I'm the first to admit, most of the informative reading I do these days is online. It's fast and convenient. The internet, as well as the economy, has had an effect on the magazine industry. There are, however, a few magazine subscriptions I can't live without. I subscribe through Amazon and the prices are very reasonable.
Vanity Fair (Johnny Depp happens to be on the cover of July's edition. Don't you just love him? I think I look a lot like him without my makeup. I should do some genealogical research to see if we're long lost cousins. Maybe we have the same Cherokee great-great- grandmother?), Opera News (my daughter's in the industry and I like to keep up with all the current happenings), Gourmet (you already know I love this one, for obvious reasons) and Elle Decor (I'm often inspired with interior design ideas and just plain love to look at a beautifully arranged room.)
How about you? Any magazines you can't live without?
I love fresh corn and tomatoes, so I didn't have to think twice about this wonderful summer dish. It's another one of those quick and easy recipes from Gourmet magazine's July issue. Simple and delicious.
Corn-and-Tomato Scramble
2 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp vinegar (I used rice vinegar) 1 pound tomatoes cut into bite size pieces 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped, keeping greens separate 2 Tbsp butter 4 cups corn kernels (from about 8 ears)
Whisk together oil, vinegar. Toss tomatoes to marinate. Cook white parts of scallions in butter until golden, add corn and 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and cook until tender, about five minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool. Toss together, tomatoes, corn and scallion greens. Serve room temperature.
After hitting a brick wall in the ancestral search for the lineage of WT's great-great-great-grandfather, Andrew, we submitted a sample of his DNA to Family Tree DNA. When the results were obtained, they were given over to his surname project. Compared to over one hundred other DNA samples, from the same surname, we were able to rule out several possible lineages. It was also amazing to see what his geographic ancestral origins were. Hopefully, as more participate in the project, we will be able to make an exact match and trace Grandpa Andrew's family tree back to Ireland or Scotland.
DNA testing can show if two people are related, suggested geographic
origins, if you are of African, Jewish, Native American heritage, or
even if you match Thomas Jefferson. In the field of genetic genealogy,
testing can help, through the surname projects, find documents for
that elusive ancester, his homeland, or if you are related to another
family with the same surname.
Family Tree DNA is a commercial genetic genealogy company based in Houston, Texas with its partner laboratory, Arizona Research Labs, housed at the University of Arizona. They offers analysis of YDNA, mtDNA, and autosomal DNA to individuals for genealogical purposes based on DNA samples collected using a cheek swab method with a kit. All samples once submitted are stored at Arizona Research Labs for future testing and archiving of DNA samples collected from family members. In February 2009, Family Tree DNA announced that they, in partnership with the National Geographic Genographic Project, have tested over 500,000 kits.
My sister and I recently submitted our own DNA samples to Family Tree DNA, just to see if we have a match.
One of my very favorite films isBrief Encounter(1945), from Noel Coward's play Still Life. Directed by the legendary filmmaker David Lean, this film is about a chance meeting in a train station of a married doctor (the dashing Trevor Howard) and a suburban housewife (Celia Johnson), who begin a quietly passionate, yet doomed love affair. These two brilliant stars are perfectly paired, as Lean leads his viewers through the emotions of delight, tenderness and ultimate pain, all to the haunting strains of Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto. This film is achingly poignant, simple and beautiful. I think it may just possibly be THE most romantic movie ever made. It is now a luminous part of the wonderfully restored Criterion Collection. . At the library, I had the good fortune to stumble onto another film in which these two stars are paired together, nearly 35 years later. Staying On(HBO,1980) is from the award winning novel The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott. It's about the withered marital relationship of a retired British Indian Army colonel and his wife, who stay on in India after the British withdrew in 1947. It was thrilling to see Howard and Johnson perform together again. An exceptional and timeless performance, especially by Celia Johnson. She was marvelous in this role, just two years before her death at the age of 75.
