Tag: homelife

Categories
Kitchen Garden Writing

Food In Situ

Backyard garlic.

I recently read The Cooking of Provincial France by M.F.K. Fisher, et. al. It raised awareness of how cuisine can be rooted in specific locales, based not only on locally-grown food products, but on the soil, air, and water specific to a place. Local residents literally spring from the landscape and food grown there, according to the authors. Regretfully, French cooking is immersed in animal products. Separate the dairy, beef, pork, lamb, fowl, and fish and it would not be French cooking. It cannot exist except in situ.

What does in situ mean?

In the United States, we have a long tradition of destroying places and then building settlements as if on a blank slate. Natural vegetation, evolved over hundreds of years, was razed, and replaced with farms. Then, when the farm couldn’t make it — even with government subsidies — it was parceled off and sold for residential properties.

We built our home in such a farm conversion and prepare varied meals in the space we built. None of it is native except for the harvest from our backyard garden. Those seeds and seedlings come from elsewhere and not here. The phrase in situ, in this context, includes some aspect of food grown locally.

It seems ironic that as much “food” as is grown in Iowa and in the fields surrounding our residence, most of the corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, and other commodities are not grown for direct human consumption. Much of these foodstuffs are used either in animal feed or as an ingredient in industrial processes like distilling ethanol, or making biofuels or corn syrup. In Big Grove Township, there is no in situ.

That’s not to say our household lacks a cuisine. Clearly it has a distinctive one. Perhaps the most characteristic food we prepare is tacos. That they are made from raw tortillas from the wholesale club, greens and tomatoes grown at home, and produce we sometimes grow ourselves and sometimes don’t, makes them ours. The Mexican oregano we use also lends distinctness to the dish.

The important thing is when I make tacos, I’m not trying to copy a dish I saw elsewhere. I’m creating something unique, from scratch, with ingredients we grew or have locally available. I use tomato sauce that varies a lot (just as each tomato picking is different). How I use each jar makes a difference in the outcome of the tacos.

Rather than produce a certain kind of soufflé according to the science and rules of French high cuisine, I’m more likely to scramble an egg or make an omelet. Sometimes I’ll make another serving of tacos, perhaps with scrambled eggs in it.

While a few people I know grow shallots, chervil, and tarragon at home, the seeds to grow them did not come from here. They may be typical of French cuisine, yet are not of here. It is important not to get too precious about certain ingredients and where they come from. If I grow these, I use them until they are gone.

Over the years I posted many opinions about local food. Today I’m not sure that matters as much as I thought. What I learned was the idea of local food is constantly evolving. I continue to purchase groceries from a large, retail establishment on a weekly basis. That doesn’t make me any less interested in available local foods. Am I a purist? No, I am not. Being a purist about food does not make sense. It is challenging enough to keep track of what local food is available and where.

I leverage locally grown food when it makes sense. The dishes I prepare are not any less good. So, I’m here, I grow food, and I’m cooking. I am still a latecomer to the upper Midwest, one who is trying to get by. What else can I do besides enjoy what I make here?

Categories
Living in Society

A Vegetarian

Slicers drying on the counter.

It is ironic that I used to be a member of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America Local 431 and am now vegetarian. This is because in 1982 I married a vegetarian who recently became vegan. More precisely, I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian, as long-time readers of this blog may know. It is not hard to get enough food as a vegetarian in the United States. There is no deprivation in it either.

In my childhood home, countless meals were prepared in the kitchen, typically by Mother. When my grandmother visited, usually on Sundays, she helped prepare food. I don’t recall Father cooking hardly at all.

Because Father worked at Oscar Mayer, where there was a butcher shop for employees to buy meat at a discount, meat was a main course at most evening meals. We had a family cuisine different from other families in the neighborhood. Although I don’t recall exactly how it differed, it became a discussion topic among my friends and neighbors.

I learned how to cook, beginning at university. With fresh ingredients and an array of information sources about culinary preparations, I got better over the years. Any more, I don’t like eating in restaurants. Partly because I prefer food I cooked myself as I know what’s in it and it tastes better. Partly it is an economic consideration: eating at home can be less expensive.

Our meals resemble non-vegetarian fare often: pasta sauce, pizza, chili, casseroles, and tacos all adapt well to being vegan. What is more interesting, though, is making soup with fresh ingredients from the garden. It is almost always good, always different, even when fresh produce is less available in winter. Stir fry is another difficult to do badly meal that changes with the seasons. Over forty years we developed a cuisine distinctly our own and we enjoy it. It also keep us nourished.

