Glad to be Home

As I write this, I have been home again for a week after being away almost 7 weeks. It had taken this long to get settle back into an at-home routine….to relax enough to feel truly rested! At first, I felt so exhausted that I took naps – which didn’t seem to help. It took me 5 days to fully empty my car. I needed the alone time after being so engaged with people all the time; I didn’t want to talk on the phone at all…had to force myself to check my text message. My emotions were still volatile, and I consciously started trying to unwind. Cutting back on caffeine, getting more exercise and quick neighborhood hikes (even though it was cold outside) finally worked.

It’s such a joy to just be home. I’ve enjoyed returning to spending more time just being in my house…cooking, reading, writing, making Zentangle tiles, and planning one or two vacation travels for the next 6 months. I pampered myself included burning a scented candle I’ve had for years, a facial (using supplies from a Christmas gift), hot apple cider rooibos tea, big red peppermint stick, and pumpkin oatmeal cookie bars.

As the days passed, I fell myself recovering…although there are some aspects of the past 7 weeks that might be a permanent change. I’ve learned more about how I deal with stress --- holding off its effects until the crisis is ‘over’ --- and then requiring time to recover. It is a strategy and provided enough resilience, but I might need to bolster by stress reduction techniques in preparation for the next crisis; more self-care during a crisis might make recovery easier (or unneeded).

I’ll be taking off for another trip to Carrollton TX soon, but the trip will be only 6 days this time! Much easier!

1897 Montgomery Ward’s Common Sense Cookery

In 1897, Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business. Its first serious competition (Sears) had opened the year before.

They also published a book about cooking in 1897 that is available via Internet Archive. The title page indicates it is about more than just recipes: what to eat and how to prepare it, hygienic and scientific cooking!

They also published a book about cooking in 1897 that is available via Internet Archive. The title page indicates it is about more than just recipes: what to eat and how to prepare it, hygienic and scientific cooking!

The illustrations try to show the ideal of food preparation and enjoyment in the late 1800s.

Montgomery Ward & co.'s Common Sense Cookery

My mother remembers her parents ordering from Montgomery Ward in the 1930s for Christmas presents. I remember looking at their catalogs in the 1960s although I also looked at Sears catalogs.

I remember two other books from Wards.

One was the Wendy Ward Charm Book from the 1960s. It was full of somewhat dated information for teenaged girls; much of it we absorbed then jettisoned the parts that didn’t work for us as we entered the work force in the 1970s (the “I am Woman” era).

The other was the book written by Robert L. May on assignment to Montgomery Ward 1939 – the creation of Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer. I bought a copy for my daughter in the early 1990s from Wards! It can be checked out from Internet Archive here.

Gleanings of the Week Ending September 16, 2023

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Kitchen chemistry hacks explained – How many of these did you know before this article? I knew about lemon juice slowing browning of fruit…I’m going to try the ‘brown onions more quickly’ and ‘chop onions more comfortably.’

Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Distributed Wind Power – Interesting update….and map of annual average wind speed at 30 m. There is so much potential in the center of the country. It would be interesting to see the map extended offshore…but maybe that kind of wind power is only used for wholesale generation rather than distributed wind power.

Dust: how the pursuit of power and profit has turned the world to powder – A review of the book about ‘tiny particles doing terrible things’ created by detonation of nuclear weapons, burning coal, and drying of lakes via irrigation. These tiny particles influence our environment, our health, and our relationship with the world around us. They move around the planet through the air…no one is ‘safe’ from them.

More small airports are being cut off from the air travel network. This is why - A shortage of pilots is partially to blame for major airlines' departure from smaller airports. But changing airline economics means the challenge facing regional airports could become insurmountable. Williamsport PA is the example used in the article.

Health evidence against gas and oil is piling up, as governments turn a blind eye – An Australian perspective…but seems to be applicable to many developed countries, including the US. The methane leaks, water contamination, air pollution…why do we continue to push for gas and oil development rather that pivoting to cleaner (and renewable) sources?

Wyoming and Utah Borderlands – A picture from the International Space Station. I remembered a trip to Utah in 2008 where we drove in the area with a Roadside Geology of Utah book explaining the surface geologic features!

New research explains 'Atlantification' of the Arctic Ocean – Changes coming in the Arctic as a 15-year cycle is ending….and the next phase could result in a faster pace of sea-ice loss.

Stone Case Holding Precious Items Found at Templo Mayor – 15 stone figures found at the temple complex of Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec empire. The figures may have already been 1,000 years old when the Aztecs conquered the Mezcala people that carved them. Also in the case: two rattlesnake-shaped earrings, more than 180 green stone beads, snails, shells, and marine corals.

Workers like it when their employers talk about diversity and inclusion - Research has shown that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives improve creativity, innovation, productivity and organizational performance. One of the reasons DEI initiatives have a positive impact is because workers appreciate them. It’s about making sure everyone feels valued and included.

What Does It Take to Photograph a Bat Cave? – Photographer Stephen Alvarez….lots of specialized photographs.

