You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. ~Jim Rohn I’m not sure that’s the right number, but there’s a clear correlation. It is impossible to work, volunteer, or attend church with people repeatedly and manage to keep your original self intact. I’m not saying your–or my–original self is […]
Friends And Their Influence Read More »
The Rosetta Stone’s discovery and translation marked a turning point in our understanding… without it, we would never have been able to understand this fascinating civilization to the level that we do today. ~The Anthrotorian No, the image above is not “the” Rosetta Stone, but it does illustrate the hieroglyphs that puzzled explorers for eons.
Rosetta Stone – the First One Read More »
“He could smell the readiness of onion in every one of its stages of cooking and knew exactly what stage worked best for each dish. He could identify the exact rapidity with which milk had to boil before adding the lemon to make the cheese curd separate into paneer. He could sense exactly when to
Sensing Smells – A Relative Ability Read More »
If there are two or more ways of doing things and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it. Edward A. Murphy, Jr. Almost three decades ago, a 2′ X 3′ poster hung on my cubicle wall in Indianapolis. It displayed a list of sayings attributed to Murphy. That
Alligators and crocodiles are some of the most aggressive creatures on the planet – they’ll take down a boat if you come up to their nest. ~ Jack Hanna I have no reason to doubt Mr. Hanna, nor any reason to approach any of their nests. But let’s suspend reality for a few minutes and
See You Later, Alligator Read More »
The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. ~Michael Altshuler He’s right, at least in part. There are a variety of factors that impact our perception of life’s experiences as they hurtle by. Or dawdle, as the case may be. Have you ever launched a self-survey to determine the root
Time Flies, But How Fast? Read More »
Under a spreading chestnut tree, The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hand;And the muscles of his brawny armsAre strong as iron bands.~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow We don’t know whether Longfellow was referencing the American Chestnut tree when he wrote “The Village Blacksmith” in 1839. However, that was
An Old Chestnut – the American Kind Read More »
There was nothing wrong with being a homebody. There was nothing wrong with not wanting – not needing – the constant jostle and noise of a party or bar or… whatever. ~ Charles de Lint, Jack of Kinrowan: Jack the Giant-Killer / Drink Down the Moon Whew! What a relief. I thought there was something
Becoming a Homebody Read More »
If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else. ~ Alfred Adler Hard to argue with that, given the nonsensical proposition. However, I can verify that if you don’t know how to get where you’re going, your target will not materialize. Well, it won’t materialize absent divine intervention, and I should know. I
Some Who Wander *Are* Lost Read More »
Age is of no importance unless you’re a cheese. ~Billie Burke For those of you who are struggling to remember Billie Burke, what’s wrong with you? Glinda, the good witch on Wizard of Oz. Remember now? I don’t know why she displayed such disdain for the human aging process, but she had a point about
“In my defense, the Easter Bunny is the weakest link in magical lore. I mean, you have to admit that the whole thing is ridiculous. A giant rodent who sneaks into people’s homes at night to leave eggs filled with candy? How in the world is that symbolic of the Easter celebration? ~ Autumn Doughton, Chasing
About the Easter Bunny Read More »
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you; righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9 ESV) How many times have I heard that verse, but gave no thought to the individual components of Palm
Palm Sunday – Components & Traditions Read More »
I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets. ~ Hamlin Garland Nice sentiment. But when I think of cedars, I primarily recall my bad behavior from
Cedar Trees – Facts & Lore Read More »
If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur. ~ Doug Larsen I’m a big fan of Mr. Larsen, but he is no etymologist. Yes, I know he was just being funny, but given his wide appeal, someone might think he’s onto something. While there are patterns to many
English Language Rules Read More »
Some people’s weakness is that they care too much; it is also their strength. ~Brigitte Nicole This week’s piece was supposed to be about grammar rules. I’ll get to that one soon enough, but something happened a few days ago that diverted my attention. I won’t bore you with all the details, but I will
Can You Care Too Much? Read More »
Their friendship sometimes struck Frances as being like a piece of soap-like a piece of ancient kitchen soap that had got worn to the shape of her hand, but which had been dropped to the floor so many times it was never quite free of its bits of cinder. ~ Sarah Waters, The Paying Guests Most
Lye Soap – What Was Old Is New Again Read More »
There is a type of pie strongly associated with Scotland which has aesthetic and health dangers that justify its inclusion here amongst the sinister pies. It is the Fried Pie – which is just what it says, a baked pie cooked a second time by frying. Scotland is not called the Land of the Brave
Pie – Southern Style Read More »
Today’s pasty is the working man’s version, a perfect meal in the hand, easily transportable… ~Janet Clarkson Based on recent research, it isn’t just today’s pasty that is a perfect portable meal. These little hot pockets have been around since the 13th century, according to an organization that ought to know–Proper Cornish, the Pasty Makers.
The Pasty – from Cornwall to the U.P. Read More »
Fire marks were an expression of the insurance industry’s history, tradition and longevity – a visual representation of an industry primarily documented through contracts and paperwork. ~ Dick Doyle, Fire Mark Historian It was surprisingly difficult to locate a quote about fire marks. Should I have been surprised? No. I should have known my search would
Proof of Purchase – Fire Marks Read More »
You don’t come at mama with a wooden spoon when she’s holding a cast iron skillet. ~Unknown Well, that seems intuitively obvious. However, I did not know that this ubiquitous cookware (well, ubiquitous in southern kitchens) evolved from actual weapons. I know. I know. Maybe I should have made that connection. Here’s more detail for
Cast Iron – From the Battlefield to the Cooktop Read More »
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. ~ Will Rogers Hard to argue with that. Or the fact that we must be slow learners, because we continually make decisions without the benefit of complete information. As an example, consider the dessert pictured above. It looks delicious. But you
Recalling a Race to Judgment Read More »
If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever. ~ Dalai Lama XIV You may be wondering what dandelion bristles (yes, that’s
Blue Sky Problem Solving Read More »
What we’ve learned is that if you can make the right decision in the supermarket aisle, it’s a heck of a lot easier to make a good decision when you reach in your cupboard when you’re craving a snack at eight o’clock at night. ~Tom Rath Can’t argue that point. What I’m curious about is
Cupboards, Sideboards, and Charcuterie Boards, Oh My! Read More »
Let me tell you something thats for the birdsa useless silent letter attached to my words.Were my forefathers spellers infernal? ~Joseph Santacruz* Good question. And perhaps they were, but that isn’t why silent letters started. Logic would dictate that America is such a language stew that there were misspellings, if not misunderstandings. Again, maybe, but
What You Don’t Say, And Why Read More »