164 One Book

Reading one book

In its 15th year, the One Book One Community project in Winchester and Frederick and Clarke counties went in a different direction--reading a cookbook.

But this is no ordinary cookbook--“Dishing Up Virginia.” It has stories and highlights (145 recipes) of every area in the commonwealth and entices the reader to try as many as possible.

The community got the opportunity recently at Handley Library to do just that. Samples from area eateries were offered free to anyone who came through the doors. Who knew a cookbook could be so interesting and come to life so vividly.

In addition, a movie “Chef” started this year’s events at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. It is a hilarious story of a chef who finds his way in the tumultuous world of cooking. It has many ups and downs that are prevalent in the profession.

The final event will be the author’s visit this coming Wednesday. Patrick Evans-Hylton will tell the audience how he got into this line of work and why he continues in this field. This is a free event and open to the public at 7 p.m. at John Kerr Elementary School in Winchester.

Finding a book that appeals to the community is never easy but this one appealed immediately. Food always draws people together and this selection definitely proves that point. The attendance has been great and the comments positive.

Over the past years, One Book has offered an array of titles, events, and authors. From the first book, “Rocket Boys,” to this year’s, there has been a collection of memoirs, historic novels, as well as a bit of nonfiction. None of these choices have disappointed.

There is always a group of reliables that come to all of the events while newcomers often join when it is a specific title that piques their interest. All are welcome for any reason or motivation.

Suggestions are always welcome as the committee works all year reading and discussing books to come up with a choice that appeals to the masses.

Visit the Facebook page--One Book One Community--to leave any suggestions or comments.

Here are the titles that have been selected over the last 15 years. It is never too late to read and enjoy!!

2003  Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam

2004  Seabiscuit by Laura Hillebrand

2005  Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
2006  Wish You Well by David Baldacci
2007  On Agate Hill by Lee Smith
2008  This I Believe, edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman

2009  See You in a Hundred Years by Logan Ward
2010  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2011  The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb
2012  For Cause and Comrades by James McPherson
2013  O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
2014  Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel
2015  The End of Night by Paul Bogard
2016  Factory Man by Beth Macy
2017  Dishing Up Virginia by Patrick Evans-Hylton

163 A New Tack

A New Tack

I heard a CEO talking about his company's future, he said "They were going to chart a new course, take a fresh tack. Isn't it amazing how much of the language of sailing is part of our vocabulary? 

Sounds like he was going to jettison the old ways, give the past a wide berth, maybe leave current employees high and dry (they may want to get three sheets to the wind), or maybe it was just a shot across the bow to see where investors stand. 

By and large, unless one knows the ropes, you could be all at sea about the future of the company. 

As you will see by the list of words below, the English language is chock-a-block with seafaring words. One interesting website that invites viewers to ask and answer questions about the English language and then vote on the best answers, speculated as to why sailing terms entered the language hand over fist. 

Contributors to English Language & Usage, english.stackexchange.com, thought that England as a sea-faring nation spread nautical terms around the world. Additionally, the large sailing ships were so complicated that every item had to have a precise name that every man on every ship would use in the same way. When Britain first ruled the waves, there were very few other large-scale ventures so smaller industries were not as standardized in their terminology. They likened the incorporation of sailing terms to the change in our language that wide-spread use of computers and later technologies brought about.

So here is the list. I will explain the ones that are not that obvious. Let me know of others that you think of.

A shot across the bows--a warning shot signifying the ship is willing to do battle.

Aboveboard--above the deck, out on the open deck

All at sea--out of the sight of land in the olden times of inaccurate navigational aids

Anchors aweigh

Batten down the hatches

Between the devil and the deep blue sea

Broad in the beam

By and large--On a sailing ship, by means into the wind. Large means off the wind. Sailors might say, "By and large, this ships handles nicely."

Chock-a-block--When sails are hoisted as high as possible, the two blocks in the tackle were jammed tightly together.

Clean bill of health--Officials from the port of departure gave a bill of health to the ship to present at its port of arrival. Hopefully, a clean bill of health meant the crew had not brought any communicable diseases from its originating port.

