From Old to Old to New

January 1

From Old to Old to New

The oft-quoted whakutauki states, "Ka pa the numa, ka hao te rangatahi"—as the old nets pile up on shore, the new net goes fishing. The tauira [pattern or model] of the old provides the basis of formation for the new. The new line dictates changes in both the structure and form of the new net, and also in the choice of fishing ground. By casting it to sea, the old net may tell us even more than we dare hope for. The care taken is reassuring. It is the fishing exercise that now commands our attention, and this must be executed in the same spirit in which the old net was prepared and made.

—Pin Sciascia, Maori Writer

We are in a time of changing nets. The old scientific world paradigm is thrashing, groaning, and lashing out as we hear the constant message “This hasn’t worked. It’s time to change.”

It is the time that we return to the knowledge and wisdom of the old net—ancient Native cultures and the wisdom of our Elders—while recognizing that “the new time dictates changes in both the structure and form of the new net” as well as in the “choice of fishing ground.”

As we have become more and more willing to cast the old into the sea, we must take care to recognize that a time of change requires that we be present, that we learn from our past, that we do not cling to a “known” that is not working. We need the courage to make new nets and cast them onto new fishing grounds.

Native people’s wisdom helps me move into a new way of being on this planet.
—Native Wisdom for White Minds by Anne Wilson Schaef

Movie Review: Dil Se

As a Shah Rukn Khan (SRK) fan, I love many of his movies but Dil Se is one that holds a special place in my heart. It is an eloquent story about the sorrow and unnecessary pain and death resulting from prejudice, divisive politics, war and poverty.

Also, SRK performance is one of his most authentic and emotional.

 

Reprint from Bollywood Talk

Dil Se -- A War Protest Movie

It has only been 73 years since India gained independence from Britain in 1947. There were many bloody struggles in India’s war for independence and millions died during Partition when Muslims and Hindus either traveled to the newly created nation of Pakistan or from Pakistan into India. Kashmir is still in dispute and India has been fighting terrorism since independence as the subway bombings in Mumbai illustrate.

There are many movies that illustrate the horrors of war in attempts to suggest peaceful alternatives. While war is fought by nations, it is carried out by individuals. Mani Rantam wrote and directed Dil Se as a sensitive portrait of two people with different views of war based on personal experiences.


Dil Se is a story of Amarkanth Varma, an idealist radio journalist, who meets and falls in love with a lonely young woman, Meghna, on a railroad platform. At first, their stories diverge as she catches the next train while Amar has gone to get her some hot tea.

I was enthralled with the movie from the opening credits. The director added small details that not only added texture to the story but later you realize he is also giving the viewer and the characters information that foreshadow the depth and complexities of the emotional conflicts to come. Little touches like in the opening scenes where Amar is dressed in a black shirt and red sports jacket and Meghna is dressed in a red dress but covered with a black shawl, almost as if to say Amar wears his heart on his sleeve and Meghna keeps her heart hidden from view. Another example is when Amar goes to fetch Meghna some tea, he jokes and tells her not to move because he has a bomb in his suitcase and it could explode. Later, this joke seems prophetic.

As part of his job as a radio producer, Amar (Shah Rukh Khan) gathers various man-on-the-street perspectives for a program about the upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations of Indian Independence. He hears from some that they have suffered more since independence and from others that India has prospered since independence. To expand his research, Amar seeks out the leader of a revolutionary movement. The leader’s main complaint is that the smaller outlying states of India were forgotten after the war for independence and many villages have suffered and continue to suffer in a multitude of ways. For Amar, whose father and grandfather served in the Indian army, he struggles to understand the dissents’ evaluation of their current treatment at the hands of the Indian government.

When Amar returns, he runs into Meghna (Manisha Koirala) but she claims she never met him before and they part. As you can imagine, Amar is confused. He is certain she is the girl he met on the train platform. Another day, he spies her making a phone call and follows her. Again, she rejects him but this time he hitches a ride on the back of the bus she is on and lands in her village. Here, Amar declares his love for her; again she rejects him claiming to be married. When Amar seeks to apologize to her, she sends several men to convince Amar that his pursuit is futile but in the ensuing fight, Amar learns she is not married and his hope is renewed.

