Rite of Fancy

Dear Henry,

Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci had a favorite cheese?

Today, after falling into a rabbit hole of cheese making, I learned about the wonderful, Italian cheese called Montebore.

Montebore is a cheese made in the Northern mountain provinces of Italy and first appeared in written documents around 1300.  During the heyday of its popularity, it was a widely-produced, although now, there are only a few cheesemakers left.

Montebore is a fresh cheese and is made predominately with full-fat sheep's milk (the ratio is about 70/30 to cows milk) and it is arranged in a salted wedding cake shape.  It is only aged about 20 to 30 days.

Montebore is the recommended cheese for Rabaton.

It turns out, da Vinci was quite the nutritionist and his diet of mostly vegetables, cheeses, and grains would impress any modern dietitian. He would recommend his diet of well-chosen, well-cooked, and simple meals to others. 

After reading about his eating habits and food choices, I am now on the l…

Dear Henry,

It isn't a secret that I am a total Jules Verne fan and have been completely enamored by his books.  My favorite, of course, is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is particularly cool because it was the book which largely inspired the development of submarine technology.  The book particularly inspired the creation of the nuclear submarine.

The idea of a submarine has been "floated" since the late 1500s, with the first documented submarine being built in 1620 by Cornelis Drebbel and used oars for propulsion. The first military submarine (also human-powered), was called the Turtle and was built in 1775. It wouldn't be until the late 1800s that a submarine would operate with any type of fuel-driven engine.

Because of these propulsion difficulties, it took until the early 1900s (and the widespread use of the diesel/electric engine) before navies began regularly using submarines, although, once the technology was developed the submarin…

Dear Henry,

Continuing in my study of "People Who Helped The Insane" - I am so relieved that Fish has agreed to clear the history on my internet browser after I die -  I have come across the story of Ms. Nellie Bly.

I vaguely remembered hearing about her when I was younger and, after some research, I have decided that even by today's standards, she would be considered one of the bravest women in journalism.

Her first article, written under the pseudonym "Lonely Orphan Girl" challenged the current role of women and argued for divorce law reform, which garnered her a full-time position at the Pittsburgh Dispatch and she immediately began reporting on the working conditions that women faced in the area's factories.

She was then promptly reassigned to the women's section of the paper and told to report on fashion.

Unwilling to report on society and unable to report on local items of substance, Nellie Bly went to Mexico as a foreign correspondent.  While rep…

A short summary of Soul by Soul: A look at the slave markets of the pre-Civil War South.

Questions to ponder while reading Soul by Soul: What is the price of human life?
What is evil?
My thoughts about Soul by Soul: A good look into an American evil.
A well written historical guide.
A must-read.

Dear Henry,

I have discovered another reason for a road trip to Capitol Reef National Park - pie

Today I heard about a small cafe in Bicknell Utah, called the Sunglow Restaurant and Motel that serves the oddest assortment of pies, including oatmeal, avocado lime, pinto bean, and the most popular, pickle pie.

It is the pickle pie that has me the most intrigued.

The pies were the brainchild of Cula Ekker, who signed on as cook when her brother opened the motel in 1965 and while Cula died in 2014, she passed on her recipes and pie secrets to Bessie Stewart, who has continued the pickle pie tradition to this day.

So tell me, how far would you drive for a piece of pie?

xoxo a.d.

A short summary of The Rum Diary: Partying in Puerto Rico, with some journalism on the side.

Questions to ponder while reading The Rum Diary: Have you ever gone too far?
How much rum is too much?
My thoughts about The Rum Diary: Fifties-style guys.
Fifties-style dialogue.
Fifties-style underbelly, Carribean style.

Dear Henry,

What is in a name?

If your name is Black Bart - a lot.

My knowledge of outlaws is quite limited and based upon the name Black Bart, I assumed (the mother of all mistakes) that he was an outlaw of a particularly bad and malevolent sort.  A Lone Ranger alter-ego, roaming the plains on a large, black horse, causing death, mayhem, and large insurance claims.

I assumed incorrectly.

For one thing, he never rode a horse.

