even though it claimed to be denim. I was probably out shipping on that too, but Macy's gives you a prepaid shipping label so if I remember right it was only $6.95, or so.

I've googled "denim duvet cover" so many times, I'm surprised someone hasn't launched a new company specializing in nothing but denim duvets!

I finally decided, after months had passed, that I would order the "denim duvet" from The Company Store. This is not a company I was familiar with before, but it seemed like they carried quality products and I liked that they are manufacturing in the USA. Conveniently, they were offering a 25 percent discount and free shipping. So it was under $200. Still more than I wanted to spend, but I had to be realistic, duct tape being ruled out.

The said denim duvet arrived. I waited several days before opening it because I suspected it was not what I had in mind either.

And sure enough. It wasn't. I think it was described as smoke blue. Again, blue gray. (What is it with designers and shades of gray? There are more than fifty. I am not a fan of any of them in decorating.)

Disappointed, I spread out one pillow sham on top of our old duvet cover on the bed. And sighed. And thought to myself, "Fine, I guess I'll keep it." But it looked so drab. I wasn't about to paint the room and put in new carpet just because I'd changed the duvet cover. But it seemed like that might be required.

Why couldn't someone make a true blue denim duvet cover? Denim on both sides. With nice pillow shams.

Friday night, I told my husband, "You know, as soon as I settle on a duvet cover that I don't like, we'll find the perfect one at an estate sale."

He agreed, because he knows this happens. Quite often. Or we'll describe exactly what we are looking for to each other, and then go out early on Saturday, and it will be there: bookshelves, brand new mattress and box springs (Sterns & Foster!). You name it. There should be a German term for this phenomenon.We don't know one, so we attribute it to "the estate sale fairies."

Mind you, I don't see duvet covers at estate sales that often, much less denim ones (or I would have bought one already).

Do you know the next morning, at the second sale in South City, there was of all things, a heavy denim duvet cover and matching shams hanging in the closet, just back from the cleaners?

Ralph Lauren, hardly used. $20. Yes, that's right: twenty dollars.

And it was blue, not gray, not black. The pillow shams had ruffles. I was dubious about the ruffles, but my husband liked them. There were a lot of people at that sale so I would have felt funny about doing a happy dance.

Instead, I kept calm and carried that duvet cover to the "sold" table to hold while we finished looking around.

And when I got home that afternoon, I put the blue gray pillow sham back in the package and readied the third duvet cover for return. And the postage cost about $14.

Which I suppose brings my "new" $20 duvet cover and shams to a whopping $55.95. I'm ok with that.

And the fourth time's a charm

Food, figs and a measure of mercy

2017-10-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

The image in the new blog theme is not my own, but it fits, don't you think, considering my maiden name was Newton, and certain friends used to call me Figgy?

"And there's rosemary, that's for remembrance..." My English lit days are peeping through, you'll have to forgive me.

The truth is, a food image is more fitting for this blog because I tend to think a lot more about food than questions of faith and reason these days.

A British breakfast of sorts

There is a lot to that part of the Lord's prayer in which Jesus prays, "Give us this day, our daily bread." I'm sure he was speaking about bread in both a physical and spiritual sense, and even harking back to those days when manna came dew-kissed each morning. The Lord's provision in the desert.

I worry a lot about what to have for dinner. You're probably one of those super-organized people who makes a menu for the month. I know some people like that. Maybe I would worry less if I planned more. (If you get finished planning next month's menu and have time to let me know how it is working for you, I'd love to hear your method.)

But this is me at about four in the afternoon as I'm leaving the office: "Oh, dear. What am I going to cook for dinner?" I'm too subject to the whim, a craving, or a sale on rutabaga. I don't know why I said rutabaga because I've never bought it or tried making it! Maybe I will now, though. Maybe George Lang has a Hungarian recipe for that, I'll have to check...

Much as I LOVE cooking, and I do love the way the cooking process centers me, I can only muster thinking about dinner one day at a time, in much the same way I can only muster the courage to face one day at a time. The mercy comes in that measure, after all.

Updated: George Lang's Hungarian lemon beef

2017-10-09T18:22:00.001-05:00

Updated Oct. 10: Rated 4/5 stars. The beef really improved after sitting in the sauce overnight. The combination of lemon, tarragon and bacon is unusual but tasty. We would eat it again, which means the recipe joins the repertoire.

On a challenge from my husband, I delved into the world that is Hungarian cooking tonight with a recipe from George's esteemed book, page 245.

