The Wong Way

So this is the book I would like to review over the next couple of blogposts. It was first published in 2017. I got my copy for pence in a charity shop in June, and honestly it looks as good as new. I said at the time I would review it. It has taken 3 months to get round to it as I want to be fair and give a considered response. I will do it in two posts. My main issue with CVT&UPF is he seems to be negative don't eat it! and I like to be positive.

So who is James Wong? He is a botanist and science writer, who has worked with Michael Mosley on "The Secrets of Your Food" - a BBC series about food science. He was aware that 'wellness blogs' and healthfood gurus seem eager to ban our everyday foods, and get us eating fancy 'superfoods' [with words like organic, heritage, artisanal on the label] Products which are usually exclusive and expensive.

The book has 20 pages of introduction. James wants to use his food science knowledge to show that there are three simple steps we can adjust which can help us turn 'ordinary' foodstuffs into 'superfoods' and increase their benefits. These are how we select, store and serve. There are icons throughout the book

He gives a clear explanation of "nutritional evidence" and explains why some research, [and its results] is more reliable than others. He doesn't like the terms good food and bad food, saying we must not demonise all foods which have been processed. James says food which is labelled local and in season may not actually be the best option - and finally carbohydrates are not bad - they have a place in the diet. 

Having said that, he explains about the nutrients we need- vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients from plants [such as polyphenols, carotenes, probiotics and antioxidants] These 20 pages are the informative bit which sets you up for the rest of the book.

Then come 200 pages of explanations, methods and recipes- and this is the really useful bit.I shall say more about this in the next post!

An Indigestible Truth

It is 17 years since Al Gore brought us his film about Global Warming. So many people [and governments] are still refusing to take this seriously, and change their lifestyles or reduce their carbon footprints to improve the health of the planet. Now Chris Van Tulleken [CVT] and others are doing their best to flag up the dangers of Ultra Processed Foods[UPF] in our diet

- and again it feels as if they are banging their heads against the wall. They are particularly concerned for younger people, who are consuming the wrong stuff while their bodies are still developing - and storing up trouble for the future.

I'm 68, so I recognise I am definitely not young anymore. But I believe I do have a responsibility to be a good role model for my grandchildren and encourage them to eat well. But it is so difficult for parents these days when peer pressure means their kids want to eat at McDonalds, or snack in front of the TV. Most families will admit that at some stage, their children have been fussy eaters - and they have given in for the sake of family harmony. And families who are really struggling to manage the budget often find it is quicker, easier and cheaper to buy UPF ready meals than to buy ingredients and prepare foods from scratch. Much as I love fresh, home made bread, I'm not sufficiently organised, and often buy loaves from the supermarket.

In 1987, the year Liz started school , we Mums stood around discussing Maurice Hanssen's book "E for Additives" and diligently avoided feeding the kids anything with dodgy E-numbers [E102 - tartrazine yellow is the one I remember straightaway] They still have E-numbers, but these days you are more likely to find the full scientific name of the ingredient on the label. e.g. E300 will be called ascorbic acid [or just Vitamin C] Having an ingredient with an E number [as Hanssen's book pointed out] is not necessarily harmful. This is just a convenient labelling system. 

E415 is xanthan gum. CVT says he is unhappy about this ingredient, mentioning it is used in industrial products like paint and wallpaper paste. But many coeliacs I know rely on this one to make their gluten free foods digestible. And people put milk into paint, and they used to put flour into wallpaper paste - I'm not sure of the relevance to diet. 

On the whole I am unhappy about UPFs, but I'm trying not to become obsessive. I have to say here that I've read articles by CVT but not read his bestseller yet [a quick skim through the pages on a wet Wednesday in Waterstones doesn't count] 

It is really difficult to maintain a consistent approach to major lifestyle decisions whether about food, or travel or green issues. 