While covering festivities in Lucknow, Amar glimpses Meghna in the crowd. He searches for her and finds her on a bus. As the police go down the aisle asking about identification and travel purposes, Meghna says she is Amar’s wife. Amar is more amused than suspicious by her change in attitude.

The bus travels north to the mountains. After it breaks down, the passengers gather their belongings and walk toward their destinations. Amar follows Meghna. Amar has been open and ardent about his feelings about her. She has continually rebuffed him but she appears to warm up a bit but not without visible internal emotional struggles that leave Amar and the viewer puzzled.

Late into the night, Meghna leaves while Amar is sleeping. She leaves a mysterious message in the sand. Amar returns to the city feeling he has lost her. He agrees to marry Preeti, a woman of his family’s choosing.

 

Preeti (Preity Zinta) is a bouncing, cheerful girl. They find that they both have loved and lost, but it does not take her long to realize that Amar’s thoughts are elsewhere.

Amidst their wedding preparations, Meghna appears at Amar’s house with a girlfriend asking for temporary shelter and a job at All India Radio where Amar works. He agrees. Watching the emotional struggles play across their faces as Amar and Meghna participate in the wedding festivities pictures two confused, unhappy, young people. Both Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha capture the pain, confusion, and regret of their lost love just as Preity expresses the joys and hopes for her future.

Soon the festivities are disrupted when Amar discovers Meghna’s true purpose for coming to the city and working at All India Radio. Because he is still loves her, he thinks he can stop her. It is chaos from here on. Amar tries to piece together information of Meghna’s whereabouts before the police find her. He locates her near the parade route. When he confronts her about her treachery, he learns about her tragedies. He offers to give up everything for her and begs her to run away with him. She wants to go with him. She wants those dreams of love and family, but she also wants justice for her people. She refuses. He attempts to physically stop her but police intervene. Later, the police release him but thugs lay in wait and beat Amar up.

 

When he returns home, Preeti confronts him as she bandages his wounds. She asks, “Should Meghna’s name be on these wedding invitations rather than mine?” He evades her questions. He is intent on stopping Meghna. The police raid the home and he dragged off to be questioned and drugged to elicit information but he escapes.

The action in these scenes is fast-paced and the emotions of all involved are heightened and intense. Amar still wants to save Meghna and she is tempted but his love can not offer her the solace she seeks. Amar makes the ultimate offer. He loves her and has accepted her pain.

For me, this is a well-crafted movie. Shah Rukh Khan’s and Manish Koirala’s performances are among the best I have seen. The choreography is incredible and inspiring.

I may have read somewhere that Amar’s love represents India’s pain over the loss of the territory of Pakistan, the horrible death and cruelty inflicted on so many Indians, and its longing to make amends. Meghna’s pain, desire for justice and love represents the desire of Pakistan to heal its rift with India because while war was initiated by governments, it was individuals who were affected.

1998, Color, Hindi, 163 minutes
Director: Mani Ratnam
Story/Screenplay: Mani Ratnam
Producer: Shekhar Kapoor, Ram Gopal Varma, Mani Ratnam
Cinematography: Santosh Sivan
Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Manisha Koirala, Preity Zinta and more.
Music: A.R. Rahman
Lyrics: Gulzar
Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, M.G. Sreekumar, Kavitha Krishnamoorthy, Sonu Nigam, Mahalakshmi, Udit Narayan, A.R. Rahman, Anupama, Anuradha, Sapna Awasthi, Sukwinder Singh

 

DIY: Jewelry Cleaner

More from my DIY adventures. 

I may have gotten this idea from this DIY YouTube Video - How to Remove Tarnish from Silver Jewelry, not sure, but I don't use the suggested aluminum foil and my process is different.

 

 

DIY: Jewelry Cleaner

 

Ingredients:

Small glass jar or bowl

1/2 Cup hot water
1 Tspn Baking soda

Several shakes from salt shaker

 

 

Process:

Add ingredients to a small glass jar.

