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Happy Solstice!
Jun. 21st, 2010 07:43 amDidn't do farmers market Saturday - haying, etc.
***
Celebrated with the grove yesterday, after the initiations of a couple from Ohio. Both ceremonies were excellent :) Some interesting chats after, staying longer than we expected. Did not go to Taste of Amherst but I'm sure that was lovely too.
Time to sort through and find a few seeds that are supposed to be planted in July/August, and put the rest back in the fridge.
***
Think I've settled on later 18th c. for local demo outfit -- having a resource for decent shoes was definitely one factor in that decision, plus since I'll be spinning and maybe eventually weaving, I'd rather be pre-industrial revolution. Plus if the town ever does any 1776-type stuff, I'd be all set for that too... stays have been the holdup for me, since I'm losing weight and changing shape, but I'll worry about that later -- skirts and a jacket will probably do for now. I'd love to make a Polonaise, but not sure I can justify something that fancy-looking for working in. Still, I'd like to go higher class rather than lower, as I'd just as soon use the same foundation garment for "Sunday best" as for working, rather than two entirely different outfits.
Learning things like apparently linen wasn't used for outer petticoats unless you're poor -- wool or silk more common. Although apparently by later 18th c., cotton was also an option... there were in fact abolitionists in Ashfield, but that would be more of a factor in the 19th century.
Been reading some at this site: 18th Century New England Life... not the end all and be all of 18th c. living of course, but seeing as I live in New England, seemed like a reasonable place to start.
***
Learned some nifty stuff at the historical society Saturday, and shared some knowledge too. Thought it was fascinating that silk used direct from China back then was more durably made than American silk. The reason was that the Americans were using a process to weight the silk that suffused the material with metal! So over time the metal caused the silk to rot -- probably a side effect of oxidizing?
***
Belated Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!
***
This morning we'll be going for a walk. L's company is doing some sort of walking thing, with the different branches of the company competing for number of miles put in over x-amount of time. Naturally I'll be going along, even though my miles won't count :)
***
Celebrated with the grove yesterday, after the initiations of a couple from Ohio. Both ceremonies were excellent :) Some interesting chats after, staying longer than we expected. Did not go to Taste of Amherst but I'm sure that was lovely too.
Time to sort through and find a few seeds that are supposed to be planted in July/August, and put the rest back in the fridge.
***
Think I've settled on later 18th c. for local demo outfit -- having a resource for decent shoes was definitely one factor in that decision, plus since I'll be spinning and maybe eventually weaving, I'd rather be pre-industrial revolution. Plus if the town ever does any 1776-type stuff, I'd be all set for that too... stays have been the holdup for me, since I'm losing weight and changing shape, but I'll worry about that later -- skirts and a jacket will probably do for now. I'd love to make a Polonaise, but not sure I can justify something that fancy-looking for working in. Still, I'd like to go higher class rather than lower, as I'd just as soon use the same foundation garment for "Sunday best" as for working, rather than two entirely different outfits.
Learning things like apparently linen wasn't used for outer petticoats unless you're poor -- wool or silk more common. Although apparently by later 18th c., cotton was also an option... there were in fact abolitionists in Ashfield, but that would be more of a factor in the 19th century.
Been reading some at this site: 18th Century New England Life... not the end all and be all of 18th c. living of course, but seeing as I live in New England, seemed like a reasonable place to start.
***
Learned some nifty stuff at the historical society Saturday, and shared some knowledge too. Thought it was fascinating that silk used direct from China back then was more durably made than American silk. The reason was that the Americans were using a process to weight the silk that suffused the material with metal! So over time the metal caused the silk to rot -- probably a side effect of oxidizing?
***
Belated Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!
***
This morning we'll be going for a walk. L's company is doing some sort of walking thing, with the different branches of the company competing for number of miles put in over x-amount of time. Naturally I'll be going along, even though my miles won't count :)
Anglo-Saxon Treasure Hoard Found
Sep. 24th, 2009 11:18 amLargest hoard found to date
Yes, larger than the Sutton Hoo find.... a bit of copper alloy and other bits, some silver, and a lot of gold.
