The Old Piano Books

I was inspired by a post of fellow-blogger Mette, on her brilliant Metscan blog, to write about an item I can’t bear to part with. Due to my inherited quality of being a “pack-rat, ” I have quite a few things I’ve held onto for years. One of them is my old piano instruction books.

I started piano lessons when I was seven years old. I was an enthusiastic student and continued lessons until I was about 15. Over the years I had several different piano teachers. Miss Ruby Stone was the first and I’d have to say she was my favorite. 

Each teacher who came along had her own preference of the course of study to be followed. One liked John W. Schaum, another John Thompson, yet another Leila Fletcher. So I have quite a collection.

As I recall, the piano teachers were allowed to come to the junior high school, where there was a small music room, to instruct her students. There were the spring recitals, which meant we got a new fancy dress and a corsage for the occasion. The Christmas recitals called for a red dress, usually in velveteen.

If we came to our lesson knowing the pieces we had been assigned the previous week, the teacher pasted a gold star on that page; stars were withheld and reassigned until we mastered the piece, although I think we may have been given a red, or maybe silver star, is we almost, but not quite, perfected the piece. We also were assigned theory lessons and scales and chords practice, which I never liked.

I shared the duties with another girl as pianist for a school operetta once. I think I was 14, 8th grade at the time.

Somewhere along the way, I developed the ability to "play by ear," meaning I can listen to songs and create them on the keyboard (nothing elaborate, mind you; not able to replicate every nuance of a written piece, but just the "tune.") I believe this is the reason I decided to finally abandon my lessons, because I found the music books mundane and uninteresting. I wanted to play popular music and did!

Nevertheless, I find it comforting to hang onto all my old piano lesson books. They are battered and torn, but they are pretty old! Take a look at the price on one of them:  85 cents.

I went for years without access to a piano, after I no longer lived at my parents' home. I didn't touch a keyboard for 20 years, and then in 1991, my husband gave me a very nice Yamaha piano as a Christmas present. I was amazed that I could still read the music and remember how to play. I stayed with it for several years, but alas, I have slipped back into not touching my piano, except to dust it.

But I have new plans! Now that I am retired I shall have more time for such indulgences. Will I rediscover Bach? Hmmm. I looked through the book and some of the pieces look fairly difficult. So perhaps it's a good thing I kept my elementary-level piano books. I may have to begin at the beginning this time. 

Or maybe I'll just play whatever I like -- whatever song is swimming around in my head on any given day!

For the Love of Basil

Ah Basil! That herb of summer! It is an important culinary herb known to send cooks into poetic rapture with its warm, spicy flavor. It, along with rosemary, are my favorite herbs, both to grow and to use in the kitchen.

I seem to keep a fresh crop coming along at all times, even in the winter. All summer long I take cuttings, root in water and start new pots. I actually grow more than I could ever possibly use, but I grow basil for the sheer pleasure of looking at it, smelling it and watching it grow.

Today I took fresh cuttings and with luck, they'll have good strong roots in about a week or 10 days and be ready to pot up. These will be the plants I'll overwinter in the sun room that will provide fresh leaves for cooking throughout the cold months. The pots in the sun room don't necessarily "thrive," just "pull through," as basil needs really warm weather to flourish.

Fresh clippings make a pretty arrangement up until the time they develop roots and are ready for potting. 

Note the strong, fat roots on the basil in the glass jar. These are more than ready for the dirt. 

Basil "starts" that were potted up several weeks ago.

These are strong and healthy plants and should do fine during winter months, so long as I don't over water them.

Can you ever grow too much basil?

I like to brush against the plants as I pass by them to enjoy the aromatic fragrance released when disturbed!

Proof that the gardening books aren't always correct.  Basil isn't supposed to thrive in full sun the entire day (not in the hot southern U.S., at least) but here's a plant in my potager garden and each year I plant at least one plant there to prove the experts wrong! You'll note, however, that the plant is going to seed, which means the leaves are a bit past their prime for the warm, pungent flavor basil is so famous for.

Below is my favorite of several books in my library about herbs. I enjoy learning about the folklore surrounding herbs and the following is a bit of that information from this book:

"A native of Africa and Asia, basil is held in reverence as a plant imbued with divine essence, and therefore the Indians chose this herb upon which to swear their oaths in court. Basil was found growing around Christ's tomb after the Resurrection, so some Greek Orthodox churches use it to prepare the holy water, and pots of basil are set below church altars." Now if the folklore is true, who knows? But it makes for interesting reading.