• Bea Johnson, chief promoter of Zero-Waste, flies around the world to give talks about it. Maybe she avoids the disposable cutlery with her inflight meal, but the couple in the seats in front don't. 
• The "Plastic Free July" people have a website. You need a plastic device to access it
• Living in a village with infrequent public transport means I use my car more than I'd like (I'm trying to cycle more) 
• Most diet programmes allow for lapses. Devotees of  Slimming World have their "syns" 
• A number of vegetarian/vegan options, particularly the "imitation meats" are UPF

So I'm don't think I'm going to beat myself up about the odd UPF that is on my plate. 

I don't think I can be as rigid as CVT in avoiding all UPFs. But another book I've just finished reading has proved very informative.  It presents an alternative approach which I think is worthy of consideration. I shall review it tomorrow. 

Are you avoiding UPFs? How is it working for you? What is the hardest thing? 

This Is Not A QR Code, Kirsten!

The August stitching arrived from Kirsten last Wednesday. I made a pot of tea, in readiness for The Great Unboxing. As usual I was not disappointed. Kirsten explained in the notebook that she had started out intending to cross-stitch a QR code, having read a blogpost about how to create and then sew such a design. But that idea was abandoned. What about a maze? 

No, that was no good. Finally a formal English Garden...

It is lovely, with the paths, and the little clipped box hedges and the central pond. All very National Trust!

Now it may look as if the left hand side is too near the edge of the section. Technically it is - but in fact it is in just the right place, because my Bless This House piece from last May could not be properly centred - and this extra line on K's garden makes it all come right!

She has used threads from Sarah Homfray an embroiderer from Nottinghamshire. The variegated ones give such a lovely effect.

I like this - I am not sure about a monochrome QR code!

There was a lovely piece in the Guardian on Sunday about Lynn Setterington, an artist who has been doing embroideries of British Street Scenes. Lynn says "Embroidery is having its moment. Its reach, power and value are being appreciated by the wider public. I have worked with people from all parts of the world on stitch projects - embroidery has proved an amazing connector"

I couldn't agree more! I would love to get to Manchester to see her exhibition [and visit Steph and co, of course!] but I don't think that's possible! Here's Kirkgate market in Leeds...

PS thankyou everyone for the kind messages yesterday. My mouth is recovering slowly and the meds are working. 

Harvest Home, And A Heartbroken Hamster

Things went very well at the Harvest Thanksgiving. Loads of food donated for the Foodbank, and a positive response to the BMS Appeal for Agriculturalists in Uganda

There were tins and packets stacked on every windowsill and the platform. And a couple of jolly scarecrows guarding the food! A far cry from my youth, when there was an egg washed "Sheaf of wheat" harvest loaf, and pyramids of onions, bowls of tomatoes, and dishes of beans and much fresh produce from local gardens. 

I led the service, Pastor Nick did a vegetable related illusion, Bob was operating the PA [which was playing up] And the children did a brilliant job of making their sukkot

Afterwards we had a splendid harvest lunch. Then Bob and I went home and slept as we were rather exhausted. At one point, I was seriously concerned that I would not be able to lead worship and preach. On Friday the left hand side of my face became very painful, swollen and 'drooping' I looked like a very sad Hamster. My smile was quite lopsided. At 830pm I rang NHS111, and the clinician who rang back said I was to get to A&E within the hour. And call an ambulance if my symptoms worsened. 

Bob whisked me off to Norwich, then left me as he had other stuff to do at home. Triage Nurse asked some questions, and said I wouldn't be seeing a Dr for at least 4 hours. An hour later they did blood tests. The rest of the night/early morning was mostly sitting waiting. 

First diagnosis after 3 hours was Bell's Palsy ["we'll give you steroids. It usually gets better but not always"] Then they decided it wasn't BP because I could raise both eyebrows. [You may have had a minor stroke, we will do a CT Scan] An hour wait for that, and three hours for results. ["No sign of stroke, but it doesn't always show up. You will have to wait to see someone from stroke team at 8am"] No stroke team turned up. At 9.30 another Dr turned up. He asked more sensible questions and sent me for a head x-ray, [I think it is a dental issue, an Xray will confirm that] I finally got out of the hospital with antibiotics, and an instruction to ring my dentist on Monday. It was 11.30. I ran, waving, towards the bus stop. The driver closed the doors and drove off as I got there! I spent an hour in the hospital coffee shop awaiting the next bus...I got home at 2.

