Raccoon Dinner

The Raccoon Dinner will be happening this Friday somewhere in Newton Mass., so say ye all. 

Sorry I have not written in such a long time. Will try to be back soon.....

Retro Barbie

Bell Bottoms!

I never owned Barbie dolls when I was a little girl, but now I appreciate Barbie for her 'camp'. My friend Steph had some retro Barbie dolls and clothes she wanted to get rid of. Needless to say I was delighted to take them. Here is a sampling of an early 1970s Barbie.

With those feet? 

Hula Hooping

Molly a hula-hooping at Jenny's 50th birthday party. BTW, I could never hula-hoop when I was a kid. 

The Wily Moors

     While I was in England I completed my long awaited and long anticipated pilgrimage to the Bronte Parsonage. As is often the case, the actual journey from South Shields to Haworth took a lot longer than it appeared on the map-- but of course it was worth it! 

     I was surprised by Haworth and how large and modern a town it was. Locals had told me it was a small town with nothing much to see. Perhaps the town has grown tremendously in the past years, because I actually got lost and also got a ticket for parking illegally! The town looked kind of ordinary, and did not seem to highlight the Bronte parsonage. As I drove around I thought: Don't these people appreciate the holy genius that once walked the streets here! 

     When I posted about my journey on Facebook Jonathan made the comment about the 'wily moors,' in reference to Kate Bush's brilliant song "Wuthering Heights." I always thought the word was 'wild' in the song, having never heard the word 'wily.' I looked it up and it means cunning, sly, or deceitful, but I guess it is somewhat archaic. At times the lyrics of the song have listed the word as 'wild,' 'winding,' or 'windy.'

     My greatest impressions of the Bronte home are as follows. I could not take pictures, but walked around the place with the greatest attention, trying to suck in every detail. 

1. Charlotte Bronte's Dress- It reminded me of Emily Dickinson's dress at her house in Amherst, MA. Emily had a small pocket sewn on her dress, so she could stow away small snatches of poetry as she went about her daily household chores. What struck me about Charlotte's dress was how small she was. 


2. The 5 little books- The tiny "juvenilia' books that all the Bronte children wrote, are quite amazing to see. I can't imagine how they wrote in such a small script. 


3. First precious editions of 'Wuthering Heights" and "Jane Eyre."
 

4. The portrait Branwell painted of his three sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. He originally included himself, but removed himself later. 

Girl Power!

Here is my niece Natalie playing with her soccer team. She is old enough now to definitely experience team camaraderie. They are so cute and so supportive of each other. And they win most of their games too!

Walk on Hardrian's Wall

On Sunday of our first week at Fort Arbeia, we went out and explored Hadrian's Wall. Nick gave us a tour of the sites, and explained the history of the wall. The Romans started building the wall in AD 122. The purpose of the wall was to provide a military barrier, so that the 'heathen' tribes of Scotland would be less inclined to attack. Along the wall are several forts and turrets.The wall is an amazing 72 miles long.

We hiked from Homesteads Fort west for about 2 1/2 miles, through very windy but very beautiful country on both sides.

After lunch we visited a fort called Vindolanda, which had a fantastic museum. Vindolanda has been excavated since the 1970's. The site is especially unique compared to other Roman sites because the chemical composition of the soil allowed for the survival of items such as leather, wood, and cloth. 

The most amazing items in the museum were the hundreds of excavated Roman shoes---soldiers and citizens, women, men, and children. Also there were leather items such as horses' harnesses and bridles. By far the most exciting finds at Vindolanda are written tablets, of ink on very thin wood. The written correspondences depict the day to day life of the fort.

Most exciting from my feminist perspective is the discovery of a woman named Claudia Severa's letter to her friend Sulpicia Lepidina, inviting her to a birthday party.

Apparently this is one of first known examples of a woman's writing to survive from ancient times.

Second Day at Fort Arbeia

Heather & Diane at the dig

Today was our second day digging at Fort Arbeia. Yesterday we dug as well but we really didn't get started until 1:30. When we first arrived on Monday we had an orientation and tour. The Arbeia site has been excavated by archaeologists since 1875, so there's lots to see. I learned that a typical Roman fortress consisted of four gates, walls, barracks, the principia, (headquarters with vault), religious shrines, and granaries. Arbeia is unique because for certain periods it was used principally for grain storage. At one time there were 24 granaries.

Romans typically built their forts near rivers, and Arbeia is situated at the entrance of the River Tyne. This gave the Romans the ability to transport goods all along the Northern frontier of the Roman occupation, or along Hadrian's Wall.

Fort Arbeia has several reconstructed buildings, such as the West Gate, the soldiers' barracks, the centurion's quarters, a latrine for the foot soldiers, and the commander's house. We toured all these on Monday.

Yesterday soon after we began digging a little girl local volunteer found a coin from 350 AD.

It had an the Emperor Constantine on one side and wheat sheaves on the other. It was quite amazing to see. Another volunteer found the tip of a bone needle, and someone

found a small buckle from a horse's bridle, and a hairpin.