And hey, did you know thatBrief Encounter, the opera, just premiered last month at Houston Grand Opera, starring Elizabeth Futral and Nathan Gunn? The music is by Andre Previn and the libretto by John Caird. I would have LOVED to have seen it!!
Futral and Gunn in Brief Encounter, photo by Felix Sanchez
Monday", a fun posting of our favorite mugs. So, without further ado,
here are a few of mine. The one pictured above is a vintage blue
transferware commemoritive mug in honor of Willow Manor's home
state.
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. Here's my favorite Nicholas Mosse Irish mug with a pup that looks a lot like our dear departed Ralphy.
. This one's another vintage fave, transferware, as well. Across the top it says: See all, hear all, say nowt, a Yorkshireman's advice to his son. And across the bottom: Eat all, drink all, pay nowt...and if ever tha does out for nowt, allus do it for thisen. (whatever that's supposed to mean) .
Another transferware (I love this stuff) commemorative of Queen Victoria's Silver Jubilee. She doesn't look too happy about it, though, does she?
And here's her great-grandson, King George VI and family, looking a
bit more pleasant.
For tea at Willow Manor you have a choice of Crabtree & Evelyn
annual mugs (I've been collecting these since they first came out in
the '80s)...
or my personal tea drinking favorites, the cheery Polish Boleslawiec.
So, there you have it. A few mug shots of my favorites. Happy Mug
Experiencing this particular dad's loving "hands on" approach firsthand, I came to realize being a dad is much more than taking part in bringing a child into the world and demanding their respect. He has always, from the first diaper, been a vibrant and essential part of our children's lives.
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Even though we've only been empty nesters for eight months, (and
not completely, since the youngest is home for summer break) he
has bemoaned the fact that he misses the kids, nearly every single
day. He calls them, emails them, sends them silly things in the mail,
and arranges his international trips so he can stop on the way out of
the country for a visit. He gives them the biggest bear hugs, known
to mankind, every time he sees them, even when it is every day.
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They are truly loved, and in return, he has earned their dearest love
and respect. I am proud to say the best dad in the whole world is
father to my children. And you know what? His grandchildren are
The halo is best known from its appearances in Christian iconography from the second century onward, but it was a sign of divinity even earlier, featured in ancient Greek and Eastern art. It symbolizes the sun and divine radiance emanating from the individual. On the other hand, the shadow, in art, is a symbol of our material nature and represents an obscuring of the light.
Not unlike the halo or shadow depicted in art, I believe people generally either have a positive aura about them, or a negative. In the field of parapsychology, some claim they can actually see subtle luminous radiation, of various colors, surrounding a person. I'm not so sure about this. I might have to attribute the violet haze around your head to a case of tired eyes. But, whether it's visible or not, we all do obviously generate either positive or negative energy.
Can't you feel when a person emitting negative energy walks into the room, like a dark cloud, bringing with them a pall of gloom? The contrast of a positive minded individual, like a burst of sunshine, is unmistakable. I'm aware of the fact that I have the power within me to set the mood of the day. This was especially evident when the kids were still at home. Now, of course, there are days, when this isn't the case. There's all kinds of external influences, "stuff", that effects everyone's mood. But that old adage "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" pretty much applies.
So, my bloggy friends, here's wishing you a bright weekend. Enjoy some of Mr. Cohen's music and bask in some rays of sunshine, whether it happens to be cloudy in your neck of the woods, or not.
Back in the '70s I was intrigued with graphology, the study of and analysis of handwriting, and still have several books on the subject. It is a controversial method of personality evaluation. Results of most recent surveys on the ability for graphology to assess personality and job performance have been negative. I still, however, find the uniqueness of individual handwriting fascinating. It's a very personal extension of one's self, and I think it reveals quite a lot.
