Morning, noon and night
Three random things I learned, or remembered, todayArchive for October, 2007
Population genetics
NIGHT
Genetic Equilibrium in a large population is based on the Hardy-Weinberg Law
The link below describes what this is about and what factors might disturb this equilibrium.
Animal lovers
NOON
I have just discovered a site called “Advocacy for Animals.” It is a blog that seems to be part of Encyclopedia Britannica.
It quotes the following:
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Mohandas K. Gandhi
And would also add that a nation’s treatment of its children and its elderly is also a measure of moral progress.
Organic products are better?
MORNING
Up till now, as far as I know, evidence that organic food is higher in nutritional value has been lacking. It has rather been a “lifestyle choice.”
Apparently, this is beginning to change. It has been shown that organic fruit and vegetables contain 40% more antioxidants which are thought to cut the risk of cancer and heart disease. The antioxidants in organic milk were shown to be 90% more in this study.
The food Standards Agency will consider this research and if necessary review their current advice.
Pottery find
NIGHT
I love junk and visit auctions, charity shops and car boot sales on the prowl. It’s the thrill of finding hidden treasure that no-one else has noticed. Not real treasure usually, but something that is “good” hidden among the “bad” and the “ugly.”
Here is a photo of a little pottery vase that I found in perfect condition in a charity shop. It has a feeling of “goodness” about it.
Greenland thaws
NOON
To my knowledge, I have never met a greenlander. However I haved look down on this ice covered desolate land from 30,000 plus feet above, and wondered what it would be like to live there.
Global warming is making life more pleasant for greenlanders. For example, they are now trying to grow vegetables. Up till now they only seemed to eat potatoes.
The link below takes you to a lovely slide show of greenland from the ground.
Identical twins re-united
MORNING
I found this story about identical twins being reunited after 35 years more distressing than happy. Happy because they were at last united. Distressing because, unknown to them, they had been part of a cold, calculated experiment.
Writing a book
NIGHT
When writing a story, apparently there are ways to develop a 3D character.
This link tells the difference between 2D and 3D characters.
The Moon
NIGHT
Other planets in the solar system have moons, sometimes multiple moons. They all have names. Seemingly the name of our moon is simply “The Moon” with a capital “M”. Similarly, the stars are suns which are given names. Ours is “The Sun”
I suppose we have always known that.
The meaning of wiki
NOON
When I first discovered Wikipedia I realised I had encountered something new and exciting. However I never knew where the “wiki” part came from.
Apparently “wiki” is a Hawaiian word which means “hurry quick.” So it’s an encyclopedia that can be updated quickly and easily by readers.
I wonder who first thought of this?
Mess
MORNING
The other “must” thing for me while in “messy mode” is a really comfortable fireside chair beside a “live” flame. An open coal or log fire would be nice, but while in “messy mode” there is no time to grapple with coaxing a fire to light every morning and feeding it with fuel. So it has to be a gas fire with “real flames” – almost the same thing.
A little table beside the fire to hold the papers I’m working on. All the papers arranged neatly. And a tiny vase of fresh flowers on the table.
And one of these little lap trays attached to a cushion for the laptop. Another as a tray to eat from.
And that little corner is kept dusted and tidy.
So two corners of maintenance only, while the rest of the house goes to pot!
Eating – well, loads of fresh fruit, cups of tea, cold meats, chicken legs. Very little cooking.
And chocolate, of course. Lots of chocolate.
Oh, and the loo is cleaned daily – and the bathroom sink every couple of days.
So, with these little patches of organisation amid mayhem I can go into a state of hibernation for weeks.
Flowers at the bedside
NIGHT
Just remembered I took a photo of the bedside table last time I was in messy mode.
It was the only dusted part of the house at that time!
Coping with the messy times
NOON
For me, one of the ways of coping with the messy times in life, is to have two beautiful, tidy corners. Just two.
