Native
Walking past headstones at Wounded Knee,
I am tourist for the day.
Watching names rise from the parched earth,
planted back in the sorrowful season—
No Ears, Yellowbird, Her Many Horses . . .
Death grows well in the little cemetery on the hill,
where prairie grass struggles to breathe,
and trees never do achieve a graceful height.
An Indian stops by with an offering.
The wind sifts and carries the dust of his ancient song to the dead,
through granite and ground, back to bone.
His song resonates, sticks in my Adam’s rib,
catches hold of my breath.
And I stand, head bowed in Sunday reverence,
waiting for the benediction.
A moment later we turn to go—
him to his Chevy,
me to my compact—
Each to his own America.
Midwest Love
I’m sending a shout out to my home–sharing my Midwest love. Missouri, specifically. No, it’s not flyover country. While some people see it as the space between the coasts, it is my beloved home, and I’m fiercely proud of it!
I love living in a rural area, and small town life suits me well. Our values are different here, a little more Good Book oriented, but I won’t apologize for that. Most of us are content with the everyday blessings that cross our paths: A warm, fresh breeze scented with something floral. Trees blooming in shades of pink and white. A laugh shared with my spouse. A spicy, hot cup of orange pekoe. Just a few of my blessings du jour.
Days like these I feel invigorated. Glad to be alive. Happy to be here. Fortunate to be living this life on the land I love.
Lost
They tore the old chicken house
down the other day.
A place I’d known for always.
The chickens left not long
after Grandpa did.
(Not by choice, he died.)
But the name stuck through
years and seasons.
It has held a variety of things:
Rusting motors, tomato cages,
buckets of nails, vet meds, old boards,
even calves, from time to time,
when space was in short supply.
It’s amazing how empty
the landscape now looks.
Brushed clean of all
but foundation.
Even the tree,
once hidden behind it,
looks a little lost.
From my Kitchen to Yours
I have a confession to make. While the kitchen is generally a place of warmth and comfort, I have a love-dislike relationship with cooking. Mostly I welcome the creative outlet. I like trying new recipes and doing a riff off an old favorite. Other times I resist the urge to run screaming from the room when Hubs asks, “What’s for supper?” I think it’s the “cooking on demand” aspect that’s a turnoff.
For times like these when I must come up with something and I don’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen, I have a few faithful standbys. Today I share one with you: Roasted Chicken Thighs.
Roasted Chicken Thighs
serves 2 – 4
–4 frozen chicken thighs bone in and with skin
–2 – 4 tablespoons of chilled bacon grease (keep it in the fridge ’til it becomes solid)
–seasonings: salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder
Preheat oven to 375. Take the frozen thighs and place them in a baking pan skin side up, not overcrowding them. (A 9 x 13 would work well.) Smear bacon grease over the top and sides of them. Season with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders to taste. Place thighs in the oven and roast until the skin is golden brown, approximately 80 – 90 minutes.
Notes: I have used thawed chicken thighs and grease drippings from my morning bacon, and it will work (adjust baking time accordingly), but what makes the frozen thighs and chilled bacon grease work so well is that the grease sticks to the meat longer, resulting in a crispy skin with all that bacon-y goodness. When serving, I spoon some of the pan drippings over my meat for even more flavor.
Ovens vary widely, and if yours tends to run hotter than most, you might start checking about an hour into cooking time.
For a side dish, I sometimes add frozen green beans in the pan, roughly halfway through the cooking. I hasten to add I like my green beans cooked thoroughly. No crunch for me! A fresh garden salad works equally well for a side.
Sorry I have no pictures to go with the recipe. At a later date I will repost and do it proper. If you give it a try, leave me a comment.
Like this simple meal? You might also enjoy 4-Ingredient Simple Pizza.