Veiled ~ Random Memory #22 ~ Iran

Painting on glass ~ Iran 

Random Memory #22 ~ Iran

When Peter and I compare our growing facility with Farsi, we can't help but notice our vocabularies reflect our separate lives in Iran. His is more practical and includes business terms, although he rarely indicates he has the ability. Not surprisingly, mine mirrors the world of women and, of course, the time I spend with Goli who has been my teacher and daily companion.

Goli always wears her chador when she is not in the house and, although she is comfortable in Peter's presence, she scurries downstairs to retrieve the veil if he arrives home unexpectedly. I do not think Amir insists as he is used to women at work in business clothes and I have only felt genuine affection and respect when we see one another. Rather, I think this is Goli's choice, an outward symbol of her faith. Curious, one day I ask her if a woman delivered Essie. "No", she says, "the doctor was a man and I wouldn't let him look at me...he punched me hard. I was unconscious." I am appalled, but Goli is clearly pleased at the memory.

Kitchen Nostalgia

Photo taken by my son, John, November 22, 2007.

Remember the bread machine craze in the eighties? In those days the ungainly baker was a permanent fixture on my kitchen counter. I experimented with dozens of grains and developed my own sourdough starter. A fresh loaf was always available for lunch and dinner...funny shaped loaves with the telltale hole in the bottom from the machine dough paddle. The fragrance of baking bread was wonderful and, before moving to Maine, I made sure to start a loaf whenever the realtors were expected to show up at our door with a prospective buyer. I stopped using my bread machine when our second child left for college and eventually tossed out my sourdough starter, unable to keep it going with a new life, a new town and a busy travel schedule. I still have my machine and it looks pretty clunky compared to the newer versions. The reason I hang on to this old kitchen friend is for the stuffing bread without which Thanksgiving would be impossible to imagine. Here's the recipe for those of you who still have one lurking in the back of your pantry and would like to give it a dust and put back into service for the Holidays.

From Richard W. Langer's  More Recipes for You Bread Machine Bakery

For large and small loaves:

small: 1 cup vegetable broth
large:  1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

small: 2 teaspoons olive oil
large:  1 tablespoon olive oil

small: 1 teaspoon molasses
large:  2 teaspoons molasses

small: 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
large:  3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

small: 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal (not instant)
large:  3/4 cup uncooked oatmeal

small: 1/2 cup cornmeal
large:  3/4 cup cornmeal

small: 2 tablespoons dried parsley
large:  3 tablespoons dried parsley

small: 1 tablespoon dried onion
large:  4 teaspoons dried onion

small: 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
large:  1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary

small: 1 teaspoon dried sage
large:  1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage

small: 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
large:  1 teaspoon dried thyme

small: 1/2 teaspoon pepper
large:  1 teaspoon pepper

small: 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
large:  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

small: 1/2 teaspoon salt
large:  1 teaspoon salt

small: 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
large:  2 teaspoons active dry yeast

I bake several loaves ahead of time, cube the bread and keep it in the freezer until needed. Later, you can add all your other favorite ingredients.

Savory Thanksgiving wishes!

Autumn's Gifts ~ October & November

The colorful berries, above, were found clinging to a chain link fence in Bucksport, Maine in late October. The title describes these unexpected beauties perfectly.

November Lupine on Blue Hill Mountain which, somehow, survived strong winds and freezing temperatures.

Yarrow on Blue Hill Mountain with a backdrop of autumn foliage and a glimpse of Blue Hill Bay.

Today's link from "You Must Remember This."

October Magic Hour

Autumn's vivid colors are now a memory up here in Maine. The last glorious display of our leaves was stripped off the trees by the recent lashing rain and wind that left many without power for days. Peter and I closed the cottage a mere three weeks ago. Our drive home through the back roads and small towns was spectacular as the sun slowly dropped in the sky. We arrived in Bucksport just in time to capture the October magic hour.

Thumbnails are Like Male Birds

Contact and group photos are presented in thumbnail size on Flickr and natural selection favors the boldest and brightest. On a page of tiny images, vivid usually gets the click. It's human nature to respond to color, but many subtle and nuanced photographs are easily missed. Here are a few links to some of my favorites and several examples of my own.

Charleston 28, by JCBphoto, 10b pegueña ventana de los pensamientos, by xeniussonar, Friends Forever, by Emma Lynn B, Security Updates, by Catherine Forbes, Calm Before, by Lala Lands and Resting Branch, by Through~My~Eyes.


"Snow Curl" February 26, 2009


"Proof of Summer" March 22, 2009


"Remembrance" October 19, 2010

Today's link from "You Must Remember This."

Happy Birthday, dearest Emma!

Still Life Compositions ~ or where did that hour go?

I often see exquisite still life compositions on Flickr. The shot has been carefully planned in advance with tripod and camera settings exactly where they should be. Delicate light brushes the objects with precision and the colors look like treasure from an open casket of jewels. I always marvel at the composition and the wonderful depth of field. I'll confess my shots are often spur of the moment, instinctive...you could say hap hazard. I'm too lazy to go and find my tripod, but there is another reason to avoid delaying the shot. I blame it on Maine's gorgeous northern light and the angle that changes in the blink of an eye...just as our seasons do. I think, "quickly, get this!" and I shoot and shoot and shoot and a morning, afternoon, or twilight melts away.

