Better Left Unsaid

"Look wise, say nothing, and grunt. Speech was given to conceal thought." - Sir William Osler

Sir William, a Canadian, is known as the Father of Modern Medicine. His "greatest contribution to medicine was to insist that students learned from seeing and talking to patients. He liked to say, 'He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all.' He is also remembered for saying, 'If you listen carefully to the patient they will tell you the diagnosis'." Sort of like the original Dr. House.

Most interesting, and disturbing to some, was the speech he gave when he was in his mid-fifties "which envisaged a College where men retired at 67 and after a contemplative period of a year were 'peacefully extinguished' by chloroform. He claimed that, 'the effective, moving, vitalizing work of the world is done between the ages of twenty-five and forty' and it was downhill from then on. (His) speech was covered by the popular press which headlined their reports with 'Osler recommends chloroform at sixty'."

Hillwood: A Full House

The difference between collectors and hoarders -one has money the other hasn't.

Curious George

A long time ago a little boy just had to have this monkey. All these years later George is still "in"- even as a feature exhibition in NYC. One interesting thing I just learned- George started out life as Fifi.

"The Reys never had any children themselves, though many young readers may have pledged familial allegiance. Later in life, we read, Margret Rey told of a little boy who came to meet them, thinking they were the parents of Curious George. With 'disappointment written all over his face,' the boy said, 'I thought you were monkeys too.'"

Lights Out

Tonight
8:30 pm

Ringling Bros. Circus

I hope they aren't too cruel to the animals.

Day Off

No car. No go. No...

"So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering." -Brenda Ueland

A+

Moses got an A+ on his first day at school. He did well at heel, sit, and stay. Bo was there, too. getting his hair done. Yes, THE Bo!

On the left you see Patrice (the trainer), Kim and Moses practicing.

First Day of School

Food Fads

I should say "cooking fads"- have you ever read Kim Severson?

I especially liked her piece on gadgets that let you "cook with an index finger." I have always wondered about the popcorn button on my microwave. ...“The concern is that you push that popcorn button and you walk away with some false sense of security that it’s all taken care of,” she said. “But the popcorn bag is not one-size-fits-all. You need to stand there and listen. Every bag is going to be a little different. They are popcorn kernels. They are from nature.”

Found Today, Gone Tomorrow

ISO

I am looking for paradise... grains of paradise. What's this?
"Grains of Paradise come from West Africa, where they grow on a leafy plant and are easily harvested. The name comes from Medieval spice traders looking for a way to inflate the price - it was claimed that these peppery seeds grew only in Eden, and had to be collected as they floated down the rivers out of paradise. Although Grains of Paradise are now rare and expensive, they used to be used as a cheaper substitute for black pepper. They have a zesty flavor reminiscent of pepper, with hints of flowers, coriander and cardamom."
Or as they say..."what peppercorns only dream of being."

Religious Experience for the First Day of Spring

Poppies in New Mexico (from "Sunday Morning" this morning.
We have red poppies in Virginia.

Bus Stop in Olney

I did not know this...
"Olney Theatre enjoys a rich tradition of over 60 years. The theater's founder, Steve Cochran, dreamed originally of opening a straw-hat theater in a relaxing country setting accessible to both Washington and Baltimore. On July 25, 1938, the theater opened its doors for the first time with a production of Ladislaus Bus-Fekete's "The Lady Has a Heart," which starred Elissa Landi of "movie fame." Early playbills dubbed the playhouse "The South's First Professional Summer Theatre" and over the years, some of the biggest names in theater and film -"

Helen Hayes
Lillian Gish
Gloria Swanson
Tallulah Bankhead
Moss Hart
Paulette Goddard
Eve Arden
Burl Ives
John Carradine
Olivia de Havilland
Hume Cronyn
Jessica Tandy
Uta Hagen
José Ferrer
Carol Channing
John McGiver
Laurence Luckenbill
Roy Scheider
Chris Sarandon
Marcia Gay Harden



The set of "Bus Stop".

Another ?@@#!! Perfect Day

Vernon Howard (1918-1992)

Some of Vernon Howard's publications I would like to read (see his words of wisdom to the right):

Cosmic Command
Pathways to Perfect Living
There is a Way Out
1500 Ways to Escape the Human Jungle
Be Safe in a Dangerous World
Conquer Harmful Anger 100 Ways
Expose Human Sharks 100 Ways
Freedom From a Life of Hell
Freedom from Harmful Voices
Live Above This Crazy World
Sex and Sweethearts
Women — 50 Ways to See Thru Men
50 Ways to Escape Cruel People
50 Ways to See Thru People

St Patrick's Day and the Big Apple

A fun circus for a change. Bello the clown sat next to Kim.
PS- There were no elephants.

Take Heed for the Ides of March

Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.
Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862), Walden

Squirrel Nut Zippers

I've been meaning to try one of these for years -and I just bought some at Ayers. Bon appetit!

The Bright Side

Look at it this way- Toyota drivers won't be getting any speeding tickets for awhile.

Chayote

Can't wait to try my own chayote- which I just bought for .49 at Shoppers.

Difficulty Handling Chayotes
"Was trying to cook chayotes for the first time last night and began peeling this green veggie-fruit. While grasping the thing in my left hand and paring with the right, it sweated a sticky sap on my hand. Within moments I noticed a tingling sensation. I stopped, rinsed my left hand, noting a particular sqeakiness, then resumed with a plastic glove -- to no avail however, for the tingling persisted into a numbness and my skin began feeling very tight. Being on the prissier side, I completely stopped, washed my hands several times with different soaps, then anointed copious lotions and oils. With no change but not wanting to further delay grub-prep, I continued dinner while my bf searched his med text for possible explanations or hazards. Nothing. Later when the sensations stopped my skin was cracked, peeling and scaly. By this morning all the symptoms were gone, but the beast had effectively removed at least one layer of skin.

The cooked chayotes by the way were delicious and homey. I have had them previously only in Mexican soups and did not realize their natural sweetness. Similar taste to Taiwanese/Vietnamese okra.

Was this an isolated experience? Are there any neutralizers? Is there a method in preparation? Should I stop experimenting with foods I randomly choose in the supermarkets because they're on sale?"

Maintenance Agreement

I like staying home waiting for the cable guy (the dishwasher repairman, the ac cleaner...). Say that quick 3 times and click your heels.

Healthy Snack Class

What I Learned:
1. Breast cancer survivors should not drink soy milk.
2. An old man attributed his good health (and looks) to his daily 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (I was afraid to ask him how old he was- suppose he said 60).

Menu for the President

Spinach Tortellini Soup
Chicken In Vinegar
Two Peas in A Pod Toss
Couscous
Fruit Tart

Listen- it's the Smurfs' song (in Finnish).

Can you see the birds?

One word: noisy!

WOW

There's no light at the end of the tunnel of desperation just an easily extinguishable flicker. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness and you may see something you didn't know was there. Accept what you cannot control.

WOW (words of wisdom) for you (and me).

Cornichons

If you like pickles you have to try these. I found some pretty good ones at Trader Joes.

Psychedelic Harry

Harry being good.

Baltimore Craft Show

Chris Roberts-Antieau remains one of the best crafters.