And here's a picture of some of it
Yes, larger than the Sutton Hoo find.... a bit of copper alloy and other bits, some silver, and a lot of gold.
And here's a picture of some of it
The above is by Nancy Marie Brown, and has been an enjoyable read so far. We're kind of poking our way along since I only read it to L when we're in the car and we tend to stop and talk about various bits as we go along.
Very simplistically, Brown is writing about an historical woman called Gudrid the Far Traveler, who lived during the latter part of the 10th century. But to do this she has studied Icelandic and other sagas, interviewed historian, archaeologists and many others, helped on a dig, walked many properties, learned about the development of Viking ships, how houses were built, what people wore and ate, social mores, and more.
Reading this book you will learn not only about Gudrid (whose story is told differently in different sagas), but about many other Vikings as well, be they from Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, etc. You will also learn that sheep's milk as more Vitamin C in it than cow's milk, about a secret valley in Greenland (where Gudrid lived her first year there, until her husband died), about ornamentation of jewelry and bench boards, about the different types of turf and what they were used for.
A small excerpt:
Another tidbit, in relation to the tiller, is that when local folks are out and about and find a piece of worked wood, they notify the national museum because wood is so rare in both Iceland and Greenland that it often indicates a former Viking abode.
Currently we're reading about hypotheses on why after hundreds of years practically everyone moved out of Greenland. In Jared Diamond's book he refers to cows as the preferred meat and goats as "despised" meat, and that the people weren't crazy about fish or seal (seal being for poor, desperate people). Brown's doing a fair job of poking holes in his theory that people left because the the land was too poor to support enough cows and that they were down to eating goats and seals so they left. It's true the land can't support a lot of cows, especially since they can't handle the cold as well as sheep and have to be kept indoors 200 days out of the year (bigger hay requirement), but goats wouldn't have been despised and Brown gives examples.
A good read for folks interested in history, sagas, and in general "old things" and old ways of living, without being the oft-times dry stuff of archaeological reports.
Very simplistically, Brown is writing about an historical woman called Gudrid the Far Traveler, who lived during the latter part of the 10th century. But to do this she has studied Icelandic and other sagas, interviewed historian, archaeologists and many others, helped on a dig, walked many properties, learned about the development of Viking ships, how houses were built, what people wore and ate, social mores, and more.
Reading this book you will learn not only about Gudrid (whose story is told differently in different sagas), but about many other Vikings as well, be they from Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, etc. You will also learn that sheep's milk as more Vitamin C in it than cow's milk, about a secret valley in Greenland (where Gudrid lived her first year there, until her husband died), about ornamentation of jewelry and bench boards, about the different types of turf and what they were used for.
A small excerpt:
Just as that farmstead was buried in sand by the river's changing course, the church built at Sandnes soon after Gudrid's time is now underwater. The Sandy Point has eroded significantly since her day. But the hip-high grass is still rumpled into hummocks by the turf-and stone walls of Norse buildings. These wre lived in until at least 1300, and beneath the largest, according to drawings from the first excavation, in 1932, are two walls of an older longhouse: the house Gudrid may have lived in that long horrible winter when almost everyone she knew died. The archaeologist found a corner hearth and flagstones at the front door. Thirty feet away were two small buildings "almost obliterated" by a later midden. In one was found a finely carved ship's tiller, its knob shaped like a dragon's head and its shaft decorated with a row of cats' faces. The name "Helgi" was written in runes on its side.
Another tidbit, in relation to the tiller, is that when local folks are out and about and find a piece of worked wood, they notify the national museum because wood is so rare in both Iceland and Greenland that it often indicates a former Viking abode.
Currently we're reading about hypotheses on why after hundreds of years practically everyone moved out of Greenland. In Jared Diamond's book he refers to cows as the preferred meat and goats as "despised" meat, and that the people weren't crazy about fish or seal (seal being for poor, desperate people). Brown's doing a fair job of poking holes in his theory that people left because the the land was too poor to support enough cows and that they were down to eating goats and seals so they left. It's true the land can't support a lot of cows, especially since they can't handle the cold as well as sheep and have to be kept indoors 200 days out of the year (bigger hay requirement), but goats wouldn't have been despised and Brown gives examples.