This Morning on Blue Hill Mountain

It was the perfect November morning for a walk on the mountain path...the last for a few days if one believes the weather forecast.  We were treated to the unusual sight of a helicopter in the meadow and work in progress on the cell tower situated on the top of Blue Hill mountain. I had brought my camera to record the November lupine, but more on that later!

Scare Tactics

You are never too old!

Please click on the images, they are much more fun viewed in the large size!

Arrrgh!

Even though Halloween has come and gone there is always time for terror!

These photos were shot at the Natural History Museum in Washington. Even with four adults rounding up three children like border collies, it was impossible to take the time to set up a clear shot in the museum's low light, especially without a tripod. So what to do? Have fun, don't take the photography seriously and let your imagination run wild. For me, the images are like impressions from life drawings, exercises that look like scribbles, but train the eye and hand.

Today's link from "You Must Remember This."

Don't forget to vote!

Pleasantly Creepy

"The Prize" 9 July, 2009, Brunswick, Maine.

I dislike photos that are blatantly ugly, violent, or anything depicting cruelty. I do love the challenge of creating an image that gives the viewer that subtle frisson, a tingling of goosebumps and the hint of a story....a late night tale told in front of a dwindling fire and cold tea leaves in the bottom of a thick mug by your side...

And some of the tools besides an overactive imagination? An off kilter angle,  a little judicious cropping and a tiny bit of processing will take you to my "Twilight Zone."

"Exposed Roots" 1 July, 2009, Pinegrove Cemetery, Brunswick, Maine.

"Come In" 16 May, 2009, Blue Hill, Maine.

"The Trunk on the Third Floor" 12 March, 2009. My haunted house. And! You might want to check out this link! Happy Halloween!

Rural Charm

Found on a country road just outside the busy little town, Freeport, Maine, home of L.L. Bean. Unexpected scenes like this are why I (almost!) never leave home without a camera in my purse!

Just a Suggestion...

Cathedral de St. Pierre et St. Paul, 13th century, Troyes, Aube, France, 4 September, 2009.

I think what is left out of an image informs the mind and appeals to emotions and imagination in a very personal way. The photos here were composed with that in mind and best illustrate how I connected with the subject and why I took the picture. The creative process is very different from cropping for details and  removing unwanted information, an activity that can occur hours, or days after the "click." These are the result of an instant decision.

Ervy-le-Chatel, Aube, France. 4 September, 2009.

I was captivated by these windows at the home of our French hostess. The casual draping and knotted exterior curtains suggest an exuberant family lifestyle (and, indeed, it is!)

Etzna, Campeche, Mexico. 23 January, 2009.

We were lucky there were so few people at Etzna. In our solitude, I could look at these old worn steps and hear the whispers of the ancient Mayan civilization. I thought this simple silhouette expressed it best.

Mere Point, Brunswick, Maine. 23 June, 2009

The summer of 2009 may well be remembered as the worst summer in years with hardly a peek of sunshine. It was, however, a photographer's dream for the rich saturated greens and wildflowers. You don't need to see the pines to understand their towering majesty.

"Abandoned Boarding House" Brunswick, Maine. 17 April, 2009.

This old place has been abandoned for as long as I can recall and I have photographed it hundreds of times. Plants are growing between the porch floorboards, the curtains hang in tatters, but if you peek through the windows, one has the sense it was recently vacated. All manner of debris litters the property and it is impossible to walk around the house except in early spring when the tall grass is matted and the nettles and bushes have not yet pushed their way through the previous year's growth. On one such day, I made my way to the back porch and it too, was a jumble of discarded  items. The trees were still bare permitting a slant of sunlight to fall across the wall and door obliterating the mess and, for one moment, creating a dazzling scene.

"Blue Hill Autumn 03" Baptist Church, Blue Hill, Maine. 2 October, 2010.

Autumn is a glorious season in Maine, a season for walking and on this day the church loomed in front of me of me dividing the vivid sky behind the red berries with the resulting unexpected composition.

"Blue Hill Autumn 05" Blue Hill, Maine. 2 October, 2010.

Experimenting with vivid colors and a skewed perspective.

Today's link from "You Must Remember This."

JCB

October 16th, 2010. JCB and her gentleman were married at Carlyle House, Alexandria, Virginia. It was a perfect day for a wedding and it would have been her grandfather's 100th birthday.

Waiting

"Waiting"....a tiny little shot from an old camera phone of JCB waiting for her flight in the Bangor airport departure lounge. At the time, she was working on one of her many exquisite needlepoint Christmas decorations. "Waiting"...it seems appropriate this week as I think of her and her gentleman....

Chicken ~ Will you please cut off its head and feet? ~ Random Memory #21 ~ Iran

Scene from a self sufficient Mayan kitchen garden, Santa Helena, Campeche, Mexico. Taken January, 2009.

