Getting the words right

I think the word "annex" is very tame, as if one thing is appended quietly to another. A more appropriate word is "conquer" or "seize" or "coerce." We're not "joining." We're being attacked. The media need to use the right word.

Too good not to share

Seen on facebook today.

A Winter Retreat

I'm hunkering down for a writing retreat at the property we own in southwestern Ontario. Three weeks of walking along the lake, cooking simple meals, and daydreaming on paper. Outside there's been a mix of freezing rain and snow, but inside it's all fuzzy blankets and hot soup. Lovely! (Though I don't want to know what the propane bill is going to be.) I have an electric heater that looks like a fake woodstove to warm my legs as I sit at my desk, and the dog is curled at my feet, giving the occasional sigh because he's a bit bored, but we'll play ball in the rec room shortly.

I usually start my day with the same routine: scripture reading, check emails, check Facebook, muse over real estate ads from time to time, and then check headlines on Youtube. Maybe some Avi Kaplan music or a Qi Gong video to start my day before I get to work. The last few days, when I check in on Facebook, I stumble across the same individual, who apparently has a friend in common with me and therefore pops up in my face all the time. This person never has a single positive thing to say, but seems to feel it's his mission to tear down and argue and slap people who are trying to put out cheerful or meaningful content. Truthful and well-intentioned content. I gather he's a pretty grumpy person by nature, but current events have really brought out his bad side. Usually I ignore such people, but the last couple of days I've felt the need to counter his posts, to stand up for truth and goodness, and to, in short, push back. I try to keep it polite and honest, but it's a fine line to walk between standing up for truth and getting defensive. I don't think my replies will change a thing in his thinking, but sometimes you have to defend the light. If I remain silent, I'm complicit in his nastiness. How often did people in 1940 Austria look back and think, "I should have said something."?

It's much easier to retreat into my fuzzy blanket and ignore what's going on. I'd rather do that than get embroiled in conflict (and I do try to dispel conflict and tension when it arises. There's a way to stand up without stomping on other people). My natural tendency is to let people be people and keep to myself. But the time for keeping quiet might be over. If we don't stand up for the light, darkness could overwhelm it.

Sign the Pledge, Stand Up for Canada

MP Charlie Angus is circulating a pledge for Canadians to affirm their support of basic core values. Please read and consider signing.

Pledge for Canada | Engagement pour le Canada

Homemade Bread for a Winter's Day

It's been really cold and windy the last few days, the snow sweeping down the road before the wind like a scene out of the Arctic. The perfect day for a good, rich soup and homemade bread.

In a large bowl, put 2 cups of really hot water, 1 T. yeast (not the instant kind), and 1 T. sugar. Let it foam up for a few minutes. Stir/knead in 2 t. salt and 4 c. white flour. It will be a really wet, sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let sit for an hour. Oil a cookie sheet with olive oil really well and then pour/scrape the dough into the sheet. Oil your hands so the dough doesn't stick to you and spread the dough out on the sheet with your fingertips, kind of like making a pizza, but thicker. Make sure the surface is lightly oiled with the olive oil. Dust with a mix of your favourite herbs. I like rosemary, sage, garlic powder, parsley, and a little salt. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until golden. Remove from the sheet before it cools and finish cooling on a rack, or it may stick to your pan. Cut into wedges.

Here's one with some caramalized onions baked in...

To My Grandchildren and Yours

 

To My Grandchildren and Yours

 

World Central Kitchen, nourishing with more than food,

has created safe spaces for children---

with crayon-coloured picket fences,

perimeter of painted blue sky---

a bright border to block out the ravaged gray beyond it.

If I could wield a big enough brush,

I’d paint you a sky and sun big enough

to block out the whole world.

- K

Today We Have Naming of Parts

I've made the decision that from henceforth, the moon shall be called Fred. Tahiti will be renamed Sandy. The Arctic will be called McGillicuddy. And Washington D.C. will be called Pennyforyourthoughts. Please see to it that you all adjust your maps and atlases accordingly.

Thank you to Henry Reed for the title.