There is no going back to eating meat. It doesn’t fit into our culinary world view. I’ve moved beyond meat to another place where plants provide what nourishment we need. In many ways, it is a better place.

Categories
Living in Society

Starting Over

Writing desk circa 1980 with a telephone.

Like it or not, the demise of my handheld device on Thursday marked the end of an era. I procured my first smart phone — that’s what we called them then — to work on a political campaign in 2012. When the technician told me last week he could not recover my files or contacts because of the way the phone failed, I thought for a minute and walked away from all that. I don’t feel better, yet I am free.

What burned me particularly is my back up — the contact files on Microsoft Outlook — had wiped all the phone numbers there as well when I upgraded to the online version. I guess I’ll find out to whom I want to speak going forward. A main loss is recognizing who might be calling. Just like that, an era of telephony was over.

My spouse and I scheduled a day to go through papers and came upon a stack of clippings from when my father-in-law was installing rotary dial telephones around Iowa and Illinois in the 1950s. He lived in a small trailer, which he hauled around to Martelle, Marengo, and other less populous towns. He helped usher in a new era of rotary dial telephones. The family revisits this story often.

I don’t have much recollection of using the telephone in the 1950s. In fact, the telephone was not that important to my life, outside work, into the late 1990s when I got a flip phone to carry with me while traveling. I installed telephones in several places I lived during the interim, including in Germany where I seldom used it because the rates were so expensive. We used home telephones mostly for calling family and friends, and for staying in touch with work.

While wireless telephony has its roots in the 19th Century, what we called cell phones came into their own around 2000 when I got my flip phone. I could take a photograph and text it to someone else, in addition to talking to them on a call. Freeing myself from wired infrastructure was revolutionary. The smart phone, with its instant access to the internet was another wireless development that changed how we interact with the world.

It will be straight up work to rebuild my important contacts. In a way, being free from all the telephone history is a positive. In my remaining seasons on Earth is will mean a less cluttered life. Damn! Like many things, I just wasn’t prepared for a change.

Categories
Sustainability

Equipment Failure

Mowing the Lawn

I had been mowing with my John Deere lawn tractor for about 15 minutes. Life was good as I prepared the yard to be more presentable when overnight guests arrived later in the day. I stopped, turned off the engine to move something, and when I returned to the driver’s seat the engine would not crank. After trouble shooting to see if I could resolve the issue, I called the repair shop and they picked it up that day. They said they would have it for three weeks, most likely, because of a backlog of work. I’ll have to hire someone to mow as the lawn will turn into a jungle of natural habitat if I don’t.

We brought the equipment home from my father-in-law’s estate before the turn of the millennium. When it breaks down, there is always a question of whether repair parts will be available. The company says, “Nothing runs like a Deere,” yet they no longer make or stock every part for every model going back to the company’s founding in 1868. Planned obsolescence has become part of their business strategy. If my tractor can’t be fixed because parts are not available, I’m not sure what I will do. There are several suitable models under a thousand dollars. I really don’t want to spend that kind of money to mow the lawn half a dozen times a year. There is a case to replace it now to avoid future price increases. I would rather have just finished mowing the lawn than deal with this now.

This personal experience feeds into the broader issue of Right to Repair. When we own something, like my John Deere tractor, we shouldn’t have to beg the dealership to have access to repair parts and fix it. I’m not that mechanical as a basic social skill so I rely on others for car, tractor, chainsaw, trimmer, home appliance, and other repairs. We are subjected to their rules, and one of those is availability of repair parts. I bought more than a few new appliances because repair parts were no longer manufactured or stocked. It’s a rook deal!

When I worked in transportation I became aware of increased technology used in mechanical devices, Class 8 vehicles particularly. This changed the landscape in multiple ways. Importantly, equipment developers sought technology to make things better or comply with new laws. It was one more component to include in an automobile or refrigerator that cost something, and when the initial sale was made, increased net margin for the seller and manufacturer. What is often forgotten is any new maintenance issue related to failure of electronic components. There are no work-arounds when a computer chip fails.

When my John Deere would not start, I quickly diagnosed the problem as an electrical failure. I’ve had the tractor long enough to recognized the layers of failure it demonstrates. When I was on the phone with the service writer they agreed. So now we wait.

We bought a quarter acre lot in 1993 because it was available. We liked the proximity to the state park hiking trail and the public school system. There was abundant room for a garden and an orchard. What we didn’t foresee then was the inability to get ahead financially enough to completely eliminate the lawn in favor of a giant garden. Such projects are the endeavor of youth, so I’ll be dealing with mowing for as long as we live here. We don’t plan to move. We’ll stay and deal with interactions from a variety of service technicians. I’d better maintain a friendly relationship with them. Life could be worse.

