IS PATIENCE A VIRTUE?

Do you sometimes get impatient? I do. Just ask my husband. He’ll probably reveal that I’m very good at it. I’ve learned that people who prefer to be busy most of their waking moments seem to have the most problem with being patient. And, I’m a person who likes to be busy.

In modern terms of today, patience is described as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. And, virtue is described at behavior showing high moral standards. The other day I pondered how the definition of patience today has changed so drastically from its definition of fifteen centuries ago.   

The phrase, patience is a virtue, is a proverbial phrase, transmitted by oral tradition, dating back to the fifth century A.D. from an epic poem called  Psychomachig which was written by late antique Latin poet, Prudentius. His seven heavenly virtues are in response to the seven deadly sins, updated also in fifth century A.D. by Pope Gregory I. Obviously, these two opposite groups, virtues and sins, represent the battle between good and evil.

What are the seven virtues? They are chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness , patience, and humility. The deadly sins are: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, wrath, and pride. (Each virtue is considered the opposite of each sin and is listed in the same numerical order.) Thus, patience is used to combat wrath.

But in today’s world, I believe patience now has many different variations and degrees as opposed to its earlier meaning. We are currently living in a world quite unlike the 15^th century where people lived in rural villages, life expectancy was 35 years old, and communications was word of mouth.

According to the medical community, patience is a skill that can be learned and practiced. It’s a result of choosing to emphasize thinking over feeling. The ability of technology to deliver immediate responses has caused us, as humans, to become more impatience. After all, we no longer write letters. Even phone calls take time. We now prefer to message others on our cellphones for a “quick” response.

So how does one solve being impatient? It entails learning to re-evaluate why you are impatient at a specific moment. Slowing down, re-evaluating the situation, focusing on priorities, accepting the inevitable—even resting are some of many ways to help people cope with irritating and annoyed feelings we call impatience.

As our frosty season approaches in Pennsylvania, I’m very content to virtuously and patiently wait as November transitions into winter. You see, I’m not a big fan of Old Man Winter.

Come March, however, I suspect I’ll throw virtue out the window. I’ll be  on the lookout daily for Flora, the Greek Goddess of spring buds and green shoots. Will I be impatiently waiting? Only time will tell. 

NEW - NEW - NEW     

COURTING BETSY -Book 3 of the Ashmore Brothers Series

  

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NOVEMBER - Transitioning to Winter

It’s November—our transition into winter. Bare tree limbs shiver in stiff winds. Wayward leaves scurry across the chilly ground, and clouds gather in gray skies. Inside, people search closets and drawers for wool and flannel clothing, and warm shoes and boots.

It’s the time when everyone dashes outside to get their homes battened down and ready for the first snows to fly. The bushes and trees have been trimmed, and perennial plants are leveled to the ground for a spring rebirth. Leaves from trees, now drab brown, wet, or maybe crispy and dry, have been raked or swept up in lawn mowers. In our small development here in Central Pennsylvania, when one mower roared to life, another followed shortly, and the race was on to see which house finished first.

November brings back many memories from childhood in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I remember school days when we watched out the windows in our classrooms to look for the first snowflakes. For farm kids, snow meant outside fun as we rode sleds, shovels or saucers down a slippery slope. There were outside chores, too. Clearing snow from the front porch, sidewalk, back steps and entrance were unspoken activities after every storm. Almost daily, we hauled stacks of wood from outside into our cellar to dry and feed our hungry, wood-fired furnace.                                     

I loved our cellar furnace. The light sweet smoky smell of wood still reminds me of a toasty warmed-by- air ducts ending at metal floor registers above. In high school and before bedtime, I would find a register, grab a blanket and wrap it tent-like around me to trap the heat while I did my homework.

And I’ll never forget the tasty winter foods of November. Falling temperatures brought warmer hearty dishes to our table—roasts, ham, meatloaf, stuffed cabbage, and stews, to name a few. Delicious scents from homemade soups like chicken noodle, beet, creamy potato, or vegetable beef wafted through the rooms. Hot chocolate, cider, tea, and coffee made winter meals even more savory and inviting. Thanksgiving was a feast. If we didn’t have a turkey, we enjoyed a chicken or roast. Mother froze or canned every imaginable vegetable, so cranberries were our only purchased item for the holidays.

