How Words Paint Pictures

Audrey Kletscher Helbling, award winning poet, freelance writer,  blogger (https://mnprairieroots.com/) and photographer is observant of nature. Her words capture the essence of small things. 

  

Lilacs

by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Breathing in the heady scent of lilacs each May,
I remember my bachelor uncle and the gnarled bushes,
heavy with purple blooms, that embraced his front porch
and held the promises of sweet love never experienced.

He invited his sister-in-law, my mother, to clip lilacs,
to enfold great sweeps of flowers into her arms,
to set a still life painting upon the Formica kitchen table,
romance perfuming our cow-scented farmhouse.

Such memories linger as my own love, decades later,
pulls a jackknife from the pocket of his stained jeans,
balances on the tips of his soiled Red Wing work shoes,
clips and gathers great sweeps of lilacs into his arms.

After Audrey penned the poem "Lilacs" it took on a life of its own.

It was selected as a "Work of Merit" in the 2013 Northwoods Art & Book Festival. Then the poem was chosen for inclusion in Poet-Artist Collaboration XIII at Crossings at Carnegie in Zumbrota. Jeanne Licari, an artist, created this work of art based on Audrey's poem. 

Follow Audrey's blog link  below for more details on this collaborative project. 
https://mnprairieroots.com/2014/04/10/how-my-poetry-inspired-a-still-life-painting-of-lilacs/
Photos submitted by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Cook's notes: Recently we were gifted with two lake whitefish fillets from the North Shore, Lake Superior. I used the parchment paper method for grilling, added veggies and seasoning to the packets. Step by step cooking instructions on foil or parchment paper cooking were previously posted on several blogs. Either of these methods work for any type of fish fillets.
http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2012/05/new-it-bag.html
http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2016/07/summer-vegetables-en-papillote.

Grilled Fish Fillets with Veggies

Ingredients:

• fish fillets
• butter 
• white wine
• lemon slice
• veggies e.g. asparagus pieces, red onions, thinly sliced carrots and potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, peppers
• seasoning e.g. parsley flakes, herbes de Provence, thyme  

Directions:

• Rinse fish and pat dry with a paper towel. 
• Cut pieces of parchment paper or foil about 13 x 10.
• Lay fillet in center of each parchment or foil piece.

• Add veggies and lemon slice on the fillet. Sprinkle with seasoning, Add a very small pat of cold butter and a drizzle of white wine.
• Fold two long sides first to center making sure they overlap to seal. If using parchment paper moisten edges. Then roll two short sides toward the center.  Moisten edges. 
• Foil packets can be placed on grill grates and if using parchment packet bundles place a piece of foil underneath. This will avoid the paper burning. 
• Grill 20-25 minutes. Let packets rest 3 minutes before serving.