FORGETFULNESS

Forgetfulness

by Billy Collins

The name of the author is the first to go
followed obediently by the title, the plot,
the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel
which suddenly becomes one you have never read,
never even heard of,

as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor
decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,
to a little fishing village where there are no phones.

Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye
and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag,
and even now as you memorize the order of the planets,

something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,
the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.

Whatever it is you are struggling to remember,
it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,
not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.

It has floated away down a dark mythological river
whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall,
well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those
who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.

No wonder you rise in the middle of the night
to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war.
No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted
out of a love poem that you used to know by heart. 

Orcas Island 2009

                                                      Green Spiky

                                                     

                                                   Benjamin

                                          Enchanted Forest Sunset

Porch spider

Red Red Cole Slaw

1 small head red cabbage
1/4 large red onion, sliced very thin
2 stalks celery, sliced very thin
1 large carrot, shredded with medium size grater

Dressing: (adjust all ingredients to taste)
1/4 c. “The Ojai Cook” Lemonaise
1/4 c. “Wildwood” Garlic Aioli
2 tbsp. Organic Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Celery Salt
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground mixed pepper
2 tbsp. Raw, local honey

* Organic, farmer’s market fresh, is best for all vegetables

Hanging by a Thread

Hildegard de Bingen's Intellegence Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter

3 cups brown sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

6 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 cup sliced almonds

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs.  Combine and sift dry ingredients.  Add about 3 cups dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.  When the mixer can no longer mix in dry ingredients, begin to knead in the rest of the flour.  Shape into rolls, wrap in waxed or parchment paper and refrigerate or freeze.  Thaw frozen dough in refrigerator over night before baking.  Slice thin.  Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375°F for 7 to 10 minutes (depends on thickness).    

Anna Favaroso

 

My maternal grandmother, Anna Favaroso Genova, was born in Castlevetrano, Sicily.  She was married to John Genova.  They had three children, Cosimo (Gus) and Anthony (Tony) who were also born in Castlevetrano, Italy, which is in Sicily, and my mother Lena, who was born in Kansas City, Missouri on January 19, 1905.   One story of my mother's birth, of which there were many, was that the midwife was drunk and may not have reported the correct name or birth date. Another story I heard while hiding under the kitchen table as my aunts told stories was: After my grandfather came to America, his concubine tried to gain passage on a ship as his wife.  She was caught and my grandmother, who was pregnant with my mother, was allowed passage to America.  All of my grandparents and uncles can be found on the registers from Ellis Island except Anna Favaroso Genova.