Lil Bits of Rancor or Not 8/22/08

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abortion, Barack Obama, contraception, crocheting, Election 2008, ethics, farming, food, foreign affairs, GOP, groceries, Iowa, Iraq, John McCain, knitting, liberals, Media, Military, Neo-cons, Recipes, religion, Reproductive Rights, Rick Shenkman, salad, salad dressing, Women's history

A very interesting post at AlterNet. While we grouse about the McCain tactic of slash and burn Obama as his vehicle for success, the desire of the neo-cons is much more serious and permanent. Nothing less than full scale destruction of the liberal as an philisophical alternative is actually contemplated.They echo Maggie Thatcher in this. They are seriously about the business of transforming America into a land where there is no place for liberalism, in reality it will be an oligarchical state wherein business and the market place rule. Read this fascinating look at the dark side. It’s another article that will chill your soul and wonder if you live in America any more.

I haven’t watched the “debate” between McShame and Obama at the Saddleback Church yet, but I thought you might like to review this piece. Apparently John, told a story about a “cross in the dirt.” These are always stories about his POW days, days he insists he hates to talk about, before he again starts to talk about them. Anyway, apparently it is another of his made up stories. According to An Adequate Level of Plausible Deniability, anyway.  I followed his link and found this. Apparently, he likely lifted the story from Alexander Solzhenitsyn and his Gulag Archipelago. Hardly new news, Johnny seems to lift  information and alter stories quite a bit these days. He’s old what can you say? Those trying to track this story have found no mention of it on either of two occasions when you would have expected McCain to have mentioned this “deeply moving” story. I think that rat is roaming around my house again!

Copycat Restaurant Recipes has a Bennigans recipe for “Hot Bacon Dressing.” So utterly perfect for spinach it’s dangerously criminal to eat. Take a look, it’s easy to make and can be stored as well. So next Sunday, after cooking that bacon, make up some and enjoy some fresh spinach salad later!

Watch out the wingnuts in Dubya’s administration of horrors are at it again. They are trying to redefine abortion to include an contraceptive means that has the possible result of causing the termination of a pregnancy. This could include morning after pills, and IUD devices among others. This all has to do with federal funding and insurance companies, and attempts to thwart state laws that give equal access to all women to reproductive assistance. In Iowa, Gov. Culver opposes the change in definition as do Harkin, Boswell, Braley, and Loebsack. Read the full report from Essential Estrogen. This attack of course is by no means limited to Iowa, but effects some 34 states who have legislation in place that would be effected. Check what you state is doing to stop this under the table attack on a woman’s right to choose.

Go read Garrison Keillor today. Why? Well because it’s like Church, because you should. Today, it’s worth the effort to do so. I’d never steer you wrong. And have a steam bath on me!

Mike Tomasky’s Blog has an excellent post on why Republican attack ads always work better than Democratic ones. Democrats would do well to learn the sordid means by which the GOP dopes do it. And you can pick up a few character flaws about John McBush along the way, so it’s worth the linkage!

Iowans should know that according to Senator Tom Harkin, John McCain is no friend of the farmer. He says that, ” McCain voted against the 2002 farm bill and has said that if he were president today he would veto the current farm bill — one which all seven of Iowa’s federal elected officials, including three Republicans, supported.” As an embarrassed Iowa, embarrassed because we are still considered up for grabs this November, I call McCain’s position good news for Obama, and that’s good news for me. I rather suspected that the $500 shoe man with his 7-10 homes is more the elitist than Obama, and wouldn’t really know which end of a pitchfork is the business end.

On Tuesday of this week, I reviewed Rich Shenkman’s book, “Just How Stupid are We?'” Here’s a link to his blog. It appears he does his part to debunk the usual lies of the candidates and their campaigns in an attempt to keep up informed. You might want to bookmark it and check it every so often and learn the truth from the lies.

Oh, before I forget, those of you struggling with grocery prices or just fumed that it costs an arm and leg these days to shop for food period, may want to stop by this site: http://budget101.com. It has a long list of stuff you can make at home for pennies compared to buying them at the store. Mayo of course, and Bisquick substitutes. There is also a feature wherein you put in your zip and it gives you all the stores in your area and you can pick the ones you use, and then it will give you the weekly sale items. Worth a stop, there’s more stuff, but go see yourself if so interested. Coupons too!

Sr. Joan Chittister has a thoughtful post on our lying ways in our political lives and how they threaten to destroy us. No confession is good for the soul any more. We just continue the lies, believing them in the end ourselves. Many of us are bemoaning the abject absurdity of what politics has become. Voters haven’t a clue what they are doing, and one branch of government spends all its time campaigning while another imperially runs things without answering to anybody, using the big lie as a shield. Read this and well, I don’t know, get mad enough to get off your duff and write your congressman, learn what’s happening, but don’t take it any more!

Knitters and crocheters hearken! Vicki at Knitting Dragonflies linked to a wonderful site called Simple Knits. It has the most wonderful array of patterns, all grouped by amount of yarn you might have. Many of the patterns are free, and those that aren’t, are linked to where you can buy them. It looks like a huge place. So indulge and find a great pattern for that next project!

Anyone who is a regular knows that I adore Scandalous Women blog run by  Elizabeth. Today, I’m linking you to the general site, because she has two magnificent entries, one on Princess Michael of Britainand the other on one of my favorite women the notorious literary giant, Lillian Hellman. Please go read these wonderful biographies. The first is from Aug 20 and the Hellman piece is from Aug 13 I believe.

If you are interested in the people behind the Obama campaign, American Prospect has an great article that examines the “big 15” and gives you a mini biography of each. Very interesting stuff, I found.

If you are like me, you are probably just about crazed with the polls these days. All over the board and some late ones have McCain started to pull up to Obama. It can make you want to cry. Paul Hogarth in a piece at the Huffington Post, tells you not to worry, and shows you why. It’s all about money, position, and which polls to rely on. From his lips to God’s ears as they say.

Another terrific article at The Nation, this one by Robert Scheer. He wonders just how it is that Republicans and John McCain manage to get voters to vote against their own interests time and again. He explains the fallacy of McShame’s worldview and why it is so out of step with today’s reality.

If you are interested in a bit of the history of Cindy Hensley-McCain’s life and how she brought the Mac to prominence with her family’s dough, read a nice long piece at The New Republic. It’s not a muckraking piece, but is actually a fair portrait of her life and how she and Johnny came to be. A little bootlegging never hurt anyone!

Hold the presses! The Quaker Agitatorseems to have caught a little remark of McDope’s that suggest he might be willing to re-institute the draft. I would guess that might be of some interest to a few folks around the old US of A. Read more at his blog post.