A good read for folks interested in history, sagas, and in general "old things" and old ways of living, without being the oft-times dry stuff of archaeological reports.
We went up to town this morning as I had some things to put in the mail, and also Saturday is the day the local baker delivers fresh baked goods to the store next to the post office. We picked up a lovely multi-grain loaf, and a gallon of milk too (a little pricier at the little store than at a supermarket, but it's close to home, and the milk is from western MA dairy farmers). Lots of snow out there. It's tapering off at the moment, but that doesn't mean we won't get more.
L and crew are out, shoveling snow off the sugarhouse roof first, and then up the hill to work on the pipelines. They need to clear off as much as they can over certain areas because there's supposed to be a freezing rain on Monday or Tuesday, and we don't want the roof to collapse.
I think they will start tapping this weekend. It was a debate with William, who thinks we should wait, but L thinks W's forgetting just how long it takes to tap all the trees. We put in around 1,800 taps usually; that doesn't happen in one day. W's concern is that there's so much snow on the ground that even if it warms up this coming week, the tree roots won't feel enough of it. All we can do is our best, though.
When I'm feeling better I'll go up on the hill and tramp around some of the trees, to get the snow down a bit... not that I can get to all the trees, but it's nice up there anyway, so might as well do something useful while I'm out. Just have to make sure I don't overdo it -- which is probably why I have a cold right now....it isn't too bad, just persistent. I'm treating it somewhat aggressively in order to keep it out of the lungs. So, no outdoor work for me...
Instead, I'll do some more work on my mom's book (starting Chap. 3 today), and move things around in the apartment. And maybe nap.
***
The spear heads arrived yesterday! I was so foggy that I forgot L had brought the box in and put it next to my desk... noticed it late last night, so of course I had to open it and look right then and there. Even by monitor-light they looked pretty nice. This morning they look even better! And more detail than I remembered, on the socket part. picture here of spear head. It's a pretty good photo, but reality is better.
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fitzw will be making the shafts for them to go on, but probably not until April... another reason for me to keep working on organization -- need a place to put stuff for summer/Pennsic.
***
Still doing my PT, even with the cold. It's a lot harder right now, so I'm breaking some of the exercises up into smaller portions throughout the day. Had to grit my way through the 10 measly knee pushups last night, not because of pain (pain is bad!), but because it made me so tired and foggy.
***
Brought some boxes of books upstairs from the hallway today -- L wants to sort through and pick some to keep out. I'll go through them as well, since it's a mix of sci-fi and history books. My African history books were in one of the boxes... definitely enjoyed that course! We weren't allowed to specialize for a bachelor's degree in the History department, but nevertheless I took ever medieval course I could. One of the degree requirements was to take history classes on non-'western' countries/cultures, which is how I ended up taking an African history course, because the teacher was covering early history into roughly the 14th/15th century. It was a great course, not only because I got to learn more about African history (if only in a broad overview), but it tied in so well with the European history I'd learned. I ended up doing an independent study with the same professor, and reading about Ibn Battuta's travels. Now there was an interesting man, with a great facility for remembering detail. Some historians will contest that he could remember everything he put in his memoirs, but my mother, who is nearly 80, can remember how much the donuts cost at this shop in SF, where she and the other kids would stand after school and watch the donuts being made (the donut maker was in the store window), and I myself remember how much stamps, paperbacks, and pay phones cost when I was a kid.... some things stick in the mind better than others...
It's interesting reading other people's notes on what they think of a source, and think about what it means. For instance, some historians doubt Ibn Battuta made it all the way to China, and say that he may have gotten some of his information from other travellers who came from there (they don't seem to contest that he made it to Istanbul/Constantinople -- probably because of his memories of being incredibly cold and miserable for parts of that part of his journey) -- but, they don't contest the knowledge that he relates about China. Now, some of it they could confirm from other reports and records of the time, but what makes it really interesting is that he notes an historical battle in China that previously historians had thought had happened _later_ than Ibn Battuta said it happened -- in fact, it would have happened after he'd been to China, so he wouldn't have heard of it at all.
