November 15

Today's so-called exotic dish suggestion from the 365 Foreign Dishes, published in 1908, is what they call Halibut à la Toulonaise, in which fish is seasoned "highly with salt, pepper, cloves, lemon juice, and parsley" and breaded and fried and garnished with lemon slices and parsley; they suggest serving it with "a lettuce salad with French dressing."

November 14

Astrid Lindgren was born today in 1907. Pippi Longstocking made me laugh and laugh as a young girl!

Claude Monet was born today too, in 1840. These are some of my favorite paintings he did; I loved visiting at the Met the middle one of the people by the sea.

November 13

Robert Louis Stevenson was born today in 1850. I think I actually have most enjoyed his writings about his (too!) exciting travels.

This is a photo of his home in Samoa:

The luncheon suggestion for today from 365 Luncheon Dishes (from 1902) is Hot Potato Salad, which sounds like German potato salad to me.

Today's so-called exotic dish suggestion from the 365 Foreign Dishes, published in 1908, is what they call Belgian Sweet Potato Puree, just sweet potatoes cooked and mixed with cinnamon and brown sugar and milk and topped with some butter (I'd try olive oil) and baked a bit.

November 12

Jo Stafford was born today in 1918. My dad introduced her songs to me; I like her voice and choice of repertoire.

Today's so-called exotic dish suggestion from the 365 Foreign Dishes, published in 1908, is what they call Polish Poached Eggs, which just sound like poached eggs to me except that you serve them with a white sauce to which a little bit of sugar has been added; they suggest serving them over buttered toast.

November 11

Today's so-called exotic dish suggestion from the 365 Foreign Dishes, published in 1908, is what they call Dutch Rice Pudding, which sounds like a normal rice pudding flavored with nutmeg, lemon, raisins, and nuts.

Today in 1854 was the first time Louisa May Alcott was published.

Thank you to the veterans who have helped keep me safe.

November 10

 The luncheon suggestion for today from 365 Luncheon Dishes (from 1902) is Cheese Polenta.

Here is a truly beautiful day from Pagan Papers by Kenneth Grahame, the wonderful author of the wonderful Wind in the Willows! It even wins my top award...

After many a mile in sun and wind — maybe rain — you reach at last, with the folding star, your destined rustic inn. There, in its homely, comfortable strangeness, after unnumbered chops with country ale, the hard facts of life begin to swim in a golden mist. You are isled from accustomed cares and worries — you are set in a peculiar nook of rest. Then old failures seem partial successes, then old jokes renew their youth and flavour. To-morrow you shall begin life again: shall write your book, make your fortune, do anything; meanwhile you sit, and the jolly world swings round, and you seem to hear it circle to the music of the spheres. What pipe was ever thus beatifying in effect? You are aching all over, and enjoying it ; and the scent of the limes drifts in through the window. This is undoubtedly the best and greatest country in the world; and none but good fellows abide in it.  

November 9

Carl Sagan was born today in 1934. I love his writing, especially The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.

This amazing library is said to be in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

November 8

The morning was fine and sunny, but there was a stiff breeze. Elfrida, Ronnie, and the young orphaned Patrick walked down and out onto a cliff and looked at the waves. It was too blustery to go down, though.
   "The garden will be sheltered," Elfrida suggested.
   "Supposing we have a go at the lily pool," said Ronnie. "You want it cleared out, don't you?"
   Patrick had been looking rather dejected, but he perked up at the idea of cleaning out the lily pool. They went back and changed into their oldest cothes and spent the rest of the morning raking out the weeds. It was an arduous job, and Elfrida felt bad about using her guests like this, but they assured her that there was nothing they enjoyed more than grubbing about and getting dirty. By lunchtime the job was finished. They stood and surveyed their handiwork.
   "Do you think frogs would be happy here?" asked Patrick.
   "Frogs would be fun! Why shouldn't they be happy here? Now, where could we get frogs?..."
   As they walked back to the house, Elfrida talked about Mr. Jeremy Fisher and his relations, and was pleased to discover that Ronnie's education had not been neglected. However, little Patrick's had been; he had never heard of Mr. Fisher.
   "This must be remedied at once," said Ronnie gravely. "We'll go over to town this afternoon after lunch and see if we can get some of those little books for you."
   ...His car was a battered little two-seater which Ronnie had bought secondhand, but Patrick was tucked in between his two companions and all three were very comfortable. They bought as many of the little books as they could find in the bookshops, and then had tea together in a small teashop.