You have heard about the legendary McCain temper? Well he went a bit too far the other day in calling Obama “testy.” And the DNC has hit him hard, asking “Do you really want to go down that road?” Answering with remarks from fellow Republicans, I’d guess McBush better shut up fast. I’ve read a number of these things too over the last few months. Reports of his threatening other senators on the floor, wanting to duke it out “outside.” The worst was a statement by a fellow congressman who said McCain on a negotiation in I believe Latin America, literally grabbed a foreign negotiator by the collar. I don’t think he’s stable myself but who am I to play doctor. His colleagues however, well they have a good idea wouldn’t you think? And some are quite plainly worried.

And it seems that “horizons” in Iraq have turned into “aspirational timetables” which really means that Bush is doing what Obama suggested and the Iraqis want which is SET A TIMETABLE. Wonder what oh McCain will have to say to that?

In what can only be termed as another outrageous bid for attention, McCain sincophants are running the name of General David Petraeus as a possible GOP VEEP. Petraeus to his credit said he would reject such an offer should it be made. This is after McShame had to apologize for circulating photos of himself with the general some time ago. It is considered a no-no to involve the military in any way in a political campaign. Shame on ya John–as usual your fishing for votes.

And that Angry guy from Africa is beginning to be a regular swan song here on Friday. Not his next weeks news today though. Today he takes on the huge task of making fun of us Americans!Imagine the cheek as the British would say. Link up and have a giggle as he roasts us on our own petard. Well deserved in most cases I might ad. And the bit about the medal race in the Olympics was a surprise. I din’t know dat one! Oh and the court cases–worth the price of admission alone. Oh free, I forgot. Get over there!

Okay, that finishes up all the stuff you must read if you want to be in the know this week. See ya next week with another round of tantalizing stories. I have the smartest readership in the world, cuz I said so!

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American History, crochet, Rome, world history

Mohandas Gandhi, 1946 by Margaret Bourke-White. This is truly one of my most favorite images of Gandhi. The simplicity of life portrayed is something quite humbling to us all. So great a man, so humble a task. We can learn so much by his example. The pity is that we have not in large measure emulated his peaceful resistance to injustice.

It is shaping up as a lovely day. I went for my walk, and discovered on the way down the hill that the heavy rains have washed away so much sand that the utility cables are uncovered as they cross the lane. The Contrarian is now up there trying to rebury them, which I hate. I wish he would just hire someone to do it, and have the power cut off while doing so. It’s also something as Gilda would say.

I’ve got dough on the rise for making some bagels. They are quite simple really just a bit time consuming in dividing the dough and making the rings. They are one of the few breads that are simmered in water before baking. Strange to say the least by the process goes very fast and they bake up very quickly as well.

I’m making a skillet ziti today for dinner. We saw the recipe on Test Kitchen on PBS the other day. It’s fast and frankly better than the usual baked ziti which always ends up dry. The pasta just sucks up all the sauce no matter how well done the pasta is cooked ahead of time. In this recipe you cook the pasta in the sauce which you water down extensively, then add some cream, basil, parmesan, and then cover with shredded mozzerella and bake for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese.

I have to run to Center Point tomorrow and pick up a couple f things for the 4th. I forgot to get radishes which I need for the potato salad, and some nice big hamburger buns for the brisket. I’m really excited to taste that, and very happy that it is such a no work recipe. Just 12 hours in the oven at 250 and its ready for the barbecue sauce. I got out my recipe for Chocolate molten lava cakes and I’m set for that. It’s a very simple recipe as well. I’d love to hear what you are having for the fourth. LOL. My plea for the books that have changed your life went unrequited so, I have no illusions. I guess everyone is busy these days with no time for any comments. I know I struggle to find time myself to stop by everyone’s blog and leave a couple of comments each week. Things will no doubt improve again in the winter months.

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Congrats are in order to Deborah again at (Mis)Adventures of a Crafty Wifey. Seems she got her first wholesale order for her jewelry. See, she is making lovely things and making money while I obsess about being a good neighbor and commenting on blogs! LOL. I think I should be crafting. Drop by if you can and give her a shout.

I didn’t know anything about Julian the Apostate. He tried to reverse the Christianization of Rome in the 4th Century CE. He was obviously unsuccessful. He died in 363 CE on June 28th. Read more about his regressive individual at Ancient/Classical History Blog.

Sandi’s Crochet Blog never fails us. She has three posts all worth looking at. So, as I often do, I’ve linked to the main site and you can scroll at your leisure. I liked the drawstring crocheted bag that would be great for a picnic or the beach. She also has three very cute headbands. Any little girl or big one would love any of them.

We tend as youngsters to get a very romanticized notion of the colonization of this country. Some of us never get any updating of that basic information. That is sad, because it causes us as adults to assume things as fact and factor them into our thinking on other subjects. American Revolution Blog helps to disabuse us of some of those notions we learned as children in school. Reality is always better than fantasy when it comes to critical thinking about real problems. Do yourself a favor and read this post.

The bagels are done, and frankly I am not into blogging. I need a break and its just too much work for too little reward. I’ll be back whenever I feel like it. LOL.

 

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American History, Applique, astronomy, beading, chicken, Civil War, crochet, Desserts, embroidery, founding faithers, fruit, Gardening, George Washington, herbs, Italian, Pennsylvania, pesto, quilting, religion, Rome, seeds, Women's history, world history

George Krause did this beauty, entitled “Fountainhead” in 1970. I suspect that in some parts of the west, such a delightful experience would be most welcome.

Well, the garden is officially planted for the second time. I couldn’t get any more tomato plants or any sweet peppers but I did manage to get four Anaheim peppers which are mildly hot and good for a lot of dishes. The garden doesn’t look too bad, and the corn seems to be going a bit. Some of the tomato plants look rather spindly, but who knows, they may take off. I’m wondering if I should get some fertilizer out on it. Perhaps the heavy rains have washed away nutrients. The little pepper plants, no more than about 7 inches tall are trying to set fruit. That concerns me, since I’m thinking they are not going to produce much. Nothing can be done.

It seems the story is the same everywhere. The Contrariansstep brother has sprayed his fields for weeds so apparently he thinks the corn will come along. Since we planted at nearly the same time, that gives us some hope. Surely he wouldn’t spend the money for nothing. He must feel that the chances are still worth it.

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A huge congrats to Deborah over at (Mis)Adventures of a Crafty Wifey. Seems they are pregnant. Stop by and give her and hubby a nice high five.