The first of these is bed. The windows can be dirty, clothes strewn on the floor, magazines and books can fall in a pile off the bed, wardrobe doors can be half open, drawers can be half shut, a layer of dust everywhere, but the bed itself has to be pristine and comfortable. The path from the side of the bed to the door must be clear and tidy and the bedside table needs to be dusted and have a tiny posy of fresh flowers on it – even just a couple of daisies will do.
I indulge in beautiful bed linen. Old vintage fine linen sheets and pillow slips that iron with a buttery feel I can’t put into words. Nothing is as cool as real linen. They cost a fortune new, but can be picked up in auction rooms for a song if you know where to look. And of course, fine, fine Egyptian cotton. And even when in messy mode I iron all my bed linen – truly.
I bid for old pure linen in auction rooms when I’m not in messy mode.
I buy the finest, smoothest Egyptian cotton sheets. Nothing else.
And I have lots and lots of pillows to prop me up. Because sometimes my bed, when I’m in messy mode, becomes an office.
And I have beautifully laundered soft comfortable nightdresses to wear in this haven of perfection while I’m in messy mode. Usually bought on the internet from the link below.
That is secret of the night for me, until the sun shines again.
PS This is not my bed, needless to say. It is a beach bed. Am I the only person in the world that has never heard of a beach bed before?
The benefits of a mess
MORNING
When I enter a house that is an absolute mess, I think of three things.
Depression.
Creativity.
Far too busy combining work with a plethora of demanding life events.
Or a combination of all three. I never think of sloth, although doubtless that might be a factor sometimes.
It might too, be the house of a perfectionist. Where a mess is more acceptable than mediocrity.
Now, I can live in the most deplorable mess. And have done. In fact I am in a bit of a mess just now. I tell my children they are lucky to have a mother that can live in a mess. I tell them that this is a gift they should cultivate too, because at times it is a way to survive some of the awful things life may throw at them. Living in a mess can give time for rest and freedom.
It also teaches a lot about friends.
Some of them melt away from a really awful mess.
And that makes life interesting.
Old china
NIGHT
I grab a mug of tea out a pottery mug with a tea-bag dunked in.
The fact is, I never drink out china cups. And never use a saucer.
But I love old china and can’t resist oddments I find in charity shops and car boot sales. The cups and saucers are stored in boxes but every now and then a selection finds its way on to to tables with flowers arranged around them in a kind of “Country Living” display.
Really a kind of “escapism.” The kind of life I would love to have.
But don’t.
Yet.
Afternoon tea – just dreaming
NOON
I’ve just been thinking a bit about afternoon tea.
Pure wonderful self-indulgence.
When there is not much else to do.
Imagine if, every afternoon, a 3 layered plate-stand of tiny sandwiches and home baking, china cups, saucers and plates, and a pot of steaming hot tea under a tea cosy appeared.
That is what life used to be like.
I think, some day, I’m going to have “real” afternoon tea one day a month. Dainty sandwiches, home baked scones and little cakes. Vintage linen tablecloths and napkins, little vases of fresh flowers from the garden, sugar cubes with tongs, and a selection of all the very best teas. All prepared beautifully by me. And I’ll invite just one friend at a time, so we can gossip.
It will become my gimmick.
A kind of eccentricity.
Once a month
Or maybe once a fortnight.
When I eventually retire from this job that I do that has devoured most of my life!
Confidence tricks
MORNING
I suppose we all hate to be taken for a lemon.
There is, according to legend, a sucker born every day, and of course there are many confidence tricksters around who are all too ready to relieve them of their wealth.
Two main levers of confidence tricksters are gullibility and greed.
Here’s a link to help you recognising and avoiding the tricksters.
Turnip lanterns
NIGHT
It is only recently that pumpkins appeared in UK shops for Halloween.
The large swede turnips, an abundant and cheap crop in the UK were carved instead.
Much harder to carve than a pumpkin though.
The meaning of “pear shaped”
NOON
Apparently the term “Pear Shaped” meaning a situation that went awry, perhaps horribly wrong, is only used in the UK and Australasia. It is not widely used or understood in the USA
It is said Margaret Thatcher used this phrase in front of the world’s press at one of her first meetings with President Ronald Reagan while visiting America in the 80’s. It generated some media interest in America at the time as reporters were unsure of the meaning of the term.