         -- adapted from D.E. Stevenson, The House on the Cliff (London: William Collins, 1966)

November 7

It's Madame Curie's birthday! She was born in 1867.

November 6

I (finally!) discovered the old song "Without a Song" -- here it is sung by Eddie Albert, whom I knew as a child from Green Acres.

November 5

Happy birthday, Art Garfunkel! I have enjoyed your music for so many years!

It's also Roy Rogers' birthday; he was born in 1911 near Portsmouth, Ohio!

November 4

This is the gorgeous Austrian National Library in Vienna.

November 3

Today is the birthday of André Malraux, a French author and statesman and "adventurer" who was born in 1901. There's a Raffles suite in his honor; here's a photo of a Raffles Suite Parlor:

November 2

Here is an amazing library, and for once I know where it's found: it's the Parliament library in Ottawa:

November 1

Check out winter fashions today!

October 31

Happy birthday to the brilliant Peter Jackson! How very clever of a monster-movie-maker to be born on Halloween! I can't wait to see your Hobbit movies! Here you are in cameos from the Lord of the Rings trilogy:

John Keats was born today in 1795. His poetry is probably my favorite. Here's one of his more serious ones:

WRITTEN IN DISGUST OF VULGAR SUPERSTITION 

The church bells toll a melancholy round,
Calling the people to some other prayers,
Some other gloominess, more dreadful cares,
More harkening to the sermon's horrid sound.
Surely the mind of man is closely bound
In some black spell; seeing that each one tears
Himself from fireside joys, and Lydian airs,
And converse high of those with glory crown'd
Still, still they too, and I should feel a damp, -
A chill as from a tomb, did I not know
That they are dying like an outburnt lamp;
That 'tis their sighing, wailing ere they go
Into oblivion; - that fresh flowers will grow,
And many glories of immortal stamp.

And here's another, lighter one. You can find more poems at john-keats.com .

On the Grasshopper and Cricket THE poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;
That is the Grasshopper’s - he takes the lead
In summer luxury,- he has never done
With his delights; for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening, when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills
The Cricket’s song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost,
The Grasshopper’s among some grassy hills.

Will and Ariel Durant got married today at NYC's City Hall in 1913. Theirs was an amazing partnership in writing history.

The luncheon suggestion for today from 365 Luncheon Dishes (from 1902) is a Salmon Salad made with canned salmon.

October 30

Ezra Pound was born today in 1885. I enjoy his poetry.

And more fun in many ways, it's National Doughnut Day!

October 29

It's National Oatmeal Day! I adore oats!

October 28

It's my acting debut anniversary! The menu suggestion for a fancy dinner this week from 52 Sunday Dinners from 1913 is
Walnuts and Olive Canapés
•
Clam and Tomato Consommé
Browned Crackers
Sweet Gherkins
Piccalilli
•
Pot Pie
Beets
Squash
Stuffed Tomato Salad (includes celery, cucumber, shrimp, with mayonnaise; served over lettuce)
•
Cranberry and Raisin Pie (they call it Mock Cherry Pie)
Cheese
Coffee
Cider

This old cookbook 52 Sunday Dinners used to be available free as a Kindle book but there now seems to be a low charge for it there; here's another approach I just found which is probably more fun anyway as it would look like the original: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31534 . The book is by Elizabeth O. Hiller, who says it's "arranged on a unique plan, combining helpful suggestions for appetizing, well-balanced menus, with all the newest ideas and latest discoveries in the preparation of tasty, wholesome cookery." Note that I'll only be giving the menus that actually appeal to me.

October 27

Here's another video about Liberace, about which my pianist friend says, "This one was a close second" to the favorite posted on Liberace's birthday earlier this year. How beautifully both those pianists design their days...

October 26

Today is national Pumpkin Day...

Perhaps for things like this it'd be fun to change one's Firefox Add-Ons for Appearance: Personas, at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/personas/ Back in the spring I enjoyed a beautiful robin's nest:

For fall I'm experimenting with The Pumpkin Patch, from , https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/the-pumpkin-patch/ , with which its creator even included a history of pumpkin stuff! I find I need to be careful so I can still read my tabs, but this seems to be working, and also has the added feature not all do of a design at the bottom as well...