William Penn is of course the reason Pennsylvania is called, well PENNsylvania. Yesterday marked the anniversary of his penning ( no pun intended of course) a treaty between his white folks and the native tribe there, the Lenni Lenape. King Charles II had given Penn the land, but of course it was never his to give. Read more at Martin’s American History Blog.

Hannibal won a significant battle against the Romans on this date in 217 B.C.E. Of course in the end he lost. N.S. Gill’s Ancient/Classic History Bloghas the details. The Contrarian and I seldom hear of Hannibal when we don’t recall a funny incident. We were watching “Millionaire” back in its beginnings when Regis Philbinwas still hosting at night. The first question to a contestant was “What animal did Hannibal use to cross the Alps in his war against Rome?” Without batting an eye, the young man confidently exclaimed with obvious superiority, “Llamas!” ROFL. Now there is so much wrong with that that well it never fails to get us laughing like crazy.

Sandi’s Crochet Blog offers a pattern for an afghan, and she offers you three different sizes. The pattern is called shell triangles and it’s very lovely I thought. I have a couple of afghans in progress already, but of course I seldom work on them during the summer months. Just to hot and the yarn drags horribly and your hands sweat. (We don’t use air-conditioning) I have tried to leave comments on her site but they never open up. If any of you have any luck, let me know.

You can find a very interesting discourse on George Washington at American Revolution Blogtoday. He discusses at length Washington’s faith, and how he interpreted that in light of his responsibilitiesboth as Revolutionary General and later as President. A very impressive overview.

I’ve been on a cilantro kick for a while. The fajitas we had yesterday were so much enhanced by fresh cilantro in the salsa. So it should come as no surprise that I found this recipe from  Baking Delights enticing. It’s called Cilantro Chickenand is a quickie. I’m rather certain I shall make it before the end of the week, though I will be significantly cutting it down for two.

Today Civil War Women features Judith Carter Henry. The story is about the first battle of Bull Run and an unlikely victim of that battle. Mrs. Henry, 85 years old, was one of casualties and, and as Maggie points out, the romanticism of war soon faded.

My intestines have caught up with me so I’ve had to put on the breaks with my love affair with fruit for a bit. But that doesn’t mean that I want to deprive you of a great recipe. Mango Blueberry Fool is sure to please your family any day, but especially on the hot summer days when fruit tastes just so darn good. Thanks to Epicurious for another fine one.

I thought I would include this fromFeeling Stitchy today, in honor of our friend Vicki at Knitting Dragonflies. A plethora of dragonflies for your inspiration! Patterns, tutorials and links to other great dragonfly-inspired projects for embroidery and quilting. One is also beaded, so lots of different craft ideas are available.

Okay, have you tried planting an avocado seed? I have, and have actually grown one to a real plant, but then it just died. I think I may try again with the expert advice I found at Gardening Tips ‘n Ideas. Take a peek and don’t send that poor old avocado seed off to the compost heap again. Grow your own! Of course it takes years to produce fruit, so either grow as a houseplant or transplant to a movable container and eventually you will get fruit. We can’t plant outside here in Iowa, it’s too cold in the winter.

Alice Parker is another of those unfortunate women who was tried as a witch. While many try to play down this time in our history, especially the religious right who never want to admit that Christianity can get out of hand, History of American Womenmakes it very clear by her essays that it was indeed prevalent for a time. It is important that these poor women not be forgotten. Her conviction was later reversed and her family received 8 pounds in recompense. How very nice. 😦

Inspired by Antique Quilts has another one she is getting ready to finish. A lovely applique that is colorful and looks quite quick. The pattern is large as you can see if you follow the link and take a look yourself.

Science purely shocks me sometimes. It tells me things that frankly I never thought about before.  Most know of Homer’s Odyssey, if they haven’t read it, or seen some representation of it in film. Of course we know it is part fiction but also part fact, since Troy has long been known to exist, featured so prominently in the Iliad. In the Odyssey, an eclipse is mentioned in the 20th book. Astronomers have pinpointed the date of that eclipse as April 16, 1178 B.C.E. some months after Odysseus return, near in time to when he slayed the many suitors vying for his wife’s hand. Read all the fascinating details of how this was done at Live Science.

The new Pew Report is really fascinating as it looks at American views on religion. Some of the results are simply astounding in my view. Some of this I saw last night on the news. Apparently most of us, even most evangelicals don’t believe that their faith (Christianity) is necessarily the only way to salvation. A huge majority of Catholics (79%) feel this way, topped only by Buddhists at around 83%. That suggests I think, major room for interfaith dialogue and cooperation. The Politico has the story. Here is a link to the forum itself where you can spend a long time reading through this very detailed work.

Pesto! I love the stuff, and have about 8 basil plants doing just fine in a container by the front door. I plan on making pestowhen they are as big as i can get them. It’s very easy to make, just basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. Whiz it in a food processor, spoon into ice cube trays and freeze, pop out and put in a freezer bag. You can add it to pasta, soups, well just about anything you wish. Once Upon A Feast has some great new and different ways to make it. Cilantro is a favorite substitute. Just looking at the photos are enough to make a person swoon.

Well I found this next one a bit weird to say the least. It seems glass is not a proper solid at all. It’s moving. Yeah, did I say weird? Atoms are prohibited from moving where they want to by being blocked by neighbors. All of this means (heck if I know why) that glass could be the new component in airplane construction. I’m not thinking I want to sit in a transparent plane anytime soon!

Canada can boast a new find archaeologically speaking, and we always like to speak archaeologically whenever possible. An ancient fort constructed by people before Europeans arrived in the area, has been located in Western Canada, near Cluny and east of Calgary. It is defined as a Siksika First Nation reservation and is around 250 years old. The site was long known to native peoples.

Wow, I sure missed a number of posts by Melisende at Women of History. There are several so I’ll just give you the main site and you can scroll down and read what you like. The first is onMaria Comnena, Queen of Jerusalem, grandniece to Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnena of Constantinople. Second is Theodora Comnena, niece of the same Emperor. Next is Margaret Anjou, Queen to the King Henry VI of England, Artemesia of Hallicarnassus, Queen, and lastlyGalla Placidia, Empress and daughter of Theodosius the Great of Rome. They are all from June 22, so she’s been quite prolific. A lovely run of important women

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More Sign Humor:

At a Music Store: Out to lunch. Bach at 12:30. Offenbach sooner.

At a tire shop in Milwaukee: Invite us to your next blowout. 

At the electric company: We would be delighted if you send in your bill. However, if you don’t, you will be.

Church sign: To remove worry wrinkles, get your faith lifted

In a department store: Bargain Basement Upstairs.

In a Maine restaurant: Open seven days a week and weekends.

