Chutney

2 lbs (approx) of zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
to measure about 6 cups

1/2 lb (approx) tart green apples, peeled & diced
to measure about 2 cups

1/2 lb peeled, chopped onions
to measure about 2 cups

1 cup raisins, brown or golden or mixed

3 TB minced garlic
(I use the kind from the jar)

1 1/4 cups of vinegar (white or cider)

1 cup brown sugar (dark or light)

1 TB of ground / powdered ginger

salt, according to taste
between 1 teaspoon & 1 Tablespoon

ALL OTHER SPICES -- optional & to taste
between 1/2 - 1 teaspoon (approx):
allspice
cloves
mace
paprika

Also optional -- 1 or 2 green peppers

I NEVER do this, but to make it hot, you can add
dried chile peppers or jalepenos or ground cayenne pepper

Depending on what you have too much of in the garden,
you can make this exact same recipe using zucchini
or cucumbers or green tomatoes (or a combination).
For your convenience, peeling the veggies is completely optional
(but you do have to peel the apples).

Mix everything together in a large pan,
bring to boil quickly,
and continue to boil for an hour or so
until the chutney is as thick as jam. Stir occasionally.

When it is cooked and cool, you can leave it chunky
or run a hand blender through it
to meld the flavors and texture.
That's what we do!
However, some people prefer chunky chutney!

Ladle into hot, sterilized jars.
Add lids and store in refrigerator.

Listing / Listening, Part 2

[See also, Part 1]
What better way to spend the summer than listening / listing
to these nostalgic favs & learning every reference:

Prime Time

We Didn't Start the Fire

Welcome to the Internet

You can find lyrics and more on my recent post

Cultural List - eracy,
Part 2: From Prime Time to Internet

[Also, Part 1: Make Your Own List ]

@The Fortnightly Kitti Carriker
A literary blog of connection & coincidence;
custom & ceremony

P.S.
While we're on the topic of Billy Joel,
this seems like a fitting place to share
one of Sam's high school assignments
that I have saved all these years
because I thought he did such a good job:
"Uptown Girl" describes the crush that a blue-collar boy has on a beautiful high-class girl. Billy Joel utilizes different melodic techniques when describing them, a duality that expresses the differences between the boy and the girl of his dreams.

“Uptown Girl” has a standard homophonic texture for a pop song as well as typical instrumentation, including bass, drums, guitars, backup vocals, and lead vocals and keyboard by Billy Joel. “Uptown Girl” is in duple meter, with a strong beat throughout, driven by drums, which keep the song at an even mezzo forte dynamic and an even tempo of moderato.

The form of “Uptown Girl” is Intro-A-A-B-A-Break-A-B-A-Break with a codo at the end. In the A sections, Billy Joel describes the social divide between himself, a man living downtown “who can’t afford to buy her pearls,” and his crush who lives uptown and enjoys her “white bread world.” Although there is no clear climax, Billy Joel repeats “I’m in love with an uptown girl,” using the repetition to indicate his infatuation and emphasize her unattainability. Throughout the five A sections Joel uses a rougher, boy-like, folksy timbre to express not only his adolescent attraction, but also his social class.

The melody is conjunct; it has lower pitches, an even contour, a small range, and more choppy rhythm. However, in the B sections when Joel describes his physical attraction to the girl and how she looks, walks, and talks, he uses a sweeter, more adoring timbre. Furthermore, he employs higher pitches, as well as a wider range, a more flowing contour, several disjunct intervals, and a more stylish rhythm.

The way that Billy Joel contrasts the A section and B section melodies instills in the listener the economic gap between Joel and his crush. I think the most effective difference is the use of the range of pitch. In the A sections he uses a small range to convey simplicity; conversely, to express the social status of Joel’s crush he uses a wide range to suggest that she is sophisticated and affluent. The concluding musical resolution suggests that maybe the grubby guy is going to win the elegant girl after all!

Insightful analysis, Sam!

As the World Turns

I went to the window to check out the full moon,
pushed back the curtain,
and saw this reflection
of our night-light globe & the doily --
but NOT the table on which it is sitting!

A magical interpretation from Indiana photographer & kind friend Mark Bass: "Wow, kind of an inverted magic carpet ride. Instead of you riding a magic carpet around the world you can have the world revolve around by means of a magic carpet. That's about as cool as it gets."

Viewing the moon,
through the plate glass window

"Whoever moves from carelessness to vigilance,
Lights up the world
Like the moon that emerges from a cloud."
The Dhammapada, 13:6

Outside Looking In

Shine on, O Moon of Summer

~ facebook ~ post ~

Back Yard

Shine on, O moon of summer.
Shine to the leaves of grass, catalpa and oak,
All silver under your rain to-night.

An Italian boy is sending songs to you to-night from an accordion.
A Polish boy is out with his best girl; they marry next month;
to-night they are throwing you kisses.