Studying a subject in a way that seems unrelated or lateral to the subject, can sometimes bring in valuable information that you wouldn't have otherwise. Lots of things are like that, not just history. Many arts and crafts are like that too.
L and crew are out, shoveling snow off the sugarhouse roof first, and then up the hill to work on the pipelines. They need to clear off as much as they can over certain areas because there's supposed to be a freezing rain on Monday or Tuesday, and we don't want the roof to collapse.
I think they will start tapping this weekend. It was a debate with William, who thinks we should wait, but L thinks W's forgetting just how long it takes to tap all the trees. We put in around 1,800 taps usually; that doesn't happen in one day. W's concern is that there's so much snow on the ground that even if it warms up this coming week, the tree roots won't feel enough of it. All we can do is our best, though.
When I'm feeling better I'll go up on the hill and tramp around some of the trees, to get the snow down a bit... not that I can get to all the trees, but it's nice up there anyway, so might as well do something useful while I'm out. Just have to make sure I don't overdo it -- which is probably why I have a cold right now....it isn't too bad, just persistent. I'm treating it somewhat aggressively in order to keep it out of the lungs. So, no outdoor work for me...
Instead, I'll do some more work on my mom's book (starting Chap. 3 today), and move things around in the apartment. And maybe nap.
***
The spear heads arrived yesterday! I was so foggy that I forgot L had brought the box in and put it next to my desk... noticed it late last night, so of course I had to open it and look right then and there. Even by monitor-light they looked pretty nice. This morning they look even better! And more detail than I remembered, on the socket part. picture here of spear head. It's a pretty good photo, but reality is better.
fitzw will be making the shafts for them to go on, but probably not until April... another reason for me to keep working on organization -- need a place to put stuff for summer/Pennsic.***
Still doing my PT, even with the cold. It's a lot harder right now, so I'm breaking some of the exercises up into smaller portions throughout the day. Had to grit my way through the 10 measly knee pushups last night, not because of pain (pain is bad!), but because it made me so tired and foggy.
***
Brought some boxes of books upstairs from the hallway today -- L wants to sort through and pick some to keep out. I'll go through them as well, since it's a mix of sci-fi and history books. My African history books were in one of the boxes... definitely enjoyed that course! We weren't allowed to specialize for a bachelor's degree in the History department, but nevertheless I took ever medieval course I could. One of the degree requirements was to take history classes on non-'western' countries/cultures, which is how I ended up taking an African history course, because the teacher was covering early history into roughly the 14th/15th century. It was a great course, not only because I got to learn more about African history (if only in a broad overview), but it tied in so well with the European history I'd learned. I ended up doing an independent study with the same professor, and reading about Ibn Battuta's travels. Now there was an interesting man, with a great facility for remembering detail. Some historians will contest that he could remember everything he put in his memoirs, but my mother, who is nearly 80, can remember how much the donuts cost at this shop in SF, where she and the other kids would stand after school and watch the donuts being made (the donut maker was in the store window), and I myself remember how much stamps, paperbacks, and pay phones cost when I was a kid.... some things stick in the mind better than others...
It's interesting reading other people's notes on what they think of a source, and think about what it means. For instance, some historians doubt Ibn Battuta made it all the way to China, and say that he may have gotten some of his information from other travellers who came from there (they don't seem to contest that he made it to Istanbul/Constantinople -- probably because of his memories of being incredibly cold and miserable for parts of that part of his journey) -- but, they don't contest the knowledge that he relates about China. Now, some of it they could confirm from other reports and records of the time, but what makes it really interesting is that he notes an historical battle in China that previously historians had thought had happened _later_ than Ibn Battuta said it happened -- in fact, it would have happened after he'd been to China, so he wouldn't have heard of it at all.
Studying a subject in a way that seems unrelated or lateral to the subject, can sometimes bring in valuable information that you wouldn't have otherwise. Lots of things are like that, not just history. Many arts and crafts are like that too.
Butser Ancient Farm
Jan. 26th, 2008 10:05 amButser Ancient Farm is an experimental archeology site in England. I'm currently looking at some of the buildings (if you click on Buildings in the menu it will open a new window and you may have to go down to the bottom of the page to find actual links for the buildings.