In a Pennsylvania cemetery: Persons are prohibited from picking flowers from any but their own graves.

Inside a bowling alley: Please be quiet. We need to hear a pin drop.

On a maternity room door: Push. Push. Push.

On a New York convalescent home: For the sick and tired of the Episcopal Church

Questioning Inevitability

Tags

American History, biology, Crafts, crochet, economy, energy, Flowers, Gardening, muffins, Native Americans, Oil, pasta, Raisin Bread, Sauces, vegetables, Women's history

The artist is Sebastiao Salgado. The print was done in 2004, and is called “Agashya, Mt. Sabyinyo, Rwanda.”  I thank Senor Salgado for taking this nice photo of the Contrarian and me. Just a nice stroll in the Meadow!

Another week has slid by so fast that I realize that June is quickly going by. I hardly feel that I have had a chance to enjoy it at all. It seems we are still trying to get organized. The Contrarian has done a lot of weeding in the garden, both by hand and by the little weed tiller. My lettuce is going great guns and we will probably be able to harvest some soon for salads. I’ve got the house all spiffy clean and feel rather satisfied with myself. I’ve ordered a beef brisket from the meat locker in Walker to pick up next week. I think it will be a fun 4th of July meal to make. I’m tired of the usual fare of ribs or steaks.

We are getting some sun, but it’s sporadic, and we may get some rain this afternoon. I surely hope not, we are down to mostly mud now in a few places. We can move the vehicles around with ease now. The Contrarian has weed eaten around the house pretty good and it’s at least looking a bit more lived in.

 I have to seriously think about painting the office now. I think perhaps I’ll do some tomorrow. The Contrariansincerely wants little to do with the process, and that’s fine. If he takes over, he will do it all, since he can’t stand painting, so he wants to do it all at one time. I am happy to do a bit a day until it’s done. We often find that some chores are not things we can do together, since we work quite differently. If we try to do it together, we end up snapping at each other, which is senseless to me.

Doing this craft, recipe, history etc blog post is ever so much more stressful for some reason. The feeds seem so reluctant to come up and it seems forever before I’m done. I don’t know the reason, I can only surmise that the blogging platforms that I and so many use are just not as receptive as dot com sites for whatever reason. Perhaps it’s just the pictures that are so much more prevalent on crafty blogs. I dunno, but I just go nuts sometimes wasting time, waiting!!!!

Anyway, let’s see what is what today:

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We open with A Mingling of Tastes which has an interesting side dish or main vegetarian dish, Smoky Lentils with Roasted Sweet Potatoes. I like lentils, and like lentil soup. I love Egyptian food which features lentils in many varieties with lots of different spices. This is not the type of summer dish I would make, but it would be fine in the fall or winter.

Martin’s American History Blog focuses on the industrial revolution of the 19th Century. I guess we are in some kind of new one now, though I’m not sure I can yet define what it is. A technological revolution? A world market revolution? Perhaps we should spend some time looking backward to discover how to better handle what we are going through now.

We have a cute new pattern for crochet from Sandi’s Crochet Blog. I think her patterns are so nice, and they are so easy to follow as well. She suggests that this pattern works well for a washcloth. I like making these simple and quick items for home use. They can be used, and do up in a one or two sessions quite easily.

Well this is a surprise. It seems that a major Revolutionary War relic has been located. An entire ship found in Lake Ontario! It was a British ship, called the HMS Ontario and was a 22-gun warship sunk by American forces. Read all about the find and the excitement is has engendered at American Revolution Blog.

From As the Garden Grows, we get a wonderful list of annuals and perennials that attract butterflies. We love all the hummingbirds and butterflies that come around to feed on nectar from our flowers. This is a rather extensive list, and one that is worth copying for a hard copy file for later use this fall and next spring when planting is more appropriate. Some are herbs, so you get a bonus!

Boy this recipe sure brought back some memories. Raisin Bread! Doesn’t that sound wonderful? I remember it so well from my childhood. I can’t eat a lot, because of the concentrated sugar in the dried fruit, but a slice or two, once in a while can’t hurt, and I adore her idea of using it for chicken salad sandwiches. Take a peek, it’s not hard to make. We got this recipe from Baking Delights. Remember if you have a heavy duty mixer, you can use the dough hook to do the kneeding for you! The entire process takes less than 30 minutes to get to the oven.

Oh the minute I saw this, I said, whoohoo, I’m making this! It’s a great little condiment spread for hamburgers. Hamburgers are one of my favorite meals, and truth be told, we have them usually twice a month on Friday or Saturday. I know this will be a hit with the Contrarian as well. I will of course half this recipe for the two of us. I’m thinking what other things would this be good on? Maybe some of that brisket with lots of barbecue sauce as well? Oh I think I may be on to something here. Coconut & Lime, a huge kiss from me for Chipotle Cheese Sauce. I guess it would go okay with the traditional celery sticks too.

It won’t be long before summer squash comes into it’s own. Not here of course, we have to replant, our first planting rotted out and never came up. So, under the theory that there are never too many recipes for zucchini, I found this nice one from Epicurious which makes a lovely side dish. HerbedSummer Squash and Potato Torte with Parmesan sounds like a winner to me.

We watched the Robin Williams movie “RV” the other night, and I thought it was hilarious, if quite predictable. You might enjoy Garrison Keillor‘s take on the wonderful (for some) adventure of traveling with a home behind you. Things are changing what with gas prices. This may be a relic of the past soon.

Today’s edition of History of American Women focuses on the Indian tribes of South Carolina.I am really enjoying her series here of the various tribes that were prevalent during the colonial period. and beyond. It is without question, an area of our history that most of us have not had the benefit of very much information about. I’m sure it’s better today than it was in my time in high school, but I’m sure it still neglects a lot as well. A great chance to improve our understanding of those who greeted us when we first arrived on the shores of “America.”

Oil and it’s price has become a hot button issue. It’s hard to know whom to believe, since it seems everyone has a reason to fashion an answer to support a previous opinion. Live Science has an article which may come from a more scientific point of view, and thus may actually shed some light on the true causes of the prices were are swearing at these days.

I am growing to just love these pasta roundupseach week. What interesting and tantalizing recipes I continue to find. I made the Pastitsio one earlier in the week. After a questionable start, the Contrarian gave it a thumbs up. He was utterly taken aback by cinnamon in a meat dish at first. After he got over the shock, he actually liked it. I personally didn’t think it tasted much of cinnamon so much as had the aroma. So, make sure you peruse through the offerings and find something truly delectable for dinner tonight. Once Upon a Feast is our supplier of these weekly gems.