Today was a less exciting day, but I felt more comfortable. We did not find anything of import but I found a piece of an amphora. Interestingly I had just watched a program about these common Roman vessels- frequently used to carry wine or olive oil- on a tv program just before I left for England.

Acquisitions in the Museum of the Baronesque

The Museum of the Baronesque has been somewhat quiet these days. Money and space are the constants. If only the Baron had more room, (and lots of extra money) there would be an ever-growing collection of goodies. In some ways, thank goddess space limitations keep the Baron in check. Otherwise her apartment might turn into a landslide. 

Here are some newbies in the Museum of the Baronesque. My favorite is definitely the Amish Man and Lady salt and pepper shakers. 

1. Happy Amish Man and Lady Salt and Peppers Shakers

                                                             

2. Avocado Salt and Pepper Shaker

3. Owl Plate

4. Fab Juice Glasses

Edward Gorey Vintage Book Covers

Another great article from the website Brain Pickings caught my eye. This article highlighted many of Edward Gorey's vintage book covers from great literature. Here are some of my favorites. I think the War of the Worlds cover is the best, though that reading would not be my first choice. Check out Brain Pickings for more.

Merry Clayton

Having just seen "Twenty Feet From Stardom," (a documentary about backup singers) I have a newly developed respect and knowledge about some of  music history's most 'unsung' talented singers. Though all of their stories are compelling, Merry Clayton's story about recording "Gimme Shelter" with the Rolling Stones in 1969 is singular.

I've always really loved the timelessly haunting "Gimme Shelter" track by the Rolling Stones, not only for Keith Richards' masterful guitar playing, but also because the song captures a tumultuous and dark period in American history. Despite this, I have never given any thought to the woman singing back up vocals on this song. Many of us have not.

In 1969 the Rolling Stones were in LA recording their "Let it Bleed" album. Merry Clayton was sleeping at home when she received a call from a

Merry in the 1970's

friend at midnight, asking if she could come and do a gig with a British band. The 'boys' could find no one else at the last minute.

Merry Clayton was well known as a back up singer at the time, and had worked quite a bit in the 1960's singing with Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Carole King, and Burt Bacharach. Still, she had never heard of the Rolling Stones, and was ten months pregnant at the time. She was reluctant to go, but her husband finally persuaded her. By the time she finished recording in the studio it was 4am.


Mick Jagger says Merry was able to effortlessly pick up the vocals. She sang "Oh children, it just a shot away" first. When they introduced the lines "rape, murder, it's just a shot away," Merry was a bit taken aback. Mick explained the lyrics, and then Merry persisted, despite feeling bloated and faint. Merry sang with such emotional intensity, and hit such high notes that her voice cracked. Hear her here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqXyjbgs5rU

Sadly, Merry miscarried and lost her baby later that day, perhaps due to the strain of singing. She said that for many years she could not listen to the version of "Gimme Shelter" that she recorded with the band that night, due to the painful memory.

By the way, Merry Clayton also sang back up for "Sweet Home Alabama," and "Southern Man." She is a gem of a woman. See "Twenty Feet From Stardom," it's awesome!

The Missing Earring Mystery

Perhaps my grandmother Gwen channeled in from the great beyond

Margaret Gwendolyn Downing

recently. If I believe in the paranormal at all, it's always been around the occasional spooky happenings regarding my grandmother, since she passed in 1997.

In June I participated in a student/ instructor exhibit over at the Eliot Street School in JP. I have taken a couple of assemblage classes there. I entered one piece that I had completed in 2011. It was of my grandparents. It was a black, painted cigar box containing letters, photos, and buttons. There was also a pink and black earring glued on the side of the box, which belonged to my grandmother. 

I gave the box to my mom as a gift, so I had to drive up to Maine to retrieve it. When I got to Maine we noticed the earring was missing. We searched frantically in all the obvious places that my mom would put it. We figured one of the kids might have broken it off. 

I submitted the box to the show anyway, without the earring.

Earring now intact

When I arrived at the exhibit, I stood looking at all the entries, including my own. Suddenly I realized, lo and behold, the earring was attached! I seriously thought I was seeing things. I began to wonder if --- having just turned 50-- I was having a huge senility brain fart. Did I find the earring and attach it, but forget?

Apparently while setting up the exhibit, the earring fell out of the box. Somehow it was inside the box, hidden away behind something. Some good Samaritan, and very observant person, glued the earring back on in its original spot!

Nan would not have it any other way.

Walden Pond July 1st 2013

    

Natalie and Gavin

My sister says the kids had a blast during their recent visit. I admit I've been recovering, and  I missed them right away, despite the relief of returning to my familiar habits and comforts. On my birthday we went to Walden Pond and went swimming and walking. We arrived just in time, when it was relatively uncrowded, and still fairly sunny. We left just in time too, when it became more crowded, and started raining. 

     They enjoyed the swimming very much. We found a nice secluded inlet. Luckily I brought along shorts for Zach, though he said he wouldn't be swimming. I knew he would want to swim as soon as he saw the water. ( I suspect it's a self-conscious teenager thing: he wants to wear pants and a sweatshirt everywhere-- Or he's just like me)

    

As usual Walden Pond was somewhat magical. One of my favorite places. Sorry the pictures aren't that great.

