A Contemplative Life = A Tortoise in the road – What To Do?

Yesterday was beautiful weather with high billowing clouds in the very blue sky. On my list of to dos were vacuuming and returning a garment back to a store. Checked the cleaning off from my short list. Then hopped in my car for a drive to the store.

The way to drive there allows me to meander along the lakes and take a look at the budding spring after the rain. I was la-la-ing along just buoyed up by the sheer joy of sunshine along Cedar Lake Road, when I saw this black thing ahead on the road. I slowed down, squinted and wondered what it was.

THIS IS THE STORY OF THE TORTOISE IN THE ROAD

While I was driving around the lake suddenly there was a large, dark thing in front of me on the road. Yikes! I couldn’t tell what it was at first. I slowed down. Stopped and saw woman driving from the opposite direction. We looked at each other as she stopped too.

Bolted out of my car and I noticed there was one person behind me who had stopped. I immediately signaled to her to wait.

I ran to the object and looked closely at the largish, black lump. It was a tortoise/turtle! It was big. It had a large beak-like mouth and looked like a wrinkled old geezer. The poor creature looked exhausted.

At the same time, the women from the car from the opposite direction got out and was sputtering something…she seemed frightened of it.

Quickly I picked the tortoise up and said, “Where should I put it?”

She said, “Put it back by the lake.”

In my mind I reasoned that the tortoise was heading away from the lake and there was definitely no place it would be safe. People were walking by as this event unfolded. There was a bike and walking path to my right and just a hair’s breadth from the lake.

I said, “I’m going to put it over away from the lake where there’s more space.”

While I trotted over to the marsh the poor thing was using its back left claw to swipe my hand away. Didn’t hurt me.

Gently I put him under a shady tree by the marsh. Ran back to my car and waved to the person who waited behind me in thanks.

We were lucky there was no other traffic at the moment.
Of course, I was worried what would happen to the old tortoise.
The probability of more traffic coming behind me forced me to get on my way.

So that was my excitement for the day.
Tortoise/turtle encounter. I couldn’t get any photos. It all happened so quickly!

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It’s a Snapping Turtle. Look at those claws!

Tortoises are serpents. Turtle is the common name. Hmm. Did you know that?

Snapping Turtle Photograph retrieved on 5-8-2024; Courtesy of: https://www.mnherps.com/species/chelydra_serpentina

A VIEW OF CEDAR LAKE MARSH

Cedar Lake Marsh Minneapolis MN © CKatt 2024

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen.

Have a good day wherever you may be.

Peace

Oh Where, oh where has my little brain gone? = email switch over – technological boondoggles

Evolutions:

Not to boor you, dear readers, but my long time email provider was taken over by an international company and their price hike was beyond my budget. *sigh* In the age of cyber terrorists and companies online double and triple identity verification protocols there were many obstacles to quickly changing my email address. I was under a deadline to get the change done by yesterday. April 30! So maddeningly frustrating. It has taken me days…still not done.

HOW TO: cope in this situation is to read lots of books at night, eat too much junk, and listen to music, talk to friends and read books and read news and you get the picture or watch lectures on Youtube.

“I’m just not gonna take this anymore.” Photo by Barbara Price

I am just resurfacing sort of… brain restoration or refresh is needed. I have fallen behind in all my little projects, but I snuck one in over the weekend! I made some cards for The Art Shoppe. It’s a Minnesota artist’s shop in Minneapolis Minnesota. That was fun.

Over a period of months I have taken a series of sunsets from my window on the world.

“My Thoughts Are With You” Dr. Erik Erikson

Sunsets

Beginnings and endings

Morning and evenings

Come and go

Arising all together

Life

and

Death

"This is the great matter."

SUNSET @ CKATT 2024 Reflections of light

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen.

Have a good week wherever you may find yourself.

Peace

It’s all about the weather = Spring has not Arrived – Dawn Awakening

Photo Courtesy of Sabina

But spring has arrived in North Holland! The forsythia are in bloom. Photo exchange this morning between me in Minneapolis and my niece in North Holland.

Waiting for the sun to return.
impatiently… and the renewal of the earth’s promise.
Silence.
Although moving through all manner of thinking,
The light I seek is external and out of reach of internal desires.
Silence.
Wake up, the snow speaks softly.

Wake up, the clouds move swiftly.

Wake up, the wind blows steadily.

Silence.

New Zealand Dawn by Simon Rosser

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen

Have a good week wherever you may be.

Peace

Minnesota Farm to Table Movement = Public TV – The Insomniac Squad + Chicken Stew Recipe

REBLOG from July 2018

Chicken Stew inspired by Duluth Grill’s Recipe Chunky Beef Stew – Adapted by me on the Insomniac Squad Patrol. See Story below.

1 Package of skinless boneless chicken tenderloins one tray (about 10 to 12 pieces)

Marinade:

In a jar or measuring cup

Chicken Stew with herbs and spices CKatt 7-2018

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 + cup of olive oil
• teaspoon of basil
• teaspoon of oregano
• teaspoon of parsley
• teaspoon of rosemary
• salt and cracked pepper to taste

Mix vigorously until blended

Put chicken tenderloins into a bowl and pour the olive oil and vinegar mixture over and mix to coat pieces with the mixture. Cover bowl and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Same day or next day (I left the marinade overnight and cooked the next day. Made the soup ahead of time to make it come together quickly.