There are many who think that a lot of science is just a waste of money. There have even been a Congress person or two and a network or two that have made it their business to inform you of scientific studies they found ludicrous and wasteful. And some may in fact be. But here’s food for thought. Scientists have long pondered exactly how pattern emerges in nature. The stripes on a zebra for instance, or the intricate pattern of a butterfly. They may be closer to an answer of figuring out how cells move around and differentiate in such a way as to form the patterns of say a spiral sea shell. And guess what? The answers may help scientists in understanding how cancer cells metastasize. So, before you decry the expenditure of funds on silly science, think again: It may some day save your life.

We are truly blessed this week. Scandalous Women has another entry for us! This one is about Elizabeth Chudleigh. Never heard of her? Neither had I frankly. But I know who she is now. And mercy me, she was scandalous, and that’s enough to peak your interest no doubt. Here’s a hint: She was the Duchess of Kingston and she was tried for bigamy in the 18th century. My oh my, that’s a new one on me. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a woman being charged with that crime before.

For reasons unknown to me, there often seems a serendipitous thing going on around here. Today it seems to be Zucchini. Another recipe, this time from Simply Recipes. I think this is another definite keeper. Zucchini Muffins is both easy, tasty sounding, and something that will freeze well for use during the interminable winters of Iowa.

Tip Junkie is featuring a whole slew of crafters of varied types this week. I’ve given you the main site so you can scroll down and see if anything interests you. Most  of the items are for sale, with links to the site of the seller and probably her Etsy shop as well. Of course, just looking is fine too, and you might get inspired to think of something you would like to make yourself. I find these sites enticing to say the least. I’m trying to figure out how to carve a bit more time for crafts out of my schedule. Top priority right now is to start getting my recipe’s in order in my big 3-ring binder. Then again, I may have to add more binders! LOL.

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Famous, or not so famous last words:

I think it’s trying to communicate…

“Na, I don’t think we need to go to the hospital.”

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” — Western Union internal memo, 1876.

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” — Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy.” — Drillers whom Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist in his project to drill for oil in 1859.

“No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris.” — Orville Wright.

I wonder where the mother bear is.

“I eat guys like you for breakfast!” — Jeffrey Dahmer

I’m sure this isn’t the poisonous kind.

Pandora’s Proximity

Tags

American History, Asian, barbecue, beef, Cajun Spices, cake, chocolate, church/state, Civil War, Crafts, crochet, evolution, faith, fundamentalism, Gardening, gay rights, health, human physiology, John McCain, knitting, leafminers, marriage, racism, religion, salad, science, tex-mex, Watergate, Women's history, Zoology

Entitled “Pategonia, Chile #5, this was done by Rene Bass Forman in 2004.

Another day with sun! Will wonders never cease? I had another of my bad dreams this morning, actually two of them together. One is the infamous pee dream. I gotta go in reality, and keep dreaming that I am having trouble finding a bathroom. It always ends up being a fairly public affair, and when I go, alas, two minutes later, I’m desperately searching for another one. That was conflated with a recurrent dream of being back in Detroit, practicing law, and I’m horridly late for a trial in progress that I have completely forgotten to return to. I woke up grumpy!

On the home front, we continue to slowly dry out. The river is down to a trickle and the Contrarian is doing some weed eating around about and burning trash. I’ve done the day’s housework–bedroom and my craft room. I’ve developed a fairly strict cleaning regime that is about the only thing that works for me. It gives me three days off a week–bedroom/craft room Tuesday, office/living room Wednesday, kitchen Thursday, bathrooms Friday. I also made a batch of Pastitsio for dinner, a Greek dish that I’ve had a lot of in the past in Detroit’s Greektown. It’s basically a meat ragu with pasta and a bechamel sauce with flavorings of Parmesan and cinnamon, and tomato paste. A nice little casserole is ready to hit the oven later on.

Let’s see what is around the internet today that sounds tasty, fun to make or just thoroughly interesting to learn about.

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For those who are as old as me, this story is well known. For younger folks, you may not know so much. Today is the anniversary of the break-in at the Watergate hotel, by five men in the employ of the White House. The coverup that followed and it’s uncovering led of course to the downfall of the Nixon presidency. Read about it at Martin’s American History Blog.

Sandi’s Crochet Blog has a lovely lacy daisy to crochet withthread. Of course you could do it with heavier weights as well. But as such it makes a nice applique to a T-Shirt or pair of jeans. It’s cute, and of course, the pattern is there for you as well.

Is McCain’s run for the presidency doomed? So say many historians, who always look at the big picture. The big picture of course means examining history and looking for parallels. They suggest that the Republican cycle is about done, and this is normal. American Presidents Blog has the story for you to ponder and agree with or not as your intellectual prowess dictates.

David Barton, mentioned here before as a fool with a penchant for spreading untruth about our founding traditions, is, according to American Revolution Blog up to his old tricks. That is, he, a exceedingly poor excuse for a historian, attempts to rewrite history to suit his motives of introducing Christianity into the public arena as THE religion of the country. Read this fine expose’ of his junk history regarding the Mayflower Compact.

I confess, I’ve never tried to cook an entire beef brisket. I’ve seen recipes that called for elaborate self-made smoking systems that require constant attention and hours of labor. Baking Delights claims that this one, done in the oven for 12 hours works perfectly well. She lays out all the particulars for you. She claims it is a true Texan perfection. Look it over, take a chance and dive in. She says it freezes just fine, because she says you must make a whole one to make it right, and they are huge. Given prices of everything these days, cheap meat is going to become increasingly welcome in our household, and I intend to make this soon.

Chocolate andhas the sublime, the incomparable, the tasting delight of  Molten Chocolate Cake for you today. Oh, I can sink into a pile of gooey ecstasy just at the mere thought of this. I’m thinking of the 4th of July for this gem.

Now for something completely different. Salad and a nice Asian one to boot. This might be a perfect foil for all manner of summer light dinners. It’s called Pickled Carrot-Cucumber Salad and comes to us from Coconut & Lime.Take a look and add to your repertoire if you so desire.

Fannie Lawrence Rickett‘s was a Civil War nurse. Civil War Womenfeatures her this week in a nice little biography. Daughter to wealthy Jamaican land owners, she later married a distant relative of her mothers who was a captain in the US army. He was badly injured during the war, and she made her way to where he was imprisoned. There she cared for him and other captured and wounded union soldiers.  Read about her life of dedication and hardship as the war progressed.

Commonweal, has an editorial entitled “Marriage, California Style” that examines the new same-sex marriage situation in that state that took effect yesterday I believe. They feel the decision is ill-advised. I do not of course. See what you think.