Fortunately I had all my sunday service stuff prepared. Bob was going to supply homemade bread rolls for the lunch - but he ended up buying some in Tesco, he was too tired to knead!

We watched the fantastic Last Night of the Proms, and all those lovely EU flags [and yay! for getting back into the European Horizon research programme] 

I went to bed on Saturday very glad that the Palsy and Stroke diagnoses were wrong.

Sunday was a good day, as I have said.

 Monday I rang my lovely dentist Roshan, who saw me in the early afternoon. It was just a very bad gum infection, and the meds are making a rapid difference. Roshan checked out the Dundee Damage again and was glad that's all healing well. 

I no longer look like a Heartbroken Hamster. My smile is back! Hallelujah

9/11

I found this prayer by Jill Duffield, a Presbyterian pastor, wife and mother. I thought it was worth sharing. I was particularly touched by the fourth stanza. My thoughts today are with friends in the USA, and others still affected by events of that dreadful day...

God of grace and God of glory, on this anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, grant us the wisdom to remember the lessons from that tragic day that make us more Christ-like. Drive away from us any vengeful urges, any hate-filled sentiment, any whisper from within or without that goads us to return evil for evil. As the world still heaves with violence and war seems to never end, assure us, Prince of Peace, that ultimately crying and mourning will be no more. In the midst of suffering, our own and that of the world, speak again, Creator God, your performative Word of life and its goodness.

We pray for those whose lives were forever changed on September 11, 2001. Grant comfort to those who grieve. Strengthen those who struggle with questions that remain unanswered. Assure those who worry that they should have said or done something differently that you gather up all the fragments of our lives, bless and use them in ways that nourish.

We thank you, Lord of all, for the people who every day put their lives in danger to protect and serve others. We pray for first responders, medical personnel, police officers, firefighters and all who never know what work will bring on any given day. Grant them wisdom, courage and rest.

We are grateful for the new life born since the attacks  – for those beloved children who don’t remember that day. We give thanks for the saints who were with us then, but have since gone on to eternal life. When we mark anniversaries of sorrow, corporately or alone, may they be occasions to discern what truly matters, let go of what really doesn’t and recognize your grace, Almighty God, that pervades it all.

In the name of Jesus, the light of the world,  the Prince of Peace, the Good Shepherd, our friend and our helper, we pray. Amen.

Give Thanks!

Today is our Harvest Thanksgiving at Church. I am grateful for living in a county where farming is still so important- we see the workers in the fields. and the trailers loaded with produce on our country roads. We are called to be good stewards of Creation - and to be grateful for the blessings we have. And we are called to share with those - at home and abroad, for whom it is a daily struggle to source the food they need for themselves and our families.

We plough the fields and scatter

the good seed on the land,

but it is fed and watered

by God's almighty hand;

he sends the snow in winter,

the warmth to swell the grain,

the breezes and the sunshine

and soft refreshing rain.

He only is the maker

of all things near and far;

he paints the wayside flower,

he lights the evening star;

the wind and waves obey him,

by him the birds are fed;

much more to us his children,

he gives our daily bread.

We thank you, then, O Father,

for all things bright and good,

the seed-time and the harvest,

our life, our health, our food:

accept the gifts we offer

for all your love imparts;

and that which you most welcome,

our humble, thankful hearts.

All good gifts around us

are sent from heaven above,

then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord

for all his love.

 

Branching Out

We were driving to the Village Hall [Bob had some Parish Council stuff to drop off] and passed some tree fellers chopping down a huge cupressus leylandii hedge. "Ooh, I could use some of that for Harvest!" I said. We got to the Hall - and Bob went inside, whilst I was sent to ask the men with the van if they needed the pallet they'd left outside [they didn't - so it went into the boot of our Skoda*] 

And o the way home we stopped and I asked for a branch. Take the lot! they said. But I just had the one piece. It was a rather larger than I'd realised when I picked it up, but I didn't want to spend time hunting through the heap of branches for a smaller one! On Sunday it is Harvest Festival at Church.

