I had the pleasure of visiting my daughter and son-in-law In Jackson Tn. this week, and painting the details on the nursery for our first grandchild. They had done the hard work of rolling the walls in the palest blue and green and I was left with the fun of adding the details. I love doing this and when the wall is ready can usually work pretty fast which is good or know one would be able to afford me! Needless to say family gets a huge discount (can you say will work for food and a soft bed). They treated me to Catfish Kitchen which had the best hush puppies you can imagine and of course Liz and I had catfish, while Chad who has never met a fish he likes had blackened chicken.
God’s Grandeur By Gerard Manley Hopkins
The world is charged with the gradeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Gernerations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell:the soil
Is bare now,nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh morning, at the brown brink eastward,springs–
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and ah! bright wings.
A simple object becomes a family symbol and time adds to its significance in your life. All my children greedily gathered , then loved to throw these up and watch them descend in a slow twirl.
The streets in certain places are paved in gold, or if not gold at least tan, and they are all under maple trees! You can be rich and gather them in bowls to throw at weddings as we did at daughter Liz and Chad’s, or add them to wedding and graduation announcements or give them as toys to adults and children alike. Go ahead — the IRS won’t arrest you, and it is fun to throw caution to the wind and have a party right under the breezy robin’s egg sky. Isn’t it funny — God could have made maple tree babies be like bean seeds lumpy and clunky but instead he let you give them a whirl, stand back and laugh on a perfect spring day.
 A big to do goes on in Louisville. A bunch of fast horses run around a track in about 3 minutes. Being from Louisville of course I’ve never been to a derby,not even the in field . Those are the only tickets available to most locals. I did try to have a derby brunch for my carpool when I taught in Southern Illinois. I was all excited about fixing quiche, fresh strawberries, country ham on beaten biscuits, maybe a mint julep, fresh asparagus, and bibb lettuce. Right at the end of that list is where I lost them! What asparagus for breakfast, you must be crazy??!
I had my little old Ky feelings hurt and never tried something so exotic again! But here’s a simple recipe sure to please that’s not to fancy. Enjoy!
 Here is my recipe from Ky, just in time to honor the Ky Derby. It is from a wonderful cook book, Out of Kentucky  by Marion Flexner( of course found at the Angel Attic).  The forward is by Duncan Hines ,1949. He is a ole boy from Bowling Green who also has lots of cake mixes named after him! The recipe is  a Louisville specialty still is served at the Famous Brown Hotel.
         Â
                                    Hot Brown
4 slices of toast                                  1/4 C American cheese grated
4 slices of baked chicken or turkey
cut from the breast about 1/4 thick        8 strips bacon,fried crisp
4 T grated Parmesan Cheese
1 C cream sauce                                  thin sliced garden tomato (optinal
 Blend yellow cheese with cream sauce until cheese has melted. Place a piece of chicken on each piece of toast and cover with 1/4 cup of sauce. Place 2 strips of bacon (previously cook) on each sandwhich,and sprinkle with 1 T of Parmesan. Place sandwhich under broiler until golden.
Well we have had some more ladies add to our fun! Becky has added a  cool journal and set of gel pens,and a dear childhood friend from Bowling Green has mailed over a wonderful cookbook,and contrary to what Haley says no tube socks have been added, but a sweet pair of gardening gloves! Come on there’s got to be more who want to join in on our fun! Just let me know: drop it over in person , tell me, or mail it!
 Speaking of childhood friends, the ones who remenber when you looked good in cut offs, and pushed a VW without a battery all summer because you couldn’t afford to buy a battery, who remember Emmet Field Elementary in Louisville when they served hotdogs and cinnamon apples on Wed., and fish on Friday, and a child’s ticket was .50 cents to the Vogue in St Matthews. If you have a dear old buddy like that cherish them ,and drop a line every once in awhile. Hey Debbie have a great day!B