Crucial In-betweens

The above bedroom, painted purple years ago during a school March-break

and sitting empty for the better part of the past five years (save clutter and cribs)

it is about to get a face-lift after we decide on a colour (or non-colour?)!

 Days that seemed so lasting then are nothing now, 

but echo-sparkles...

Days glint, their sparkles felled

Like ripples rushed to sea

Where whelming wonders once we held

Meld into memory

What seems so commonplace

In work-week’s tug and kiss

Forges from ordinary days

The very best there is

Where the wee while we have

To ride out highs and lows

Cannot stave off wave over wave

Of love’s high fives and blows

The brunt of here and now

By brute force of tick-tock

With the disguise of where-when-how

Bestows its aftershock

…of echo-addled scenes

That thought alone can see

Captured in crucial in-betweens

Of what was and will be

© Janet Martin

Infallible Proof

Better than 

lofty utterance

Or intent’s 

grandest creed

Is the compelling 

evidence

Of one

 small 

deed

© Janet Martin

Today's Unprecedented Worth

For this is the love of God, 

that we keep his commandments: 

and his commandments are not grievous.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:

and this is the victory that overcometh the world, 

even our faith.

1 John 5:3-4 

We have not taken out very many Christmas decorations yet but

we have set up the Nativity scene to remind us to celebrate 

(hopefully daily)  mankind's Joy to the world

 The thrill never grows old, 

of watching little ones gaze at the figurines 

and delight to hold them, esp. Baby Jesus!

what joy, in spite of our mistakes

upon earth's eastward skyline breaks

Compassion and courage reborn

God's mercy, renewed every morn

Now pales beneath the Master’s hand

The deep that snuffed the sweep that spanned

Our wond’ring gaze with mercy’s ways

And hope that highlights mankind’s days

With purpose greater than the test

To serve love’s sacrificial Best

Now beckons from earth’s eastward brim

With birth of day (a gift from Him)

An urge of wonder stirred and spurred

By He whose Word is not deterred

While proud fools ridicule the grave

And Name of He who came to save

Now unfolds from the love of He

Who authored This with ‘let there be’

A charge, larger than mortal death

As wonder steals our gifted breath

And bids us look straight in the eye

Of Excuse’s pathetic lie

Now burgeons from faith’s beaming berth

This life’s unprecedented worth

Grace hoists Honour’s uncomely tray

Believe, surrender, trust, obey

Until wonder fulfills its law

And kindles constant humble awe

As, step by step and hand in Hand

We, armed with Comfort’s kind command

(‘They are not grievous’ God has said)

Now we proceed with hope, not dread

And fix our eyes beyond time’s fold

Upon a Prize earth cannot hold

© Janet Martin

November's Supper Hour

Let's start with dessert since it is not the norm at our house

but guests always give a great reason for a treat, which was the case last night.

So what is a quick go-to when you suddenly realize 

there's nothing in the house and we need dessert?!

Banana Pudding!

Scald 3 cups milk

While it heats mix 1/4-1/3 cup of cornstarch with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt.

blend and add 1/3 cup COLD milk.

Add to scalded milk whisking briskly all the while.

Reduce heat to med-low and stir until mix says 'blub-blub-blub',

then add a splash of vanilla extract , stir

and pour over sliced bananas!

Serve warm or chilled and topped with fresh whipped cream.

This dish makes me feel like a little girl

on those rare nights when supper was either tapioca of cornstarch pudding.

Simple and satisfying.

The main course was a mix of Sunday-Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday's meals rolled into Thursday!

How does this happen??!!

Well, it started with Sunday, coming home from church, 

anticipating a crockpot holding nicely browned potatoes and roast beef.

Alas, because all the words are worn off the settings I had turned the knob too far 

and it was not set at high but on the 'keep warm' setting, 

leaving lukewarm, still hard potatoes.

All was not lost however because they still cooked

 (though not in time for lunch)

 and turned out to be a big help during fall housecleaning midweek.

On Wednesday I shredded them, added chopped chicken 

leftover from Tuesday night's roast chicken dinner 

( plus a bit of chopped ham), sprinkled in some corn, 

made a sauce with leftover gravy, 

leftover swiss-chalet-dipping sauce 

and a can of cream of mushroom soup+water.

Toss and pour in pan

(The crumb topping under the shredded cheese is ground up rosemary-cheese scones

 which Victoria tried a while ago but they were not edible! 

I was not home when she made them

or I might have told her that 1/2 cup dried rosemary is definitely a misprint!

But ground and used sparingly these 'flopped' scones are great as a savoury topping!

I named it Chicken Cordon Blu Casserole because of its richness and ham-chicken-cheese.

It was a big batch so we had enough for last night's main dish...

 

Monday's contribution; Cabbage Rolls... 

The Cabbage Rolls take a bit of time to prepare but are well worth the effort!

An autumn highlight at our house after the winter-cabbage is gathered.

(I use green cabbage in a LARGE pot of boiling water)

Last but not least...the salad, not leftover😊

consisting of a base of mixed spring greens, topped with thinly shredded red cabbage, 

shredded red beet, chopped cucumber, crumbled feta and roasted unsalted sunflower seeds.

Drizzle with dressing of your choice. (I prefer dressings on the side)

Something about the rain lashing at windows 

and the wind rattling at loose shingles and soffits (hopefully not!) and doors

makes us feel extra-humbly blessed to have a roof over our heads

and a place to call home-sweet-home!

 

These days the dark falls early

Deep blue turns to ebony

November’s rain taps windowpanes

The wind moans like a sea

And front-porch lights hail ‘welcome’

From heav’n-on-earth’s modest dome

And heavy hearts turns lithesome

At the sight of home-sweet-home

Where it is not ‘the dressing’

That makes this place so dear

But the precious, sacred blessing

Of gathering loved ones near

And thanking God for mercies

That we could never earn

Glad, as the dark falls early

For each loved ones safe return

© Janet Martin

November's Signature

Yesterday we were treated to what I call November's signature prints...

Two contrasting ribbons melded, of gray and gold.

I was concerned when the snow came early and stayed,

that we might miss this bit of brooding beauty!

(yesterday's temps at last were mild enough to make melodious melting-snow music!)
"What's that sound? " asked little girl yesterday as we played outside.
"That, my dear, is the best sound in the world!" I replied
as I showed her where the water was running from the down-spout.
"That is the sound of melting snow!"

The sharp contrasts of bronze and brooding blue

Are signature prints of November’s art

Spellbound am I by earth and heaven’s hue

As landscapes, leaf-bereft still thrill the heart

Precious intermission, as rain and snow

Duel in unrelenting tug-of-cloud

Before autumn surrenders and lets go

And Old Man Winter gloats, star-stoked and proud

But now let November bid us farewell

In panoramas steeped in rum-hued sweeps

Let us first feel, like a slow-pealing bell

Wild longing in the wind that moans and weeps

…and let us stand stock still, drawn by an ache

Akin to motherhood as child is weaned

And starts to stretch the ties that cannot break

While what must be keeps soulful senses keened

November is like autumn-song’s postlude

A sax solo played by the barren tree

Or penetrating hymn of gratitude

That wafts across the field and out to sea

© Janet Martin