Steak Fajitas are a staple around the Meadow. We have them at least once a month, and sometimes two. In fact they are on the menu for later in the week, if I can get to the store and pick me up a green pepper. I thought you might like an authentic one from Epicurious today taken from Gourmet magazine. The only thing weird about this recipe is the basil, which I don’t find correct. I would change it to cilantro myself.

Free Sample Forager has a slew of new items for you. I saw cereal and acid reducer and rice, all free samples. There are a good dozen to look at and link to and acquire.

There are those in this country, and I am one of them, that fear that our respective bigotries are doing such damage to our country and our world that something must soon be done. It seem epidemic and endemic in our world. I’ll have more to say on this subject at a later date, but I urge you to take a look at this offering from History News Network, “A Passion for Overcoming Injustice has Seized America Once Again.”

Mary Towne Easty was another of those women who ended up on the wrong side of Salem religious fanatics and paid the price with her life. History of American Women, focuses on her story today and her death in 1692 at the gallows.

Serious knitters know about spinning and dying their yarn. I think it’s a fascinating idea, but know I’ll never get to that level of interest. I would love to weave as well, but know I never shall. Same for learning to play the piano. If you have this kind of serious interest, Knitting Dragonflies has some information for you. I am still puzzling over socks directions and scratching my head, thinking it doesn’t make a lot of sense with all these needles (five of them?).

Ever wondered about optical illusions? How exactly they “trick” the eye?I have, pondering how the neurons in our fabulous brains fire in exquisite synchronicity to do what they do so that we can do what we do. Well, Live Science has the answer for us. It has to do with the future, and how far we can see into it.

And if you think that only humans have the capacity to think and plan ahead, well, think again as they say. It turns out that apes and orangutans can as well, and do. But another indice of defining humanity that falls by the way side. It seems that there is less and less that separates us from our close cousins than ever we thought.

Wow, a totally awesome question this week on On Faith. Do you believe that faith affects health? Does it do so positively or negatively? Is this New Age? Lots of interesting ideas here. I think it can be both a help and a detriment. I think it depends on how you use it, and what exactly faith means to you. I’ve seen a whole plethora of people who have turned faith into mental illness, and others who have grown in vigor through quiet contemplative spiritual exercises. Read the varied approaches by the panel and delve into the comments.

Once Upon a Feast has more mouth-watering recipes to tempt you to get in that kitchen and really explore your culinary heart. I think  that Cajun Spices are a must, and it’s always better to do your own that buy that expensive packaged stuff. Also, you can wander over to the Pasta Roundup and find a ton of great dishes here. The true joy of this roundup are the pictures which are so glorious, I swear you could eat the paper and be satisfied.

Religion in American Historyhas a good one today. They feature on wingnutty Cal Thomas, popular from his idiotic featured editorials and his rightwing drivel on FoxyEntertainmentNews. Cal, using that damned if you aren’t a Christiannonsense, claims that Obama isn’t one. Why you say? Because Obama actually thinks a compassionate God doesn’t condemn 4/5 of all humanity to eternal hellfires because they haven’t had the benefit of Christianity as their source of religious training. Read the funny, but sick take by Mr. Thomas.

This recipe caught my eye at Simply Recipes. I’ve forgiven her for the Chipotle Chocolate Cake. Frankly I rather detested it, and finally threw out the last piece. i just couldn’t manage another slice. Her Tex-Mex recipe for Mexican Green Bean Salad sounded just right. We have yet to plant our beans given the lousy weather, but hope to before the end of the week. I can see making this fine offering to accompany some grilled fare.

A goodie, today we get another great post from Scandalous Women. Today she focuses on Grace Metalious, the author of that scandalous book Peyton Place!Remember the TV show? How we watched in titillation at the goings on of the families, sure that we were on the verge of naughtiness. Remember the waif thin Mia Farrow and Ryan O’Neal?  Read about Ms. Metalious’s life in all its detail. My deepest thanks to Elizabeth for her extraordinarily fine posts.

Tip Junkie is featuring a whole slew of crafters with lots of talent, and lots of stuff for sale. You might want to take a look, buy something, or get some ideas for crafting of your own. I thought there were a number of delightful products, and it certainly gave me ideas.

Veggie Gardening Tipshas an excellent post on that miserable ewww pest the leafminer. Those are those great big green sluggy things that eat the tomato plant you have been so lovingly tending in less than a day. I’ve not had much trouble with them here in Iowa, but in Michigan it seems I was always fighting them. Some great help on eradicating this beast.

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More of those wacky bumper stickers–read em here instead of rear-ending somebody trying to read them on the road!

huked on foniks werkd fer me

I am overjoyed with whelm!

I didn’t fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian.

I Don’t Suffer From Insanity, I Enjoy Every Minute Of It

I Feel Like I’m Diagonally Parked In A Parallel Universe

I Got A Gun For My Wife; Best Trade I Ever Made.

I Have The Body Of A God … Buddha

I Just Got Lost In Thought. It Was Unfamiliar Territory

I left the womb for this?

I put in contacts for this?

I took a pain pill. Why are you still here?

Weep for Iowa

Tags

American History, astronomy, Civil War, crochet, cross stitch, fabric decoupage, founding fathers, ice cream, Italian, pasta, Presidents, quilting, religion, science, Unitarianism, Women's history

Another entry into the Spider Black-White Photography competition. This one is from an amateur Jason Robinette USA. It is such an anomaly in contrasts, the expected tilted back head so common to one who is arising from beneath the water of a pool, the hand placements so very odd. It other worldly in some sense, alien. I wonder if it was spontaneous or staged?

Horrors continue in Iowa. We learn that a boy scout camp was hit by a tornado last night with a loss of life of 4 and upwards of near 50 injured. It is almost beyond comprehension that so much misery is visiting our state. Cedar Rapids has no power, and the 500 year flood plain has been evacuated while the downtown begins to flood. Cresting has not yet even occurred. One can only wait in dejection as things just get worse and worse.

Our friend has has plenty of time to remove all his valuables and appliances from his home. At last check yesterday the waters from the Wapsi were about 40 feet from the house. The Wapsi has I believe crested in Independence which is the last stop before it hits us. Things look bleak. Well water must be boiled in our county if you live on a flood plain. We do not.

Our major concern now is power. It flicked off once yesterday and then went off for about 10 minutes. No sump is worth a dime if the power goes out. At this point, our basement would begin flooding I believe within a hour. That is simply nothing we can do anything about. As power fails on other parts of the grid, more stress is placed upon those still operating.  It has rained fairly steadily since about 6 am. We are now in a lull, and hope that perhaps we have now had the worst of it. Time will tell, but we are told that after today, things will be quite a bit better except for Sunday where rain is still highly likely.