• In the meantime, cut up into somewhat chunky pieces:

• 1 large onion – I used a red one
• Half of a bunch of celery
• 4-5 Carrots – cleaned and cut
• 10-12 Small variety of new potatoes cut up
• 2 large Portobello Caps Sliced thickly and then cut in half

Put them on the low fire in a large stew pot to simmer with 

• About 38 ounces of Chicken broth or 4/5ths part of a 3LB /1.36 kg of pre-made broth (add broth if needed as it cooks.)
• Cover at first to get the pot going.
• Add salt and pepper to the pot. Remember the chicken broth has salt in it!
• Stir occasionally and take off the fire when the veggies have cooked yet still a little crisp.

Take out the marinaded chicken and put all in the pot with the veggies.

As the chicken cooks it becomes very tender. Then take a spoon and chunk up the pieces as you like. Taste test for your palate and add basil, oregano, rosemary and salt and pepper.

Let that simmer while you make up a roux.  I used about 1/2 stick of butter melted it to clarified stage and added about 1 cup of flour slowly, mixing as I went to get it smooth. Then added cold milk and stirred until it became thick enough to drop into the simmering soup/stew by the tablespoon. I didn’t know how much I would need to make it thick but not like cement…ha. 

The longer you cook the roux the darker it becomes. See explanations on everything roux here: How to cook Roux

You can add so many different veggies to any left overs and different flavors. Today I added peas and some cumin and turmeric for a taste of India.

Note on measurements: I was working on the fly and these quantities are approximate, please adjust to your own tastes. No claims to expertise. This is my experiment.

THE WHOLE STORY OF THE INSPIRATION IN BRIEF

Popping awake in the middle of the night, as I sometimes do, leads me to either read or watch the tube. *Sigh* There isn’t much on television unless you are interested in lots of violence, and bad behavior stories, old movies, shopping channels and commercials.

I tuned into the Public TV Minnesota Channel. There was a series on about the Minnesota Farm to Table Movement. Specifically the program is put together by the Minnesota Farmers Union to promote local farmers who are producers of humanely raised animals and fresh seasonal produce, who also are suppliers to local restaurants and customers. The series shares all about the farmers’ stories and the restauranteurs who use the farmers’ products and their recipes.

A calendar is put out each year by the Minnesota Farmers’ Union as a free giveaway at the Minnesota State Fair Farmers Union Booth. This year’s calendar is hanging on my wall. The photos, recipes and information about the chefs and farmers included in the calendar are something I look forward to seeing and having every year. 

“Host Mary Lahammer takes you around the state with the MN Farmers Union and works with local chefs who show you how to cook fresh and healthy food.” MNChannel

Mary Lahammer’s enthusiasm infuses the show with a positive energy. Her presentation style, while sharing the chefs’ and farmers’ dedication to giving the people of Minnesota local food to enjoy, is engaging and very well done. The show gives us a glimpse into the hours of labor that go into making the Minnesota local story an inspiration to choose healthy foods to eat. Mary Lahammer is a well known local Minnesota Public TV presenter.

Many years ago I overheard a conversation about why eating local is good for you. “The food is grown where you live. Food comes from the local soil – not trucked in for days.”

Although, a note of recognition can be made that Minnesota’s long winters require that some of the produce harvested will wisely be put-up or preserved for winter. That tradition is alive and well for some people even today. I made pickles last summer and helped make jam. 

What does your country, town or state have going on for farm to table? I’d like to hear from readers.

Have a good weekend! 

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen.

A Contemplative Life = “Sand Mafia” – What’s next? Happy Birthday!

Inside the Crime Rings Trafficking Sand

Organized crime is mining sand from rivers and coasts to feed demand worldwide, ruining ecosystems and communities. Can it be stopped? Retrieved from Scientific American 1-26-24

By David A. Taylor

Yes, the world is, well, strange. If you care to read the latest on sand mafias destroying beeches, here it is. ♡♡♡♡

Though the world appears and disappears simultaneously across the web-universe. “Here today and gone tomorrow!” is an apt aphorism for the article as is the saying,”Selling water by the river.”

My brain takes a U-turn and tries to fathom what the heck is going on here?

“Welcome to our planet. Sorry, but there’s not many beaches left because they were stolen.”

Staying inside during the strange fog that goes on for days and days in Minnesota. We are snow-less, sunless for the time being. Weather is weird now. Just accept it.

Reading and watching shows on my phone helps to make the long nights entertaining.

Reading news…well that’s iffy, but I seek out sources that are generally reliable.

The post office charges $45.00 to send a single page document overseas priority mail.

Government websites are demanding that I Identify myself with pictures of my face or details of my health… it’s creepy.

Without the sun I cannot paint the work that’s in process. Sooo…

This is like writing a story and the brain stalled out…nevermind

Brain fog is an after effect of Covid. Is that’s why HIGH STRANGENESS is everywhere I look?

“Gotta Love It!”

Welcome to the world as I see it.

On another note! Ahem. Ta DA! Sending a little joy from my heart to all virtually, of course.

CELEBRATE!

Drum roll please.

Happy Birthday to the January winter born peeps everywhere!

Happy Birthday To All! January 2024 CKatt

Thanks for stopping by my winter kitchen!

Never give up wherever you find yourself.

BE THERE

Peace