Writing to David: Postmark Nashville (again)
I sent my brother a package for his birthday, and using the tracking number and email alerts, I could see where it had been from the moment it left my hands. The day, the time, the location. From Portland, Maine, to Jersey City, New Jersey, to Memphis, Tennessee, and finally to Nashville. Very exciting. But then the tracking status update at 11:27 a.m. from Nashville listed the package, “Undeliverable as Addressed.” Undeliverable. But it's so close, the package was at the post office, just blocks from my brother. Undeliverable? Hold on. Hold the package. He can come get it. Oh, don't send it all the way back to Maine. I found a phone number for the local post office, and after three calls that ended with a busy signal, I tried again. It rang through, and David answered. I explained the situation and David asked for the tracking number and offered to look for the package. He found it! (Whew.) Offered to try delivering it again. (Not sure that's a good idea.) Or, he said, my brother could stop by for pick-up. (Yes! Let’s do that.) David delivered the “undeliverable.” He was kind and helpful when he might have dismissed me, might have said there were too many packages to go pawing through, might have said it may or may not be in the building. But he didn’t, he looked for the package, and he found it. Thank you David.
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I Yam What I Yam
Just weeks ago I was talking with a friend about baking sweet potatoes, and she mentioned that she loves to bake them, and I said I do, too. She said she and her husband enjoy them, “but I can’t believe he doesn’t eat the skin.” Eat the skin? “I don’t eat it either,” I said. Why not? It just never occurred to me. I love to eat the skin of a baked russet, but a sweet potato? Well, I gave it a try, and it’s delicious (and packed with vitamins and nutrients). Savory and sweet, the sweet potato is also found in recipes for biscuits, pie, pound cake, and waffles. Here’s a link to get you started with some recipes. I wondered if yams are something different . . . turns out they are sweet potatoes, just one variety of the colorful tuber. Sweet! This is a Calendar of Days post: Cook a Sweet Potato Day Tapping the Sweet Stuff Today I spotted two buckets hanging from a maple tree. Maple sugaring has begun. This is a story we posted previously, one worth another look.
Always a Project in Progress #1 and #2 - Book List
Below is the list of books from yesterday’s post. I’ve settled on one project idea (art related, gleaned from looking through The Little Book of Big Decorating Ideas), and continue to look for the second. For now I will say that it won’t be a magic trick. Magic is more performance art and a bit too complicated to tackle for one of these first two projects. So a little more thought and research - online and in books - to find the second. If you're interested, you may want to work along with us . . . Project #1 and Project #2 . . . TBA! Update: Project #1 Collage and #2 Short Poems working together as part of my Walk About series - you'll find them in the blog under Always a Project as well as Walking. The Little Book of Big Decorating Ideas 287 Clever Tips, Tricks, and Solutions By McColl, Katy My First Magic Book By Lawrence Leyton We Love to Sew 28 Pretty Things to Make: Jewelry, Headbands, Softies, T-shirts, Pillows, Bags & More By Annabel Wrigley The Crafter’s Guide to Taking Great Photos The Best Techniques for Showcasing your Handmade Creations By Heidi Adnum Innovation Day - Always a Project in Progress
For the true hobbyist, dedicated artist, innovator, and explorer, there is always a project in progress. Today is Innovation Day and I have an idea. A new feature for this blog: Always a Project in Progress. I found three great books at the library today and am inspired to start something new. The books include one on sewing, one about magic, and another with some sophisticated decorating, storage, and ultility projects. I’ll select one project from each book, and talk about the next move. I want to pick just two projects, and work on them with parallel reporting. I'm optimistic that the book about taking great photos will help me document my progress. Follow along as the projects are selected, as we gather information and materials, and talk about the challenges and discoveries we find along the way. What does it really take to get it done? In the next post I'll list the the books pictured above. Do come back for updates (and be sure to sign-up and join us for other announcements, too). OK This is a Calendar of Days post: Library Lovers' Month Statues are identifying landmarks in cities and towns across the country, but what's the story behind them? Were were curious about The Hiker in Portland, Maine. After some research: a poster and essay. Here's what we found: More Than a Pigeon Perch: The Hiker Although The Hiker is larger than life and perched on a six-foot pedestal, this Spanish-American War veterans memorial on the north lawn of Deering Oaks Park is easy to overlook. But do look—it’s a beautiful statue. From the soldier’s wadded and rolled sleeves to the leather satchel reminiscent of today’s messenger bag, the details are captivating. The Hiker is sculptor Theo A.R. Kitson’s most well-known work—at least 50 copies of the statue are installed across the country. When the USS Maine anchored in Havana Harbor exploded and sank (on this day, February 15, 1898), it became a catalyst for the conflict that would follow. Under the rallying cry “Remember the Maine,” the Spanish-American War secured Cuba’s independence from Spain and remains one of the shortest wars on record. But that’s only the beginning. Dig a little deeper and fascinating tales of science, circumstance, and cowboys emerge. For it was during the Spanish-American War that army medical scientist Dr. Walter Reed isolated the cause and stemmed the transmission of yellow fever plaguing the troops; eager journalists and competing publishing magnates gave rise to the dirty business of yellow journalism; and Teddy Roosevelt’s volunteer militia, The Rough Riders, found glory. It was a short war, but a war with a decidedly jaundice pallor. Where Is The Hiker?
From Maine to Utah to Tennessee, there are some 50 copies of The Hiker across the United States. Is there one in your town? |
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