Photo: Great grandparents at their farm in Blandinsville, IL, with five of their six children .. my grandpa was yet a twinkle in grandma's eye. Stable boy and governess also pictured. Hodges farm, circa 1903-4

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Country Chronicle

' ..... Nobody really knows when winter begins ..... the leaves fall, so the dazzling color is gone .... Practically speaking, our lives change now.  We are done with salads and mousses and molded desserts.  All those sandwich lunches are forgotten.  We want vegetable soup or Welch Rarebit .. and sometimes stuffed mushrooms for supper ....'   as selectively quoted from, Country Chronicle, by Gladys Taber (1974)

My mother gave me a used book this summer by Gladys Taber.  I had never heard of this author but instantly became kindred spirits with her soulful writing of country life.  There are now five used books of hers in my collection.  I savor reading her books for winter nights while soaking away the cares of the day in a bubble bath.  The fact that she describes with great detail every day 'happenings' that most people fail to notice .. and then gives directions for what she's making for dinner that night .. lovely (smile) ... pure simple comfort .. both book and food.

Today our snow is melting slowly .. still covering much of the yard ..but the roof is drip, drip, dripping .. a mild warm up in the 40F's towards week's end .. maybe I can find my garden to plant to garlic.

Has winter arrived early at your home?


9 comments:

Diane said...

No winter here......but lovely fall days! Crisp air, leaves crunching under your feet,clear blue skies, sweaters and scarves, BOOTS (love my new boots!)....all the acoutriments of phasing out the summer and phasing in the coming winter. I almost envy people the food thing but, unfortunately, that's an area I can't have a pleasant experience with. Just the other night, I took a long walk down my country lane and totally loved it! Yep, I enjoy the fall!

Sue said...

I'll have to put her books on my "library list".
An author that I truly enjoy is Marilyn Kluger--I have 2 books by her-"A Midwestern Country Cookbook" and "Country Kitchens Remembered" in which she recounts memories of growing up in the 30's and recipes they used. Wonderful reading. It sounded all so pleasant. Hard work-yes, but family was so important.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

No winter down here. I need to look Gladys Taber at the library. I've read some of her writings and really enjoy her life style.

Have a lovely day tomorrow.

FlowerLady

Rebecca said...

I WISH that what we are currently experiencing was all the winter we could expect....I'm NOT a big fan!

But Gladys Taber--now THAT'S another story! I reread several of her books each year. Glad you've found her!

Dani said...

Her books sound delightful - lucky find :)

Here - summer has definitely hit - so it's out with the fresh home grown salads, solar cooked meals and barbecues...

Morgan said...

Dull, damp and misty November days here - we have woken this morning to a heavy mist which is hanging in the air with no sign of any sun to burn it off nor wind to move it on! I much prefer the sunny, cold and crisp days...

Jada's Gigi said...

winter is slow in coming to our area...cool crispy days...fall color is fading....soup and a fire are on the agenda....

Dorothy said...

Sounds like my kind of book! While you're enjoying snow (something I never see) we're gearing up for a summer they've promised us will be a roaring scorcher.
I'll take the snowy days with a good book by the fire... any day.

Blessings
Dotti :)

Pat said...

We are having about average weather for this time of year, about 5O degrees during the day and 3O's at night.
I just ordered a Gladys Tabor book online for $3.63 including shipping. It should arrive any time and I can't wait to read it...per your suggestion!