Breaking the Silence

I've kept quiet about the things that have happened in our country in the past couple of weeks, which is by design. It's been an upsetting time.

I decided when I started this blog that its purpose wasn't to comment on social or political issues.  This space is meant to be a place where you can come and get some ideas for dinner, travel vicariously with me (and my sister sometimes!), share in the simple joys and frustrations and ridiculousness of everyday life, and maybe escape from your own troubles for a little while.  That's why I write it.

If you know me at all, you know I don't do the hashtag thing associated with social movements and events.  I support some of these in my heart, but their focus and meaning and associations so often rapidly change and then have to be re-explained or understanding corrected, it's no longer effective.  Social media posting trends are generally too simplistic to express my thoughts on such complex subjects, so I'm not participating, but others do, that's okay by me.

For the record, I'm all for peaceful protests and free speech for ALL sides.  Everybody should be able to speak his mind without fear of being ridiculed, shamed, or silenced.  But shouting and rioting are the quickest ways to lose my respect.  In these times, I'm probably considered an oddball for saying so.

I believe in the Pledge of Allegiance - ONE nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice FOR ALL.  That's the ideal we all as Americans should strive for.  Compassion and justice for everybody, from everybody.  And the rule of law is part of that justice.  Justice is supposed to be blind, so nobody is favored.  I think everyone needs to be reminded of that.

It's easy to become overwhelmed by all that's happened and is still happening.  All the emotions that come are legitimate:  sadness, fear, anger, disappointment, shock, depression, uncertainty, shame.  The important thing is to listen.  Don't make assumptions about people on any side of the issues.  Remember we all have one mouth and two ears.  It may be a good time to keep our ears open and our mouths shut.  Silence may at times be golden, but I don't believe it's ever violence, contrary to some signs I've seen paraded at a couple of local protests.

What else is golden?  How about the Golden Rule?  Treat others the way you'd want to be treated.  If we all followed THAT rule, there probably wouldn't be any problem.

There.  I've said my piece.

Comments on this post have been disabled.  If you choose to comment on Facebook or Twitter, that's up to you, but I probably won't look at them.

That's all, folks.

We will return to our regular program in the following post, comments and all.

The Late Spring Flower Tour

The late spring flowers are blooming, so a couple of days ago I wandered around and admired them!  I have peonies along one side of the house, some columbine by the front porch, and Siberian irises in the back yard.  And this week, our tulip tree bloomed. 

Red (or Black) Beans and Rice Tortilla Casserole - A Recipe from the Pantry

I found this recipe on the back of a box of Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice, except that when I got around to actually making it (this week!) I only had boxes of Zatarain's Black Beans and Rice!  Because of the pandemic, rice of all kinds, including boxed mixes, has been scarce.  I've seen packages of Jasmine rice, Basmati rice, and, now and then, brown rice, but if you're able to score plain old white rice or any of the boxed mixes like Uncle Ben's, Zatarain's, or Rice-A-Roni, it's time to celebrate!

Anyway, I was in a little bit of a hurry and didn't have time to thaw any meat.  This recipe was sitting on the counter, and I took that as a sign.  It's easy, fairly quick, tastes good, and not exotic.  Sometimes you want comfort food, but something a little different, and this fit the bill.

Before the toppings!

Red (or Black) Beans and Rice Tortilla Casserole

1 7-oz box Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice OR Black Beans and Rice
1 T butter or oil
2 1/2 c water
1 15-oz can corn, drained
1 4-oz can green chilies, undrained
1 t cumin
6 8-inch flour tortillas
2 12-oz cans white meat chicken, drained OR 2 c shredded cooked chicken
2 c (8 oz) shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Using the first three ingredients, prepare the rice and beans mix as directed on the package, adding the corn, green chilies, and cumin at the same time.  You will simmer this mixture for 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a sprayed 11" x 7" baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of the rice mixture.  Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed.  Layer with 1/2 each of the remaining rice mixture, the chicken, and the cheese.  Repeat the layers with the rest of the tortillas, rice mixture, chicken, and cheese.  Cover with non-stick foil.

Bake 20 minutes, uncover, bake an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.  Top with sour cream, salsa, and chopped green onions, if desired.

Suddenly, Garden! But Then Again...

I didn't have much of a garden last year, or the year before.  My knee had gotten really bad two years ago, and last year I was taking care of somebody else's knee, so...

Anyway, this was going to be the year of the garden restoration.  I weeded around the asparagus patch and dug up the rest of the plot.  In an earlier post, I told about how I'd received the plants I'd ordered from Burpee - delivered upside-down.  I had to wait a week until it was warm enough and hadn't rained the day before.  The weather finally cooperated and the plants went into the ground.

Rosemary

Basil

Bell Pepper

Super Steak Tomato

Super Sauce Tomato

Big Boy Tomato

Here they are - all recovered from their rough treatment by UPS!  Don't they look like happy plants?

Well, we've since had several days with rain, so, again, I couldn't do much in the garden.  When I got out there after a particularly hard rain to check the baby plants, one of the tomatoes was broken off.  Well, the fortunes of war and all that.

Another couple of days of rain, and when I got out there again this past weekend, I found...the rosemary and basil plants.  What the heck?  When I looked more closely at where I had planted the tomato and pepper plants, I found...this:

Nothing but an inch or two of their stems.  Somebunny has been in my garden!  Somebunny is on my naughty list!


We've had a LOT of rabbits and their offspring cavorting in our yard this spring and thought how adorable!  How innocent!  How cute!

Well, no more.  The little stinkers have attacked my poor baby plants.  They are officially not welcome in my garden, darn them.

I've reordered plants, and now we go to war!  I'm putting up a fence.