Aquarium Bound

Yesterday Gavin, Zach, Natalie and I went to the New England Aquarium in Boston. They thoroughly enjoyed the day, especially riding the subway. There's a special exhibit of jellyfish at the museum, and a tank in which you can touch stingray. That was fun. They also have a special kind of tiny penguins- incredibly adorable. The big tank had an enormous sea turtle, and Zach spotted an eel. The big tank also had the usual small sharks and puffer fish. The top of the tank is off limits right now for reconstruction. 

the shadowy beast lurks

I was also impressed with the beautiful coral displays they had-- unicorn fish, blue starfish, clown fish, and lion fish. Really great.

Harvard Bookstore Summer Warehouse Sale

     At the last minute I found out that the Harvard Bookstore was having its semi-annual warehouse book sale! Even though I have no business whatsoever buying new books, I drove over there like a buzzing bee, delighted and giggly the whole way. 

     I scoured every table and bookshelf several times until I was satisfied. I also saw many possible gift items, but did not buy any gifts. Books are difficult to give as gifts. There were some beautiful books. Here are the latest contributors to my bulging bookshelves. 

     The list author says: "Here are the recently acquired books from the Harvard Bookstore Warehouse Book sale. Two are not listed, because I already bought them at the last book sale!" 

1.  Bread and Roses: Mills, Migrants, and the Struggle for the American Dream by Bruce Watson

2.  Peterson Reference Guide to the Behavior of North American Mammals (Peterson Reference Guides) by Mark Elbroch

3.  Sacco and Vanzetti: The Men, the Murders, and the Judgment of Mankind by Bruce Watson

4.  Finding Our Tongues: Mothers, Infants, and the Origins of Language by Dean Falk

5.  The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson

6.  A Brief History of Mankind by Cyril Aydon

7.  Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals of North America by Kenn Kaufman

Rodents? Weasels?

During our nature walk on Sunday, I was quizzing Jonathan about the difference between a weasel and a mink. (We had just strolled by Mink Pond in Concord). He has a pretty vast knowledge of animals, and he knew the difference, explained it, and I've already forgotten.

Nevertheless, the whole discussion made me curious. While browsing on a website called Brain Pickings, I came across a recommended science book from 2011 called "Trees of Life: a Visual History of Evolution" by Theodore W. Pietsch. It had this interesting image,

but it didn't satisfy my curiosity because all the Latin names do not identify the animal for me. So I found a few other websites, including Wikipedia. Here are some fun facts. 

The African pygmy mouse is one of the smallest rodents. 

The capybara is the world's largest living rodent. 

Ever growing incisors

"Rodents are mammals of the order Rodentia, characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing.

Forty percent of mammal species are rodents, and they are found in vast numbers on all continents other than Antarctica. Common rodents include mice, rats, squirrels, porcupines, beavers, guinea pigs, and hamsters. Rodents use their sharp incisors to gnaw wood, break into food, and bite predators. Most rodents eat seeds or plants, though some have more varied diets." from Wikipedia.

Add to this list: voles, groundhogs, lemmings, chinchillas, gerbils, muskrats, chipmunks, agouti, prairie dogs, marmots, woodchucks, and gophers. 

I remember having a discussion with my ex girlfriend. She's an exotics vet. Most people think that rabbits are rodents, but they are not. Bats are also not rodents, nor are weasels or minks, which I probably don't have to tell Jonathan. 

(in case you want to know, apparently rabbits were classified as rodents until 1912, when they got their own class). 

Finally, if you think rodents cause humans problems now, consider the giant beaver of prehistoric times. It was the size of a black bear.

What's in a word?

My sister thought I would be interested in this link, and she was correct. Recently a study was conducted, examining at least 700 Eurasiatic languages.  As linguists are aware, certain words reoccur in many languages in similar form or sound. This finding indicates that at some point, like human evolution, languages branched off from earlier languages. Some of the words I would predict to be consistent in many languages would include 'mother, hand, you, man, fire, or this.' But 'to spit' is weird, and 'worm' is bizarre. 

By Wilson Andrews and David Brown, Published: May 6, 2013
  "A research team led by Mark Pagel at the University of Reading in England has identified 23 “ultra-conserved words” that have remained largely unchanged for 15,000 years. Words that sound and mean the same thing in different languages are called “cognates”. These are 23 words that have cognates in at least four of the seven Eurasiatic language families. Those languages, about 700 in all, are spoken in an area extending from the British Isles to western China and from the Arctic to southern India. Only one word, “thou” (the singular form of “you”), has a cognate in all seven families."

All 23 “ultra-conserved words”

Listed by the number of language families in which they have cognates. 

7 - thou
6 - I
5 - not, that, we, to give, who
4 - this, what, man/male, ye, old, mother, to hear, hand, fire ,to pull, black, to flow, bark, ashes, to spit, worm

Linguists identify 15,000-year-old ‘ultra-conserved words.' To hear the words, click here.