Black Bart was born Charles Earl Boles in England around 1829.  His family moved to the U.S. and begin farming in New York.  Charles and his brothers joined the gold rush in 1849 and the three had about as much luck as most other prospectors did.  Charles was the only one to live to return home.  He settled down and got married before enlisting with the 116th Illinois Regiment, taking part in the Battle of Vicksburg (where he was severely wounded) and Sherman's March to the Sea.

After the war, Charles tried his hand at prospecting again, this time Idaho and …

A short summary of 1000 Years of Annoying the French: All about the back and forth bickering between the Brits and the French.


Questions to ponder while reading 1000 Years of Annoying the French:
Is there more than one version of history?
Does humor help learning?
My thoughts about 1000 Years of Annoying the French: Calling all history buffs!
A great overview of the intermingling history between England and France.
An entertaining learning experience.

Dear Henry,

There was another "insect cuisine" article in the paper. 

I am beginning to wonder if there is a conspiracy and that something is going to happen to our food supply and the media is prepping us for "bugs provencal" (no, not really, I'm kidding).

In the past, and after comparing Fish's and my survival skills to those of a reality T.V. couple, I have stated that I would eat a bug if I were starving, was in competition for a half a million dollars, or was at a Mariner's game. 

I do have my limits though.

The article I was reading was talking about using the larvae of the black fly as a food source. Another name for "larvae of the black fly" is maggots.

Eating maggots is a hard no.

While the article talks about the negative carbon footprint utilizing this particular food source, the protein ratio to body size, and all of the other benefits of fly larvae as a food source. The fact still remains that eating maggots is a hard no.

I will b…

A short summary of The Alienist Profiling a climbing killer.

Questions to ponder while reading The Alienist Do you have any issues with your mother?
What are your thoughts regarding prostitution?
My thoughts about The Alienist A "Sherlocky" feel.
Great fun in a book.
A mystery to the max.

Dear Henry,

Do you remember me telling you about the couple who died eating a raw marmot? I was shocked that the raw food trend had gone so far.

I was shocked again today about another raw food choice and because it turned fatal, I felt like I should warn you.

Please don't ever eat a gecko raw.  Even if someone double dog dares you.

Lizards (even the "Chicken of the Trees" can carry salmonella on their skins - which is why, when cooking and eating the iguana, you are supposed to skin and parboil the meat before seasoning it and cooking. 

More shocking, when I tried to Google the "Man dies from eating..." (I couldn't remember the which lizard type it was), lizard or gecko wasn't the first choice in the autocomplete results of the Google search box, that was man dies eating from slug (which caused rat lungworm), nor was it the second, which was man dies from eating roaches (choked to death).

All in all, I think there is a life lesson or two here:

Meals d…

Dear Henry,

The 24 - hours has been a drama-filled adventure and I think it may take a couple of days for me to recover.

Do you remember me talking about my wrens living in the strawberry basket?  Well, they were starting to get big and really chatty and Ziggy wanted to figure out what the commotion was in the strawberry basket.

He pulled out the liner, spilling the nest out all over the porch.

Right away, Ziggy knew he was in BIG TROUBLE and, after Fish told me Ziggy was snuffing and nudging the baby that had spilled from the nest, I felt bad about scolding him (Ziggy got a double scolding, Fish had scolded him pretty good outside).

Fish put the nest back in the liner and the liner back into the basket back and then when waited. The parents showed up and they were quite upset (understandably).  They left and we didn't see them return.

We had done several internet searches since then and it was made clear that trying to hand feed and raise the birds ourselves was impossible, it n…

A short summary of Olive Kitteridge: All about Olive's people.

Questions to ponder while reading Olive Kitteridge: What are you afraid of?
How do you see yourself?
My thoughts about Olive Kitteridge: I think I know a couple of Olives
Very complicated characters.
I wonder if my relationships are so complex.

Dear Henry,

On NASA's drawing board, and prepared to launch in 2026 is the Dragonfly.

Although the name reminds of a space western written by Joss Whedon, the Dragonfly mission plans to create a drone that will weather the eight-year journey from the Earth to Saturn's moon Titan to explore its geological structure and look for signs of life.