Beef, tarragon, bacon, lemon and sour cream: What is there not to love?

Caveat: I followed the recipe except I browned the beef chunks slightly in butter before cooking them in the broth.

The finished product seems close to a stroganoff, albeit more tart with the lemon juice. Tarragon (from the herb garden!) with beef, though: nothing beats it!

No onion, no garlic! George, seriously what were you thinking?!

Hungarian foodies out there: Could Citromos marhahus include garlic or onion and be authentic? Or even shallots? Will white wine ruin it?

And the recipe doesn't say what to serve with the dish. Noodles? Potatoes? Rice? All this sauce and chunks of beef just swimming. With bacon.

Lent

2016-02-10T06:32:00.000-06:00

This year, I'm thankful that Lent comes early. I feel a turning in myself, as though I am a flower turning toward the sun. "Tear your hearts, not your garments; and turn back to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to become angry, overflowing in gracious love, and grieves about this evil" (Joel 2:13, KJV).

Little Hats, Big Hearts II

2016-01-14T18:31:00.004-06:00

I am sure you have all be wondering: Did she really make the hats? And the answer is yes! I made seven hats and shipped them off to my local chapter of the American Heart Association today to be distributed to babies born in February.

A little back-story on the pattern: I searched high and low on Ravelry for the perfect pattern and came up with this Baby Beanie Hat by Judith Carter. I wanted to knit it in the round to avoid a seam that might irritate Baby's head, so that was a bit of a challenge since the pattern is written for flat knitting. But my double-pointed needles and I are now the best of friends, and I am on to knitting socks, thanks to my knitting muse and yarn patron, Liz.

I shall keep you informed...

Little Hats, Big Hearts

2015-11-06T04:28:00.001-06:00

My dear friend Liz surpised me with a shipment of yarn from KnitPicks for a project I am most eager to undertake! Thank you for being my yarn patron, Liz!

The Little Hats, Big Hearts is a campaign to raise awareness of heart disease and congenital heart defects in infants. Each baby born in February (American Hearth Month) is to receive a handmade red hat.

This project touches my heart because my grandfather died from heart complications and my sister A was born with a heart defect that wasn't discovered until she was 17. Thankfully, A was able to have a surgery that ensured better blood flow to her body and saved her life.

You can read more about the campaign here: Little Hats, Big Hearts.

You can order 100% arcrylic Brava worsted weight yarn from KnitPicks. It is wonderfully soft and has a bit of a shimmer, just a pleasure to work with!

1959 Acrosonic by Baldwin

2014-06-17T07:19:00.001-05:00

Did your grandmother have a piano? I spent hours at my grandmother's piano on the farm in Oklahoma. I've taken lessons off and on throughout the years, but I've mostly played electric keyboards. While keyboards have their place, certainly, I have found the overall experience less than soul-satisfying. I've been wanting an acoustic piano for years, but I hadn't found one that sounded or felt like my grandmother's Sohmer spinet.

That is, until I sat down at this 1959 Acrosonic. We had gone out estate sale-ing early one Saturday a few weeks ago because I had seen an old sewing machine cabinet that looked intriguing. The sewing machine was an early electric Singer, in tip-top shape, but I didn't need it, even at $25. The piano, however, was love at first sound. The keyboard had a wonderful touch, the sound was rich and full, and the price was right: $150! It felt like I was playing my grandmother's piano.

My husband made the arrangements to have it moved. Now it sits in our vaulted living room on hardwood floors. I find myself sitting down at odd moments of the day, not necessarily to practice, but just to enjoy making music again.

Saga, a Norsk design

2014-04-14T19:16:00.001-05:00

I found this charming mug at another estate sale a few weeks back. It is my happy mug for coffee and occasionally tea. I found more pieces on eBay, but I wouldn't want more than an accent piece. The little couples are so at home with our Danish modern table and chairs, mid century hutch and Colorwave Noritake dishes. What is your happy spot today?

The Ironstone Teapot

2014-03-31T19:16:00.001-05:00

In my last post, I mentioned finding a set of white English ironstone dishes for my mother. In this very delayed post, another piece of the same pattern appears! It's called "Regency" by Johnson Bros. My husband found this gem at another estate sale for $10 on Saturday, unmarked except for "Made in England." We find a lot of older teapots, some veritable antiques, and I am learning I don't need every teapot I see.But this was for my mother, of course, so it was a completely justifiable purchase.

What is your latest treasure acquisition? Where did you find it?

