Book Review| My Garden Of Verse

 My Garden of Verse by Henry Beer is the subject of this post.

I found this book of poems at a flea market a few years ago. I had no inkling that it was such a wholesome (God fearing) poem collection. I noticed it on a shelf and had for sometime felt that poetry was lacking in my life. I briefly flipped through the pages. I saw that most of the poems had a garden/nature theme. While I didn't think there would be any deep thought provoking poems, I thought that, at least, it would not have poems with  objectionable subjects. On that basis I bought it.

I had no idea what a treasure I had found!

My Garden of Verse by Henry Beer was published by WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company in 1945. The book is broken up into 5 chapters; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and In Memoriam and contains 162 poems in total. My copy is a third edition from 1960. (I did contact the publisher to ask permission to copy these poems to my blog. I was told that these poems are in the public domain now.)

The poems in this book have a special place in my heart because they bring to recall the places of my childhood that I hold dear. Particularly, the things of the woodlands; the plants, and flowers, and trees that I learned as a girl. The seasons and constant pace of nature that are so familiar and comforting are highlighted in Henry Beer's works. Sprinkled throughout the chapters is a poem for each month of the year.

The really neat thing about the month poems is that Henry Beer was from Indiana (I am, too) and so all the flowers and trees and wildlife mentioned in each month corresponds perfectly with the seasons where I am from and as I have experienced them. I don't know if you know what I mean, but sometimes what blooms, for example: in March, is different depending on where you are on the continent. Writers from these various places have a variety of experiences of when the snow melts or when the sap flows, etc.... And these experiences make their way into their writings. I think it is so cool that everything in Henry Beer's poems, as far as woodland life, is exactly as I know it to be.

The other thing that I love about these poems are the spiritual truths. In every poem Henry Beer uses creation to point to the Creator. There are many uplifting and edifying thoughts that really anchor the readers mind on heavenly things. There are poems that tell redemptions story, exalt Jesus, and call the believer to greater love and service. These poems are quite encouraging and contemplative.

I did some searching online to see if a could find more information about Henry Beer. I wanted to know who he was. Through his poems I had gathered that he was some kind of Christian and that he had a son named Marcus that had died in his youth. There wasn't any information about Henry Beer online. I thought that was unfortunate. His works deserve to be more widely known, in my opinion.

I shared some of these poems with friends who happen to be part of the *Apostolic Christian faith tradition. I was shocked to learn that my friends knew of Henry Beer. He had been a minister in their denomination and even written some hymns that they sing in their church. It's a small world!

You can order a copy of Henry Beer's My Garden Of Verse from Apostolic Christian Bookstore .org.

 I will finish this post with the forward from My Garden Of Verse, which is a poem. :-)

Forward
The gate to my garden is open!
In this garden of verse you will find
Many writings, all varied in nature,
With the noblest of virtues entwined.

Come out to the fields and the gardens

While the birds sing at break of day.

Here the trees and the fields and the forests

Have a message of truth to convey.

The charm of each season and splendor

Will here to your vision unfold;

The glory of spring and of autumn,

The time when the season grows cold.

Fond memories of home and of childhood,

With friendships endearing and true,

The problems we face in life's pathway

In verse are recorded for you.

May the seeds I have sown in my garden

Spring forth and bring cheer to your heart.

May they help you when careworn and weary,

And a message of solace impart.

Come browse through my garden of verses,

There the Master will speak to your soul.

You will see by the beauty of nature

Many reasons His name to extol.

*Some of my readers may not be familiar with the Apostolic Christian faith, so I have added this asterisk to provide some context. The Apostolic Christian Church is one of the many branches that came from the Anabaptist movement of the 1500's. Around here (where I live) people generally shorten Apostolic Christian to AC. In everyday speech it sounds like, "I know that family: they are AC's." Or "The AC church runs the nursing home in town." Or "The AC choir sounds like heaven!" Etc....  Some AC congregations are very conservative in their dress standards, with women wearing head covering, dresses, and keeping their hair in a bun, and the men being clean shaven and wearing white shirts and black ties to meeting. I will sometimes be taken for an AC when I am out and about because my style fits all the AC distinctives.

Honor (Poem)

Honor
by Henry Beer

The man who makes success of life,
And squanders not his days,

Is quite deserving, seems to me,

Of honor, worth and praise.

But, honor is a subtle word;

If we are not aware,

And do not keep it in its place,

It soon becomes a snare.