Titan is Saturn's largest moon and is the only other place besides Earth with any type of atmosphere.  It is also the only other place that has liquid water and while the atmospheric pressure is fifty times that of Earth, there is much within the chemical makeup of the atmosphere that would make life possible.

The craft is envisioned as a rotary type drone and will be expected to stop and several different sites, studying the geology and chemical composition of the moon when it reaches Titan in 2034.

I know that this is fifteen years away, but I can hardly wait to see the footage.

xoxo a.d.

A short summary of the book Pigs Have Wings: A story about noble, British, fat pigs, which have gone missing.

Questions to ponder while reading Pigs Have Wings: Would you, after reading, now consider using a pin to pop a blister?
What would you do with a pig in your kitchen?
My thoughts about Pigs Have Wings: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle meets Downtown Abbey meets the Three Stooges.
It is utterly ridiculous and I laughed the entire time.
The book is the cure for what ails you.

Dear Henry,

This weekend I had the opportunity to climb a 100 ft observation tower and I initially thought that I wanted to see the view of the Ozarks from the top.

After three platforms (so about 30 feet), as I began to sweat (it was very hot) and my legs felt like I was getting a quite a workout.  A couple of steps up to the fourth platform I decided that I no longer cared about the view from the top and climbed back down.

I kind of feel like a wimp now.

I especially felt like a wimp after I read about cyclist Hugh Sharp of Cape Cod Maine who rode a unicycle 180 miles to raise money for the American Lung Association.

I bet his thighs burned after that ride.

I need to go exercise now.

xoxo a.d.

A short summary of the book The Other Side of the Sun: A British woman learns the secrets of the North American South.

Questions to ponder while reading The Other Side of the Sun: How do you deal with differences?
What would you have done?
My thoughts about The Other Side of the Sun: I loved the literary game (Does anyone want to play?)
A haunting and dark story.
A difficult tale to let go of.

A short summary of Purple Hibiscus: The story of Kambili's privileged life.

Questions to ponder while reading Purple Hibiscus: Is a religious person always a good person?
What would you do to keep your family together?
My thoughts about Purple Hibiscus: Kambili has become a favorite character.
Religion should not be allowed to shield abuse.
I can't imagine living during a period of civil unrest.

Dear Henry,

What would you do if you lost a toe?

Are you thirsty?

This story starts with a race, the Yukon Arctic Ultra Marathon, a grueling, 300 mile, race, in Whitehorse Canada. 

This year, Nick Griffiths, a British ultramarathoner, gave the race a try.

Unfortunately, after 30 hours, he ended the race exhausted and frostbitten.  After initial treatment in Canada, he returned to his home in the U.K. to continue treatment and have three of his toes amputated.

Remembering an advertisement in Canada from The Downtown Hotel in Dawson City Canada, seeking toes for a drink ingredient, Mr. Griffiths chose to send his toes to the hotel, rather than allowing traditional disposal.

Since 1973, The Downtown Hotel has made a signature drink, The Sour Toe Cocktail.  It is a shot of whiskey with a mummified toe. The drink was conceived after discovering a severed toe in a cabin (because why not?). 

While the original toe has long since deteriorated, other toes have been contributed, and after a si…

A short summary of Postcards From the Edge: The ramblings of a rehabilitation.

Questions to ponder while reading Postcards From the Edge: Have you ever struggled to overcome something?
Do you find humor helps?
My thoughts about Postcard From the Edge:
Ah! Carrie!  RIP.
A humorous look at the challenges of recovery.
We (as a society) need to do more for addition and mental illness recovery.

Dear Henry,

I love Bigfoot stories and I, rather tongue in cheek, want to entertain the belief in the Sasquatch.

The FBI, however, has determined that no one should believe in Bigfoot.

Back in 1976, a long time Sasquatch/Yeti researcher and hunter named Peter C. Byrne found some unidentifiable hairs caught in some brush.

Mr. Byrne sent the hair to the FBI for testing, which they did in 1977.