Getting away from it all

2012-07-30T13:06:00.000-05:00

Mr. A and I decided it was time to get away for the weekend. Away from home. Away from the bathroom remodel. Away from the shop vacuum in the middle of the bedroom. Away from parched grass. Away from shaggy, shedding dogs.

So we did.

On Saturday, we took a little jaunt over to Chesterfield to pick up a vanity and granite top for the bathroom, only to discover the guy we were buying it from (Craigslist) was the guy Mr. A had bought his last house from. Small world. Then we hit a few estate sales.

At the last one, I found a full set of white Johnston Bros. English ironstone dishes for my mother for $45. With all the cereal and fruit bowls, salad, dessert and dinner plates, coffee and tea cups, saucers, platters and gravy boat! She was thrilled!

At the end of the day, we turned our toes up in the Drury after a swim and soak in the spa. Oh, yes.

On Sunday we drove to Steeleville, through a rain storm (!), to worship with our dear friends and attend a river baptism.

Such a blessed and relaxing time, and now Monday is upon us.

Current Reading

2012-05-10T07:01:00.001-05:00

Mr. A. and I went estate sale-ing together for the first time last weekend.

I found the Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats and was on the watch for books by T.S. Eliot and C.S. Lewis. I found some, but they weren't titles I wanted or the volumes were in less than good shape.

But in his last perusal of the bookshelves as we were preparing to leave, my husband pulled this exquisite edition of Eliot's Four Quartets and handed it to me.

"Do you like T.S. Eliot?" he asked.

"Do I? This is one of my favorite pieces in literature!"

And then he proceeded to pull out Lewis' Surprised by Joy and The Four Loves.

It was Mr. A.'s first time to go estate sale-ing. He enjoyed the experience, and his literary finds made me very happy.

2011-10-23T17:35:00.001-05:00

Photo: Gulls, Santa Rosa Beach

In Which Mr. A. Plans a Surprise

2011-10-05T08:40:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Mr. A. took us for a drive, but he wouldn't tell us where we were ultimately destined. After breakfast in St. Charles, we took the ferry over to Brussels Island in the Mississippi. The island seemed enchanted with its rolling cornfields and little farms tucked away from the road. It was like revisiting the past or being in another country. I wanted to stay on the island forever.

But Mr. A. said no, he had other places to go and things for us to see.

We circled back and took another ferry off the island.

And then we were at Eckert's Orchard.

We rode the hayride out to the trees. Apples lay thick in the shade. Apples, everywhere! We stomped on apples that had wandered into the path. Crunch! We tossed a few into the neighboring field. Kerplunk! One precocious youngster with a keen aim tossed an apple in Mr. A.'s direction and it landed squarely on his foot! Owwch! We probably tasted as many apples as we took away: Tart Jonathans and mellow Red and Golden Delicious. Crisp apples on a crisp day, with a cloudless azure sky and the company of those I love: could anything be more perfect?

Photo: Jonathans

"Much madness is divinest sense to a discerning eye"

2011-10-03T13:16:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to write a paper from my Biblical Interpretation class, but it isn't going well at all. In fact, it is already 3 weeks late. This is the admission of a woman who has never been late turning in an assignment in her life.

It is difficult not to feel like a complete failure as a person, much less as a student. I can't blame my tardiness on any good reason. It's true that I've been spending a significant amount of time with Mr. A; that is a good reason. I spend a little bit of time every day gazing at the ring on my finger; that is less of a good reason, but still a reason. I spend a lot of time with nothing on my mind at all, as though my rational processes had entirely ceased! It is as though I couldn't formulate an argument to save my life!

The amusing thing is that people still mistake me for a deep thinker, including Mr. A. Just because I have a pensive expression on my face doesn't mean I'm thinking great profundities. I might be composing nonsensical poetry.

I asked Mr. A. how he felt about being the main cause of my madness.

"I like it just fine. Thanks," he said.

He says he doesn't mind if I'm crazy as long as I am crazy about him.

Quite sensible, that man. At least I'll be getting an A in his class.

"Yes!"

2011-09-28T22:56:00.000-05:00

One month ago today, Mr. A. asked me to be his wife, and I said yes. Actually, I was so surprised, I didn't say anything at first. The question, while all along anticipated, came at a most unexpected moment: after church on a Sunday night. I didn't think Mr. A. could surprise me, because from the the first time we met and visited at a church conference, we knew we would be getting married. It was a matter of when, not if. In fact, on our first official date, we were discussing the details of the wedding! But surprise me he did. I was teary and speechless; all I could do was nod my head.

