We received a little much-needed moisture yesterday.
Twas one of those days when outdoor projects were put on hold.
Soon after finishing my blog post, I headed downstairs, did the usual kitchen and bathroom chores and then asked Bill what was on his agenda for the day.
He said he was going to town for the last day of Farmers' Market and to mail some stuff at the post office.
I told him that I thought I'd drive up to the Bread Basket Bakery/The Gathering Place complex north of Bonners Ferry to see if they had any bulk apples.
Those four pints of applesauce sitting on the counter for the last week had seemed pretty minimal for the winter supply.
Since my big older tree has about 12 apples hanging from its limbs, I had decided to bite the bullet and actually purchase some bigger apples to make more sauce.
Bill then decided he could do his mailing at the Bonners Ferry post office and catch the Farmer's market a little later.
So, off we went, and as we approached Bonners Ferry, the rain drops had increased.
We didn't spend much time at the bulk market north of the bakery cuz there were several bins of big apples. I filled a box, then bought a fresh-baked bear claw.
Bill brought home a jug of apple cider and then headed to the Sandpoint Farmers' market.
Meanwhile, my paring knife went right to work with the delightful task of quartering those big golden delicious apples, coring them and peeling them before plopping them into a kettle.
As I peeled, the rain shared the outdoor stage with some brisk winds. It was a good day to be inside.
Now for an aside.
After peeling enough apples for several more pints of sauce, I came upstairs to the computer and, after two cues, began to read a New York Times op ed piece by Sandpoint native and American literary giant Marilynne Robinson.
The first cue about this piece came on Friday when a friend and former student sent me a quote via Messenger from Robinson's most recent observations.
Yesterday upon seeing that another former student had posted a link for the commentary on Facebook, I clicked and began to read.
My first attempt at reading this commentary was filled with several little distractions.
When reading works by Marilynne Robinson, one must concentrate and think actively while doing so.
A great reward comes with such effort, often in almost every sentence Robinson has penned.
My first reading actually ended up being completed in two sittings because I had to leave the computer to go downstairs for a telephone call.
Talk about a quick transition from current American cultural and political thought to a trip down good ol' country memory lane.
My call came a friend I've known since the North Boyer farm kid days. Frannie lived north of us on a farm where her folks raised Angus, while we raised Herefords.
We talked for nearly an hour and hit upon everything from the good ol' days to our kids to common friends to lots of miscellany.
I'm always amazed---with conversations like this---how much we've tucked away into our brains from the myriad of experiences we've shared with people throughout our lives.
Our conversation went on long enough for those apples to cook and get soft but still lumpy while being doused with a bunch of sugar and some cinnamon.
Twas definitely multi-tasking, and, by golly, unlike lots of times, I could actually talk and stir sauce at the same time.
Anyway, long story short, the rainy day also involved watching some fun college football games, filling 10 pint jars with sauce and later deciding that the piece by Marilynne Robinson was worth sharing with Facebook friends.
I had the opportunity to meet the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, thanks to the student who had posted the link (some know him as Luke) and at the same time, the other student (some know as Cindy) got to meet Marilynne too.
Three years ago, Marilynne came back to her hometown, after being invited by Luke Mayville. She spoke at the Panida Theater about her strong belief in public education.
We were in awe then, and after reading her piece from start to finish again this morning with my first cup of coffee and no distractions, my awe for her brilliance and her ability to use the language so artfully and accurately had gone up several notches.
In fact, I would wager that, if not already, some day her literary work will rank right up there with Thoreau, Emerson, Whitman, etc.
And, so this morning after the rainy day of apples, bear claws, neighborhood nostalia, football and wet leaves, I'm proudly including this op ed by a Sandpoint native and encouraging you to give it a read or two or three.
Yes, it does have a political leaning, but this op ed also artfully captures the nuances of this pre-election period of American history and offers some hope for our American family.
Well worth the read.
Happy Sunday.
1 comment:
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