Pumpkin recipes
MORNING
Halloween cometh.
Here’s a site that gives lots of pumpkin recipes. And a lot more.
Afternoon tea at The Landmark, London
NIGHT
I was just looking up how to make a really good cup of afternoon tea in an old cookery book for my new “Kitchen Witch” blog, and I remembered “The Landmark Hotel” in London. This is real afternoon tea! A pleasurable experience in a peaceful atmosphere away from the realities of everyday life (my kind of everyday life, anyway).
I don’t go to London often, but when I’m there try to fit in an afternoon visit of pure self indulgence.
Go by yourself, even. Take a magazine, pretend you’re reading and watch another world go by!
It’s very expensive by Scottish standards. But you’re worth it.
Hopscotch
NOON
Children are getting fat.
When did you last see a child playing hopscotch in a street or in a playground, I wonder.
Or skipping ropes.
Or
“There’s a big ship sailin’ doon the Eelie ally oh, the eelie ally oh, …”
Removing mildew from grout
MORNING
It’s not easy to keep the grout on bathroom tiles free from mildew.
All you need to restore tiles to near perfect condition:
A scrubbing brush
Bathroom cleaner
White vinegar
Paper towels
Bleach
A Second Blog
NIGHT
“THE KITCHEN WITCH”
I started writing this blog “Morning, Noon and Night” a few months ago. Every now and then I included recipes from very old cookery books that have been lying around our house for as long as I can remember. They are faded and tatty and have been handed down from generation to generation.
Sometimes, hidden among the pages are old handwritten recipes and cuttings from magazines.
I decided I would record some of these old recipes by gradually posting them on a second blog site. I’ve started off with some of the most basic. Some of the old cookery books really started from scratch in a way that is seldom done today. So, the simplest old recipes will appear first.
BE THE FIRST TO VISIT “THE KITCHEN WITCH”
There will probably be some scattered household hints too.
The photographs are a bit of an assortment really. They are often unrelated to the posting but rather a reminiscence of the way things used to be.
Carving a Halloween pumpkin
NOON
There is a site dedicated to pumpkins.
It gives a bit on pumpkin carving history, choosing your pumpkins, carving tools, traditional carving, carving with stencils, lighting your pumpkins, life-span of a pumpkin, photographing, and growing your own pumpkin.
Its even suggested how to give your pumpkin a good burial once halloween is over.
Defaulting….
MORNING
Oh dear,
It can be quite difficult keeping up to discipline of learning something new or something forgotten every day.
It’s all to do with time and a list of priorities, I suppose.
I’ll try and get into the swing of things again.
And keep learning at the top of the list.
If its not kept right at the top, its so easy to drift!
Yellow baths
NIGHT
I’ve been getting quite a few hits for an earlier posting where I learned that yellow baths can be cleaned using turps and salt.
I though I’d better try it.
I have a enameled cast iron bath which is a bit yellow.
It works, on a bath like this.
An extra bonus is that the bathroom smells like an artist’s studio.
Carbon monoxide detector
NOON
I think Santa Claus is going to give all my adult children carbon dioxide detectors for all their gas appliances this Christmas.
I’m sure they’ll be thrilled when they open their parcels!!!!
Hmmm……
Carbon monoxide poisoning
MORNING
Apparently this is “Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week”
Here are some headings to help you protect yourself from this hidden killer.
1. Check the flame colour of your appliances.
2. Check the flue, is it blocked?
3. Do you have a horizontal gas grill?
4. Is there adequate ventilation?
5. When were your appliances last checked?
6. Do you suffer from unexplained illnesses?
7. Are you a Tenant?
8. Are you a Landlord?
9. We all feel better on holiday.
10. The most important thing.
Find out more about them from the website below which is dedicated to carbon monoxide safety.
Find your dream
NIGHT
Now here’s an interesting site!
Remember what you wanted out of life.
Write down your dream and send it to yourself in the future.