But, they never got back to anyone or released any kind of report.  So, of course, conspiracy theories sprouted, grew, and took on a life of their own and everyone was positive that the FBI had samples of Sasquatch hair that they had classified and tried to bury the knowledge of.

Turns out, the FBI is just really bad at correspondence and communication.

and the hair was just deer hair.

I was disappointed.

Of course, I didn't really think that the FBI had actual Sasquatch fur, but they could have left some ambiguity in the report.

Just to keep the dream alive.

xoxo a.d.

Dear Henry,

Have you ever heard of the Wankel T. Rex?   It is a great story...

Back in 1988, a woman named Kathy Wankel was rockhounding around the Fort Peck Reservoir in Montana.

The lake was very low that year,  the drought had been terrible and water was also being used for the large Yellowstone fire.

While searching through the lake bed, Ms. Wankel discovered a skeleton, an almost complete (90%) Tyranasarus Rex.

I have always wished to find something amazing.

Anyway, after an exhausting amount of bureaucracy, the skeleton, named Wankel T. Rex, will go on display in the Smithsonian's newly reopened fossil hall.

I make sure to look down now when I hike, just in case.

xoxo a.d.

A short summary of To Sir, With Love: The power of a good teacher.

Questions to ponder while reading To Sir, With Love:
Will sharing experiences help curb discrimination?
Does respect breed respect?
My thoughts about To Sir, With Love: Beautiful book.
A good exploration of the many different biases.
I wish he had been my teacher.

Dear Henry,

Do you journal?

My grandmother loved was an amateur genealogist and loved family history (which she passed on to me).  She collected all sorts of documents related to our families past and had several different (often self-published or simply typed and photocopied) autobiographies, biographies, and journals.

I used to love reading through the autobiographies and biographies.  It was interesting to me what people did and thought and, most importantly, how they wanted the rest of the world to see them.

I approached the journals with fear and a feeling of invasiveness though and never really liked reading the journals of my forefathers.  I felt the same way when I attempted to read the journals of Sylvia Plath and Frieda Kahlo, neither of which I have finished, and I regret even trying.

"Everyone" talks about how helpful journaling is in your life, but the vulnerability of writing down my most personal thoughts and then having them read and scrutinized later distur…

Dear Henry,

Donald Culross Peattie said "For me, a weed is a plant out of place"

I have come to the conclusion that, based upon this logic, gladiolus are weeds.

Last year, knowing I was facing a redo with my garden in the near future, I wanted to put in an annual, just for some color and to keep up appearances and, when I saw a box of 100 gladioli for 14.99, I thought it was a perfect idea because gladioli don't overwinter, right?

Turns out, they do.  And they multiply.  And because of the water/flooding problems, they aren't necessarily where I planted them.

The more I move them, the more they seem to sprout up in inappropriate places.  They are everywhere and they are taking over the new garden beds, the new rock work, and even, the compost pile.

Who knew that gladioli were so invasive? It's a good thing they are pretty.

xoxo a.d.

Dear Henry,

Have you ever heard of the tsetse fly? 

A while ago I ran across some information about this little fly and heard about the damage it can cause.

The fly is the vector for trypanosomes  - the cause of sleeping sickness.

While not a problem is the U.S., the effect of the tsetse fly has been devastating on the African continent. Sleeping sickness will affect both humans and livestock.  Cattle are especially susceptible and the disease will destroy herds (both from illness and from culling) and surviving cows are smaller, weaker and unable to be sold for meat and dairy production is severely decreased.

I have just read that the government of Senegal and the government of the U.S. had actually come up with a solution to the problem of the tsetse fly using nuclear science, and they have solved the problem quite well. Tsetse flies in Senegal were irradiated with gamma radiation to sterilize them, dropping the fly population to almost zero.  Senegal ranchers and dairy farmers have…

Dear Henry,

I am sure you have heard about Joan of Arc - the young French girl who, inspired by voices of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret led a group of French soldiers during the Hundred Year War's Battle of Orleans and helping Charles VII secure the throne.

Well, today is the 588th anniversary of her death.