Oh, the Chipotle Chocolate Flourless  Cake is well, HOT. If you make it, I would definitely not add the dash of cayenne suggested. I added a couple of scoops of ice cream and that tempered the heat enough that I could enjoy it, but I’m doubtful I’ll try this little number again. It would be okay I guess for something rather fancy, small pieces with ice cream or whipped with maybe some fresh raspberries for garnish. It definitely is a dish that would cause a good amount of chatter when served.

Let’s see what we can find that takes our minds off the sad state of affairs in my state.

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A lovely owl filet crochet  is offered by Sandi’s Crochet Blog. As always it comes with complete instructions and variations so that you can even cross-stitch it if you wish.

Iowa Public TV has been running a series on the American Presidents. We just finished watching the one on Harry Truman. I didn’t think much of the man after watching it frankly, and even less of his self-centered wife Bess. His adoration for her was slightly disgusting, given that she treated him rather badly in my opinion. American President’s blog  has a nice piece on his courtship of the woman. He was strange and they were a strange couple.

American Revolution Blog  looks again at religion, especially that of Unitarianism in our early colonial period. I believe that John Adams changed from his Puritan roots to the Unitarian church. It’s an excellent read and you shouldn’t miss it.

Okay, so we have been flirting with some recipes that are a bit out there. This one features that chipotle again, this time with blackberries. I thought it made an interesting possibility for summer barbecue. It’s called Chipotle-Blackberry Pulled Pork, and comes to us from Coconut & Lime. It’s a slow cooker recipe, with a long list of ingredients but oh it could be a huge winner!

Free Sample Forager  has Pantene hair product samples available. Vaseline samples as well.

Garrison Keillor  has a piece over at the Salon. This week he weighs in on Barack Obama and the challenges faced by a black man running for the country’s highest office.

Family Style Food  offers a recipe that is anything but Family Style. This is a lovely update of an old favorite. I can assure you that at the moment we actually have a wonderful beautiful ripe tomato of sufficient size, BLT’s are thfirst thing we consider. We gorge on them for a month, at least once a week, until the time has past. Take a look at BLT’s with aoili sauce and on Flatbread.Recipes for all including the flatbread. Oh I am definitely trying this one.

Maggie brings us another of her marvelous bio’s. This time the featured woman is Rebecca Towne Nurse. She arrived with her family in Salem, MA in 1640 and later married a man named Nurse. She was arrested as an elderly woman of 71 as a witch, and even though she had an impeccable history in the town, accusers (who may have had other personal reasons to get her out of the way) prevailed. Although the initial verdict was Not Guilty, the jurors were urged to return and rethink things which they did, and finally provided the Guilty verdict that was desired by some. Read about this sad story at History of American Women.

Niki’s Ventures  has a link to a big bunch of new quilting patterns. This is worth bookmarking if you are a quilter. She lists a very long list of sites which offer free patterns and then gives you a separate list for specific quilt types. An excellent resource. In fact there are several lists, and in total more than 2500 patterns. So this is the best of the best. I’ll add this site to my blogroll for crafts for sure.

The Hubble space telescope continues to show us new parts of our universe in all its splendor. The Coma Cluster contains thousands of Galaxies. Can you imagine what you are viewing here? Millions upon millions of stars and planets. I believe most  are older galaxies, no longer producing much in the way of new stars. It is an impressive wonder.

Did I tell you that I adore ice cream? And I adore cherries especially. They are so expensive here in Iowa. I remember as a kid stopping at a roadside stand on the way up to the lake and buying a quart for 50cents. Now it’s like $3 bucks for a quart. But oh so good to combine the two as Simply Recipes has done for Cherry Ice Cream. Oh did I say it also has chocolate chips? BONUS! And I bet that changes your mind!

Secret Recipe Blog  has a wonderful Olive Garden  entry today. Tortelloni Bologneseis available for the copying. Italian dishes are my super favorite ethnic food with Tex-Mex a close second. Try your hand at this crowd and family pleaser.

A wonderful fabric decoupage nightstands  for you from J Caroline Creative. I picked this up through Tip Junkie  and thank her alot. I can’t vouch for the colors chosen here, which are a little glaring to me, but I this tutorial is worth that and more. If you have a cheap piece of furniture that you would like to redo, this is great! Take a look and save this tutorial as the process can be used on anything I think. I’m now thinking of buying a really cheap chest of drawers just to try this.

If anyone is a Civil War buff or a military history buff, I found a nice site courtesy of World History Blog entitled Wig-Wags. It’s run by a graduate student in the subject so you will get some great information and as I perused it, some really good reviews of books on the subject. Stop by if so inclined.

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 HA!

 

 

 

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“I’m not against half-naked girls – not as often as I’d like to be…” Benny Hill

“TV has brought murder back into the home where it belongs.” – Alfred Hitchcock

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” –Mark Twain

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”. –Gandhi

“You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take. – Wayne Gretzky

“Happiness isn’t getting what you want, it’s wanting what you got”. – Garth Brooks

“I’m an excellent housekeeper. Every time I get a divorce, I keep the house”. – Zsa Zsa Gabor

“Charlie Brown is the one person I identify with. C.B. is such a loser. He wasn’t even the star of his own Halloween special.” — Chris Rock

Finding the Spiritual in H2O

Tags

American History, chicken, Christianity, crochet, cross stitch, Gardening, health, humming bird food, knitting, Native Americans, pasta, Presidents, quilting, religion, salad, science, sewing, Women's issues, Zoology

This was an entry in the 2007 Spider Awards for black and white photography. It is by Matthew Septimus and is entitled “Ganges Bathing.”

It struck me that we are not making anything spiritual of this experience with water. Perhaps that is our failing. Another night of rain, punctuated by sump duty, laying in bed listening to it stop and then just when you felt relief that the storm had passed, the splats upon the skylights began again. This must have happened six or more times, as my grief grew deeper with each teasing interlude interrupted but again with the awful sound. The Contrarian is distressed, and he is the one who usually maintains an optimism that I cannot hold on to. I on the other hand, have made my peace in some respects, surrendering to that which I cannot change.

I think that I composed a very long essay on this experience in my head last night, but truth be told, I have no desire to set it to type today. The effort seems too much, and what hasn’t already been said after all? I remind myself that we are in our home, we have lost little but perhaps the garden, and there is no clear assurance of that. We endure because that is our humanity. Looking back, we will undoubtedly wonder how we did, but during the doing, one simply puts one foot before the other, does the next task at hand, and hopes. Hope is our eternal protection.

