pete - a life that made a difference

The past half year has been a period of loss in my life.  These periods happen, of course, but it has been particularly concentrated and has forced a lot of thinking.  During one point last December a close friend called to see how I was doing and after listening for a few minutes she started to sing a familiar song that moved me from the shock I was experiencing to a point where I could finally cry:

 

To everything turn turn turn there is a season turn turn turn 
And a time to every purpose under heaven 
A time to be born a time to die, a time to plant, a time to reap 
A time to kill, a time to heal, a time to laugh, a time to weep 

To everything turn turn turn there is a season turn turn turn 
And a time for every purpose under heaven 
A time to build up a time to break down, a time to dance, a time to mourn 
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together 

To everything turn turn turn there is a season turn turn turn 
And a time to every purpose under heaven 
A time of love, a time of hate, a time of war a time of peace 
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing 

To everything turn turn turn there is a season turn turn turn 
And a time for every purpose under heaven 
A time to gain, a time to lose, a time to rend, a time to sew 
A time of love, a time of hate, a time of peace, I swear it's not too late 

To everything turn turn turn there is a season turn turn turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven 
To everything turn turn turn there is a season turn turn turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

                                                                 Pete's words adapted from Ecclesiastes

 

Pete Seeger was one of those remarkable people who saw injustice and through force of will managed to find a way to bring change.  He fought with words and music - words and music that inspired others.   Enough that a difference was made.

 

I never really met him.  I did see him at a few concerts and was able to shake his hand a few times, but that's it.  On the other hand he was one of the people who helped me find my moral compass.  He is one of the forces that helped make me as a person.

 

Rather than write a post today I'll link to something much better - a video biography that appeared on the American Masters series and was shown on Public Broadcasting.  

It is fascinating how important music and poetry were. Such a powerful form of participatory story telling.

 

__________

 Recipe Corner

 

Ben Cohen wrote a lovely remembrance and offered an image.  It reminded me of the first time I saw Pete live.  It was a small outdoor concert on a beach in Southern California with a few hundred people gathered around a large fire on a chilly January evening.  When I finally shook his hand, he made a comment on the excellent hot chocolate and offered it was good lubricant for conversation.  

 

Last night I made some hot chocolate and had it with stroopwafels.  The trick is to place the stroopwafel on top of the mug and let it steam for a minute or two.  There are so many ways to prepare hot chocolate, but this is one that works in the Winter.

 

Hot Chocolate

 

Ingredients

 

° 2 cups whole milk

° 1 tbl white cane sugar

° 1/2 cinnamon stick

° 1/4 vanilla bean scraped. This is roughly the equivalent of 1 tsp of a good vanilla extract if you don't have fresh vanilla beans

° 100g bar of 70% dark chocolate.  I usually use a Lindt 70% bar (3.5 oz)

° 1/8 tsp Ancho chili powder (a double pinch:-)

° pinch of salt

 

Technique

 

° Add everything but the chocolate, salt and chili powder to a medium sized sauce pan over low heat. Warm to a light simmer and remove from the heat for about ten minutes.  Remove the vanilla husk and the cinnamon stick.

° make a homemade double boiler and melt the chocolate over simmering water.  Better yet, use a bain-marie ...  recommended if you make hot chocolate on a regular basis.

° put the milk mixture over low heat and whisk in the melted chocolate

° add the salt and chili powder and serve in two mugs.

 

Comments

[nancy white]

Pete Seeger was an anchor in my life... and will always be. I saw him at a distance a few times at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and other places, but never close up. Yet his songs, writings, recordings were the grist for me from the moment I picked up a guitar at the age of 11 or 12. Where have all the Flowers Gone was one of the first songs I learned to finger pick at Skips Studios in Media PA where I had my first (and only) lessons.

At around age 40 my Dad picked up the Banjo and Pete Seeger was there for him in recordings, music books and Sing Out! magazine. Dad always did best with those simple melodies and tinkling of the banjo.

You know those games where people say if you could invite any three people, living or passed, to the dinner table, who would you invite? Pete is on my list...

Thanks for the post, Steve.

[steve]

And this by Peter Yarrow on Pete's final night

http://gregmitchellwriter.blogspot.com/2014/01/petes-final-night.html