"Introduction" is a ~15 minute video explaining the whole project, I think by the man who first ran the project, Peter Reynolds. Some of it is just him talking (lovely voice, btw, as well as very good at not talking 'above' the listener), and some scenes of the farm buildings, the animals, plowing, etc. And of course there are stills of buildings to click on as well.
The round buildings are absolutely lovely, and I like the peaked entrance on the large building as well. Probably one of the safest roofs I've seen as far as being up there working on it -- the bottom edge is fairly close to the ground, so if you lost your footing and fell, you'd roll down the slope and drop maybe 4-5 feet to hit the ground.
Interesting place both from an historical and archaeological viewpoint and also from a sustainability viewpoint.
[EDIT] Definitely check out their Great House page. Has photos of previously built round houses, and also a slide show at the bottom of the page on the construction of the newest one.
NOTE: In one slide they're showing using an old-style crane (tripod) to lift one of the poles, and they say to note that one end of the pole is charred. The reason for this is so that the wood is protected from rot, since it will be in the ground.
"Introduction" is a ~15 minute video explaining the whole project, I think by the man who first ran the project, Peter Reynolds. Some of it is just him talking (lovely voice, btw, as well as very good at not talking 'above' the listener), and some scenes of the farm buildings, the animals, plowing, etc. And of course there are stills of buildings to click on as well.
The round buildings are absolutely lovely, and I like the peaked entrance on the large building as well. Probably one of the safest roofs I've seen as far as being up there working on it -- the bottom edge is fairly close to the ground, so if you lost your footing and fell, you'd roll down the slope and drop maybe 4-5 feet to hit the ground.
Interesting place both from an historical and archaeological viewpoint and also from a sustainability viewpoint.
[EDIT] Definitely check out their Great House page. Has photos of previously built round houses, and also a slide show at the bottom of the page on the construction of the newest one.
NOTE: In one slide they're showing using an old-style crane (tripod) to lift one of the poles, and they say to note that one end of the pole is charred. The reason for this is so that the wood is protected from rot, since it will be in the ground.
Eggnog came up this weekend, so I looked up a couple of recipes I have at home -- one w/alcohol the other without. I used to make the second one a lot when I was a kid, for our family. Tastier than the commercial stuff, by far!
I was wondering how far back the tradition goes of having eggnog for the winter holidays, because it uses milk, cream, and eggs.
Nowadays most people don't really think about this sort of thing, because factory farms mess with staggering the schedule for when cows get pregnant, when chickens moult, etc. Even here in Ashfield the lights have been on a bit earlier and a bit later to lengthen the day for the past month, because once the chickens start moulting, there won't be any eggs for a while. I expect they'll be moulting soon though, as the demand for eggs is down at the moment, and they do need to moult after all. The local small dairy finished milking for the season on December 1. There's still some yogurt and cream available, but that's it. In a sustainable community, this would be the norm, with people having made some of the dairy products into butter and cheese for the rest of the winter/spring, and making different types of bread that don't require milk or eggs (yes, they exist and are tasty).
At first I was thinking that eggnog was an industrial revolution marker, but in theory it could go back further, because if you store milk properly, it's good for avg. of 38 days for pasteurized milk. Raw milk on avg. is 7-10 days, but you could freeze it, though that can affect the taste somewhat. Farm fresh eggs are good for a few months, as long as they haven't been scrubbed (yes, you can wash them them without scrubbing the protective coating off). So even if the lighting hadn't been fiddled with for the chickens this winter, we'd still have some eggs left by Christmas/Solstice.
So, it's possible to have eggnog without it being a modern novelty, and it might have been such a big deal _because_ it would be one of the last time people would be enjoying eggs and milk. Only for people who can afford rum or an equivalent. Also, it occurred to me that if you made it a bit ahead of time of the holiday celebration, with alcohol, that would help to stabilize the drink and kill/prevent-growth-of unhealthy bacteria.
And consider that clove, one of the spices used in eggnog, has preservative properties, which may also assist in providing a longer shelf-life. Preparing treats for the holidays could start weeks before the official celebratory time, so it isn't a completely crazy idea for eggnog.
