A Few of My Favorite Things
This week: a name, a recipe and food for thought
What’s in a Name?
“When the dog bites, / When the bee stings, / When I'm feeling sad, / I simply remember my favorite things, / And then I don't feel so bad.” – Maria, The Sound of Music
For those who aren’t familiar with The Sound of Music, it was a popular Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical (1959) and Hollywood movie (1965). It aired annually for 20 years on NBC (1979-1999) and then 20 more on ABC (2002-2022), yet I’ve run into several people who’ve never heard of it.
I mention this not because I’m a huge fan but because my first name came from one of its characters. It’s spelled the same but pronounced differently. They say Lee-zel in the movie (and in German), but we say Lee-cil, with the last syllable ending like pencil. Here’s a little Google Bard AI introduction: “The name Liesl has been used in Germany for centuries, and it became more popular in other countries in the 20th century, thanks in part to the popularity of the musical The Sound of Music, in which the character Liesl von Trapp is a young woman who dreams of love and adventure. Today, the name Liesl is still relatively rare in English-speaking countries, but it is becoming more popular.”
Relatively rare, indeed. I don’t know how many Liesls you’ve met, but for me the number is maybe six, if that, including a dear friend who shares it as her middle name. I’ve met several people who knew another Liesl, but most were referring to a dog, not a person. My husband once worked with someone from Europe who giggled every time he mentioned my name. When he asked her about it, she apologized and explained that only “old” women had that name in her country, comparing it to Ethel or Bertha here.
With that background, it seems appropriate, perhaps, for me to incorporate the song’s title into a section header for this publication. I suppose plenty of people refer to their favorite things without mentioning the movie, but they’re probably not named Liesl, Louisa or Brigitta. To avoid any appearance of copyright infringement, perhaps I should ditch all of the above and just use the phrase as if I had never heard of the movie?
Nah! I’ll just avoid talking about lonely goatherds, climbing ev’ry mountain and signing off with “So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.”
Food | Sharing from Savvy Baker
I started a food blog ages ago but stopped posting recipes soon after a family member had to give up gluten and dairy. I have since crafted a handful of gluten-free, dairy-free (GF, DF) recipes that I’m going to share in the near future, including our favorite pumpkin muffins. I bake them at least once a week, but since the official recipe is not quite ready for prime time, here’s a link to my previous go-to recipe instead: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins.
I’ve probably shared this with more friends and family than any other recipe. Keep in mind that these muffins are NOT gluten-free or dairy-free. If you peek, you’ll see that my blog is a bit old school: it doesn’t contain tons of ads (yay!), but it also doesn’t have a handy “print recipe” button. (Sorry.) That functionality and a new look are in progress. In the meanwhile, enjoy!
Quotes | Inspiration, Motivation & Food for Thought
Inspired by Matthew 5:15, my quote this week is an unofficial combination of two quotes. The first line is from St. Francis of Assisi, and the rest is my variation of a quote attributed to several other people:
All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle, so let your life be a beacon of light and hope in a world of darkness.
My word of the year for 2023 is illuminate, and this admonition aligns beautifully with that. I think it’s fascinating to think about how darkness alone cannot overcome light. Light wins. It’s equally interesting that each of us can serve as a light (or lamp or lantern, depending upon the Biblical translation) for others. No matter how dark or challenging the world or our circumstances might appear, we can still choose to be a light.
What really inspires and motivates you?
Is there a quote or verse that captures the essence of who you want to be and how you want to live?
I’ve turned comments on in case you want to share.
Until next time, may God bless you and your family, today and always!
Liesl