There are many varieties of basil, many of which I have grown both as plants from the nursery and started from seed. But my favorite far and away is the Genovese basil, the most commonly found variety and the one growing in my pictures.

The Complete Book of Herbs by Lesley Bremness

A few hints on growing and using basil (from the book):

---Basil leaves may be preserved by painting both sides with olive oil and freezing, or you can dry them. They retain their color with freezing but not with drying; the flavor is unaffected, however.

---Tear basil with fingers rather chopping to avoid discoloration.

---Place pots on window sills to deter flies (I have not tried this, so don't know if it works).

--Infuse as a tea to aid digestion.

--Put a drop of basil essential oil on a sleeve and inhale to allay mental fatigue.



Here are a few of my favorite ways to use basil in the kitchen: 

Torn and strewn over fresh sliced tomatoes with salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil. Adding fresh mozzarella cheese takes it to a new level!

Added to the top of a pizza fresh from the oven (the heat of the pizza will cause the basil to darken, but never mind, it tastes so good.)

I add it to any tomato-based sauce, i.e., spaghetti, vegetable soup, ratatouille.

I usually try to make at least one batch of pesto for the freezer during the summer growing season.

So there's my take on basil. Do you have a favorite herb?

Lu Lu's

I discovered a boutique today in Florence while having a day out with my sister Edith, her friend Becky and her daughter Stacey. Lu Lu’s is located downtown and it’s great to see the area making a comeback after languishing for some years.

Being a college town, many of the shops in downtown cater to younger women, and Lu Lu’s is no exception. However, it was fun to browse through the colorful and trendy items and take note of how pieces were mixed and matched to create appealing displays.

I love the old buildings in downtown Florence.

I liked Lu Lu's window displays! I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry at this one because it reminded me of the much-desired bicycle I received as a Christmas gift from my husband three years ago. Three days later, I flipped over while riding it and broke my leg and spent the next six weeks in a cast. I have not been on the bicycle since and it's hanging in our garage. Anyone interested in buying a like-new bicycle, ridden only two times?

Two more window displays, above and below.

Looking up Court Street outside Lu Lu's

Trendy

Costume jewelry galore

Cute!

Not my style, but pretty.

Definitely for the younger woman. Note the shoes.

The saleslady showing us how to turn a long rectangular scarf into a jacket!

Lots of scarves available.

Stacey, Becky and Edith

1920s fashion? Anyone ready to dance the Charleston?

Being Comfortable in our Own Skin

Self-confidence is a trait that makes all of us beautiful. It’s more important than the right clothes and hairstyle (although those things can help!).  It’s easy to spot a self-confident person and we’re not talking about the self-centered bore who constantly brags on herself or acts cocky. We’re talking about a self-confidence that allows one to actually forget about self, not worry about the “impression” she is making or constantly worrying about how she looks.

I lacked self-confidence in my younger years. I always thought someone else was cuter, more popular, having more fun, happier, had more money, more friends. Well, you get the idea. But the older I got the more self-confidence I developed. I stopped comparing myself to others and celebrated my strengths and accepted my weaknesses. I am finally happy with who I am, what I have accomplished and my status in life. Does that mean I have reached the status quo and am no longer striving? No, not all! I still have my dreams, plans for what I want to accomplish and am making plans for a wonderful future.

Each of us is a phenomenal person in a different way; we have different dreams and aspirations. I think there are some universal rules, however, that can inspire all of us to change or improve our attitudes and become even more self-confident women.

    We must learn to like ourselves. If we don’t “like” ourselves, then we must work to determine why and set out to change it if we can. Maybe the face we show the world is not really “us,”, or who we consider ourselves to be, but in the deep recess of our hearts and souls, we must ask ourselves who the “real” me is and take steps to get in touch with that person.

    We must stop trying to blot out the “bad stuff.” We must accept our past mistakes and appreciate that those mistakes have made us a better person. No one else remembers; you shouldn’t either.

    We must not play the “blame game.” We’re adults now and should not blame an unhappy childhood or someone who hurt us years ago as the cause of our problems today. Seek counseling if you need to work through these things.

    We must dream; we must have goals.

    We must live life passionately. Be excited about something!

    We must accept our limitations. We should not push ourselves past what we can’t handle or try to handle more than we are capable. Set small, doable goals to begin with. Baby steps before giant steps. Doing it will make you stronger. We are not perfect; we all make mistakes and sometimes it takes more than one try to get where we want to be.

