Spirit Of Albion

This is my children's favorite song right now.
It can get pretty loud when we are all singing along in the car!

North Wind

I believe this was drawn by Arthur Hughes for one of George MacDonald's works of fiction (At The Back of the North Wind?). If anyone knows for sure, set me straight!

Christ is God's forgiveness. ~George MacDonald

The Place of the Lion

It's difficult to choose which of Charles Williams's works of fiction is my favorite- although, I think it may be Descent into Hell- but The Place of the Lion is also high on the list. There was one particular scene in the latter that impressed me. Richardson is standing outside of a church when the people are beginning to come out. One elderly lady approaches him and asks, "Are you saved?" Richardson contemplating the question, thinks to himself, "She had reduced indescribable complexities of experience to an epigram." I like that phrasing, but his answer is also memorable. "I believe salvation is for all who will have it, and I will have it by the only possible means."

Inklings, anyone?

Angel Traveller by Gustave Moreau

Rice Noodles w/ Gingery Vegetables & Peanut Sauce

 This dish is packed with flavor and is oh, so easy. (Serves 6)

Rice Noodles with Gingery Vegetables and Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce:
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 T. soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup hot water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. red curry paste
Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Whisk in hot water. Add remaining ingredients and whisk to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside (for up to one hour).

Noodles and Vegetables:
6.75-8oz rice noodles (also called 'rice sticks')
2 T. olive oil
2T. sesame oil, divided
3 T. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into strips
3 large carrots, cut onto matchstick size strips
5 green onions, white parts cut into matchstick size strips and green parts chopped
1 cup frozen green peas
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 T. dry Sherry
chopped, roasted peanuts for garnish, if desired
sesame seeds for garnish, if desired

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, remove from heat. Add noodles and cover for at least 10 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile, heat olive oil and 1 T. sesame oil in an extra-large skillet. Add ginger and garlic, stir for 30 seconds. Add broccoli and carrots, saute 3 minutes. Add green onions, peas, and bell pepper, saute 3 more minutes. Add Sherry and saute until vegetables are crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Drain noodles well and toss with the remaining 1 T. of sesame oil.

Arrange a pile of noodles on each plate. Arrange vegetable on top of noodles, but off-center. Top with peanut sauce on and around noodles and vegetable, but don't soak everything. (The idea is to have some bites positively drenched in sauce and other with practically no sauce at all.) Serve extra sauce at the table. Garnish with chopped peanuts, if desired. (This is my creation, but the original idea for this recipe came from bon appetit.)

Tallis Scholars - Allegri: Miserere

something rather fruity

On first wading into the pages of The Indiscretions of Archie, I was afraid I was setting myself up for disappointment. Yet, how could I have ever doubted? Wodehouse has never failed me, what was I thinking? Once I had grasped the characters by the throat, as it were, I had the scene well in hand. Archie gets into oh, so many scrapes but always finds his way back to dry ground somehow. Archie differs from some of P.G.'s other heroes for he is a married man. Yes, you heard rightly. Although, Wodehouse once said that "Marriage isn't a process of prolonging the life of love, but of mummifying the corpse," I'm just not sure he really meant it.

spice

Just an encouragement to add some spice.

Ol' Plum

Hop on over to my other blog
http://plumwodehouse.blogspot.com/ and slap your eyes on some rather fruity P.G. Wodehouse maxims.

Heaven's War

This graphic novel, Heaven's War, is written by Micah Harris and illustrated by Michael Gaydos, and is very Charles Williams-ian. The story's characters include the Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. If you are hoping for fuzzy talking beavers of Narnia, this is not for you. If, however, you are weird enough to be a Charles Williams fan (as I am), you will not be disappointed by the angelic battles and travels through space and time. The endnotes are very helpful for understanding the history behind the story (for me, at least). Overall, a really cool idea.