"I'm taking that as a yes," he said.

"Yes, yes!" I said at last.

Image: The Ring

Lilacs in May II

2011-09-28T09:07:00.000-05:00

Remember the Lilacs in May? Here is part two: a picture of the lovely ladies with their bouquets! (Thanks to the Bride for sharing this image.)

Sewing for weddings is such a delight. Once I finish sewing for my own wedding in March, I am planning to start accepting custom orders on a regular basis.

So if you're planning a wedding after next April and are looking for custom bridesmaids' gowns, or even a custom bridal gown, do let me know.

At the Cathedral

2011-09-13T14:55:00.000-05:00

Our plans to visit the Greek festival didn't pan out. Apparently everyone in the City had come out to enjoy a gyro on balmy Saturday afternoon. The lines were miles long. We could have been in Greece by the time we got through the lines.

So instead we went to the Cathedral Basilica to be awed by the scintillations of millions of mosaics. And we had the place pretty much to ourselves. For moments like this one wherein my fiancé caught me in a thoughtful pose.

Yes, besides studies at seminary, my summer has entailed a lot of sightseeing around the City, dining out, and a whirlwind romance with a wonderful man.

There's an engagement ring on my finger and a wedding coming in March.

I hope to be sharing more snippets from our story as time permits.

Blessings, all!

Photo: "The Thinker, Revisited" by J.A.A.

Sonnet XXVI from the Portuguese

2011-07-08T07:04:00.001-05:00

I lived with visions for my company
Instead of men and women, years ago,
And found them gentle mates, nor thought to know
A sweeter music than they played to me.
But soon their trailing purple was not free
Of this world's dust, their lutes did silent grow,
And I myself grew faint and blind below
Their vanishing eyes. Then thou didst come--to be,
Beloved, what they seemed. Their shining fronts,
Their songs, their splendours, (better, yet the same,
As river-water hallowed into fonts)
Met in thee, and from out thee overcame
My soul with satisfaction of all wants:
Because God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame.

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Re-Christening

2011-06-13T21:19:00.000-05:00

Devoted readers will notice the recent re-christening of this blog. As noted in a previous post, I am rather taken with the kyrielle form in poetry. I am also captivated by the recurring mercies of God and the way in which our vocations, the things we do in response to a sense of calling, are part of worship of the Creator.

You may notice the content of this blog taking a decidedly theological/philosophical turn, as I am now attending seminary, but I hope to balance things out with creative projects and pictures.

Thank you for your continued interest and blessings to you all!

Whitsunday by John Keble*

2011-06-12T20:49:00.005-05:00

Today being Pentecost Sunday (or Whitsunday as it is known in the Anglican calendar), I thought it would be fitting to share a poem that highlights the significance of this holy day. The celebration of the Holy Spirit's being poured out after Jesus' ascension corresponds to the Jewish festival of Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Mosaic law.

When God of old came down from Heaven,
In power and wrath He came;
Before His feet the clouds were riven,
Half darkness and half flame:

Around the trembling mountain's base
The prostrate people lay;
A day of wrath and not of grace;
A dim and dreadful day.

But when he came the second time,
He came in power and love,
Softer than gale at morning prime
Hovered His holy Dove.

The fires that rushed on Sinai down
In sudden torrents dread,
Now gently light, a glorious crown,
On every sainted head.

Like arrows went those lightnings forth
Winged with the sinner's doom,
But these, like tongues, o'er all the earth
Proclaiming life to come:

And as on Israel's awe-struck ear
The voice exceeding loud,
The trump, that angels quake to hear,
Thrilled from the deep, dark cloud;

So, when the Spirit of our God
Came down His flock to find,
A voice from Heaven was heard abroad,
A rushing, mighty wind.

Nor doth the outward ear alone
At that high warning start;
Conscience gives back th' appalling tone;
'Tis echoed in the heart.

It fills the Church of God; it fills
The sinful world around;
Only in stubborn hearts and wills
No place for it is found.

To other strains our souls are set:
A giddy whirl of sin
Fills ear and brain, and will not let
Heaven's harmonies come in.

Come Lord, Come Wisdom, Love, and Power,
Open our ears to hear;
Let us not miss th' accepted hour;
Save, Lord, by Love or Fear.

~from The Christian Year, 1827

*John Keble was a member of the Oxford movement that was so influential in the poetry of Christina Rossetti and Gerard Manley Hopkins. You can read more about him on Wikipedia to start, and then toggle over to the Victorian Web for a more scholarly treatment.