I offer the above list only as guidelines to get us thinking. I’m sure numerous books have been written on each of those topics, so the list is just a “jumping off” point for further study.

The following quote is from Lisa McCourt, a best-selling author, from her article, Top 10 Ways to Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin.

“Being comfortable in your skin and living with authenticity is knowing precisely who you are and passionately adoring who you are—with all the countless accoutrements and benefits that come along with that practice. You are spectacular. Not the elaborate representation of You that you routinely show the world, but the raw, uncensored, vulnerable You underneath all of that. Find that You and learn how to deeply love and honor that You. That’s feeling blissfully comfortable in your own skin, and it’s the secret to everything you’re longing for.”

Grits: A Southern Comfort Food

Another idea for a post has been generated by reader comments!

Grits, which were mentioned in yesterday’s post, are a mystery to some: what they are, how one eats them and what the heck is so special about them.

I believe it’s one of those “you had to have been there” situations. You either grew up eating them and think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread, or else you take your first bite and say, “what’s the big deal? They taste like white glue paste." I think it's an acquired taste.

We Southerners love our grits and have been eating them for centuries. Native Americans were already grinding their plentiful corn harvests into a coarse meal that they boiled and ate year-round when the first European explorers arrived. New settlers quickly learned to depend on ground corn – in the form of cornmeal and grits – for survival during those early days.

Today the term "grits" commonly refers to "hominy grits," but actually "grits" is a term for any coarsly ground grain, like rice, oats, corn, etc. Hominy grits is coarsely ground corn (larger particles than corn meal). A more finely ground form of corn becomes corn meal, from which we make our cornbread, and an even finer grind is polenta (well known in Italian cookery).

The traditional way to eat grits is as breakfast side dish with eggs, biscuits, and ham/sausage/bacon. There’s the Old Fashioned Grits that are cooked about 20 minutes, a quick-cook type that’s ready in five minutes and instant grits. Stay away from the last two mentioned. Easily prepared, grits are slowly stirred into boiling water, turned down low  and stirred regularly throughout the cooking period to ensure they don’t stick to the pot. They expand when cooked so a few tablespoons will yield a large portion. Salt and butter are the traditional additions, but lately cheese is an acceptable addition as well.

Beryl is correct; grits tend to take on the flavor of whatever is added. But still they have a unique texture -- soft and creamy -- and a corn taste. They are the ultimate comfort food, in my opinion. And what tastes better than butter?

I have heard that some people actually like sugar in grits but that’s not my thing, nor would I consider fruit or nuts; I save that for my oatmeal or yogurt.

I have been making a grits casserole for several years, and it’s a very popular dish for brunches or mid-morning feasts. Cheese, sausage and beaten eggs are added to the cooked grits and the mass is turned into a casserole dish and baked until golden. With a hint of hot pepper as seasoning, it is quite divine!

I had Shrimp and Grits the first time several years ago and fell in love with that dish. People who grew up in the low county of South Carolina are quite familiar with it, as this breakfast dish has been traditionally made with what was readily available: shrimp caught by local fisherman and grits ground at local gristmills.

Shrimp and grits have become sophisticated fare these days. They feature the addition of ingredients such as gourmet mushrooms, fancy sausages, wine, herbs and sautéed bell peppers. Fancy restaurants are serving this dish and it commands a large price!

Photo Credit: Amazon

 I never realized there were so many ways to prepare grits until I bought “Glorious Grits,” a Southern Living magazine cookbook a couple of years ago. I haven't tried any of the recipes just yet, but some of them look promising. A sampling includes a grits frittata, spinach soufflé-stuffed grits roll, grits bruschetta with tomato salsa, bread recipes using grits and even cakes, bars and cookies using grits. But my favorite sounding recipe is the Lime-Marinated Shrimp with Bean and Mango Salsa over Grilled Grits Cakes. This is similar to the Shrimp and Grits dishes I’ve had in restaurants and I’m going to try it soon. If you could like the recipe, leave me a comment and I’ll provide the full recipe in the response block.

Just a few fun facts related to grits:

The term “Kiss My Grits” was first uttered by Flo, a waitress in the TV sitcom “Mel’s Diner.” It was a nice way of saying “kiss my rear.” Since the 1970s, the term has become part of the American lexicon.

The word "grits" is one of the few words that may properly be used as either singular or plural in writing or speech and can be used with a singular or plural verb.