Random Memory #21 ~ Iran

There is a big difference from those long ago days of sitting through a language class because you were supposed to...because it's expected, to desperately needing to communicate your most basic needs. One of the first things I did after arriving in Tehran was to attend Farsi classes at the Iran America Society. I inhaled the language with its musical lilt and peculiar sounds coming from unused places in the back of my throat. I gulped down vocabulary and became a collector of words. I used each new verb and tense minutes after leaving class and practiced my new skills every day with Goli who helpfully produced an English/Farsi dictionary that was always on hand whenever we were together. 

With time, I became adept at haggling in markets understanding it was as much a social function as the need to obtain a fair price. I bought most of our food at little stalls or street vendors. Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, herbs and so many other things tasted better than anything I had experienced in America, but acquiring everything I needed to produce a home cooked meal was time consuming. There were no tidily wrapped cellophane packages of meat. I bought freshly killed chickens and was grateful they were plucked! I learned to squeeze my eyes shut and yank out the internal organs, but how I hated their limp dead necks, dull yellow beaks and scaly feet. I learned the verb "to cut" and asked the chicken man to "please cut off the head and feet." He would practically roll on the ground every time he heard my request, but he did it.

谢谢你！亲爱的。~ The Power of Images

                   Little dog enjoying a Starbucks outing in Washington, D.C.  

The Chinese characters in the title mean "Thank you! Dear"  and is one of a series of comments under the photo above on Flickr. The image is nothing special, just a lucky zoom shot at Starbucks, but the human/canine relationship is universal. For months now, my Chinese friend and I have relied on "Google Translate" to communicate in words, a relationship that began with pictures of our very different worlds. I have seen indescribable scenes of Chinese antiquity, breathtaking views of the countryside, glorious temples and Holiday shots of the Great Wall on her photo stream. My friend has photographed her office and the park where she rides her bike and, through her eyes, I have seen festivals and family celebrations. In return, she has come to know the beauty of my small town and coastal life in Maine. My blog is closed to her; she is not allowed access. She is one of many contacts all across the globe, all of us united by the wonder of each other's photographs. Our governments and politicians should take note.

"Thank you! Dear."

Today's link from "You Must Remember This!"

Tell Me You Don't Remember....

Do you remember how to slide down a steep bank and balance precariously on a wobbly rock?

Do you remember watching yellow leaves and glistening sticks float by in small streams and the colors in wet rocks that look like a troll's treasure?

Do you remember the swirling foam and the feel of slick rocks under your feet and a time when there was nothing else to do?

The Mill Stream in Blue Hill, Maine.

Playing With Picnic

Gadsby's Tavern, Alexandria, Virginia...I really couldn't resist a little photo editing with this image!



Today's link from "You Must Remember This."

Caught! ~ Random Memory #20 ~ Maine

Catching squirrels in the attic, they are then relocated a few miles up the road!

Porcupine in the woods, Brunswick, Maine

This post is inspired by creative commenter, Home Before Dark, and her uneasy relationship with nature in her backyard. I loved her phrase, "Appalled and the night visitors" in the comment section of my previous post.

The abundant wildlife in Maine is stirred into frantic action each spring and autumn. Our depleted feeders light up with the colors of migrating birds, restless skunks perfume the night air and drivers are wary of deer and moose on our country roads. We wake up early to put the trash out so the raccoons will not leave a trail of garbage littered across the dooryard and lawn. Hunters and gatherers are stockpiling food and finding warm nooks and crannies to nest in our attics and basements...and this is where I draw the line. I'm never thrilled by the sight of a rodent inside our house! Peter has caught at least nine squirrels in the attic in his Have a Heart traps and the captives are then transported to a new location. The practice makes everyone feel better, it's humane and, in this way, thousands of rodents crisscross the state to make new friends and babies while improving the gene pool.  We are considerably more ruthless with the staggering number of mice. Nor am I fond of porcupines that strip bark killing our beautiful trees, or when they cause our beloved dogs to go to the vet's surgery to remove painful barbed quills. We are a rural state that has not covered its landscape with urban sprawl invading wildlife habitats, but still, we inevitably clash.

Random Memory #20 ~ Maine

Our Dutch friends, Anneke and Eric have arrived at the airport in Bangor, Maine, exhausted after a long series of flights from their home in Spain. It is an early October evening and the daylight is quickly fading as we drive home to my small coastal village. On the way, there is a stretch of road on RT.15 that makes one feel as if you are a million miles away from civilization prompting Eric to ask if there is a lot of wildlife here. "oh yes" I said, "deer, moose, porcupines, raccoons, bald eagles, skunks...." and, as if on cue, a large dark form charged my car. "Bears" I said over the thud of impact. I didn't hit it very hard and the bruised animal loped off into the woods. Later that night a game warden came  out to inspect the car and pulled a small tuft of fur from my shattered headlight. "Yup, that was a bear" he said.

We had a wonderful time with our friends and, all throughout their visit, saw an extraordinary variety of wildlife on Maine's scenic back roads. Eric teased Peter that he must have stationed people  by the side of the roads to release the creatures at strategic moments, but that the timing with the bear had been just a bit off.