THE DEVIL YOU KNOW...

Is it best to be caught between the devil and the deep blue sea; or between a rock and a hard place?  It’s six of one; half a dozen of the other, I guess.  For a non-swimmer the former would be a bit tricky, unless either a life-jacket or dinghy was within arm’s reach.  In the second instance, if it’s a large boulder, not a pebble or rock that’s blocking your way, or, worse still, has landed on you, that would be enough to deflate one’s ego; flatten one’s ambitions...of becoming a rock-climber, at least. 

Looking on the bright side...one door closes, and another opens; but a breeze will always blow in the direction that it wishes to go, closing the door while opening another...on and on it continues. Doors opening and shutting until you use the rock as a doorstop. 

While the doors are opening and slamming shut hold onto that flighty bird in the hand. I’m told it’s worth two in the bush.  I’m not sure how or why.  

There is nothing as pretty as a bird on the wing...unless it’s a vulture.  They’re not the most attractive avian feathered creatures. If you see them circling above, I’d be a bit concerned if I were you.  

Our wings are small, but the ripples of the heart are infinite. No bird (hen or cock) can fly without opening its wings.

Sometimes you have to wing it, though!  You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren, or a quail, for that matter.  Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Get all your ducks in a row. If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...it’s probably Donald. Not everything is what it quacks up to be, though.

No one can love without exposing his or her heart.  

It has been said blood is thicker than water.  However, that is not always the case.

Being all show and no substance; all show, and no go, many are angels on the outside, but devils inside. 

Measure for measure, in a nutshell, Shakespeare’s insightful words nailed it in one: “O' What may man within him hide...though angel on the outward side!” 

Judging others comes easily to many; but they must remember to be perfect for the rest of their own lives.

Like wild seas eat away at the coastline, jealousy eats away at them.  

Disappointingly, some who espouse various religions – Christianity, Buddhism etc., etc., - wear the cloak of hypocrisy.  

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.  Understanding is the heartwood of well-spoken words.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “The ancestor of every action is a thought.” 

Lebanese-American author, poet, artist Kahlil Gibran - he who generously gifted the world with “The Prophet”, his inspirational book of prose poetry - believed:  “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.  Love one another, but make not a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. To belittle you have to be little.”
 

The shadow which I throw is definitely a shadow of me. No tricks, or trick lighting used.  What you see is what you get.  

Still waters run deep, but don’t be fooled. Such is not always the case.  Water in the kitchen sink is still, but not deep.

To cover my butt, I confess I plagiarised most of the sage maxims herein, not only those of authors I acknowledged.

I add a few thoughts for Father’s Day, which was celebrated yesterday, 1^st September...but, I suppose, like Mother’s Day, every day is Father’s Day, if you are one or the other:-

A father carries pictures where his money used to be. 

She got her looks from her father.  He’s a plastic surgeon. 

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.  

A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.  

Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad.  

He who laughs last, laughs longest... probably because he’s laughing at his own jokes – Dad jokes!  
 

Dry-Rubbed Baked Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip: Preheat oven 200C.  Line a large baking sheet with 2 sheets of aluminium.  Place sprayed cooling rack on top; set aside. In small bowl, combine 1/2tbs each ancho chilli pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, 3/4tbs brown sugar, 3/4tsp chilli powder, 3/4tsp paprika, 3/4tsp cumin, 1/2tsp garlic powder, 1/2tsp cayenne, 1/2tsp dry mustard powder, 1/4tsp black pepper, 1/3tsp dried oregano and 1/4tsp ground thyme.  In a large bowl, put 2kg chicken wings and 2tbs x-virgin olive oil; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle in the dry rub; use your hands to massage it into wings, coating evenly.   Add chicken wings to prepared baking sheet and bake 45 minutes. Serve with - Blue Cheese Dip: Place 1/4c crumbled blue cheese, 1 garlic clove, 1tsp minced fresh thyme, 1tbs minced fresh parsley, 1tbs hot sauce (or to taste), pinch of salt and pepper, and 1/2c sour cream in bowl. Mix with fork; adjust seasoning, and thickness.

Orange and Sage Glazed Duck: Score skin of a duck breast; season. In pan over med-low heat, add 2tbs butter and1tbs honey or maple syrup. Cook until butter has slightly browned; then add 1/4tsp sage and 1/2tsp orange extract. Let this cook until butter is deep amber. Put duck breast into a cold pan. Set pan’s heat to med-high. After a few minutes flip duck; skin should be crisp. Add 1tbs cream to orange and sage butter; stir well. Pour over duck breast in pan; let mix with the duck fat. Cook a few minutes. Wilt spinach in pan.  Serve duck on wilted spinach.