A memorable scene in the 1992 film "My Cousin Vinny" involves the defense lawyer humorously trapping a prosecution witness in a contradiction by using the cooking time of grits. The witness testifies that his breakfast took him five minutes to prepare, but the lawyer Gambini, furiously but humorously, traps him in a contradiction by asking him what type of grits he eats. When the witness states he only eats the regular type, the defense lawyer points out that the recipe for regular grits requires 20 minutes of preparation time, not five minutes.

Grits have been touted as a fire ant killer, the idea being that you sprinkle grits on an ant mound, the ants eat them and the grits expand and the ant explodes. This has been laboratory tested and proven to be false.

Have you eaten grits? Do you like them? What are some regional food specialties where you live that may not be familiar to those living elsewhere?

What Did You Say?

I get so many ideas for my own blog posts from fellow bloggers! For instance Darla posted about a saying used by her family, “my top won't spin, my ball won't bounce," to describe one of those days when nothing seems to be going right.

I’m not familiar with that one, but it got me to thinking about each family having its own unique vocabulary to describe situations. I think in many cases, sayings tend to be regional. I know here in the South we have sayings that often sound odd to others. So here a few phrases heard often, with a translation in parenthesis:

Photo Credit: Etsy

Barking up the wrong tree (you are wrong).

Busy as a one-armed man in a wallpaper-hanging contest (very busy).

Caught with your pants down (surprised and unprepared).

Do go on (you must be joking).

Don't bite off more than you can chew (don’t attempt more than you can accomplish).

Don't count your chickens before they hatch (first know the results)

Don't let the tail wag the dog (the chief is in charge, not the Indians).

Either fish or cut bait (work or make way for those who will).

Fly off the handle (angry and lashing out).

Get the short end of the stick (not invited and treated wrong).

Give down the road (give someone a piece of your mind).

Go hog wild (have a good time).

Go off half-cocked (have only half the facts).

Go to bed with the chickens (in bed early)

Go whole hog (go for it all)

Got your feathers ruffled (upset and pouting).

Happy as a pig in mud (doesn't grasp or worry what's going on)

Has an axe to grind (upset about something).

I do declare. (usually means nothing)

In high cotton (rising up in society).

In a coon's age (been a long time).

Like a bump on a log (lazy and doing nothing).

Like two peas in a pod (act and think alike).

Mend fences (settle differences).

Scarce as hen's teeth (doesn’t exist).

Sight for sore eyes. (pretty or nice).

Stomping grounds (familiar territory).

That takes the cake (surprised).

Too big for one's britches (someone getting uppity).

Two shakes of a sheep's tail (done quickly).

Well, shut my mouth (shocked and speechless).

What are some of the sayings unique to your family, or to your region or country? Are any of the above sayings familiar to you? I'd love for you to add your lists in the comments section.

Thank you!

Who is Ayn Rand?

With the selection of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney’s VP running mate on the Republican ticket for the upcoming presidential election in the U.S., the name of Ayn Rand has resurfaced. 

You may know Ayn Rand, have read the books of this Russian-American author. I did while a college student.  Atlas Shrugged, which she considered to be her magnum opus, espoused Objectivism, which promotes a philosophy of rational self-interest in a fictional story.

In a nutshell Atlas Shrugged details the efforts of a group of industrialists, scientists and artists who withdraw their contributions to a nation’s wealth and achievement by going on strike to protest the government’s policy of taxation and regulations.

In her fiction and nonfiction writing, she upheld the privileges of the wealthy and demonized the “undeserving poor” and even the middle class, calling anyone who receives a government benefit a looter, moocher and parasite.

It's no wonder, then, that Ayn Rand is the hero of the American Tea party, the Libertarian Party (Ron Paul) and Paul Ryan. Ryan has publicly stated he bases his philosophy of the role of government in citizens’ lives on Ayn Rand; has given his staff copies of Atlas Shrugged.

Rand was an avowed atheist and had an open marriage, choices that run counter to hoards that the “political right” wishes to appeal to. I suppose we are going to be hearing much more on this subject in coming days

Because politics and political parties have become so fractious, I mostly sit back and am amazed at the hypocrisy on all fronts.

But the point I want to get to regarding Ayn Rand is this: For all her high-minded philosophy, her life work to promote her objectivism philosophy and being a vehement critic of government helping anyone, in the end she grabbed Social Security and Medicare! Yes, it’s true! Under the name of her husband Frank O’Connor. Talk about hyprocisy!

Ayn Rand 1905-1982
  Born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

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