An old man next door is dreaming over a sheen that sits in a
cherry tree in his back yard.

The clocks say I must go — I stay here sitting on the back porch drinking
white thoughts you rain down.

Shine on, O moon,
Shake out more and more silver changes.

by Carl Sandburg (1878 – 1967)
[also Autumn / and more]

Full Moon ~ Paula Belle Flores

June Moonrise

I see them in the Evening
Go slowly, softly, through
Deep hedge-ways where the thrush sings late
And on the stile or at the gate
The coming of calm moonrise wait,
As we were wont to do.
Far up the land of brightness drawn
On dew-starred fields by that gentle dawn
Their young eyes see
Days that shall be,
And mine days that are gone.

from The Crowning of the Year (1937)
by Loyd Haberly (1896 – 1981)
[also May]

My Front Yard Photos

Summer Solstice:
June 20, 2024 ~ 4:51 pm EDT

Full Strawberry / Rose / Hot / Honey Moon:
June 21, 2024 ~ 9:08 pm EDT

Summer Labyrinth

Wishing you a season of mazes and labyrinths
-- in a good way!
And a shimmery, simmery, summery
Summer Solstice!

Ellie and Aidan at the
Botanical Garden of the Piedmont
Charlottesville, Virginia

Walk the labyrinth.
Inner peace? Perhaps, perhaps
not. Taking the steps.

There goes the train!

See also
Springtime Labyrinth
San Francisco Photos
Photo Album

On the Way . . .
Summer Solstice:
June 20, 2024 ~ 4:51 p.m. EDT

&

Full Moon:
June 21, 2024 ~ 9:08 p.m. EDT

Like Father Like Son

That time we saw Donny & Marie in Vegas

My favorite Donny Osmond story is one that he told Rosie O'Donnell, maybe 20 years ago, about riding on an airplane with one of older sons, and the stewardess said to the son, "Has anyone ever told you that you look exactly like Donny Osmond?"

And Donny is thinking, "HEY, I'M Donny Osmond, the REAL Donny Osmond!" But the stewardess is completely focused on the handsome young man and isn't even making the connection that the "old" guy sitting right beside him is, in fact, Donny Osmond!

Then, last year, in an odd reversal, one of Donny's younger sons nearly went unrecognized as an Osmond!

Donny Osmond & Sons

P.S.
Once again, as in 2013 & 2019,
Bloomsday & Father's Day
are one & the same!

Well, it happens a lot:
1912, 1918, 1929, 1935, 1940, 1946, 1957,
1963, 1968, 1974, 1985, 1991, 1996, 2002
2013, 2019, 2024 . . .
. . . and coming up again in 2030.

See the pattern:
every 6 - 11 - 6 - 5 years, 6 - 11 - 6 - 5, etc.

It's also important to know when
Bloomsday / June 16 falls on a Thursday.
You can figure it out the same way, starting in 1904,
every 6 - 11 - 6 - 5 years, 6 - 11 - 6 - 5, etc.

Don't Lose the Wild

“You were once wild here.
Don’t let them tame you.”

~ Isadora Duncan (1877 -1927) ~

“Wild inside; raging, writhing — yes, 'writhing' was the word,
writhing with desire. But outwardly he was hopelessly tame;
outwardly—baa, baa, baa.”

~ Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963) ~
~ from the novel Crome Yellow ~

"You're only given a little spark of madness.
You mustn't lose it."

~ Robin Williams (1951 - 2014) ~

Staying at the Gables

The Gables ~ Philadelphia
A Victorian Bed & Breakfast in University City

We were lucky enough to live in this stately historical neighborhood from April 1993 until August 2001.

When we first moved to Philadelphia, we stayed for a week at the Gables with the owners at that time: Brian, Melani, and Scotty.

Melani found a place for everyone on that initial visit. Gerry and I stayed in this suite, where, conveniently the enclosed porch -- where you see the lace curtains -- served as a nursery for our 3 - year - old son.

The room below, now picture perfect, was not yet unrenovated, so it provided a safe haven for our two cats.

Through the years, we attended many holiday parties and community gatherings hosted by Don and Warren in these lush and festive surroundings. Every event was a feast for they eyes!

When we visited in 2014, we reserved the Country Willow Room for ourselves, and the Christmas Room for our sons. Ten years later, we found ourselves in the Blue Willow Room, always a favorite:

Thanks to the Gables
for the hospitality and for the memories!

Flowers Ahead!

“There are flowers up ahead!”
What Ellie said when we turned onto our street
and she saw the hydrangeas and day lilies blooming on the island!

Some Springtime Haiku

Reading, Floating, Traveling

It is officially summertime!

Time for floating in the pool
Swimmingly

doing some armchair traveling
On the Road With John Steinbeck

& finding more summer reading ideas
@Kitti's Book List

New Lap Lanes at the Boar's Head!