Well, free-thinking is all well and good, but I also did a quick search for the History of Eggnog, and got this site and this site plus a bunch that quoted parts of the first site listed here.
Best info available says eggnog only goes back to the 19th century, that alcohol was used to help preserve the perishable milk and eggs, and that eggnog is descended from English possets (like eggnog, served hot). And apparently it was a social status thing in London -- not everyone could afford milk in the 19th c., esp. if you live in a city. In England madeira, brandy or sherry were used. In America rum was used most because it was more affordable.
So, I was right about alcohol being used to increase shelf-life and that it was a special treat (for those who could afford the rum/brandy). And while eggnog is not very old in and of itself, possets go back further, to the Middle Ages. There's a good Wikipedia entry on possets. They were used as minor remedies for things such as colds and such. Ah well, it wouldn't be the first time something medicinal in origin became a treat!
I was wondering how far back the tradition goes of having eggnog for the winter holidays, because it uses milk, cream, and eggs.
Nowadays most people don't really think about this sort of thing, because factory farms mess with staggering the schedule for when cows get pregnant, when chickens moult, etc. Even here in Ashfield the lights have been on a bit earlier and a bit later to lengthen the day for the past month, because once the chickens start moulting, there won't be any eggs for a while. I expect they'll be moulting soon though, as the demand for eggs is down at the moment, and they do need to moult after all. The local small dairy finished milking for the season on December 1. There's still some yogurt and cream available, but that's it. In a sustainable community, this would be the norm, with people having made some of the dairy products into butter and cheese for the rest of the winter/spring, and making different types of bread that don't require milk or eggs (yes, they exist and are tasty).
At first I was thinking that eggnog was an industrial revolution marker, but in theory it could go back further, because if you store milk properly, it's good for avg. of 38 days for pasteurized milk. Raw milk on avg. is 7-10 days, but you could freeze it, though that can affect the taste somewhat. Farm fresh eggs are good for a few months, as long as they haven't been scrubbed (yes, you can wash them them without scrubbing the protective coating off). So even if the lighting hadn't been fiddled with for the chickens this winter, we'd still have some eggs left by Christmas/Solstice.
So, it's possible to have eggnog without it being a modern novelty, and it might have been such a big deal _because_ it would be one of the last time people would be enjoying eggs and milk. Only for people who can afford rum or an equivalent. Also, it occurred to me that if you made it a bit ahead of time of the holiday celebration, with alcohol, that would help to stabilize the drink and kill/prevent-growth-of unhealthy bacteria.
And consider that clove, one of the spices used in eggnog, has preservative properties, which may also assist in providing a longer shelf-life. Preparing treats for the holidays could start weeks before the official celebratory time, so it isn't a completely crazy idea for eggnog.
Well, free-thinking is all well and good, but I also did a quick search for the History of Eggnog, and got this site and this site plus a bunch that quoted parts of the first site listed here.
Best info available says eggnog only goes back to the 19th century, that alcohol was used to help preserve the perishable milk and eggs, and that eggnog is descended from English possets (like eggnog, served hot). And apparently it was a social status thing in London -- not everyone could afford milk in the 19th c., esp. if you live in a city. In England madeira, brandy or sherry were used. In America rum was used most because it was more affordable.
So, I was right about alcohol being used to increase shelf-life and that it was a special treat (for those who could afford the rum/brandy). And while eggnog is not very old in and of itself, possets go back further, to the Middle Ages. There's a good Wikipedia entry on possets. They were used as minor remedies for things such as colds and such. Ah well, it wouldn't be the first time something medicinal in origin became a treat!
Women's Roles in the 18th C
Dec. 5th, 2007 11:30 amGood article on women's roles in the 18th C, in England and the American colonies: http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Spring04/women.cfm
Some similar things happened in earlier times in Europe too, of course, of women working in various trades. Number dependent in part on place and century. Still, nice to see an attempt at raising awareness of this at places like Williamsburg.
Some similar things happened in earlier times in Europe too, of course, of women working in various trades. Number dependent in part on place and century. Still, nice to see an attempt at raising awareness of this at places like Williamsburg.