There is a bold and slothful bird

Which lays its eggs inside

The nest of other singing birds,

And hatches out with pride.

This lusty bird will eat and grow,

And almost fill the nest,

And crowd the little fledglings out;

They scarce have place to rest.

This honor kept within the heart

Will grow to self-conceit.

And oft will crowd good virtues out,

Our noblest aims defeat.

Full many men of noble worth

Are humble in their ways,

And honor vain they do not seek,

Nor do they covet praise.

And praise will not exalt the just,

Not honor make him vain.

He knows the worth of humbleness,

Which he seeks to retain.

All that I have, all that I am,

All that I hope to be

I do ascribe to Christ, my King,

Who gave me liberty.

Sandwich Loaf Sourdough Bread Recipe

 

This recipe includes oatmeal for a really flexible moist bread loaf that can be thinly sliced for sandwiches. It is my favorite bread to make now that I have an active sourdough starter again. My whole family devours these loaves so quickly, which is why I make a two loaf recipe.

Oaty Sourdough Sandwich Bread

2 cups boiling water

1 cup oatmeal (old fashioned or quick oats)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup molasses

2 tsp. salt

2 cups active sourdough starter (mine is whole wheat)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 - 3 cups all purpose flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer: pour the boiling water over 1 cup of oats and let sit 5 minutes. 

Add butter, molasses, and salt.

Wait until the mixture cools sufficiently so as not to kill the yeast. You want the temperature to come down below 120°F.

Stir in the 2 cups of sourdough starter. 

Add both types of flour and mix for 5 minutes on low speed.

Rest 15 minutes.

Knead for 5 minutes by machine.

Form into ball, cover, and rise in a warm draft free place 2-4 hours. (2 hours at warmer temperatures and 4 hours at cooler temperatures.)

Grease 2 loaf pans. Shape dough and raise in loaf pans for 2-4 hours until nearly doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a large roaster pan in the oven while it is preheating on a shelf below where the bread will bake.

When rise is complete slit the top of each loaf with a bread knife.

Use a steam baking technique by adding 1 1/2 cups of water into the hot roaster pan as soon as the bread is placed in the oven to bake. Close the oven door at once to trap the steam. Bake at 400° F. for 35 minutes.

Remove to wire racks to cool.

Slice and enjoy!

Matthew 6:11 
Give us this day our daily bread. 

The Queer Singers (Poem)

 

The Queer Singers

By Henry Beer

There are creatures that sing in the lowland,

I know not if they call or they sing,

They live by the rivers and marshes,

We hear them alone in the spring.

The notes are not truly melodious,

Their song we incessantly hear.

And yet, their strange tune is quite charming,

Reviving the heart with spring cheer.

I am at a loss to describe it,

'Tis plaintive, and yet 'tis not sad.

It blends with the song of the feathered,

And makes the heart cheerful and glad.

Their song sounds at times like the bleating

Of lambs far away in destress 

The chorus which they are repeating,

Is a very strange song, I confess.

Just listen when twilight is falling,

You'll hear their weird song in the air,

Their croaking, their bleating, their calling,

Is hard with aught else to compare.

'Tis the song of the frogs in the marshes,

They sing by the pools, - in moist ground.

Among the green cat tails and rushes

The home of this singer is found.

Just think how these queer little creatures

Take part and fulfill His great plan.

They join in the revel of springtime,

And sing there as well as they can.

Sewing This Month

 

What a lovely April we've had! 

I was able to do some of my sewing outdoors this month. Yay! I love being outside, hearing the birds, seeing the flower buds, breathing in the fresh air, and basking in the sun beams. 

It is a real treat!

I had a flannel sheet/blanket that I had bought

 for a quarter at a garage sale years ago.

The sheet just recently got a big rend in it.

I took what was left of the blanket at cut it up

into a whole bunch of "kleenex" and a couple 

cloth diapers. I used my serger to finish

all the raw edges so that they wouldn't unravel.

I have also started a formal dress for my

 little girl. I'm using a deep pink satin from 

my stash. I have cut out all the pieces for

 the dress and the lining.

The sleeves of this dress are called petal sleeves.

You can see the pieces for the sleeves above.

Petal sleeves are new to me, I have never

sewn this type of sleeve before.

I have done a lot of work on the bodice. 

My goal is to have the dress finished by the end

May. I will report my progress.

I hope these posts encourage you to set

goals for your projects and take time for hobbies.

