Memory Bread

This coming Friday, 25 November, it will be a year since Damian’s passing – a very difficult time indeed for Paul, Dale and myself – time to bake ‘Memory Bread’.

I was introduced to Memory Bread by Helena Nell, journalist and lunch guest at Old Joe’s Kaia. She forwarded this interesting ritual from The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell to me:
“My mother used to make it when I was a child, and it's called that because when you have a piece, you're supposed to remember something important. It can be from your childhood. It can be from any time or anywhere. So I thought we'd drink a toast and eat some bread and remember what we've been through and who we were, because it's also who we are."

So how does one make a Memory Bread?
Simply mix your favourite bread dough (or buy ready-mixed from the local bakery), roll it out into an oblong and spread all your ‘memories’ down the middle, then plait the sides over to enclose them…
"Memories are like what you find in the kitchen, she said, all these dribs and drabs in drawers and dark cupboards, bits and pieces that seem extraneous or even bad…"

So what shall we put in Damian’s Memory Bread?
Dead-fried eggs, crispy bacon, Fun & Happiness, Lentil and Mushroom Soup …and welding rods… How can we ever forget…?www.oldjoes.co.za

Abligurition... (Consumerism cont.)

Further to my post yesterday on Consumerism...

I stumbled upon this obscure word in Food and Home magazine this morning, quoting "Excessive spending on food and drink".

With the festive season coming up I guess this part of Consumerism is unavoidable. Maybe we should make a point of watching what we eat (and drink!) and watching what we don't need - cheers!

www.oldjoes.co.za

Consumerism...

MAKRO opened in Nelspruit yesterday! Yay! Finally we might just have more choices in the Lowveld, better competitiveness and simply greater shopping.

But my goodness, what on earth is it that we are looking for?

It is interesting that, just this morning I read about the targeted effects the advertising world has on consumers. In his latest book ‘A New world’, Eckhart Tolle debates what we spend our money on in order to have a better sense of ourselves, to be more fully ourselves. In many cases we buy ‘identity enhancers’, stuff that make us feel like ‘someone else’. One has to only think of branded perfumes, kitchen utensils, etc. Who are we trying to be and how much of our integrity and our own truth are we prepared to sacrifice in the process? In the meantime we just accumulate, horde, stash and shove into storerooms—myself included.

Consumerism is an evil state of being, it bombards our landfills, multiplies and loads the carbon footprint so unnecessarily. It is indeed what sets us apart from animals: we take far more than we need!

It’s time to clear the clutter, wade through the sea of our own greed, discard what is useless and distribute to those in need.

http://www.oldjoes.co.za/