Munger Place - grace grits and gardening

Last Night

January 25, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Did you see the moon last night? He rose just above the live oaks on our street, a few nights from full, missing a sliver yet still impressive. He watched over me, illuminating the neighborhood as I walked around the corner to Jill’s house. I carried a bottle of Chardonnay in my groovy wine tote—a must-have in our porch-partying neighborhood.

The night was unseasonably warm. I felt lighter as though years and pounds and worries had melted away with my new haircut.

An ambulance whipped past me, its siren so piercing I covered my ears. Then another. A wreck on Gaston?

I had forgotten to eat all day and imagined what the evening’s menu would be. These nights were more about the food and friends than the month’s book selection.

Jill’s street was extra dark. Where was the moon?

Jill’s porch light wasn’t lit.

I soon discovered I was one night early for book club.

Tonight I shall try again. The moon will be even brighter.

talya

Musical Pairing

Dazed and Confused, Led Zeppelin

P.S. I had popcorn for dinner and saved the wine for tonight…

Spell Book

January 23, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

I was certain this tome came straight off the shelves of Flourish and Blotts from the shadowy bowels of Diagon Alley. As I turned the brittle pages, I expected to discover instructions for spells and magic tricks. I hoped to conjure up a house elf or stumble upon a potion for thinner thighs.

Instead I discovered a time capsule from the early 1930s.

My friend Marcia found this old ledger book in Harry’s closet. Harry (her dad) lives only a few houses down from us. She shared it with me, aware of my affinity with old things.

Harry bought his home in the early 1970s, and Marcia suspected this book belonged to the prior owner who perhaps purchased it at an estate sale.

I spent hours lost inside these musty pages reading magazine clippings and newspaper stories. The owner included favorite recipes—mostly desserts concocted with jello—some with ingredients unfamiliar to me. There were photos of hairstyles and clothing, pictures of movie stars and cleaning tips for the merry homemaker—using vinegar, not magic.

Also included, an accounts receivable ledger for milk delivery with names, addresses, pints and payment. In 1933, Dallas had forty-eight dairies. A dairy diary?

Once upon a time I had a scrapbook. I filled it with pictures and ticket stubs and junior high mementoes. (My scrapbook still lives in the Batcave…) Now I ‘pin’ photographs to virtual boards on Pinterest. Seems silly when I compare my “boards” to this book.

The book is dusty and moldy and a rodent has gnawed on the back pages. It’s my kind of book. It definitely put a spell on me.

talya

Musical Pairing

“Imperio!”
Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.
Everyone was laughing — everyone except Moody.
“Think it’s funny, do you?” he growled. “You’d like it, would you, if I did it to you?”
The laughter died away almost instantly.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Old Long Since

January 1, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Old Long Since is the literal translation of Auld Lang Syne which means “long, long ago”. Originally a Scottish poem, Auld Lang Syne is the age-old New Year’s Eve song played as the ball drops and the clock strikes midnight. Sometimes I’m awake to witness this event, sometimes not.

My collection of vintage New Year’s cards dates from the early 1900’s. Our neighborhood, Munger Place Historic District, was developed during this same time period. I imagine the first occupants of our home mailed and received New Year’s postcards similar to these.

Folks in 1913 were so well-mannered and sophisticated.

The messages on the back are timeless, the ink still vibrant and clear. The handwriting, cursive and rhythmic, is perhaps the only clue to the age of the post. Cursive is a dying art.