Photo: Stained Glass Window, St. Michael's & All Angels Parish Church in Haworth, West Yorkshire

Lilacs in May

2011-05-28T14:03:00.006-05:00

There really isn't anything as lovely as lilacs in May, but these dresses, I have to say, come pretty close!

Last winter, with snow still on the ground, I had a very unexpected call from Liz, the friend of a friend, whose daughter, Mary, was to be married in May. She had seen the dresses I had done for Maria's wedding and wondered if I would be available to consult.

I do love sewing for weddings. Of course, I had to say yes!

Over the next several weeks, we hashed out the particulars. The bride insisted on this pattern (Vogue 8555) from the beginning, with its smart inverted pleats and the tucks around the sweetheart neckline. The separate bolero would meet the modesty requirements for the formal Mass, but could be removed later at the reception. We selected silk dupioni for the dresses and silk pintucked organza for the bolero jackets. Despite silk's tendency to fray and leave strings everywhere, it really is a dream to work with.

The wedding was today. Let's hope we get to see some pictures of the lovely ladies in their lilac frocks!

Even after spending weeks with this shade, I'm still loving lilac and purple in general, so be watching for other sightings of my new passion!

Just My Cup of Tea

2011-05-26T22:46:00.004-05:00

When you've got a wedding to sew for, and there are eight attendants, there is a lot of lilac silk and it is everywhere. Your dark green carpet is webbed with the threads from night after night of toiling over these eight dresses. At night your dreams take on a lilac tint. In the morning, the threads cling to your black skirt. You're still peeling them off at the office.

Between the hours of six and eleven in the evening and on Saturdays you realize the importance of pacing yourself. You take a break for tea. And on this evening, when you return to the sewing scene that is burgeoning in lilac silk, you think, it really is a shame to throw the good silk scraps away. They look so lovely, just laying in a pile on the light maple of your Jenny Lind dresser. But what if...?

And when you've swallowed the last drop of Earl Grey, and rinsed the cup, you know just what you'll do.

Teacup: Royal Southerland, Staffordshire, gift from Mrs. H.

More on the bridesmaids' dresses coming soon...

Reading from an Early Age

2011-05-19T16:25:00.008-05:00

It's really never too early to start reading with your children. When my niece Aaliyah came to visit a few weeks ago, we gave her a wingback chair and some books just her size. She is four months old and already an aspiring reader.

She was also quite smitten with Grammy's gold teacup. Perhaps we'll put the kettle on when she comes again.

A Postcard for Katie

2011-03-21T20:38:00.005-05:00

Miss Katie W. got engaged!

Her suitor, Chandler, friended me on Facebook a while back. "I want to be your friend. And I have a favor to ask."

I don't know Chandler very well, as his and Katie's courtship has unfolded since I moved away from the Ozarks. But well I remember the time Chan brought German chocolate to me when he came to talk to the Dean. I was doing a work study, and I saw lots of students in and out of the Dean's office that summer. What a nice boy to bribe the admin assistant with chocolate, I thought. Very nice. I've had a soft spot in my heart for him ever since.

My curiosity piqued, I messaged Chandler back: "Anything you desire, up to half my kingdom." Turns out, Chandler wanted me to write something about his and Katie's relationship, photograph the result, and email it to him for a surprise he was planning for Katie. He asked lots of their friends to contribute to the project.

What ever was he planning? A proposal? I didn't dare ask. Pertinent to me: what was I going to write?

A postcard would be perfect. I like a postcard as a literary genre. There's only so much room to say what you mean, even when it's super-sized. For this "post-card," I cut down from a poster that hung on my dorm room wall. My window to England.

Cottages of Dorset

I love the two figures in the fore-ground, surveying the scene. It could be Katie and Chandler, who knows?

Hello Katie

Every day in England, Katie and I came in from the cold and put the kettle on for tea. At school, we drank tea and ate chocolates when we should have been studying. These two commodities were essential to the economy of our friendship. Chandler is a smart man.

Chandler & Katie: Commemorative Stamp

For the postcard's crowning touch, I converted Chandler's profile picture into a commemorative "stamp," celebrating the couple's sweet love.

If any gentlemen are reading this blog and need ideas for surprising their sweethearts, Chandler H. would be pleased to consult, I'm sure. This project involving the larger circle of friends was just one of many he organized in the wooing of Miss Katie W. Math major or no, the man knows how to win a woman's heart. My thoughts? Chocolate is a good place to start. ;-)

Photo credits: "Kate and Chan," by Emma M.