Categories
Living in Society

July Is Almost Done

Photo Credit – Cedar Rapids Gazette

July is ending better than it started.

The June 27 debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden launched weeks of political uncertainty. I did not watch the debate, yet its impact hit me and so many of my friends who are Democrats. We didn’t know what to expect.

On July 13 a shooter attempted to assassinate Trump. To a lay observer, it was clear whoever set up security for the Pennsylvania rally left gaps in security coverage the candidate should have had. Why would security leave a roof within line of sight of the speaker’s podium and within range of commonly available weapons unsecured? Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on July 23.

On July 17, Biden was diagnosed with COVID-19 while in Las Vegas. He returned to Delaware for isolation and treatment. He continued to execute his role as president through and after resolution of the illness on July 24 when he returned to the White House.

On Sunday, July 21, after noon, President Biden announced he would not accept the nomination of his party as president. While insiders knew this was coming, most of the nation was surprised. It brought closure to the post-debate period. Democrats quickly rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris who has already secured enough delegates to become the party’s nominee. In addition, she has done well in fundraising for her own campaign. People seem willing to engage in our politics again. As one commenter on Threads said of July 24, “I swear to god this entire day feels like Joe lit the Beacons of Gondor and Rohan freaking ANSWERED.”

The month has been exhausting, mostly because all of these things matter.

Personally, the High School Class Reunion was a big deal, and my spouse has been at their sister’s home helping out all month. With a couple of exceptions — Independence Day parades, a home owners association meeting, a political fund raiser, and the reunion — I have been pretty isolated. I need to spend more time with people right now.

I also need to work to make sure August is a better month.

Categories
Writing

Hummingbird Dreams

Mottled shadows of grasses against a piece of cloth.

I hung a piece of cloth over the lower level windows across from my writing table. As the sun rises, shadows dance on it: insects, long blades of grass, and lately, a hummingbird suspended in air as they are while searching for food. It feels I’m living in Plato’s allegory of the cave and I’m fine with that. It is a reminder the world in which we live is not a lie. I’m not chained in place. I’m free to go outdoors, see the hummingbird, and not be blinded by the sun.

I bought mini-blinds to put on that window, like the others in the lower level of the house, yet am glad I didn’t install them. There is a constant show on the window covering for dreaming. We humans need dreams.

The garden ground is too wet to work this morning. It seems unlikely to dry by noon. If the lawn dries sufficiently I’ll mow. There is plenty of indoors work to do if it doesn’t.

Our go-to, easy-to-prepare dinner is tacos. I made them last night, based on the recipe I wrote a few years ago. Instead of yellow onions, I used spring onions. Instead of garlic, I used garlic scapes. Instead of frozen kale, I used a mixture of fresh Pac Choi and collards from the garden. Such seasonal variations make tacos one of our favorite meals. They always taste a little different, in this case, fresher than normal. We prepare the dish often.

This week, Major League Baseball added the Negro League statistics to the record book. It changed some of the rankings. Josh Gibson beat Ty Cobb in highest career batting record. Gibson beat Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Hugh Duffy in other categories as well. When I was a kid I didn’t have a baseball card of Josh Gibson and was not aware the Negro League existed. For me, Babe Ruth was it. Until this year, we found he wasn’t. Here’s a link to the Washington Post story.

Categories
Sustainability

Constructed Reality

Local turtle on our driveway.

We live in the only home we planned and built. When I arrived from Indiana in 1993, ahead of the rest of the family, our lot was a vacant remainder of Don Kasparek’s subdivision of his farm. There were two volunteer trees and tall grass.

A deal on another lot had fallen through, and there was an urgency to find a place to settle. This lot, with its proximity to Lake Macbride and a reasonable school system was to be it.

I remember sitting on the high wall after the contractor dug the lower level from the hillside, before the footings were in. A cool breeze blew in from the lake — the kind that still comes up from time to time.

We built a life here in Big Grove Township over more than 30 years.

Today is still a time of transition. The trajectory of life seems clearer and much work remains unfinished. Slow and steady wins the race, they say. Like this turtle, I hope to make it to the finish line of a better life.

Categories
Home Life

Is the Drought Over?

Trail walking between rain showers on May 9, 2024.

While walking past the boat docks between rain showers, a neighbor hailed me and asked, “Is the drought over?” I replied, “With the rain we’ve had in the last ten days, I hope so.” Because I was on the association board for so long, many know me by name, although I have to ask them theirs. I don’t mind asking.

I took this photograph during my Thursday trail walk. I’ve been trying to take a decent photo of this barn for 30 years. This one isn’t it. I’ll try again.