Pruning (Poem)

 Pruning

By Henry Beer

When spring has come and snow recedes,
And the chilling March wind blows,
I go to prune the apple trees,
The grape vine, and the rose.

I prune the trees which are too high,
And such that are too low;
And some have barren rampant growth,
On which no fruit will grow.

Some trees have branches all entwined,
And thus no fruit they bear.
I cut, and saw, and prune them out,
That light may enter there.

The grape vine, too, has gone astray
And far their vines have run;
I hesitate to cut them back-
Alas! it must be done.

I prune the branches of the rose,
Which grows entwined and high.
The rose, when pruned by skillful hands,
More flowers will supply.

My friends, take note, I will explain
A truth profound and rare.
The Master's hand must prune our lives
If we good fruit would bear.

How blest the man who will submit;
He ne'er will suffer loss.
God knows just how to prune our lives,
And cut away the dross.

The barren and the harmful growth
The Master will remove.
He will, by purging of each branch,
His loving kindness prove.

Starting Sourdough!

I am so excited to start sourdough again. It has been many years since I let my sourdough starter die. I am looking forward to using a starter for bread baking again! It is so much fun!

For anyone who is curious about how to start a sourdough starter, this is the method I used.

Equal parts of flour and water are mixed together. It is important to use water the doesn't have any chlorine in it.

I am going to find some rye flour to feed the starter. In the past I have always been much happier with the activity and flavor from a rye flour starter. I looked for rye flour when I was out shopping at Walmart, but they don't carry rye flour at my Walmart. Isn't that just like Walmart? Their selection is so poor.

It the mean time I am using whole wheat flour.

Leave the mixture at room temperature with a permeable lid like a coffee filter or cheese cloth.

Everyday the equal parts flour and water have to be equivalent to the aged flour and water mixture.

Example: The aged flour and water mixture is equal to a 1/4 cup. Add a 1/4 cup flour and a 1/4 cup water. 

Everyday the mixture will double in size. I started with only 1 tsp. of flour and water so that my mixture wouldn't get out of had too quickly, doubling every day.

When my mixture reached 1 cup in volume I dumped out 3/4 of it to reduce the size. I had to do this about every other day. I did not throw this discarded portion away. I mixed it into pancake batter or bread dough.

This mark shows the starter right after feeding.

After two weeks of feeding I was begining to see a good amount of activity in my starter. You can see by the marks on the jar how much it rose after 8 hours and then 10 hours. The peak rise happened at 10 hours and then it began to deflate.

This mark shows how much it grew in 8 hours.

I am pretty excited with this amount of growth. I have been using my starter to make my Multi grain Sourdough bread and it rises superbly! I am so happy with my starter. Everyone in my family likes this bread. It makes good sandwiches; peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese, and lunch meat. The sour flavor is not over powering with this recipe.

My starter peaked at 10 hours.
 It nearly doubled in size from the wild yeast!

I have enjoyed the process of starting a sourdough starter from scratch. It took about 3 weeks for my starter to fully develop enough yeast to rise bread really well. If you've ever wanted to try doing this yourself I hope I have encouraged you to go ahead and try! It is not anything to be intimidated by and it can be a lot of fun!

The Beauties Of Springtime (Poem)

The Beauties Of Springtime

By Henry Beer

Some people think the springtime 

A seasonable event,

With birds, and bees, and flowers,

Which nature's hand has sent.

To me spring is the season

When Heaven does bestow

On earth it's tenderest blessings,

And causes things to grow.

The Lilacs show their color,

The Cherry flowers are white,

The Apple trees are blooming

With petals sweet and bright.

In marshy vales and meadows,

How lovely to behold 

The Buttercups like sunshine,

Arrayed in shining gold.

And there out in the woodland,

What precious gems we see!

The Adder's Tongue, and Trillium,

And Rue Anemone.

There stands Jack in the Pulpit,

Without a word to say,

And everywhere Spring Beauties

Are growing by the way.

The air is filled with fragrance,

The blooming flowers and trees

Dispense their pleasing odors,

And sweetness for the bees.

The Cardinal and Robin,

The Oriole so bright,

Are singing in the orchard,

A song of sheer delight.

The Meadow Lark in rapture

Goes soaring in the air,

And Swallows in the barn-loft

Their nests of mud prepare.

If things which are created

Are truly fair to see,

How beautiful and perfect

Must the Creator be!

I hope to live in Eden,

It's joys sublime to share;

For it excels in beauty-

It's always spring-time there.