Recently, I had run across some lines I had written regarding a certain subject. This was an unfinished something or other. Reading over the words did not turn on the light bulb, but did offer an intriguing challenge. Maybe I could pull off a free form bit of so called poetry. So I knew if I did proceed with reading this pile of words I would confess to the crowd that of course I was not a poet, and they would also come to that conclusion at the end of my verbiage.
The evening turned out to be delightful. Several prominent Delaware as well as regional poets participated such as Linda Blaskey and Lize Rose Dolan. We were honored.
Before my reading, our great guest poet, Gerry LaFemina, talked about poetry having rules and form, like most things in life. I almost laughed out loud thinking of my "free form, unruly" poem.
I have to say although I would probably begin again discarding most of what I wrote, I did enjoy and indulge in some kind of self approval. If the only compliment were "your read so well", well I would be pleased. Not to say I will use another of my scribblings to create another free form poem - someday. Or maybe I will actually take a poetry workshop at least have more understanding and appreciation of poetry writers.
Dishing Up Delaware
What do you think?
What do we speak of here?
Foods rooted in Delaware’s culture and traditions.
Surely not 5 star restaurants,
Not national chains,
Not cuisine by Julia, Erma, Graham, Emerald, Ina, Rachel, or Mario
But foods that are Delaware - down-home and culturally distinctive.
Foods that alone create -- an event.
In one‘s mind and on one’s tongue -- I can picutre the scenes of piles of steaming Delaware Blue Crab, turned pink,
On trays set on tables of brown paper or newsprint before these “crabsters”, who hammer, hammer, crack, crack, pick and pick and finally consume.
Smell the old bay, the sea, the salt and sea weed.
Look across the landscape of cracked shells, claws and yellow looking paste.
Washed down with pitchers of golden sudsy liquid.
Your feast of crabs has ended for now.
Not to mention other feasts of local fire house fare.
You know the fire house.
You know the ladies who are mixing and rolling out flat pieces of dough by the thousands.
Thrown into broth with some kind of vegetable or meat.
Chicken and dumplings, dumplins and peas, beef and dumplins, and other combinations.
In other fire houses across the state, during months that contain an “R”,
bushels of oysters are coated with batter and fried up to serve and sell,
while men line up on another special night to indulge in the slurpee raw ones.
We can’t forget the delmarvalish chicken in all I speak.
Mrs. Steele must be in awe of the sprawling chicken houses producing millions of chickens that may come to our table as the perfect buttermilk dipped fried chicken.
The chicken is not just a food but a Delaware industry we can tip our hats to.
And the peaches.
The peaches which once were gathered and taken by train from many station in Delaware to ravel up and down the coast by train.
Prized peaches.
Now the peach is a good excuse to organize a hometown festivals in August where peach ice cream, cobbler and pies are sold.
Oh there is also the Delaware made scrapple brought to you by Ralph and Paul Adams. Have you heard of the Apple Scrabble Festival where blocks of this product are tossed through the air competing in a race for farthest thrown?
It must be a sight to behold.
But still in many kitchens the scrabble tradition lives on.
Crispy slices of scrabble are served up next to home fries, eggs and pancakes.
Wild and maybe wooly, and oh -- so, well with so much aroma is a unique and almost forgotten Delaware delicacy --------- the muskrat.
Served in many ways that I am really not sure of.
Trapped, skinned and fixed up.
I myself only know where you may find this wonder to eat - The Wagon Wheel in Smyrna.
At last we have come to a festival, an event, a happening -- whereby the pumpkin is the star.
But the only purpose here is to catapult this wonderful fruit through the air by equipment and their operators.
This food stuff has put Delaware on the map.
It is to me a sad way to promote our farmers crop of pumpkins.
Maybe we should be eating, not playing with food.
So what morsels of food delight the Delaware palettes?
What Delaware dishes can delight our souls?
Remember Delaware’s roots, traditions and culture.
Not too different from the rest of Delmarva, but still unique
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Creative Art Pathways: We all travel down little trails and wide paths not even thinking about where we are going. So many little twists and turns. We commonly take the path we have followed many times before. The comfortable and familiar fork in the road. But the most interesting path and sometimes more challenging path is the road less used.
The Artful Life can be described in the words above. Creative souls usually gravitate toward each other and travel down the interstate together. The visual artists exit off to their road traveling to somewhere. The same with the creative writers, musicians, dancers and all segments of the arts. These paths, roads, trails and interstates cross over each other, intertwine, spin off and merge on. All going somewhere, or maybe nowhere it seems.
We pass by many, come in contact with others, get to know many, are impressed by some, learn from many, connect with several, work with some, become a mentor for others, look up to a few, teach several and support all positive and optimistic beings.
What amazes me are the connections and interactions of artists. Most artists I have come in contact with state that creativity feeds their soul, gives them a purpose and a reason to connect. I am so grateful for all the artists, creative ones and also for those who also support the arts in all it's forms who create a better world her on this earth.
Thanks for reading, and please leave me comments.
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Love to all,
Maria L B