As the eleventh month of the year, November can rightfully boast it’s the transition from fall to winter. It also announces we are approaching the end of the year. For children who love and wait for winter, it's so much more as they ask the curious and often blissful question swirling in their heads and hearts—will it snow today?  

JUNE ~ The Pianist

(Book 1 of the Musical Christmas Series)
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KEEPING WARM: Creamy Potato Soup

Sparkling snow. Glistening icicles. Frigid temperatures. It’s January and winter. January is also National Soup Month. What I like most about the winter season is the amazing soups you can make to eat hot and which keep you warm on chilly days. In most cases, they are healthy. Many have lower calories than other foods, and they fill you up.

I have so many favorites. My husband is the connoisseur of soup-making—all of them from scratch. My favorite one is his ham and potato soup, but his chicken and rice, with lots of carrots added, is another winner. Our local supermarket here in Florida has a “soup counter,” where you can purchase at least six different already-made, piping hot selections. I dive right in and grab a small tub of the clam chowder served on Fridays. (Now this one may not fit the low-calorie chart.)                                                   

Growing up on a farm, we have all kinds of soups: beef noddle, red cabbage soup (Borscht), chicken noodle, vegetable, cream of potato, etc. They weren’t fancy like the present Campbell’s hearty, no-water-added varieties such as “Chicken and Sausage Gumbo” which I purchase every trip to the store. I hate to admit it, but anything with the word gumbo has me hooked.

What is your favorite winter soup? Do you like a broth or cream base to it?

Below is my recipe for potato soup. It takes a little longer to make, but it’s worth the effort!

       CREAMY POTATO SOUP

1 (one) lb. bacon, fried and chopped in small pieces—save ¼ cup bacon grease in pan for frying other vegetables. Save some chopped bacon for topping as well.

2 stalks of celery, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
Approx. eight (8) Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed —russet, red, and others will also work
4 cups chicken broth—enough to cover the potatoes
3 TBSP butter
¼ cup flour
1 cup of heavy cream (I use whole milk)
Salt and Pepper to taste
*two (2) cloves minced (Optional)
*tarragon or cilantro (Optional)
*shredded cheese or bacon crumbles for topping, if desired

STEP 1

Fry bacon in a large frying pan until done and remove from pan. Chop into small pieces.. Drain off bacon grease, about 1/4 cup. Cook celery and onion in the reserved bacon drippings for five minutes until soft. (Here is where you can add minced garlic, if you want it.)

Add your cubed potatoes and toss to coat—sauté 3-5 minutes. Toss in bacon to pan and pour enough chicken stock to cover potatoes. Cover and simmer until tender.

STEP 2

Melt butter and whisk in flour, cooking and stirring over heat for a few minutes. Once rue is made, whisk in cream (or milk) and cook again, stirring until thickened. Stir cream/milk mixture into the potato mixture. Take about a half-cup of soup and puree it, returning it to the pan. Use more puree for a thicker soup.

Top with additional bacon bits or shredded cheese. Serve piping hot. Serves eight (8)

CLEARFIELD FALL FESTIVAL - October 12, 2019

Autumn is here, and around the corner is the Clearfield Revitalization Corporation’s FALL FESTIVAL on Saturday, October 12^th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown, Clearfield, Pennsylvania. I’ll be there with my books, some wooden pumpkins and stars and lots of time to chat. So please stop in to say hello and see all the wonderful vendors, arts, crafts, entertainment, and food booths.

  

I’ll have WILLIE, MY LOVE, my newest novel, set in Clearfield when the logging industry thrived. 

 Here is a little blurb about the book:

The year is 1856. White pine is king of the forest.

The last thing Jonathan Wain wants to do is ride miles through Pennsylvania’s wilderness to help his father’s logging partner in the small settlement of Clearfield. His family owns clipper ships in the Chesapeake Bay that carry the coveted logs to the markets each spring, and they can’t afford a loss.

The last thing Wilhelmina Wydcliffe wants is a handsome sea captain from Maryland meddling in her father’s logging operations under attack by unknown enemies. A feisty tomboy and better known as Willie to her crews, she has a dream to be the largest logging operator east of the Mississippi River.

When both Willie’s and Jonathan’s lives are threatened, they are forced to work together to find their enemies before both of their companies are in shambles. But as their attraction to each other escalates, can they set aside their differences, unearth the truth and troublemakers, and discover contentment in each other’s arms?

Skidding logs during the winter.

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