LINGERING LIGHT

Somehow, the first day-of-Spring-the-clocks was oddly easy, with early awakening not so bad, and with energy remaining at the end of the day.   As the hours went on, with the sunshine coming in as much more than its usual peeks, it seemed much more like a Summer day out there, in this stepping toward the cusp of Spring.

Chris quoted (in his own words, of course---HIS kind of quote) an old saying---this tinkering with time is like cutting a foot off a good blanket, then sewing it onto the other end, hoping to make it fit.  Pretty soon, it’s all splits and seams, with no comfortable place to rest head nor feet.  And all that seamed-down fabric makes it less and less use to anybody. 

It felt SO Summer-Day-Down-South, but not one of those day-long chores like picking or shelling or canning, when you barely get Supper on the table before energy and light are gone, and so to bed.

This was more like one of the rare ones, when you finish the garden work and get those rows of full, shining jars set to cool in time for a shower, freshening up to enjoy dinner and hearing about everyone’s day. It was an everybody-home-to-supper early, so that the last wipe of the counter and whisssssh of the dishwasher were WAY before dark, and gave a definite end to the work of the day, with much of the light left to enjoy.

  Such a day calls for a good old Southern Supper.    Collards in their “pot liquor” of good juices flavored with onion and a little garlic, and gilded with the golden beads of a little sesame oil, like our favorite Chinese restaurant Down South:

A few slices of “Pork Steak”---a flat oval with all the flavor and tenderness of center-cut chops, cut into threes, dredged in flour and pan-fried:

A bowl of Baby Red Potato Salad, still a little bit warm like Chris likes it, and a dressing of sweet onion, bell pepper, boiled eggs, Blue Plate, and some of the sweet pickles I made last week---sorta messy, for it's still in the mixing bowl:  

 

What would Collards be without a black skillet of crusty CORNBREAD---half plain and the other half with minced jalapenos:

Chris’ tray---he likes his collards with Pot Likker, and some extra jalapeno on the side. 

And with that extra helping of sunshine long after supper, the light lingering as if reluctant to leave us---a quite satisfying day.