Remember the old Zaner Bloser style of cursive we learned in grade school? I always earned high marks in penmanship because of my artistic ability to copy the letters. I actually would have had a great career as a forger. Have you noticed most young people today don't even use cursive writing? They print. I suppose this is because the keyboard is now used more than the old pen and paper method. Even my own handwriting is a curious mix of printing and cursive.
The romantic side of me cringes at the notion of handwriting, as we know it, becoming totally obsolete. I adore the process, as well as the personal touch, of old fashioned letter writing with ink, pen and paper. It truly is an art form, which I hope we can preserve. I am first to
admit, the internet has certainly played a part in the decline of my own hand written correspondence.
This document above is William Shakespeare's last will and testament, written in his own handwriting. It's in a cursive style called "secretary hand", which was commonly used in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It's interesting to note our handwriting today hasn't changed all that much in the last five hundred years. And I hope it continues for at least another five hundred.
top photo: quote from Janet Frame's novel, Towards Another Summer, in
Okay, I admit it. I was eves dropping in the veggie section at Kroger. One lady was telling another about a fabulous salad she makes with roasted asparagus, peppers and almonds. It sounded so delicious, I picked up the ingredients and found the recipe online. You're gonna love it, too!
Roasted Asparagus and Yellow Pepper Salad
2 lbs fresh asparagus trimmed and cut into thirds 4 yellow, orange or red bell peppers seeded and cut into wide strips 1/4 cup olive oil 1 medium red onion, sliced thin 1/2 cup toasted almond slices 1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
dressing
1/2 cup olive oil 3 tbsp Dijon mustard 3 cloves garlic, minced juice of one lime 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp hot sauce (I used Louisiana Roasted Garlic) salad seasoning to taste (I used a pinch each of salt, onion powder, fresh ground pepper, basil and oregano)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss asparagus and peppers in oil and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast 8 to 10 minutes turning to prevent burning. Be careful to not over cook! Cool completely.
Toss together the asparagus, peppers, onion, almonds, and cheese in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix the 1/2 cup olive oil, mustard, garlic, lime juice, sugar, hot sauce and salad seasoning. Pour over salad and toss to coat.
The lovely Elizabeth Wix, About New York, proposed we do a blog on plates for Friday. I, of course, was game, since I adore all kinds of tableware. And I'm the first to admit, I have entirely too many sets of plates. I am including just a few of my favorites for you today. The plate pictured above, is hanging to the right of my kitchen sink. It's a 1987 Annual Christmas Stamp art plate from the United States Postal Service. I collect all kinds of Madonna and Child icons, so this beautiful plate was a must.
This pattern is "Brookline" by Woods Burslem, England. I started out with only four dinner plates of this vintage set when we were first married. I had searched everywhere all these years for additional pieces, but to no avail. Enter eBay. I bid, with no one bidding against me, and won a complete set of eight table settings, plus serving pieces for $39.00. The eBay steal of the century!
Over the years I have slowly collected a sizable set of random vintage pink Staffordshire plates. I like to serve Christmas dinner on them. This particular plate is "The Ride of Paul Revere".
Most times, I serve dinner on plain white Faltzgraff plates and matching soup/salad dishes. I like the way food looks on simple white. But that's no fun to show and tell. So here's another set I like for everyday. The pattern is the well known "Blue Denmark" by Johnson Brothers. I like to serve Saturday brunch on them.
My latest obsession are these beauties. Mason's "Bow Bells" pattern in brown. I found two plates last year at the Scotts Antique Show for $2 each. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for them and have added one more since, for a total now of three. They're ironstone and extra large. I'm nutty about them.
And last, but certainly not least, my tried and true "Blue Willow" also by Johnson Brothers. I've had these since the late '70s. About 15 years ago, I thought I was tired of them and boxed them up. Last year, I dragged them back out and fell in love with them all over again.
So there you have it, my bloggy friends. A little sampling of plates from Willow Manor. Be sure to click on the link to Elizabeth's blog for a list of other "plate" participants. My real passion is for bowls!
