"To the body and mind which have been cramped by noxious work or company, nature is medicinal and restores their tone. The tradesman, the attorney comes out of the din and craft of the street, and sees the sky and the woods, and is man again. In their eternal calm, he finds himself. The health of the eye seems to demand a horizon. We are never tired so long as we can see far enough. "
I can't explain what this song does to me... Songs have this amazing ability to bring up memories, vivid feelings, places, people. (Smells do the same thing, I love the smell of Sandalwood, Cigars, Jasmine Flowers, etc.) I love it, I think it's truly a gift.
I think of the old Dodge truck, the beast of a truck my dad used to have. The one my brothers and I almost cried over when he sold it to Henry in Mexico. I remember the cassette player, I even remember the cassette that had a compilation of songs (including this one). I remember driving to Mexico, our roll over accident on the 57. Camping on the beach.
Long trips to the Sequoias, to Seattle, to Canada. The way my dad would sing under his breath, in a sort of a Neil Young, shaky way. Trips to ... Glamis. Riding quads, campfires. I remember we would be hanging out at night listening to music and my dad would put on Neil Young and people would laugh in disapproval (we used to go with some young party people, they don't know what's good!).
It reminds me of being young and I can't put more words to it. It is my upbringing, my youth, my family. Our vacations, all the things we used to do, the good, the bad, the fun, the ordinary. The block parties, our neighbors, the hanging out and drinking on the porch, and the crazy fun-trouble that would come from that.
Sometimes I try to only listen to particular songs when I have time to reflect. I don't want those memories to be replaced. I want to forever think of those things when I hear this song. We all have songs like that, right? I sure hope so.
... how good these brownies are. The texture reminds me of flourless chocolate cake. I made them twice this weekend, and I want them again. So, I have to share. They are originally from 101Cookbooks... I just cut the amounts in half, and used whole wheat white flour, which worked great.
1/4 lb. butter (let soften, don't melt) 3 oz. chocolate. Melt, then let cool and set aside. 2 eggs 3/4 cup organic light brown sugar and or turbinado sugar 1/2 cup whole wheat white flour (or unbleached white flour) 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Optional a small amount of chocolate chips and your favorite nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, whatever you like) to sprinkle on top before you bake
Cream the butter with the light brown sugar and eggs. Add vanilla extract. Beat in the melted, cooled chocolate and the flour. Mix well.
Spread into a buttered small baking pan, I used a 9"x5" bread loaf baking dish for this amount. Or you can bake them in cupcake tins, this recipe would make about four. Bake 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
We are beginning to love Eaton Canyon. We go here often to watch the sunset, a couple of times a week. Right now there is water flowing through the canyon, last time we were there someone told us that water hasn't flowed through there in a few years. It's not our old stomping grounds, Mt. Baldy, but we love it, it's beautiful, and its only a few minutes from our house.