While aiding the besieged city of Compiegne, the Burgundians captured Joan and sold her to the British.

Everyone knows she was burned at the stake for heresy, but, I was surprised to learn which type of heresy she was burned for.

I always thought it was because she had heard the voices of the saints.  Nope.  It was because she was wearing men's clothing.

As it is the feast day for St. Joan, women, I hope you are all wearing pants.

xoxo a.d.

Dear Henry,

I *love* conspiracy theories.  I don't particularly like talking to conspiracy theorists, but I love reading about their theories.

One of my favorites is the moon landing hoax.

Most of you know that on July 20, 1969, astronauts for the US landed on the moon - the first of six crewed landings on the moon, ending with Apollo 17's landing on December 11, 1972.

There is a sizable segment that believes however that the entire thing was staged.  I have always wondered how exactly that believe came about.

It turns out that there was a book by Bill Kaysing called "We Never Went to the Moon: America's Thirty Billion Dollar Swindle", published in 1976, that kicked this particular theory off.

I haven't read the book and so I can't vouch for the thoroughness of its research or the accuracy of the sources, I do know something about the author though.

Mr. Kaysing was a senior technical writer for Rocketdyne, the company that created the engines for the Sat…

Dear Henry,

Have you ever wondered where the history of the U.S. comes from? 

Particularly the history we teach in schools?

I had believed that the Statue of Liberty had been a gift from France to commemorate our independence.  It wasn't.

The statue was created to celebrate the end of slavery. 

In today's Washington Post, an article talked about the planning between French abolitionist Eduourard Rene de Laboulaye and sculpture Frederic Bartholdi, whose original idea was to celebrate the holding together of the Union and the ending of slavery, which they believed, fully allowed the realization of our War of Independence.

Of course, by the time the statue was placed in 1886 the freedoms that had originally been won during the Civil War were reversed by the Jim Crow Laws and even at the time of its placement it was being protested because of these inequalities.

So there you have it, the true meaning of the Statue of Liberty and what she represents.  Of course, the broken chains …

Dear Henry,

A man I know is teaching a class in talent development, with some strong philosophical overtones.

The class is in Spanish, which is no problem, my friend is quite fluent.  However, the materials are in English.

While reading, writing and communicating in English is also not a problem for my friend, he is asked to do something more than just a rote translation. He is attempting to convey the beauty, meaning, and purpose behind something for an audience for which the original is not written.

I think of all of the great works of literature and while us English speakers were blessed with Shakespeare, other great authors such as Tolstoy, Hugo, and Coelho, relied largely on their translators to get their stories read in English.

I can't imagine how hard that job would be.

xoxo a.d.

Dear Henry,

Have you ever thought, while sitting in an unending business meeting that you were getting dumber?

Turns out you really were getting dumber and meetings are bad for the brain cells.

Most meetings are centered in conference rooms and are generally held with the doors closed.

Several studies have shown that, in addition to the "sick building" pollutants that exist in all buildings with an HVAC system (and from co-workers who need mints), carbon dioxide levels (from regular breathing) can increase to unhealthy levels as we spend hours upon hours closeted together (plus the additional carbon dioxide emanating from the co-workers who need mints).

I believe we need to start moving all meetings outside, or at the very least, ensure we only have them in rooms that have an abundance of plants (and mints)

xoxo a.d.

Dear Henry,

I didn't think that what I am about to say actually needed to be said but clearly, it does.

Don't eat rodents raw.

You see, a couple in Mongolia were convinced that it would be beneficial to their health, ate a raw marmot, including the organ meat.

This turned out to be a fatal meal.

Rodents, including marmots, often have fleas which carry the germ Yersinia Pestis.  Rodents themselves can also carry the germ, with the organ meat having the largest concentration of the bacteria.

Yersinia Pestis is the bacteria that has caused a great deal of havoc in the world.  It causes the plague.

Fortunately for the rest of their village, eating the bacteria gave the couple the septicemia form, which cannot be passed through human to human contact, unlike the bubonic form (which managed to kill half of Europe during the Middle Ages).