. . .Okay, I know. In case you didn't notice, I had 17 different avatars today. And now,
am back to the one I started with. My cool
framed sunglasses pic suddenly lost its
cool after someone said it reminded them
of "Chucky". That's when I switched to the vintage Hanes ad girl.
I was prompted to find yet another one, since my little Hanes girl's head was cut off in the tiny sidebar followers profile. So, I embarked on a quest for the perfect avatar.
I finally found a decent photo of myself; not too old, not too fat.
Downloaded it into my profile; pretty good so far. The crucial part is
the further shrinking to the comment box size. This is where the rub
comes in. Either one of your eyes disappears completely, or it
magically crosses. And if your eyes stay straight, then there is the
problem of the teeth. If you are smiling with your teeth showing, one
of the front teeth comes up missing. I don't know about you, but
heavens to murgatroyd, I don't want to comment on a hundred blogs
with a cross eyed, toothless version of myself.
My personal computer tech told me, "Mom, it's the pixels." I know,
I know. But just knowing it's the pixels, doesn't solve the problem.
The next picture I tried was fine, but the small version made me
look like the Quaker Oats guy. Not the image I want to portray. The
photos that turned out the best were those of Juliette Binoche and
Myrna Loy. I suppose it's because they have such beautifully
symmetrical Hollywood faces. Well, I guess I'll stick with my Hanes ad girl for now. She's a step up from the Quaker. And besides, she's
I made this easy little cake for our weekend brunch on the patio. It's from the June issue of my favorite Gourmet magazine. (I don't think I've ever made one of their recipes I didn't love.) This one is super moist and reminds me a bit of an old fashioned fruit cobbler. I used raspberries, as called for in the recipe, but I'm sure most any fresh fruit would work well.
Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
1 cup flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened 2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, divided 1 large egg 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup well shaken buttermilk 1 cup, about 6 oz. fresh raspberries
Preheat oven to 400. Butter and flour a 9 inch round cake pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt.
Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with mixer at med high, until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.
At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with four. Mix only until combined.
Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp sugar.
Bake until golden and wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center, about 25 minutes.
Cool in pan 10 minutes, transfer to rack and cool an additional 10 minutes. Invert onto plate.
Tattered and Lost sent me this hilarious cartoon by Hilary B. Price, titled "The Deterrent". Since it fits in with my recent series of clown posts, I had to share. Hop on over to her fun blogs, which are chock full of wonderful vintage photos and ephemera. Her creative thoughts accompanying each piece are delightfully entertaining.
We've all heard the phrase, "it must be a full moon out there", to describe strange or unfortunate happenings. There is still the prevalent superstition that the full moon has an effect on humans, causing erratic behaviors, and such disturbances as emergency room calls and traffic accidents. Belief in the “lunar lunacy effect,” or “Transylvania effect,” as it is sometimes called, persisted in Europe through the Middle Ages, when humans were widely reputed to transmogrify into werewolves or vampires during a full moon. (Heh-heh, just call me "Villow". I've come to vipe your vindows.)
One theory is that the full moon’s supposed effects on behavior arise from its influence on water. The moon's gravitational pull does effect the tides. The human body is about 80 percent water, so perhaps the moon works its mischievous magic by somehow disrupting the alignment of water molecules in the nervous system. I don't know.
Extensive studies over the years have proven there to be no correlation between the moon and mental disturbance. So, why then, is the belief in the "lunar effect" still prevalent today? After all, isn't this where we get the words lunar, loony and lunatic? I'm sure folklore and Hollywood have a lot to do with it. Scary things tend to happen in movies, with that big full moon inducing madness and mayhem.
Personally, I happen to know someone whose behavior does become rather erratic around the full moon. There are also many sensible people, including police officers and emergency room staff, who see a lot of full moon CCFCCP, and continue to believe that old devil moon certainly can stir up his share of pesky trouble.
