"I went to Bangladesh once," I told my nephew recently after Cordell told me about hearing a man in church speaking about the south Asian country. "You were? I didn't know that." I told Cordell that his uncle Ken and I had gone in 2008 with a rebuilding team to a cyclone-damaged village in southern Bangladesh. Looking back eleven years later, I realized that the most interesting part of the trip was the actual traveling to Mirzganj, Bangladesh and back. During the two weeks at the … [Read more...] about Eleven Time Zones and Eleven Years Later
Travel
Down to the River
November's leaves make the mountainside slippery. We're going down to the river, to a remote campsite on the banks of the West Branch Susquehanna River. Four months ago, a friend named Elmer perished at that campsite beside the river, not because of the rushing water, but because of a falling tree. He died when the leaves were full and green, and now when autumn has drained the color from the mountains, we're going to visit the campsite in memory of him. There's sixteen of us picking our … [Read more...] about Down to the River
Irish Amish Cooking: Memories of the Emerald Isle IV
Frugality is a risky business for cooks. "Please don't ask me where these courgettes are from," I thought as we gathered around the table. "I don't want to jeopardize anything." It was springtime, and things were looking up for Comeragh Camp. Two social workers had come to visit, and they were friendly and relaxed and had agreed to stay for lunch. No youth were at the camp right now, so I had made lunch for the staff, plus our guests who were visiting as part of camp's efforts to get … [Read more...] about Irish Amish Cooking: Memories of the Emerald Isle IV
Hedges & Highways: Memories of the Emerald Isle III
I saw the BMW too late. I was on an Irish country lane, hemmed in on both sides by towering hedges, driving my little white van too fast for the narrow road, and I had to make a quick decision. I yanked the van's steering wheel to the left and plunged into the hedge. After I came to a stop, van partly in the hedge, the BMW driver, a kindly older gentleman, got out of his car to check on me. "Are you okay?" he asked. I told him I was okay, even if the van wasn't. "I should have been going … [Read more...] about Hedges & Highways: Memories of the Emerald Isle III
Sheep Shed Kitchen- Memories of the Emerald Isle II
I stand in the sheep shed kitchen and stare at the bloody venison roast, trying to figure out how on earth I'm going to make this for tonight's dinner. The roast was a present from Aiden's uncle, and I should make it before the uncle leaves tomorrow. The uncle is an avid hunter, I hear, an expensive sport in Ireland, and I'm betting this venison roast is a real prize, and I don't want to mess this up. Aiden (name changed) was the first Irish boy to become a camper at Comeragh Wilderness Camp, … [Read more...] about Sheep Shed Kitchen- Memories of the Emerald Isle II