Tuesday, November 24

Salad days

Momma found The Best tutorial for dolly-sized salads at Joanne's 18" Dolls blog, so Clementine and I are happily dining upon salads this week in anticipation of Thanksgiving.

The word "salad" comes from the French salade of the same meaning, from the Latin salata (salty), from sal(salt). In English, the word first appears as "salad" or "sallet" in the 14th Century.

Romans and ancient Greeks ate mixed greens with dressing. In his 1699 book, Acetaria: A Discourse on Sallets, John Evelyn attempted with little success to encourage his fellow Britons to eat fresh salad greens. Mary, Queen of Scots, ate boiled celery root over greens covered with creamy mustard dressing, truffles, chervil, and slices of hard-boiled eggs.

(Incidentally, Mary helped popularize marmalade.  She brought it back to Scotland from France and ate it when ill - hence "Marie est malade" or marmalade.) 

The United States popularized mixed greens salads in the late 19th Century, although several other regions of the world adopted salads throughout the second half of the 20th century.



Saturday, November 14

Momma's got a toy box

Whee! 

Look at what Momma found for me today at Cracker Barrel!

The World's Smallest toys!

The Duncan Toys Company is an American toy manufacturer based in Middlefield, Ohio, best known for its yo-yo line. The company was founded in 1929 by Donald F. Duncan, Sr. The Imperial yo-yo is the classic model that made Duncan yo-yos famous; a fixed-axle plastic yo-yo in a traditional silhouette. Available in many colors, the Imperial is the "starter yo-yo" in the Duncan line. (She's getting the red yo-yo for Clementine today.)

Etch A Sketch is a mechanical drawing toy invented by André Cassagnes of France and subsequently manufactured by the Ohio Art Company. The Etch A Sketch was introduced on July 12, 1960 for $2.99 and sold 600,000 units that year. It was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York in 1998 and in 2003, the Toy Industry Association named Etch A Sketch to its Century of Toys List.

A Rubik's Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculpter and professor of architecture Ernö Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp. in 1980 via businessman Tibor Laczi and Seven Towns founder Tom Kremer, and won the German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle that year. As of January 2009, 350 million cubes had been sold worldwide making it the world's top-selling puzzle game. It is widely considered to be the world's best-selling toy.

Best of all? They all work!

 

Friday, November 13

Soft be her tears

My heart is breaking because of the news from Paris.

More than 100 people are dead.

More than one hundred.

Neither Momma nor I have been to Paris, but Grandmomma and my Big Cousins have. Grace (who is joining our Family this Christmas!) has been there.

It doesn't matter where. Or when. This senseless killing must stop.

Now.
 

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.






Sunday, November 8

Now that's motivation

Momma and I were browsing Etsy when we stumbled across Megan Lee Studio: Science, Astronomy, & Geek Chic Designs.

Using art to inspire science, education, and celebrate the joys of learning, reading, and showing off your nerdy geek pride!

I love her designs and ideas. My two favorites?

Women Inspire Science featuring:
  • Ada Lovelace
  • Marie Curie
  • Lise Meitner
  • Cecelia Payne
  • Barbara McClintock
  • Grace Hopper
  • Rachel Carson
  • Rosalind Franklin
  • Esther Lederberg
  • Jane Goodall
  • Jocelyn Bell Burnell
  • Mae Jemison
  • (And space for Your's Truly!)

 and Tea & Books Make the World Brighter.

Which are your favorites?


Saturday, November 7

Sonic boom

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Doctor Who?

Neither Momma nor I cared much for Peter Capaldi, the twelfth Doctor much ... until this season. 

Showrunner, writer and producer Steven Moffat made some wonderful changes this series - making the Doctor warmer and switching the sonic screwdriver for sonic sunglasses.

"As of now every kid with glasses is Doctor Who! Kid whose parents don't want to shell out for a Sonic Screwdriver toy, just put on a pair of sunglasses, you're Doctor Who! And best of all, every pin-brained celebrity walking into a party with shades on is now cosplaying Doctor Who!"

My secret is out.