Stir well.
Add silver jewelry.
Stir occasionally after several minutes.
Wait a few minutes and stir again.
Check jewelry to see if they need to remain in the cleaning solution longer.
When ready, scoop out pieces and place in a cup of water.
Remove then dry and rub pieces with clean cloth.
Let items air dry before returning to storage.

Guest Recipe: DL and her Hen's Eggs Quiche

This is my friend, DL's Quiche Recipe. 

 

She says, "I am focused on using all the eggs our hens produce so have included a quiche recipe that is easy and delicious."

 

DL and her Hen's Eggs Quiche

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches of broccoli, chopped (about 4 cups)
3/4 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 Jumbo Eggs or 4 Large Eggs
1 cup milk of choice (I used plain Almond Milk or Soy Milk)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

 

 

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Use premade crust to keep things simple. A deep dish pie crust works best as the recipe makes enough to fill a large pie crust.
• In medium saucepan, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil over and warm up on medium heat.
• Once warmed, add diced onions (I don't include onions) and cook until just starting to turn translucent, about 6 minutes.
• Add minced garlic and let cook for one minute longer.
• Add diced broccoli, a simple twist of salt and a sprinkle of pepper and cook until bright green about 6 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let rest.
• While the above is resting, whisk together eggs, milk and spices: 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, paprika, and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and red pepper flakes in a small bowl or directly in your measuring cup if you like to save on dirty dishes.
• Add the sautéed broccoli, onions, and garlic to the prepared quiche crust.
• Top with 3/4 a cup of sharp cheddar cheese. I always buy a block of cheese and shred it myself because I think it makes a difference, but then again, I’m a cheese snob.
• Pour egg and milk mixture over top. It’s perfectly ok if the liquid mixture doesn’t completely cover the broccoli. In fact, the broccoli poking out the top will get nice and crispy and might just be your favorite part.
  
• Put in 350 degree oven and bake until top just starts to turn golden brown, about 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and enjoy.

Project Gutenberg - The First Internet eBook Library

Project Gutenberg

 

One website I frequent a lot is Project Gutenberg. Their inventory of over 60,000 eBooks has a lot of classics and surprises. It also has cookbooks.

 

Basically, after searching their inventory, you can download your selection in various formats like: HTML, ePub, Plain Text and more.

In conjunction with Project Gutenberg, I use iBooks.

These are a sample of some of the classics available:

• The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
• The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
• Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• Poems by Emily Dickinson
• The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
• Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley
  
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
  
• Persuasion by Jane Austin
  
• A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
• Mother Goose and other children's books

There are also dictionaries, histories and more.

 

Some of the surprises I found are: you can post your self-published eBook on Project Gutenberg but it will be free to Project Gutenberg visitors and find unusual books like:

 

A General History of the Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson

 

Hindustani Lyrics Rendered From The Urdu by Inayat Khan and Jessie Duncan Westbrook

Six Months in Mexico by Nellie Bly

 

Of course, I searched for Cookbooks and these are just two of many I found:

The Suffrage Cook Book complied by L.G. Kleber

 

The California Mexican-Spanish Cookbook by Bertha Haffner-Ginger

 

 According to A History of Project Gutenberg, Project Gutenberg (1971-2008) by Marie Lebert, Michael Hart created Project Gutenberg in June 1971 at the University of Illinois. At first, he typed in each book as eText (ASCII) and stored it on the mainframe for others to access. The first book he typed was the Declaration of Independence. Over the next few years, Hart continued to type and store other classic books. In essence, he created the eBook.

 

Hart defined Project Gutenberg's mission as:

 

“...to put at everyone's disposal, in electronic versions, as many literary works of the public domain as possible for free....We consider eText to be a new medium, with no real relationship to paper, other than presenting the same material, but I don't see how paper can possibly compete once people each find their own comfortable way to eTexts, especially in schools.” --Excerpt From: Marie Lebert. “Project Gutenberg (1971-2008).” Apple Books.

 

Reading about the changes in computer technology in parallel Project Gutenberg's adaptations to these changes is a fascinating read. From 1 book a year to 1 book a month, by 1994, Project Gutenberg had published 100 eBooks. Today, its inventory is over 60,000 eBooks, in English and other languages.