It's my turn to preach - and we are just starting a sermon series on the Jewish Festivals. I have been given "Sukkot" - aka the Feast of Tabernacles, or the Feast of Booths. So I thought it would be a good activity for the children to build mini sukkot [sukkot means huts]

I've cut out some card templates for the children to work with, using Mum's old table knife 

to score folds. I decorated the inside with bright fabric, crayons, stamps etc. Then stuck it into shape.

The trimmed sprigs of cupressus will go all over the outside. And there is a fabric mat to rest it on.

I hope to get some pictures of the children's finished shelters tomorrow. Meanwhile Bob is making some bread to contribute to the Harvest Lunch. It will be a busy service - we are supporting a project helping farmers in Uganda, so there is that video to watch, we're collecting for the local foodbank, we will learn about how Jews celebrate harvest - and Nick the pastor is going to perform one of his illusions. All of that will certainly work up an appetite for the lunch Wendy is arranging, 

*I have no idea what Bob plans to do with the pallet...

Daisy, Daisy

On Sunday, before they returned to London, the family came round and we went for a Roast Lunch at the local pub. The pub was busy, service a little slower than usual. Jess had missed her nap and was rather fractious. I offered to take her outside . We walked round the back to the bowling green, and sat on the memorial bench. We spotted 'b' things - birds, butterflies, bumblebees, bicycle, bench etc. Then Grandad Bob came and said food was ready. 

After the girls had finished eating, Jess was still not happy. She wanted to play a game on Mum's phone - but there was no signal [normal for Norfolk] So this time, Rosie came outside with Jess and Grandma. I asked Rosie if she knew how to make Daisy Chains. She didn't - but there were some splendid ones with very long stalks growing in the grass.

The girls were both fascinated by this home made jewellery. I am sure I made these with Ro a couple of years ago, but I guess she had forgotten. I told Rosie that the name comes from Day's Eye - because at night its petals close up [Didn't say that Geoffrey Chaucer used that term 600 years ago]

When the others came out to find us, Jess and Rosie were very happy displaying their necklaces. And I was pleased to have passed on a traditional skill. Maybe next time they visit, I will teach Jess the song about Daisy and the bicycle made for two!

Grandma's Pictures

Anna Mary Robertson was born on September 7th, 1860, in Greenwich, New York. Her father was a farmer and also owned a flax mill. She had four sisters, and five brothers, and her favourite activity as a child was painting. She made her colours with grape juice, flour, ochre and sawdust. Aged 12 she was sent to work for a neighbouring farmer, doing household chores. She learned to cook, to sew and to keep house. For the next 15 years she worked for various wealthy farm families, and one of these bought her chalk and wax crayons for her artwork.

Aged 27, she found herself working on the same farm as Thomas Salmon Moses. They married, amd had ten children [five survived infancy] and eventually were able to buy their own farm.Anna worked incredibly hard, helping with the farm and running the family. She gave up her painting and turned to sewing - making and mending, and also producing embroidered pictures which she sold to supplement the family income. Then aged 67, Thomas died suddenly. Anna moved in with her daughter, and was known as Grandma Moses. She was fond of 'hobby art' - what would be termed recycling or upcycling nowadays - using discarded objects as her materials. Then aged 78 she developed arthritis, and could no longer sew. 

She returned to her first love, painting. When her right hand ached, she put the brush into her left. She produced a painting a week, usually of the rural scenes she saw around her. Just before the outbreak of WW2, a dealer saw some of her work displayed in a small town drugstore. He bought all their stock of paintings [at $4 each] - and persuaded MOMA to include some of them in a folk art exhibition. Then things really took off.

Grandma Moses had her own exhibition in New York, and at the age of 80 travelled up to the Big Apple for the first time in her life. The picture above is called "Grandma Moses Goes to The Big City"

People loved her depictions of rural American life, and the traditional celebrations of holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. She gained a global following. One of her pieces [July Fourth, below] went to the White House.

