Last week I was at our local garden center and couldn’t resist the Poinsettia display. Poinsettias weren’t part of my childhood holiday season, but now I can’t imagine the fall and winter festivities without them. Poinsettias didn’t always have a Christmas association. They were a lowly, yet useful, Mexican shrub the Aztecs called Cuitlaxochitl. The
Articles Categorized Lifestyle
Fanny Farmer & Modern Cooking
On August 23, 1902 Fanny Farmer opened her School of Cookery and continued her revolution in American cookery. In order to appreciate her efforts, it’s useful to start with a recipe comparison for Bird’s Nest Pudding. The original 1833 recipe is from The American Frugal Housewife by Lydia Maria Child. Bird’s Nest Pudding If you
Pay Phones, Phone Booths & Superman
Phone booths are so 20th century, but when coin-operated telephones appeared in 1889, they represented a technological breakthrough as amazing as a modern smart phone. At the time, telephones weren’t uncommon, but there were no public venues. It was possible to find an agent operating a telephone pay station. For a fee, the customer could
We All Scream for Ice Cream*
Ice cream and its cousins can be had all year round, but during these Dog Days of Summer when the temperature climbs, frozen deserts are especially welcome. Considering reliable freezers are a 20th century invention, it’s surprising how long frozen desserts have been around. In China during the Tang Dynasty, ice men produced a concoction
Cultural Japan: Matsue Castle & the Village of Shirakawa-go
Matsue Castle is one of 12 original castles in Japan. I, of course, had to visit it. The castle is, more accurately, the castle keep, a structure built for fighting rather than luxurious living. That took place in a palace, now long gone. Like castles everywhere, Matsue Castle is built at a high elevation. The
Japanese Culture: Land of Geishas
One of the many delightful features of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kyoto is a nightly dance performance by a maiko, or apprentice geisha. Chikasaya in her light green kimono and impeccable make-up performed nightly. Maiko like Chikasaya begin their training at about age fifteen, after completing their manadatory education. Students have many choices to
Japanese Culture: Buddhist Temples & Shinto Shrines
Although it’s possible to visit Japan without visiting a temple, I think its improbable since shrines can be found everywhere you look. The Torii Gate, one of the most famous symbols of Japan, is part of the Itsukushima-jinja Shinto shrine on the Island of Miyajima. Approaching by sea at high tide, the gate is an
Japanese Culture: Taiko, Kabuki, & Bunraku
I’ve been traveling again, and today’s blog is the first of a series about my visit to Japan. Japan brings many images to mind, from theserenity of a Zen garden to the frenetic pace of traffic in Tokyo. I traveled mostly by ship, beginning my journey in Kyoto and continuing up the western coast of
Luggage Luxury
Packing for a well-deserved holiday can be stressful, depending on the length of the trip and the expected activities. If all you need is a couple swimsuits, shorts, T-shirts, and maybe a long skirt for evening, there’s no problem fitting everything into a carry-on bag. But if the journey requires business casual as well as
Nostalgia for “Good Old Summer Time”
It’s Memorial Day Weekend. Are you ready to dive into summer? Every summer is magical, but no summer is matches my kid-size memories. Take this swimmer diving into a lake. It takes me back to high school summers on the lakeshore. We basted ourselves with cocoa butter — something I now deeply regret — and
