Monday, June 9, 2014

Superstition, Shootings.

I meant to cut my nails last week, thought about it on Friday, couldn’t because black catMatt’s mum believed you shouldn’t cut nails on a Friday. Intended to do so on Saturday but didn’t get round to it. Can’t cut them Sunday because my mum believed you shouldn’t do so on Sunday. So it will have to be Monday. Matt would tell you he is not superstitious, but he too won’t cut his nails on either of those days. However, he never knocks on wood or crosses his fingers. Odd really because his dad was extremely superstitious and if he happened to walk between two nuns on his way to work he would turn round and go home. His family were fishermen in northern England and one of their superstitions was to never say Pig. They always said gissy, even to the extent of calling Pig Island in Cat and ladderthe mouth of the River Weir, Gissy Island. I actually couldn’t find it on the maps today. All this making me think, where did it all come from? There is a Wiki article about the origins a lot of which appear to be founded on religious practices and beliefs. In fact, once, any religion which differed from one’s own was relegated to superstitious beliefs. Still is in some places. Then there was the belief in myths and legends which sprang up not to mention poor old women who were designated as witches and blamed for bad weather, a blight on one’s animals an unusual death in the family and so on. One wonders who they blamed after they had disposed of the current witch. I personally would never open an umbrella indoors nor put shoes on the table. As for breaking a mirror, definitely 7 years of bad luck. This picture seems to demonstrate quite a few at once. I love black cats though and would have one if I got a cat at all. Of course if I spill salt, a pinch automatically gets thrown over my shoulder. Logically I know it’s all ridiculous, but I still do these things.

There seems to be a lot of shooting crimes in the last few day starting with the young man in New Brunswick, and finishing, today with another cop shooting in Las Vegas with school shootings in between. What is the matter with these people, a lot seems to be perpetrated by youngsters. I know years ago when National Service was abolished in the UK many of us thought it was a bad thing as it taught youngsters to become responsible people. I had an uncle who was a case in point. When he went in to the RAF to do his two years, he was a total tear-away and a hair’s breadth of becoming a criminal – he had certainly stolen his father’s car and gone for joy rides. Within 6 weeks he was home on leave for exemplary behaviour. I would certainly vote for the reintroduction of National Service or the Draft or whatever it is called in your country.

This is another excellent way to serve asparagus.

Asparagus MilaneseAsparagus alla Milanese

28 stalks of asparagus, medium size
4 Tbs unsalted butter plus 4 tablespoons
4 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil and set up ice bath. Trim asparagus of hard ends and drop into water. Cook 70 seconds. Remove with tongs and refresh in ice bath. Drain and set aside.
2. In a 10 inch to 12 inch sauté pan, heat 4 tablespoons butter until very dark brown. Add asparagus and toss until warm. Remove asparagus and divide among 4 plates. Towel off sauté pan and add remaining butter. Cook until foam subsides. Crack eggs in and cook sunnyside up, about 2 minutes. Place one egg over each plate, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Source: Food TV

Have a great day
Jo (2)

20 comments:

  1. I am not one bit superstitious. Never heard that one about cutting the nails. Asparagus was down to $1.49 a pound so I too have been enjoying the bounty.

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    1. As you can see, I am, don't know why.

      $1.49 is very good. Are you talking store bought or farm? At the farm we pay $3 but nothing to throw away.

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  2. What about that horrible stabbing of that young girl by her 12 year old friends to prove themselves to 'slender man'? Creepy. I'm not terribly superstitious, 'but I am a little stitious'. lol That was a line by Michael Scott on 'The Office'...it cracks me up. When my fiance' was in his teens he was out on an uncle's boat, lobstering. Absentmindedly he started to whistle. His uncle yelled at him to stop that right now. He was afraid Russell was going to 'whistle up the wind' and they'd have bad weather.

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    1. That is terrible, I don't remember hearing that story or at least not about "slender man", they lured her into the woods didn't they?

      I'd forgotten that one about whistling up the wind. You can also stick a knife in the mainmast to do the same thing. Fisherman are terribly superstitious.

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  3. Hi Jo .. interesting about the superstitions - I've never heard of the nail timing ... but a black cat I'd love - we had one when I was younger. Gis (in Brewers): A corruption of Jesus, or JHS. Ophelia says "By Gis and by St Charity" (Hamlet lV, v) ... got no idea if that helps!

    Still and I must get to the Farm shop tomorrow to get some asparagus .. about 2 weeks left in the season ...

    People killing others .. far far too much of it ... I feel for those bereft ... Hilary

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    1. That's interesting, I wonder if that's where gissy came from then.

      Our farm stops selling on July 1.

      There sure is, and yes, it must be dreadful for the families.

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  4. We had our first fresh asparagus yesterday in Munich. So lovely and much better than the supermarket produce that we get at home.
    Superstitions are really interesting - at home people will chase one magpie or else go looking for the mate.
    Fil

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    1. If you are in Germany was it white or green asparagus. I understand the Germans eat a lot of the white.

      Not heard about the magpie one. Peculiar to Ireland maybe.

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  5. We have two black cats. One is a trouble maker, so maybe there's some truth to that superstition.

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    1. I knew you had one, didn't know it was two. How is Spunky anyway?

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  6. So many angry young people these days...

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  7. Best not to cut your nails at all. Just to be sure :-)

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    1. Horrors, I have seen pictures of people who didn't cut their nails and they curl round and look quite terrifying. Mind would probably break long before that though.

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  8. I've never heard that you shouldn't cut your nails on certain days. I knock on wood all the time. I hate crows. Whenever I see one I veer away from it. They're evil and harbingers of bad news as far as I'm concerned.

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    1. Must be an English thing I think. Don't have much experience with crows and am not personally superstitious about them.

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  9. I'm not superstitious and never have been. But within one of my most significant relationships, the number 13 oddly played a role, and the relationship blew up in the worst of ways. So I have issues with the number and avoid it at all costs. I don't otherwise do the salt over the shoulder thing, or any of the rest of it.

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    1. Enough to put you right off 13 I would say. But that is being superstitious too. Maybe you should do the salt thing by reading your blog lately LOL

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  10. Interesting about the nail cutting. I'd never heard of that one. I remember as a kid that I used to follow lots of superstitions - like throwing salt over my shoulder - but it was all because of the ritual associated with it, not any belief in it. Still wouldn't walk under a ladder willingly although it's nothing to do with superstition but more a case of who knows what might land on your head.

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    1. Funny that, nobody seems to have heard about the nail cutting thing. That is probably why the superstition arose because somebody did get something on their head.

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