 

Also, Project Gutenberg invites volunteers to help proofread the text of books in process for uploading as an eBook.

 

 

Resources:

 

 A History of Project Gutenberg, Project Gutenberg (1971-2008) by Marie Lebert

 

Project Gutenberg

University of Illinois

https://distributedmuseum.illinois.edu/exhibit/michael_hart/

Microwave: Mug O'Vegetable Timbale

 

 At times, trying the Use What You Have method of "cooking" gets great results.

 

Believe it or not, this recipe stems from my attempt to make "Chicken Timbale" from:

 

Cook Book of Left-Overs

UCA

P54/60 physical page no.

"Chicken or Turkey Timbale with or without Mushroom Sauce

 

"When no more slices can be cut from a cooked chicken or turkey, take the bits of meat near the bones, chop fine, and to two cups of such meat allow one cup of soft, white bread-crumbs and one- half cup of hot milk. Mix the crumbs and hot milk together, then add the chopped meat and yolks of two eggs. Season with one teaspoonful of salt and one - quarter teaspoonful of pepper. Beat the whites slightly—they must not be frothy —and mix them well in. Turn the mixture into a buttered pan or mold, cover with a greased paper, and steam; or set in pan of hot water and cook in moderate oven about one hour. Carefully unmold on a hot platter, and serve with or with- out mushroom sauce (see page 69)."

 Until I found the recipe Chicken Timbale, which is similar to a bread pudding, in The Cookbook of Leftovers, I never realized how flexible a bread pudding recipe could be. There are so many variations you can make to a bread pudding recipe.

This recipe is a marriage of a Mug O'Frittata and a bread pudding.

Plus, this recipe includes sources for grain, vegetables, diary, and protein.

 

 

Mug O'Vegetable Timbale
(Adapted from: Chicken Timbale, The Cookbook of Leftovers, published by Harper & Brothers, p60)

eBook available on Project Gutenberg

 

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1-3 Drops Hot sauce

A Dash of Ground black pepper.

1-2 TBspns Pickle Juice (Optional)

A Dollop Milk

1 Egg

2 TBspns Canned mixed vegetables

1 TBspn Canned mushrooms (Optional)

1 Slice of multi-grain bread, torn into tiny pieces.

1 slice of Turkey lunchmeat, torn into pieces (Optional)

Optional Sauce: 1/8 Cup Mushroom soup mixed with a bit of hot sauce and ground black pepper.

 

For Toast Topping:

1 Slice Toast, multi-grain.

Mayo

 

 

Process:

Add a dab of oil to mug.

Swirl oil to coat bottom and sides.

Add hot sauce.

Add ground black pepper. 

Microwave mug and contents for 10 seconds.

Add pickle juice.

Add milk.

Add egg.

Stir and whip ingredients thoroughly and rigorously.

Add vegetables and mushrooms.

Add bread pieces.

Stir to make sure bread is soaked in liquid.

Add turkey pieces (Optional)

Stir and mix ingredients thoroughly.

Place mug in microwave.

Use a saucer as a cover.

Microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Check to see if liquid has been cooked off.

If not, microwave for 30-45 seconds more.

Remove.

Use a knife to separate mixture from the side of the mug.

Tip mixture onto a plate.

Heat mushroom sauce in separate bowl.

Pour over mixture.

 

Variation Toast Topping:

Place toast on plate.

Coat toast with a bit of mayo.

Spread some of the mixture over toast.

 

With or without the toast, this is a substantial meal.

 

Updated 1/16/21, text added, process changed, picture added.

 

Guest Recipe: Mom's Potato Casserole

While Mom can not join us for the holidays, she is with us in spirit.

 

 This is one of her recipes we love. 

 

Mom's Potato Casserole

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

1/2 c. melted oleo

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp, dried onion

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pt. sour cream

2 c. grated cheddar cheese

 

Process:

Mix potatoes, oleo, salt, pepper, minced onion, soup, sour cream and grated cheese together.

Spoon into a 2 quart or 9 x 13 x2 inch buttered casserole.

In a skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter and stir in crushed corn flakes. Spread on top of casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.