That Smokey Robinson song, Tears of a Clown, has been in my head all week, since my post on clowns. Did you notice in the lyrics he mentionsPagliacci? Pagliacci, meaning "clowns", is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts, written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It portrays the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe. The opera premiered in 1892 and it is the only one of Leoncavallo's operas that is still widely staged today.
Smokey Robinson isn't the only one who mentions Pagliacci in his lyrics. Billie Holiday sang a song entitled The Masquerade is Over which included the lyrics, "I guess I'll have to play Pagliacci and get myself a clown's disguise / And learn to laugh like Pagliacci with tears in my eyes." The 1954 song Mr. Sandman contains the line, "Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci, and lots of wavy hair like Liberace."
And do you remember "The Opera", a hilarious episode of Seinfeld, that featured a spoof of Pagliacci, wherein the major characters attend a performance of the opera while "Crazy" Joe Davola disguises himself as Pagliaccio the clown to seek a tragic revenge? Too funny.
I'm including a clip below of the legendary Pavarotti singing the famous aria from Pagliacci, "Vesti la giubba", which means "Put on the cosume". The aria is at the conclusion of the first act, when Canio discovers his wife's infidelity, but must nevertheless prepare for his performance as Pagliaccio the clown, because "the show must go on". The scene is so powerfully poignant as Pavarotti applies the white makeup to his face at the end of the aria. "Vesti la giubba" is often regarded as one of the most moving in operatic repertoire. And one more little tidbit of info; the 1904 recording by Enrico Caruso was the first million selling record in history.
Here's the English translation:
To act! While out of my mind, I no longer know what I say, or what I do! And yet it's necessary... make an effort! Bah! Are you not a man? You are Pagliaccio!
Put on your costume, powder your face. The people pay to be here, and they want to laugh. And if Harlequin shall steal your Columbine, laugh, Pagliaccio, so the crowd will cheer! Turn your distress and tears into jest, your pain and sobbing into a funny face - Ah!
Laugh, Pagliaccio, at your broken love! Laugh at the grief that poisons your heart!
I'll have to make an exception. This is one clown I happen to adore.
My post, "Why I Don't Like Clowns" was chosen as "Post of the Day" by David McMahon over at Authorblogtoday. Thank you, again, David! Wow, I'm doubly honored.
In rural Indiana, as young girl, I lived in my paternal grandparent's backyard, in a little trailer with my mother. She worked full time, while I happily spent most of my days in the bustling household of my dear grandparents, aunt and three uncles. My youngest uncle, who is six years older, and I had the most fun on warm summer afternoons down the road at Mr. Tinkle's shed. . Mr. Tinkle (yes, that was his real name) was a scrubby, Darby O'Gill kind of guy, missing a few teeth and always sporting a worn wool cap. He was the local fix-it man, tinkering on small appliances, but mostly clocks. It would take a second or two for my eyes to adjust to the cool dark shed from the bright summer sun. Inside was the curious, intriguing scent of motor oil, mixed with old dank wood. Lots of junky parts, covered with a layer of grease and grime, littered the dirt floor of his shed. Tinkle, bent over the guts of a clock, always brightened when we dropped in for a friendly chat. On one particular visit, he gave me a small pink flamingo salt shaker. . To this day, I am drawn to vintage wind-up alarm clocks, and have more than a few scattered around the manor. Those delightful, lazy afternoons, in Tinkle's shed just might have something to do with it.
(Here's a picture of my grandparents' house and our trailer in the back. That's one of my uncles pulling my trusty red Radio Flyer wagon. Okay, I know. The cars are dating me. The top photo is my great grandmother's kitchen clock. I'm told my grandmother would use it to keep time, on school mornings in the early 1920s, in Flora, Indiana.)
I wouldn't say I have coulrophobia, the abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns, but I have a strong dislike for them. Ronald McDonald, Bozo and Krusty have never been, let's say, entertaining. The same goes for mimes. I realize Marcel Marceau was a talented artist, but mimes, to me, are smack dab in the clown catagory, with Bozo. I'm sure it's the painted face thing, and here's why.