Last of the Day Lilies

The last day lily opened a few days ago so I am savoring what is left of them today – the last of the day lilies for this year. I collected the spent flowers as they fell from the stalks and took them out to the glass topped table on my deck to photograph for the grand finale of their season. The orange ones were the most plentiful, the yellows were the largest and the dark red (purple when they dried) were few but spectacular.

I like the textures and shapes of the dried flowers. Many still have deep yellow pollen showing. The flower collection is back inside now…waiting to see if my husband wants to do some macro photography with them. Eventually they will go out to the compost bin.

Unique Activities for Yesterday:

Big cooking day. I like to fill the oven when I turn it on at all during the summer. This time I had it on for an hour with the salsa meatloaf going in first….then a zucchini squash custard (45 minutes)…then corn on the cob (30 minutes). I sautéed an onion to top the meatloaf. Good eating! It also felt good to clear the crisper of the last of the corn, onions, and zucchini since I have another CSA share to pick up today! I still have beets, leeks, fennel, carrots, and cauliflower….and not much freezer space.

Grapevine wreath. After a round of yard work back in June, I made a small grapevine wreath. Now – a little over a month later – it is thoroughly dry. I like the way it looks, particularly the little tendrils. I’ll add a festive ribbon and use it for indoor holiday decoration….or maybe I’ll use a ‘ribbon’ of orange or apple peel. Then the whole thing could go into the compost pile in the new year.

Gleanings of the Week Ending July 11, 2020

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Top 25 birds of the week: Diet and Birds in Groups - Wild Bird Revolution – Catching up with collections of bird photographs. Some species appear in both sets!

Older adults share fewer memories as they age -- ScienceDaily – As I read about this study – I remembered that my grandmother often seemed surprised when I asked her about her memories of school…of what she remembered from her life before marriage…when my father was born, etc. She even asked why I was interested. Once she was reassured that I was…and that I wanted to take some notes…she was more than willing to share her memories which were often quite vivid well into her 90s.

Breathtaking Photos of Farmers Harvesting Lilies from the Mekong Delta – How beautiful! Near us – this type of water lily harvesting was done at Kenilworth Gardens in the first part of the 1900s.

Death and Drama Among the Cicada Killers – I remember collecting two cicada killers for my insect collection during the summer before my sophomore year in high school. I saw one go into a hole and put a jar over the hole….and two cicada killers came up into the jar. This article helped me understand what I found. First – they both had stingers, so they were females. Second – one of them had dug the hole…and the other was trying to covertly lay her eggs on the cicada the other had brought to the hole!

The hidden risks of cooking your food - BBC Future – There are benefits too….

Putting Communities at the Center of Freshwater Conservation – Cool Green Science – This type of thinking needs to be more prevalent re US freshwater resources as well. There are some parts of the country that are a drought away from severe water shortage just for the human population (particularly if water for agriculture is included as that allocated for humans)…nothing left for wildlife or riparian landscapes.

Tongue microbes provide window to heart health -- ScienceDaily – Maybe a new tool for detecting and treating heart failure.

The astonishing vision and focus of Namibia’s nomads - BBC Future – Detecting visual and attention changes caused by modern life.

Is It Possible to Shower Too Much? - The Atlantic – There is hygiene critical to health….and going beyond that might be harmful.

Climate Change Tied to Increased Pregnancy Risks, Analysis Finds - Yale E360 – Air pollution and heat exposure are linked with negative pregnancy outcomes in the US…..and both of are increasing in the US. And the impact of air pollution and excessive heat is problematic for babies too.

Unique Activities for Yesterday:

2 fawns. For the past few days, we’ve had two fawns in the back yard in the morning – after my usual early morning hour on the deck. Sometimes the doe is close to them…one morning she stayed back in the forest while the fawns wondered around. One day the flies were bothering them; they are particularly noticeable on the doe. It’s not unusual for deer to have twins. It seems like it is the norm for the ones we see in our backyard during the past few summers.

Fashion as Design office hours. The Fashion as Design Coursera course from last April provided two Zoom based sessions this week. Both provided references that update the course relative to the current crises in the US. I managed to open many of the links posted to the chat during the office hours and am passing some of them along:

• Design Emergency – Instagram Live sessions that explore design’s role in the COVID-19 crisis. A collaboration between Paola Antonelli (design curator at MoMA) and Alice Rawsthorn (design critic). I am going to work my way through the videos on this site.

• That Time When We All Fell Back in Love with Nature | British Vogue – From the August issue of British Vogue.

• Kerby Jean-Raymond on Defunding the Police: “Anything else isn’t worth talking about” – Jean-Raymond is a designer that was one of the people featured in the course videos. Recently he drafted a list of actionable demands that the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) members and its associated companies could be held accountable for. He was interviewed for the latest  edition of Frontpage. His bottom line: “Now all you can do is pick a side — and if you don’t pick a side, that means you picked a side.”

• The Tuxedo Redefined – Virtual Exhibition from earlier this year curated by NYU Costume Studies Graduate Students.