Because this is a serious disease, it bears repeating - consuming raw rodents is bad, although you can eat them cooked, I would, however, not cons…

A short summary of El Narco: The rise of the Mexican Cartels.

Questions to ponder while reading El Narco: How do we curb demand?
How do we bring justice?
My thoughts about El Narco: An in-depth look at OUR crises.
The carnage is horrific.
We are not handling the problem appropriately.

Dear Henry,

I have a retirement goal, and that is to see all of the State and National Parks in the United States. 

Fish and I plan on getting one of the cute little camper vans and drive around the country - cashing in on every single silver discount we can take advantage of.

The National Park sites alone will be a huge undertaking, because
There is a bunch of them (the current count is 419).

It seems almost too daunting to contemplate sometimes but...Mikah Meyers has done it and in three years, finishing this epic road trip on April 29, 2019.

While I don't plan on powering through the trip in three years, it is a lot of fun to think about a road trip of that magnitude.

What type of road trip do you want to take?

xoxo a.d.

Dear Henry,

I am very drawn to survivor stories.

I always wonder what "thing" a person has that causes them to survive harrowing situations.

For example, today I learned about Florence Finch who survived as a POW during WWII and then lived until she was over 100 and while she is far from the only one who did survive the POW camps, it does make you wonder, what was it that enabled her to survive and others to perish.

We talk about determination and grit, but, I seriously think that there must be a fair amount of luck as well because I can't imagine that those who didn't make it was any less determined.

What do you think?

xoxo a.d.

A short summary of Survivors in Mexico: Rebecca's observations in Mexico.


Questions to ponder while reading Survivors in Mexico: Is any country easily explained?
Did you find the culture as fascinating as I did?
My thoughts on Survivors in Mexico: Entertaining observations.
Rich in character exploration.
I wish she had gotten to finish the book.

Dear Henry,

It isn't a secret, but I read a lot.

There are so many books over the years that have shaped me but this weekend I was challenged to list my most influential five.

These books are ones that I have referred back to time and again and always carry in my heart.

This list is as follows:


A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith - The book that encouraged my college education.Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand - The book that explained what capitalism is to me.The Robe - Lloyd C. Douglas - The book that defined Christianity to me.Slouching Toward Bethlehem - Joan Didion - The book that taught me to act like a big girl.The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway - The book that propelled me away from philosophy and into activity. While my experiences dictated which books spoke to me the loudest, I like to think this list would be useful to anyone.
I hope Henry, that you enjoy them.
xoxo a.d.

A short summary of The Lost World: A jilted adventure.

Questions to ponder while reading The Lost World:
How do you cope with a breakup?
What makes a people civilized?
My thoughts on The Lost World: A pre-Jurassic Park dinosaur tale.
A fun book by a fun author.
Biases abound within the book.

Dear Henry,

Today, I am doing something new and I am very excited.

I will be attending my very first charity dinner as a patron.

I feel like such an adult.

This evening, the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks will be hosting their yearly "Greening of the Garden" dinner and auction.

The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks is a place of inspiration (both for my work and my own garden) as well as a place of sanctuary for me and while I have always supported the gardens, this will be my first "major" charity event.

I am both excited and nervous.

and I still don't know what I am going to wear.

xoxo a.d.

A short summary of The Gift of the Magi: The cost of buying the perfect gift.

Questions to ponder while reading The Gift of the Magi: What would you give up for someone you love?
What is your greatest treasure?
My thoughts on The Gift of the Magi: One of my favorite Christmas stories ever.
Something to read over and over.
I sniffle every time I read it.

Dear Henry,

Today, I took a nap.

Or rather, I got a good night's sleep in the middle of the day and woke up feeling like Rip Van Winkle.

While experts say you shouldn't nap for longer than 20 minutes, I always seem to nap for hours (when I actually take a nap).

Because I always feel so much better and have yet to have a problem sleeping at night, I have decided to live dangerously and nap, however, whenever, and for as long as I choose.

Sleep experts, take that.

xoxo a.d.

A short summary of Americanah: A Nigerian's American experience.