My clown aversion began many years ago when this particular "paint by number" picture (shown above) hung in my bedroom as a little girl. Remember this craze from the 1950s? I could never understand this mindless pastime, or jigsaw puzzles, for that matter. But everyone seemed to enjoy it, especially my mother.
Anyway, this creepy clown painting was even scarier at night. In the dark, it would silently morph into a sinister version of my mother; the same short, wispy haircut, eyebrows and even dark red lipstick she always wore. Okay, well, not the cigar. But, she did have white gloves and a red hat.
Those little beady clown eyes would follow me around. No matter where I would hide, under the covers or not, that clown would be staring at me. You know the old saying, "mothers have eyes in the back of their heads"? Well, this clown had those same psychic eyes, only worse.
I hated that picture, and it's safe to say, it's most likely the reason I don't care much for clowns today. But, I must not be the only one, because evil clown characters are some of the most frightening in fiction and film. Here's just a few examples:
The Joker, Batman
Pennywise, Stephen King's It
Konrad Beezo, Life Expectancy
Doink the Clown, WWF Killer Klowns from Outer Space, 1988
Jack the Clown, Universal Studios Horror Nights National Lampoon's French the Clown
The Clown, Star Trek
Gurdy the Clown, 100 Tears
Obnoxio the Clown, Marvel Comics
creepy clown doll, Poltergeist
clown costume, film Halloween
turn your volume way up
for a blast from the past!
The Tears of a Clown
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Now if there's a smile on my face
it's only there trying to fool the public
but when it comes down to fooling you
now honey that's quite a diff'rent subject.
Don't let my glad expression
give you the wrong impression
really I'm sad
oh sadder than sad;
you're gone and I'm hurting so bad
like a clown I pretend to be glad.
Now there's some sad things known to man
but ain't too much sadder than the tears of a clown.
when there's no one around.
just like Pagliacci did
I try to keep my sadness hid;
Smiling in the public eye
but in my lonely room
I cry the tears of a clown
when there's no one around.
Oh yeah baby
now if there's a smile upon my face
don't let my glad expression
give you the wrong impression
don't let the smile I wear
make you think I don't care.
Now if I appear to be carefree
it's only to camouflage my sadness
in order to shield my pride I try
to cover this hurt with a show of gladness
but don't let my show convince you
that I've been happy since you decided to go.
Oh I need you so.
I'm hurt and I want you to know
but for others
I put on a show.
Now there's some...
This past weekend, when we heard all about Barrie, the K9 officer,
we were also told about this beautiful swan family, who built a nest
on the grounds of our local criminal justice facility. They have been
fondly dubbed "Bonnie and Clyde Love" and their new baby, "Duke".
Did you know most swans mate for life? So romantic.
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The word "swan" is derived from Old English swan, akin to the
German schwan and Dutch zwaan, in turn derived from Indo-
European root swen (to sound, to sing), whence Latin derives sonus
(sound). Young swans are known as cygnets, from the Latin word for
swan, cygnus. An adult male is a cob, from Middle English cobbe
(leader of a group); an adult female is a pen.
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I love swans. To me, they symbolize not only beauty, but serenity
and purity. My auntie sometimes calls me "Swanie", after the Hans
Christian Andersen tale. My friend, Edna St. Vee, wrote a haunting
poem, which I've posted before, about swans. It evokes thoughts of
the struggle between beauty, a sense of purpose and the complexes
of reality.
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I looked in my heart while the wild swans went over. And what did I see I had not seen before? Only a question less or a question more; Nothing to match the light of wild birds flying. Tiresome heart, forever living and dying, House without air, I leave you and lock your door. Wild swans, come over the town, come over The town again, trailing your legs and crying!
Wild Swans Edna St. Vincent Millay
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I wish I could take credit for these marvelous photos, but there
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Tattered and Lost 
