Roger's View of the World, Love and Seafood Gumbo!
Seize the Day! Put no trust in the morrow! — Horace
Our daughters and Laura recently returned from Greece with a pictures and tales of their adventures that kept me entertained. I have always loved Greek food starting from my youth and I have tried to seek it out in my travels with more or less success.
So I watch their slides, listen to music , drank wine (yes, quite good now-a-days and the Greeks make a nice Merlot), cooked up wonderful food and enjoy my Baklava... so I closed my eyes and I am almost there!
Roger Freberg
My family was very kind and sympathetic and it would be unkind if I did not take the time to thank them for their interesting gifts.
Laura picked up some Pistachios fro the Island of Aegina for me. Aegina is the home of the best Pistachios in the world… and since I make the best Baklava in the world ( according to them), then I must have the best Pistachios!!! I can hardly wait to make more!
Kristin surprised me with a number of unexpected gifts. I could never guess that she would buy me such interesting things. ‘Things’ that sent me to the internet to discover their history and left me fascinated! She found for me a signet ring used by an obviously high and mighty official in the Ottoman empire to sign his documents… very nice. I look more impressive now. Karen and Kristin bought me some great cook books… I especially want to try the Mousaka!
It’s nice to be remembered… thank you ladies.
Dad
Many reasons to visit Scotland in 2009… listen to a few by clicking on the picture…
Roger Freberg
Our family represents a number of Scottish clans, including what was referred to as a small and fierce group… the MacPhae. Their tartan is a simple gray stripes on Black.
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With Valentine’s Day coming up, you may be missing some of the nice, polished words that your best friend longs to hear. Obviously, if you are depending on Hallmark to write it for you, you are a dead man.
However, there are lessons from history that just might help you be the smooth guy you always wanted to be.
Here are a few of the many pearls left to us from the time of the Pharaohs:
“To hear your voice is pomegranate wine to me,
I draw life from hearing it.
Could I see you in every glance,
It would be better for me
Than to eat or drink.”
————–
“Be you but in health and strength,
Then the nearness of your countenance
Sheds delight, by reason of your well-being,
Over a heart, which seeks you with longing.”
—————
“Your hand in my hand,
My soul inspired
My heart in bliss,
Because we go together.”
__________________
The last poem is my obvious favorite, as Laura and I walk everyday hand-in-hand … a simple but necessary pleasure.
Happy Valentines Day ( only 11 days from today)
Roger
PS. pictured above is my favorite ancient Egyptian Goddess Ma’at whose feather was weighed against the recently deceased heart to see if they would be able to enter the land eternal. She symbolized ‘justice.’
Well, we talked about George Washington’s eggnog for a number of blog posts and I thought I’d post a few afterthoughts on the subject.
President Washington’s eggnog was a bit strong for the timid souls so I’d basically cut the spirits in half for those who relish a tamer drink. After all, GW was known in his time for his very strong eggnog! I’d hesitate to serve this to any group that isn’t ‘walking’ home.
Secondly, you are going to have to play the seasonings and the sugar content by ear, tasting and sampling as it ages. The problem is the GW’s basic recipe doesn’t make any allowances for what we have come to know as ‘eggnog.’
So after proper seasoning and sweetening ( I used powdered sugar)… I have to say… it was wonderful!
Roger Freberg