I turned on my bird identification app and in 30 seconds, it identified eight different birds. Halfway into spring that seems about right. Fish continue to spawn near the foot bridge. Joggers, dog-walkers, bicyclists, and walkers were out on the trail in the couple hour period between morning rain and afternoon showers. I’m glad to have made it outdoors when I could.

While my vegan spouse has been away I’m fixing dinners she can’t eat. Tonight it is lasagna with home grown spring onions and ricotta cheese. I’ve been thinking about this dish for a week. It is baking while I write.

I counted seedlings in the portable greenhouse. There are 750. It seems like a lot, and if I had to buy them at the store it would be a substantial investment. I check on them multiple times a day.

My idea of a garden is to grow as much as I can for the kitchen and give the rest away. The food bank always needs donations. Neighbors welcome fresh vegetables in season. If the rain would let up, I could start transplanting more to the garden. Thursday was a bust day for gardening. Friday is looking better.

We should know when my spouse is returning home today. I hope it is soon.

Categories
Living in Society

Sunlight, Birds Singing

Trail walking in April 2023.

A walk on the state park trail is respite from working at home. These days I take the auto off property once or twice each week. The rest of the time is spent working at home or walking on the trail. A person needs sunlight and bird songs for many reasons. It is as close as it gets to feeling a part of nature.

We need respite.

A high school student came to the door seeking cans and bottles to return for the deposit — a fund raising project for the school band. We don’t consume much that comes in containers that can be redeemed for a deposit. I went downstairs and found a case of empty ginger beer bottles and turned them over.

I also found a case of Mexican beer with 15 bottles left from last summer. On hot days, I’ll ice down one or two to drink when I work up a sweat. This is enough to last into June.

These April days are slipping through my hands and there seems to be little to do about it. The garden seedlings are too many for the available indoors space and I haven’t been able to muster energy to assemble the new, portable greenhouse. Been feeling a bit punk, and that’s not helping either.

I spent part of Thursday morning unraveling loose threads that inhabit family lore. Here is how that passage ended.

Family lore is William worked in Mine 74 and in the Cherry coal mine. Other family lore suggests he didn’t mine coal but had an office job from a young age.

Inconsistent and incomplete tales are part of a problem with family stories. It affects how an author writes a modern narrative. In a later chapter, I present two very different stories authored by Mother in the form of a letter and email about the day I was born. We must consider such stories and proceed based on conflicting information, even when both versions cannot be true.

My view at this writing is Grandfather’s declaration of being a miner on the 1910 and 1940 U.S. Census records, my personal experiences with him, explanations from family about how he came to have black lung disease by inhaling coal dust in the mines, and the government awarding Black Lung Benefits based on his health, confirm he worked in the mines. I proceed on that basis.

We tell stories about our lives and repeat them. They harden and become the stuff of legend within a family. Just as Mae told and retold the story of her aunt and the piano, Mother told and retold the story of Grandfather being a communist. By focusing on family lore, and hardened stories, we tend to reduce how much we know about parts of our lives we didn’t directly experience. Expanding the universe of knowledge about our lives is the goal of this book.

Despite feeling punk, behind in the garden, and lacking energy, it felt I got something done. The idea in this passage is to weave explanations about complex and conflicting stories in the autobiography, one in each chapter. It is an improvement in the narrative that is possible. The purpose is to give the reader a guidepost on how to interpret what I write as they read it. I’m not aware of anyone else who writes this way. Will see how it goes.

I will soon need to get outside again for brief respite.

Categories
Living in Society

After the Storm

Green up in the state park, April 16, 2024.

During the first two minutes I had my Merlin bird identification software listening, it found: White-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Cardinal, American Robin, House Finch, House Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Blue Jay, Chipping Sparrow, and Canada Goose. The usual suspects were awake and came out to greet me a few days after the storm.

The storm gathered all the ash tree seed pods from the roof and collected them in the gutter downspout. That caused rainwater to overflow into the window well, and then leak into the house. It was a mess to clean up. There was no real damage, although the gutter design needs a remake to position the downspout elsewhere. Adding that to the long to-do list. It will go high on the list.

Clean up after the flooding will take some effort. Luckily we have the needed tools: buckets, rags, wet/dry vacuum, mops and brooms. Now to get those cleaned up, dried and put away.

Despite recent rainfall, and refilling of the lake, the newspaper reported this morning we continue to be in drought conditions in Big Grove Township. It continues to be too cold to plant much in the garden, with last frost as much as a month away. However, it is time to shift gears to doing more garden prep beginning now.

Where to start? Probably at pushing the post button and getting on with it. Make it a great day readers!