Spring...

Midi by Tony's Celtic Compositions and Arrangements
"Set 49"


Photos by James Reeder
Artwork by Mac
Bee image adapted from "ArtToday" clipart

It's the voice of immortality...the shout of life...the undisciplined joy of awakening youth. Spring is the special provence of the physical self for which we profess such contempt, but without which we are no more than passing shadows in the dreams of sleeping gods. It is here that life realizes itself in all its belligerant tenacity and the simple delight of being. Gravid wombs and bursting seeds and everywhere the sound of a great, beating heart. Whether it comes in March or in September, it is the legacy of the flesh. We are real. We are alive. It is Spring.

Slovak Easter	Mayday	Imbolc	Easter History

Fiddler Jones THE EARTH keeps some vibration going There in your heart, and that is you. And if the people find you can fiddle, Why, fiddle you must, for all your life. What do you see, a harvest of clover? Or a meadow to walk through to the river? The windıs in the corn; you rub your hands For beeves hereafter ready for market; Or else you hear the rustle of skirts Like the girls when dancing at Little Grove. To Cooney Potter a pillar of dust Or whirling leaves meant ruinous drouth; They looked to me like Red-Head Sammy Stepping it off, to Toor-a-Loor. How could I till my forty acres Not to speak of getting more, With a medley of horns, bassoons and piccolos Stirred in my brain by crows and robins And the creak of a wind-mill...only these? And I never started to plow in my life That some one did not stop in the road And take me away to a dance or picnic. I ended up with forty acres; I ended up with a broken fiddle... And a broken laugh, and a thousand memories, And not a single regret. Edgar Lee Masters Spoon River Anthology

Food and Drink Irish Stew 1 1/2 lb lamb, cut into pieces 1 tbsp. vegetable oil Parsley sprigs Peppercorns, dried thyme, dried rosemary 2 c Finely shredded cabbage 1 large leek, well rinsed and sliced thinly 6 carrots, sliced 1 1/2 c celery stalks, diced 1 lb small new potatoes, unpeeled 1 medium onion, chopped Brown lamb in hot oil. During the last minute of browning, add a few peppercorns, and a pinch each of thyme and rosemary. (Be sparing of the rosemary.) Spoon off excess melted fat and oil and add enough water to cover the lamb pieces. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add vegetables and simmer an additional 25-30 minutes, adding water if needed, until the potatoes are tender. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve with soda bread. Serves 6. Quick Soda Bread 3 c Flour 1/2 c chopped apple 1/2 c raisins 1/2 c sugar 1 egg 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tb oil 1 1/2 tsp. caraway seed 1 1/2 c buttermilk (approx.) In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and soda thoroughly with hands. Make a well in the flour mixure and add egg and enough buttermilk to make a somewhat sticky dough. Add chopped apples, caraway seed and raisins. Turn onto lightly floured board and knead gently several times. Do not overwork dough! It should remain somewhat sticky. Grease a round cake pan. Spread dough evenly into pan. Cut an X across the top of the bread with a sharp knife. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Serves 6. Irish Coffee 1 Measure Irish whiskey 1 Measure strong black coffee 2 tsp. sugar 2 tsp. fresh, heavy whipping cream Heat a glass. Add whiskey, sugar and the hot coffee.Pour cream into a spoon rested just on the surface of the liquid. (Let the cream overflow onto the coffee.) Raise the spoon as the cream accumulates, so that a layer of cream builds up on the surface. Do NOT put the cream in coffee without sugar in it, as the sugar is what lets the cream float. The coffee is meant to be drunk through the cream, so don't stir it in. Asparagus With Honey Dijon Sauce 1 lb. fresh asparagus 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 1/4 cup Guinness 3 tbsp. honey 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 1/4 tsp. dried, crushed lemon thyme Steam asparagus for about 3 minutes until crisp-tender. Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over chilled aparagus. Serves 4.