Of gratitude, pasta, optimism, and final huzzays

The UPS truck – a happy sight – just deposited a package sent by an esteemed reader, MMK, who spotted Rigatoncini by Rustichella on my wishlist.

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This is a good brand.  The pasta isn’t merely a platform for the preparation, you know.  It should have its own flavor.  When you cook it, it absorbs the liquid it is cooked in, so the liquid makes a difference as well.  Adding salt, or not, or broth, or not, or having good water, or not… matters.  You can also finish cooking your dry pasta in the sauce, which will be absorbed.  I like these small rigatoni with the little ridges, which hold the sauces, or “gravies” as some call them, with which you dress them.  They are especially good for pesto.

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Since I am shifting now again to eating a main meal at midday, I will now instruct Preserved Killick to
extract some sauce of some sort from the freezer.  Now that the season is changing I can use up some of that pesto from last summer.

Finally, I can’t resist posting a photo of the last bit of snow.  Today may be its last huzzay.  I must now touch a belaying pin for the mere thought that it could be over at long last.

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Lately I also received from MC the Guidebook for Confessors by Michael E. Giesler, and from unidentified but no less esteemed readers some volumes of English translations of St. Augustine’s Expositions of the Psalms, which are useful for a lectio continua.  Unidentified as you may be, I nevertheless remember you at Mass, for it is an honor and duty to pray for benefactors.

I also have received John Henry Newman: Fighter, Convert and Cardinal by Anthony Mockler.  Thanks as well to SE for The Person of Christ by Donald MacLeod: not a Catholic book, but an honest piece of Christology.  Christology may be the very worst division of theology these days. It has languished for decades, I’m afraid.  TB, DDC, PS, KK, BH.  If I have missed you, I beg your indulgence.

Lastly, I have a single male Cardinal visiting regularly.  I hope he finds a girlfriend soon and starts a local consistory.

I will need more feed soon.

And since spring is springing I have put out orange slices.  It is surely too early, but I would like to catch the attention of the first comers and the added color is cheering to the eye, and I need all the cheering I can get.

This Chickdee tried some, but I don’t think he was very impressed.

Time to put out nesting materials too.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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11 Comments

  1. Jacob says:

    Nice goldfinch.

  2. MJ says:

    I didn’t know birds would go for oranges! Neat. Every time I fill up the bird feeder with feed, the squirrels get to it before the birds can…the cardinals camp out and watch while the squirrels eat their fill, then the poor birds get what’s left. I need to figure out a new place for the bird feeder, where the pesky squirrels can’t reach it.

  3. wanda says:

    Hoorah on your last (please God) bit of snow. Beautiful bird pictures! Please for a picture of what you do with that great-looking pasta? Happy Easter, Happy May, Happy Spring!

  4. Sandy says:

    I think MJ would have appreciated a recent segment on “America’s Funniest Videos” as much as I did! Someone wrapped a bird feeder in plastic wrap that couldn’t be seen easily. A squirrel jumped towards the feeder and bounced like a rubber ball off of the plastic. I laughed till my eyes watered! Love the bird pictures, Father! Only our dear Lord could create such gorgeous colors.

  5. Paul says:

    The RSS reader I use does not by default display pictures. A cursory scan of the original post left me momentarily confused as to which Cardinal, Father Z was wishing to find a girlfriend!

  6. ejcmartin says:

    I had to look up the Preserved Killick reference. I live on the Killick trail!

  7. benedetta says:

    What wine and pasta will not cure…

  8. Stephen Matthew says:

    Fr. Z.,
    I don’t know what burdens you, but I should hope that the coming of fair weather, the return of your birds, the continuing Paschal season, and perhaps the feeble prayers and other support of your readers may be of some encouragement and help.

  9. frjim4321 says:

    Very nice.

    We have a male and female cardinal who are very interested in STEALING the meal worms from our beloved Eastern Bluebirds. I am thinking of putting out a sign, “Worms for Bluebirds Only!”

    I don’t know if that will work or not.

    Meanwhile, I think I have created a problem. I have been clapping and shouting to keep the cardinals away from the Bluebird feeder. Now they have retaliated and are harassing the Bluebirds, keeping them away from the worms! If the cardinals can’t have the worms, they won’t let anyone else have them either!

    In other news, I just switched to the Chrome browser. In addition to faster page loads, I now have spell check in the combox!

  10. frjim4321 says:

    The chickadees steal worms also, but not many, and they are pretty cute – it’s hard to begrudge them. Also, they don’t crowd out my Blueys.

  11. irishgirl says:

    Nice pictures as always of the birdies, Father Z!
    Funny remark about the cardinal getting a girlfriend and starting a local consistory!
    Whenever I see cardinals, male or female, I always call them ‘Their Eminences’! I love hearing the sounds of cardinal-songs outside my window in the morning!
    Goldfinches usually show up the same time as the dandelions.
    You still have snow?!? Well, I can see why it hasn’t melted yet-the bushes are keeping the sun from getting at it!

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