I made a pretty little holder for my knitting needles the other day. I guess I should try to figure out how to download and upload pictures and show you. LOL. It’s too insignificant for all that trouble. I made some chicken enchiladas for dinner. I kind of redid a recipe I found, eliminating the canned soup and replacing it with a thickened chicken broth, that I made after poaching the chicken in it. I’ll let you know how it turned out. Alas my cilantro had turned to yuck, so I saw no point in making any fresh salsa. Cilantro is the key I believe. So bottled will do.

Let’s see what crafts and recipes we can find today to brighten up the world.

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Martin’s American History Blog  gives us a nice piece on the Mayflower Compact which influenced to some degree our efforts in constructing our Constitution. Follow the link off his main page and read a most interesting story on the this most important document.

Sandi’s Crochet Blog  has a lot of new entries, so I’m sending you to the from page and you can scroll down. She offers some new patterns, a father’s day tote, a lacy edging, and directions on how to weave in the ends from all those granny squares  when you assemble the pieces. There are only 2 blog entries allowed apparently on these “about” blog platforms so go to the bottom and click on more blogs entries and I think the rest will pop up.

We all know that Thomas Jefferson  was talented as a writer and thinker. He was also an accomplished architect and designed Monticello and the University of Virginia. Read about his contribution to our architectural heritage at American Presidents Blog.

More American history and this focus is on Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Islandas a tolerant haven from the religious intolerance of Plymouth Settlement. That is the common story about Mr. Williams. American Revolution Blog has the story you might not have heard about.

Baking Delights  has her loving Saturday surfing so you can scoot over there and find lots of recipes. I saw  cupcakes, and Asparagus and Cashew Chicken, curries and Thai food, and more. I am definitely returning to check out a couple of these.

Gardening Tips ‘n Ideas  has a cute little post about what kind of gardener you are. A starter, maintainer, or finisher? I’m definitely a starter. I love to plant the darn thing, hate to weed and find it so hot when harvest time comes around because that means lots of work in a hot kitchen. Slip over and read this fun post.

History of American Women  takes a look at the Native Peoples who inhabited the area now known as New Hampshire. It was a surprise to me when I moved to Connecticut several years ago to discover such strange names for the Native American tribes. So much different to me than those I was familiar with from Michigan. And of course their dress and livelihood and housing was also different. We tend I think to think all Native people are the same, the ones we see in our old cowboy and Indian movies. Enjoy her fine post. These are simply wonderful posts and so informative.

I mean, if you want to see what a serious quilter’s stash looks like, go over to  Inspired by Antique Quilts  and be shocked! I mean wow, I have like one small shelf of hers and that’s my entire stash. I don’t know whether to feel economical or sadly behind! It’s an impressive array. One of these days, I’m gonna start a new one, I just can’t decide what! I want to do an applique, a friendship quilt, and a old fashioned nine patch. I can’t do all three at once!

First we got to figure out what kind of gardener we are, now its what kind of crafter we are. Yarn Harlot has a new book out, and Knitting dragonflies got a copy and concluded from reading that there are basically two types of crafters. Depending on which kind you are, will determine what you do I think. I’m not sure which one I am, but I think product. I think the more I think about it, it might explain a lot about me as a crafter.

Okay, quiz onwoolly mamoths! No not really, but I sure didn’t know that there were two distinct groups of them. I thought they were all the same. Live Science  has the story for you.  DNA research has uncovered a lot of new information about these cute creatures. It was long thought that humans were the cause of their demise, but it now seems that one group died out well before humans came on the scene.

I just got interrupted by the Contrarian. He’s feeling a bit more up since the garden, miraculously seems to be doing okay for the most part. He’s putting up the humming bird feeder and I of course forgot the recipe for the sugar water. So, I’m doing a google for the answer. For your information its: a 4:1 ratio 1/4 cup sugar for every cup of water. Boil the water first, and don’t add coloring.

Niki’s Ventures has a baby bib  for you to make and a link to the free pattern. Or try a bird mobile  for a crib or frankly a lot of little nooks. It’s quite inventive I thought.

On Faith has a most interesting topic this week. What does health have to do with faith? Do religions which have an integral health element in their tradition have real benefits to their followers? Mental health results? A provocative idea, with lots of panelist essays and tons of comments. I’ve joined in these discussions a couple of times, and they really are fun.

Another Pasta roundup  at Once upon a Feast. If pasta is your thing, and it sure is mine, there are quite a few entries this week. Salmon, pestos, and one I am going back for, a new Pastitsio. Having eaten in a Greek town setting for years in Detroit, I know my Greek food. The pictures are luscious too, which really is a great incentive to try some of these. There are much more than a dozen here, and they range into all the great cuisines, Asian, Italian, Greek, you name it.

I was utterly taken aback by this next post. It seems a Church has been found in modern day Jordan which may be the earliest Christian church yet found.It dates, unbelievably to the time of between 33CE and 70CE. It is said that 70 followers of Jesus took refuge there from the persecutions in Jerusalem. It sits below the Church of St. Georgeous, reputed until then to be the oldest, at the age of around 230 CE. What is not clear is whether this was a unique occurrence, or a general rule around the various preaching geography. I suspect it is the former. Rogueclassicism brings the story to you.

Well folks, I don’t exactly know what to make of this one. And before you ask, it’s not from The Onion. It’s a legitimate report from Science Daily. It simply reports that golf cart accidents are on the rise. I guess a number of comics could have a lot of fun with this. I’m not one of them alas. Okay, there are some reasonable explanations, but I’m not sharing. Read for yourself! LOL.

The Contrarian does not like curry, and frankly I adore it. My favorite is chicken salad with crunchy veggies, sunflower seeds, grapes and yes curry. Simply Recipes  has another recipe, and it is definitely going on my to-try list. Take a look at Chicken Curry Salad and see what you think.

Threads of Desire  catches us up on her latest work in cross stitch. She just inspires the heck out of me with her beautiful work. Just looking at what she’s working on gives me a lift.

Women of History  posts a look at women and rights. Focusing on Saudi Arabia in 2003 and comparing it to what is happening in Australia is most interesting. Comparing them both the American women and their rights is even more so. I doubt seriously that any gains have occurred in Saudi Arabia in the past five years. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if things have regressed.

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Some silly quotes for you:

Crazy is a relative term in my family!

Procrastinate now, don’t put it off.

“No BLOOD no foul.”

I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Borrow money from pessimists – they don’t expect it back.

The sooner you fall behind the more time you’ll have to catch up.

OK, so what’s the speed of dark?

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

I intend to live forever — so far, so good.

What happens if you get scared half to death twice?