When she was 100, in 1960, she featured on the cover of Time Magazine - and  the Governor of New York, Nelson Rockefeller, proclaimed September 7th to be Grandma Moses Day. In three decades she had produced more than 1500 canvases.

Anna died in December 1961, aged 101. President John F Kennedy said: "The death of Grandma Moses removed a beloved figure from American life. The directness and vividness of her paintings restored a primitive freshness to our perception of the American scene. Both her work and her life helped our nation renew its pioneer heritage and recall its roots in the countryside and on the frontier. All Americans mourn her loss."

In 1969 her '4th July' featured on a US Postage stamp, and in 2006 one of her artworks was sold for $1.2 million. She once said "I look back on my life like a good day's work, it was done and I feel satisfied with it. I was happy and contented, I knew nothing better and made the best out of what life offered. And life is what we make it, always has been, always will be."

If I have to give up my sewing, I cannot see myself turning to art. But I admire the indomitable spirit of this lady. I love her simple depictions of the rural area in which she lived, and the patterns of life which are long gone.

Happy Grandma Moses Day, folks! 

The Lesser Of Two Weevils...

We all have them - those days when things don't go to plan...and every little task seems to take three times as long. I was making bread, and I found a container with just a small amount of rye flour, right at the back of the cupboard.[In the inaccessible corner where I keep my flower vases] And ugh! there were weevils [tiny flour bugs] in it. I checked the other containers of flour [plain, self raising, and "strong bread". And fortunately they were all ok [I think because they were stored in another place] But I carefully took the glass jar outside and emptied it, and then dismantled the wire clip fastening and put the jar and lid through the dishwasher on Sunday night..

I have a lot of these jars [not all pukka Kilner, some are IKEA, some Wilko etc] But why oh why does it take me an age to reassemble the wire clip after washing? I put a complete one in front of me, and arrange the pieces of the newly washed one... and always manage to get one bit or the other upside down. But I like using this storage - I can see the contents, they are properly airtight [I check and replace the rubber seals if they get dodgy, split or perished] But re-assembling is a pain, and took up a ridiculous amount of time on Monday,

Then there was the Big Bang! I'd done my washing and was pegging it out on the line and suddenly there was a Very Loud Bang! I jumped, and said Wow! "Are you OK?" called Bob and came outside." There was a bang" , I declared. "I think it came from behind me." We checked around the garden. I suspected the deflated football Bob had pumped up earlier in the day, No, that was OK. We peeped over the garden fences. Nothing dodgy at the neighbours' houses. Bob looked in the Lathe Palace, and went all round outside the property. Nothing...

Then later in the afternoon, Bob went to put away my bike. It had been out on the patio since I cycled back from Craft Group. "When did you get a flat tyre?" he asked. I had no idea. That's when we realised that the Big Bang had been my bicycle tyre exploding. 

Bob had kindly pumped up the tyres before I went out - Was it the heat? did standing on the hot patio all afternoon prove just a little too much? Fortunately he had a spare inner tube which he fitted.

The washing all dried beautifully and I brought it in before we had our evening meal. Then we settled down for Quizzy Monday on BBC2. I started watching the new drama [Inheritance, Channel 5] but Bob gave up and went and did stuff in the study. He came in as I was catching up with the 10 o'clock news, and suggested we should go to bed - it had been a long, hot, tiring day. That was when I realised I had taken off the bedding to wash it - and not put on fresh linen. It was 11pm before I finally rested my head on the pillow. 

On The Way To The Forum...

