frozen reminder
season of rest, of silence
time stopped, be at peace
silent
by Angie Quantrell
Thanks for joining me on a Christmas Haiku journey as I celebrate with words, thoughts, and photos that take me deep into my family’s Christmas traditions. Read more Christmas Haiku here.
May this Season of Light fill your heart with the peace of silence.
snow, quiet drifts sleep,
mute sentinels guard shadows
keeping peace secure
peace
by Angie Quantrell
Thanks for joining me on a Christmas Haiku journey as I celebrate with words, thoughts, and photos that take me deep into my family’s Christmas traditions. Read more Christmas Haiku here.
May this Season of Light brighten your life and fill your heart with the peace of beauty.
The pumpkins were frozen solid, as was our turkey, on Thanksgiving Day. This made for an invigorating hunt for fresh turkey to cook for the main event. It also made for challenging smashing of the pumpkins.
Overall, smashing pumpkins this year was a bust. 😉 Only 2 large carving pumpkins were hollow enough to smash when tossed. One rotten butternut succumbed to smashing by foot. All other squash, regardless of variety, bounced upon re-entry to gravity-meets-earth. Add to this recipe of disappointment, drenching buckets of rain descended on this, the 2nd Annual Smashing Pumpkins event. Rain and icy cold temperatures. Bah-humbug.
Still, there is hope. The next warm day (will there be one before spring?), more attempts will be made to roll, toss, and smash the pumpkin stash. In hopes that next summer, the pumpkin fairy will deliver bounties of new beauties.
Until next Thanksgiving Day, have a wonderful winter, dreaming of sugar pie pumpkins and dancing jack-ô-lanterns.
Toasty warm wishes to you!
delicate layers
frozen silk, icicle strands
spider roost hoar frost
frost
by Angie Quantrell
I LOVE hoar frost! Magical frozen icing drapes every day scenes with cold lace. I also realize hoar frost drops the temperatures to triple cold. But take pictures, I will, frozen fingers or not.
How about you? Write a haiku about cold weather and share with us. Happy Hump Day!
Sophie’s Squash
Written by Pat Zietlow Miller
Illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf
Schwartz & Wade Books, 2013
My collection of potential Bernice squash
Meet one of my favorite fall books: Sophie’s Squash.
One day, Sophie falls in love with a butternut squash while shopping with her parents at the farmers’ market. And names her Bernice. While Sophie’s parents have culinary plans for the squash, Sophie adopts Bernice as her child and lovingly, protectively, and firmly cares for her new baby. Plans contradict each other as Bernice matures the way of other squash and Sophie’s parents attempt to put Bernice out of her misery. But Sophie remains committed to the relationship and cares for Bernice in such manner as dictated by squash. And then, surprise!
I won’t ruin it for you, but I love the ending. And the sequel, Sophie’s Squash Go to School, is just as much fun.
What I love: The VOICE of Sophie and the entire cast (even Bernice) is fantastic. I love her character. I adore fall books. I love stories relatable to young children. Everyone knows at least one kid who forms an odd yet endearing attachment to some random item. I love that about this book. I love Sophie and her commitment to Bernice.
Thanks to Pat for this copy of Sophie’s Squash in Chinese! How fun is that?!
autumn’s pumpkin king!
here today, cooked tomorrow;
commence with slaughter
by Angie Quantrell
good-bye 31 of October, hello 1 November!
Besides pumpkin delicacies, what are you looking forward to in November? We’d love to read your haiku! Or just your comment. But you could write your comment in 5-7-5 syllable format! That would be fun. 😉 Also, it would be haiku.
This collage of colorful fruits and vegetables just screamed, “TAKE my picture!”
So I did. And then I cooked them all. That’s what they get for drawing attention to their beauty. A healthy diet is a colorful diet. So to this food art, I added a few more things to make curry noodle soup. Yummy!
Curry Zoodle Soup
2 T. vegetable oil
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground turmeric
Saute’ over high heat, about 1 minute, stirring the whole time.
Gently add:
4 cups chicken broth
1-15 oz. can coconut milk
5-6 cups cubed butternut squash
1 sliced red pepper
1 sliced onion
Bring to boiling, reduce heat, and cook until squash is soft (about 15 minutes).
Add:
1 med. zucchini, zoodled
1 bag or half a plastic container of fresh spinach, stems removed
Juice of 1 lime
Heat 5 minutes. Stir well. Serve over cooked and shredded chicken breast.
This soup is so fragrant and tasty. You can also add any other favorite veggies (pea pods, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower). Good thing there’s plenty more for tomorrow!
harbinger of change
fecund to bursting with life,
sleep cycle begin
pumpkin by Angie Quantrell
Pumpkins are some of my favorite fall sights. Add colorful falling leaves, the crunch and swish of piles swirling as I walk, brisk air, silver mornings, and bustling life preparing for winter’s rest. Autumn is the time to stock up, cozy up, and cuddle in to enjoy hot soup, warm drinks, and wild weather. Who’ll join me?
What signs of fall do you enjoy? Add your favorites in the comment section. Bonus points for haiku!
burbling, calling drips,
water-tongue speaks peace, quiet
drink serenity
drink by Angie Quantrell
A dear friend (college buddy and fellow Jello Molder) recently shared her lovely home and serene garden with several of our solidly middle-aged Jigglers. I could sit for hours beside this potted fountain, just resting. Listening. Dreaming.
Or wondering. Who lives beneath the leaves? Besides the dog drinking with noisy laps, who else visits for refreshment? Birds, squirrels, cats, frogs? Do bees bumble along the edges and butterflies dance above the leaves? Do raccoons dare to stop for a wash of dinner? Maybe spiders consider nearby locations to capture insects who venture in for damp moisture. I could imagine larger wildlife guests if the high fence disappeared. Do children press against the fence, hoping to spy the source of splashing? Are passing adults desperately wishing to sit and ease their minds beside the talking water?
A drink of serenity goes far to refresh a heart heavy with life.
surprise on counter
wet searching for sustenance
on loan from garden
by Angie Quantrell
Happy Hump Day Haiku Challenge! I’d love to read your haiku about garden visitors. Just post in the comments. 🙂
Love, Laughter, and Life 