{Birch} Just Because

Берёзы

Мои перевёрнутые слёзы

В небо стекают стройными струйками

По белым стволам, мерцая простыми рисунками

…

Birches

Like inverted tears of mine

Draining down into the sky in slender streams

From white trunks, shimmering in simple patterns

…

11.11.11

{FALLiage} Almost/WordlesWednesday

I

Октябрь уж наступил — уж роща отряхает

Последние листы с нагих своих ветвей;

Дохнул осенний хлад — дорога промерзает.

Журча еще бежит за мельницу ручей,

Но пруд уже застыл; сосед мой поспешает

В отъезжие поля с охотою своей,

И страждут озими от бешеной забавы,

И будит лай собак уснувшие дубравы.

…

VII

Унылая пора! очей очарованье!

Приятна мне твоя прощальная краса —

Люблю я пышное природы увяданье,

В багрец и в золото одетые леса,

В их сенях ветра шум и свежее дыханье,

И мглой волнистою покрыты небеса,

И редкий солнца луч, и первые морозы,

И отдаленные седой зимы угрозы.

VIII

И с каждой осенью я расцветаю вновь;

Здоровью моему полезен русской холод;

К привычкам бытия вновь чувствую любовь:

Чредой слетает сон, чредой находит голод;

Легко и радостно играет в сердце кровь,

Желания кипят — я снова счастлив, молод,

Я снова жизни полн — таков мой организм

(Извольте мне простить ненужный прозаизм).

…

{А. С. Пушкин}

===============================

I

October has arrived - the woods have tossed

Their final leaves from naked branches;

A breath of autumn chill - the road begins to freeze,

The stream still murmurs as it passes by the mill,

The pond, however's frozen; and my neighbor hastens

to his far-flung fields with all the members of his hunt.

The winter wheat will suffer from this wild fun,

And baying hounds awake the slumbering groves.

…

VII

A melancholy time! So charming to the eye!

Your beauty in its parting pleases me -

I love the lavish withering of nature,

The gold and scarlet raiment of the woods,

The crisp wind rustling o'er their threshold,

The sky engulfed by tides of rippled gloom,

The sun's scarce rays, approaching frosts,

And gray-haired winter threatening from afar.

VIII

When autumn comes, I bloom anew;

The Russian frost does wonders for my health;

Anew I fall in love with life's routine:

Betimes I'm soothed by dreams, betimes by hunger caught;

The blood flows free and easy in my heart,

Abrim with passion; once again, I'm happy, young,

I'm full of life - such is my organism

(Excuse me for this awful prosaism)

...

{Pushkin A. S.}

Greatest gift of all

11 years ago I accepted the greatest gift that life has given me. Although I was scared and uncertain of what to do with the gift, I gladly took it into my hands. And I never want to let go.

11 years has passed like galloping wild horses, I'm still holding this gift close to my heart, as I forever will.

11 years taught me something I will never be able to forget: how to share myself with another, how to multiply my love by dividing my heart, how to be patient, selfless and how to set my priorities.

11 years ago I became a mother for the first time.

~◊◊◊~

Of all the treasures in the world

That could fall

Down to my feet

Most wonderful God had bestowed

It's you, my daughter,

You, my sweet!

~◊◊◊~

One year ago, I made this cake for my daughter's birthday. We were remodeling our kitchen and I didn't have an oven. Only a cook top. I was determent not to make this little obstacle to stay in a way of a home made birthday cake. You see, one of the best part of becoming a parent, you develop a problem solving skills. So I came up with a pancake layered strawberry short cake. It was good, to say the least. I might seem like a lot of work, but in reality it isn't and it worth the effort.

◊◊◊

Strawberry Short Pan Cake

1} Pancake mix:

WET

3 3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DRY

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 Tb spoon baking powder

1 Tb spoon baking soda

1. Mix WET with an electric mixer in on bowl, mix DRY in a sifter, mix WET and DRY together and beat until incorporated.
2. Ladle about a cup of the batter on a hot, non-stick skillet, fry on med-high to prevent burning until it bubbles; flip and fry while cooked through.
3. Repeat until you run out of batter. Stack the giant pancakes and make filling.

2} Cream filling:

8 oz heavy/whipping cream

8 oz confectioner's sugar

a drop of red food coloring (if desired)

Whip cream with an electric mixer in a clean bowl until peaks form then, slowly add sugar, continuing to whip and finish up with food coloring. That's all!

3} Assembly:

Few tablespoons of good quality strawberry jam

Handful of fresh strawberries, sliced lengthwise

{I use my egg slicer for perfect strawberry slices}

1. Smear generously strawberry jam on the first pancake, cover with the second one; smear generously whipped cream on top of the second pancake, cover with third; smear generously strawberry jam on the third pancake; cover with the forth, repeat...
2. Last pancake should be covered with whipped cream and crowned with sliced strawberries. Keep the cake and/or leftovers in a refrigerator.Many things changed since last year—we finished our kitchen and of course now I have an oven and all, but one thing will come back—this wonderful cake! I'm off to make it!

Spring is on its way (let's hope)

It was a beautiful day today. Early spring was in the air, I spent most of it outside soaking up sun rays, one by one... This picture was taken last year, but today's blue sky and cheerful chirping of the birds reminded me of it. Soon, the guests will arrive in our town!

Spring,

I've been waiting

For your tender kiss

Between my brows

That sets them free as two wings,

Sending a rush

Of blush

Down my skin.

Spring!

Help me wash away

Winter's fling

That paralyzed my will

With windy shrill.

Help me ban this renegade

And let me serenade

With birds

That fly back

On your wings.

=====

Tomorrow, the big meld down begins!