It was Thursday, but Bob was not doing visits at the Hospice- he was attending a special event at the new building, for staff, sponsors and volunteers. Amd there was little car parking space. So I dropped him off and went into the city. I had a couple of things to buy, so I parked in The Forum car park and dashed to the shops, both of which were closing at 5. I decided to have a walk and explore the "City of Stories" [ N is the first UNESCO designated city of literature]

I walked up past the Guildhall  [Grade 1 listed, 1407], along the side of City Hall [Grade 2 listed , 1938], and along the ancient street of St Giles. I bought a coffee and strolled along sipping from my Stojo cup. There is a junction towards the top, by St Giles Church. This summer some 'bookbenches' have been installed. They're superb - I sat down and ended up chatting to a lovely Hungarian woman, who teaches English - her husband works at UEA and they have just moved here.

Stacks of books, all by Norwich authors, arranged at just the right height for sitting and chatting. I walked to the end where the last building 

has a plaque saying it was formerly part of Norwich High School, and here Sir John Mills was educated.

Then back to the books, and across into Bethel Street [home of England's first purpose built lunatic asylum, 1713]

This street has some fantastic architecture - Tudor, Georgian, Art Deco, Mock Tudor... 

That amazing Mock Tudor building houses the Greenhouse Trust  an environmental charity. The wonderful brickwork and chimneys are at the end of Watts Court. I loved the little corner where a humble washing line and cheap BBQ nestle among the expensive, listed properties.

Walking up the street towards the Forum [built 2001] I passed the Bethel  and the South East Asia Collection . Then the old Fire Station [1932] - now housing the Isaac Newton 6th Form College - and next to it, the Police Station - which is part of City Hall.

Over one entrance are a pair of sculptures, a police helmet and a fire helmet. Further down the side of the building is the City Treasurer's Department [where my best friend Chris worked until her retirement] 

Over the door is the Norwich City Crest, flanked by two very Art Deco angels.

My walk was just about finished, I was back at the Forum. It was just after 6pm. The library was open till 7, so I went in and sat at one of the work tables, preparing a sermon for next week's Harvest Festival.

I am glad I spent time looking at the surrounding streets though. I feel I learned a lot more about my city - and I continue to be amazed by the history, and the people who lived here in days gone by. The Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trist has designated a dozen buildings The Norwich Twelve. I have visited eight of them in my lifetime - but some not for nearly half a century. I must check them all out again properly now I am retired and have so much spare time [!]

In case you wondered about the title, it is from a comedy musical written by Stephen Sondheim, sixty years ago. A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. Mostly forgotten now, apart from the opening number. It was on Broadway then made into a film, with an excellent cast. Here's the song in question...

My Growing Family

Just two pictures which I took on Saturday which sum up this past summer at Cornerstones.

Here's one of the tomatoes from the greenhouse, which seems to have grown in a heart shape. When I brought it inside I found someone had cut a heart out of scrap paper, and left it on the playmat. A ready made mount for a photograph.

My brother Adrian dropped round with a woodworking challenge for Bob - bringing Marion and their grandson Arthur. These cousins don't get together very often. It was really hard to get them sat still for a picture [I think they are wondering why M was making funny faces] 

All growing well, and going well, thank the Lord. 

As the holidays end, and the autumn draws on, I hope you are have happy, sunny memories to keep you warm as the weather cools...

Thought For The Month

I love this month's calendar picture. It reminds me of the hymn which inspired the title of my blog.

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O Light that foll’west all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

 

 

Taken From The British Museum...

 ...Cookbook.

Sorting out the bookshelves this week, I came across a little cookbook which is nearly 30 years old. It was a leaving gift to us, as a family, from one of the best teachers my daughters ever had. Mrs Kelsey was an inspiration, and an encouragement to so many children, and we were quite touched that the day Steph left the school [before our move to Leicestershire]  she gave us a gift. With all the BM hoohah** at the moment, I stopped to flick briefly through its pages.

The book is a little gem - full of recipes from ten different periods in history, and different locations; Ancient Persia, Classical Greece, Ancient Egypt, Imperial Rome, Anglo-Saxon Britain, Pre-Conquest Mexico, Mediæval Europe, Renaissance Italy, Georgian England, Imperial China

As I flicked through it, I spotted five different spinach recipes. We continue to harvest the spinach, and I am trying to find different ways* to serve it up [as well as blanching and freezing it for later in the autumn] This one, is from "Form of Cury" [the oldest known English cookbook written at the start of C15]

Wastels Yfarced

Take a Wastel and hewe out þe crummes. take ayrenn & shepis talow & þe crummes of þe same Wastell powdour fort & salt with Safroun and Raisouns coraunce. & medle alle þise yfere & do it in þe Wastel. close it & bynde it fast togidre. and seeþ it wel.