Questions to ponder while reading Americanah: Do you allow race to affect your interactions?
How long does it take you to do your hair?
My thoughts on Americanah: I *devoured* the book.
The blog posts are fabulous.
That women of color are slighted for wearing their hair natural  or braided is absurd and needs to stop immediately!

Dear Henry,

Today I read about the most amazing couple whose story made my heart swell and then broke it.

When Paul and Kris Scharoun-DeForge wanted to get married, the state of New York originally turned them away and said no.

Why?  Because they both had Down Syndrome. 

It took a lengthy court battle, in which both of them had to prove that they understood what it means to be married before the State of New York finally relented and they were allowed to get married in 1993 (I vaguely remember something about this).

They had a beautiful and marriage that lasted 25 years.

Unfortunately, Paul died last month, from early onset Alzheimers Disease, which effects Down Syndrome patients more than 50% of the time, although the reports say, he maintained familiarity with Kris until the end.

I am so happy they found one another and had such a lovely and happy marriage and I am heartbroken to think that it is over.

xoxo a.d.

A short summary of The Girl on the Train: An alcoholic missing person mystery.

Questions to ponder while reading The Girl on the Train: How is your memory?
Do you drink?
My thoughts about The Girl on the Train: It was a fun little mystery to read.
Self-control is hard but necessary.
I can't believe I loved a book but hated EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER.

Dear Henry,

Today, an illusion was shattered.

I had always envisioned caviar as something that was caught from sturgeon on cold, bleak winter nights, by stern Russian fishermen wearing fur hats, drinking tea and vodka, and smoking Cuban cigars.  You know, the kind that served aboard the Red October with Sean Connery.

Instead, I discovered that caviar, like everything else, comes from China and its farmed.

In fact, for several years, Russia, due to overfishing, had to ban caviar harvesting until the sturgeon population has rebounded. Beluga Caviar, because the fish is still endangered, is still restricted from sale in the United States.

As for myself, I have only had caviar once and didn't quite fancy it. I can't imagine trying it again, particularly when a jar of the "cheap" stuff runs about 75.00 an ounce.

I will stick with mushy peas, thanks.

xoxo a.d.

A short summary of The Song of Achilles: Achilles and Patroclus, a love story.


Questions to ponder while reading The Song of Achilles: Have you ever read the Illiad?
What is mercy?
My thoughts about The Song of Achilles: True to the original storyline.
I struggled to put it down.
Mythology has the best stories.

Dear Henry,

I have heard some fabulous news - medical science has printed a fully functioning heart with a 3D printer.

Although the heart that was printed wasn't human-sized, it was made with human cells and the process has provided a breakthrough that will soon enable medical teams to print hearts as needed.

I think this is good news and not only because there is a shortage of donated organs. (Side note - Have you signed up for organ donation yet?) 

I have been following the story of a British woman named Katie, who five years ago, due to an infection, required a heart transplant.  In addition to the struggles in finding a donor, Katie routinely struggles with the side effects of anti-rejection medication and a deep, bittersweet feeling of knowing that she is still alive only because someone else had died.

I truly admire the strength she has shown on this journey and I wish that it wasn't so hard for her and I am glad that this technology will be coming online soon.

If we co…

A short summary of Be Good: How to find your internal North Star.

Questions to ponder while reading Be Good: Is anonymity unethical?
Does self-interest affect your ethics?

My thoughts about Be Good: A good book on ethical dilemmas.
Helps define your responsibilities.
We really need to remember our ethics when we vote.

Dear Henry,

In odd and macabre learning today, I discovered the etymology of the phrase "couldn't swing a cat".

I had thought that it referred to an actual cat - maybe something from Shoenderger's experiments, or perhaps a veterinarian resuscitation term coined by James Herriot.

No, the cat in question is a "cat o' nine tails".

The phrase actually originated in the British Navy. Prior to 1806, corporal punishment was common and allowed in the British Navy, and flogging was often used.

It is important to note though, that early naval ships were quite small, and, when fully staffed, were often quite full.

I can imagine that it would have been difficult to swing a whip in those circumstances.

I also glad it has been made verboten


xoxo a.d.