Michelle Berriedale Johnson helpfully translates the into contemporary English [find the recipe here] Wastels were good quality loaves served to the gentry at feasts, yfarced means stuffed. Once stuffed, the bread was cooked in broth. M B-J suggests stuffing crisp brown rolls instead. As I had no rolls, but some wraps to used up, I made wraps for lunch instead. 

The filling is mushrooms, spinach, raisins and spices [salt, pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves] bound to gether with egg. It was a very different way to eat up the spinach, and the spices and raisins gave a great flavour. 

In cooking, the word farce still means stuffed [and gives us the term forcemeat] and comes from the Latin word farcire. But in mediæval times, monks copying out the words for religious 'mystery plays' would often interject [stuff] odd vernacular phrases, or humorous words into the text as they wrote. These amusing asides led to the term 'farce' for a comedic piece of theatre. 

* I do not plan to try the recipe from Georgian England though, entitled "William Verral's Spinage with Cream and Fry'd Bread' [you cook the spinach with onions, cream, nutmeg and orange juice, and serve with triangles of toasted or fried bread, and serve it as a side dish alongside your meat]

** What a mess! to think that the high and mighty directors of the Museum have frequently declined to return the Elgin Marbles saying that Greece would be unable to look after these antiquities properly and they are safer in London. 

The BM has mislaid two thousand artefacts, and one worth over £60K has turned up on eBay selling for as little as £50. 

Thank you Mrs Kelsey - your little gift continues to inspire, and your former pupils have turned out to be much better cooks than their mother.

Crane update: it is there to help improve the store's energy efficiency [News report] So now we know!!

Purple Prose

I love the way the X stitch project has encouraged me to look at stitching both globally and historically. I went back to my oldest book – I think it was 50p from a Charity shop. “Encyclopedia of Needlework” inscribed “E O Cole, Xmas 1911”. 

The book was originally written by an Austrian woman Thérèse de Dillmont in 1884. The French company of Dollfuss-Mieg et Cie had approached her to produce this – the stitchers’ equivalent of Mrs Beeton. The book has sold millions of copies worldwide. Still in existence, now just called DMC, the company has a horsehead logo. Back then, it was a woman encircled by a banner bearing their Latin motto “tenui filo magnum texitur opus” – from a single thread comes great work.  What a great description for our project. I chose one of the designs from the book [a handkerchief corner]

Having drawn out the chart, I considered colours. The book suggests one or two colours.  As the book came out in the second half of the 19th century, it is likely that the original embroiderers would have been caught up in the passion for purple which was literally sweeping the globe. The world’s first synthetic aniline dyes had just been created. Their discovery by a young student chemist, was quite serendipitous. British soldiers abroad kept contracting malaria, and the only known remedy was the quinine plant from the Andes. William Henry Perkins was engaged in the desperate research to find a synthetic form of quinine which was cheaper and easier to obtain. He tried oxidising aniline – but this failed. As he cleaned up the lab, he realised he had created a purple dye. He called it mauveine [a contraction of mauve, the French word for mallow, and aniline] He patented his dye in 1856, and everyone went crazy for it [of course, Queen Victoria helped by appearing at the Royal Exhibition in 1862 in a gown dyed in Paris Mauve] The secret of Tyrian Purple dye, beloved of the Roman Emperors, had been lost for centuries – but now everyone could have this regal colour about their home and person.

So I stitched a rectangle of light mauve random dye cross stitch [2 strands], putting the letters on top in darker purple back stitch [4 strands for definition]. I used herringbone and other stitches for the corner, and different shades of lilac, mauve and purple [and a deep blue for contrast]