Close quarters

Copper-bottomed

Cut and run--cutting loose a ship's or boat's anchor and sailing away in a hurry

Edging forward--When a ship sails directly into the wind, it must take many small tacks at just off the wind in order to make leeway. Since the ship did so much sideward sailing, it inched forward. This would be particularly true in the tight confines of a harbor.

Feeling blue--When a ship lost its captain during a voyage, it would fly a blue flag and a blue band would be painted around the ship's hull when it returned to port.

Fathom out

Full to the gunwales'

Get underway

Give a wide berth

Go by the board

Groggy

Hand over fist--sailors had to pull the sheets (ropes) as fast as they could, one hand over the other repeatedly to trim or haul the sails.

Hard and fast

Headway--progress or rate of progress in sailing 

High and dry

In the offing--offing is the more distant part of the sea as seen from the shore

Know the ropes--New sailors had to learn the names and how to handle all the sheets, sails, and other gear on the ship.

Jury rig--to rig makeshift equipment

Keelhaul--to tie up a sailor and haul him under the bottom of a ship (the keel) and up on the other side as a punishment
Loose cannon

Mal de mer

Panic stations

Scuttlebutt--a cask for holding drinking water and, by extension, the idle talk exchanged while drinking from it--yesterday's water cooler!

Shipshape and Bristol fashion--good and seamanlike order. The origin came from when Bristol was the major west coast port of Britain at a time when all its shipping was maintained in good order.

Shiver my timbers--In heavy seas, ships would be lifted up and pounded down so hard as to shiver the timbers that made up the ship, startling the sailors.

Slush fund--On ships in the eighteenth century, slush referred to the waste fat which was left after the ship’s cook had boiled salt beef for the crew to eat. Sailors had a limited diet, so there was a fair amount of this fat, which was skimmed off and stored in barrels. In the US Navy, the fat was sold and the proceeds of this sale were called a slush fund. The money was spent in buying luxuries for the crew. The term later became used to describe a fund used to supplement the salaries of US government workers.

Taken aback--when a sudden change of wind flattens a vessel's square sails back against the masts and stops the forward motion of the ship

Tell it to the marines--beginning in the 17th century, marines were land forces who were stationed on ships of the Royal Navy. As landlubbers, they were understandably naive if not ignorant about life aboard a vessel. Sailors took advantage and concocted outlandish stories that the marines swallowed hook, line, and sinker. Accordingly, any outlandish story heard on land or sea and recognized as bilge was greeted with the full rejoinder, “You may tell that to the marines, but the sailors will not believe it,”

The bitter end--Going back to 1759, the bitter end is the part of a cable (line, rope) which is round about the bitts (the two great timbers used to belay, hold, cables) when the ship is at anchor.

Tack--to change a vessel’s direction, or the new direction 

The cut of his jib--In the 17th century, the shape of the jib sail often identified a vessel's nationality, and hence whether it was hostile or friendly.

Three sheets to the wind--When 3 sheets (sails) became unattached, the ship would lurch around like a drunken sailor.

Tide over

Walk the plank

Well, shiver me timbers, I have to stop, but there are many more. Do you have any favorites?

Trish

162 Smells of nostalgia

The Smells of Nostalgia

The radio is on BBC news. My driver’s side window is down. I smell freshly mowed grass as I drive by the old high school. The radio news is not good – hate, floods, foolish people in D.C. – but the smell of the grass makes me smile. 

No, I grin! It is the smell of field hockey, football games, and youth. I was a mean left inner on the high school hockey team.


So what other smells make me nostalgic? I remember once being amazed at a Helen Keller quote: “Smell is a potent wizard that transports you…all the years you have lived.” I pull a sticky note pack out of the desk drawer and write one thought on each one. This is so I can “assortorate” them (as my friend Walt says) into a prioritized list.

NOW, before you read any further, please make your own list. Three, four, five – it doesn’t matter. What aromas, smells, scents bring back your past?

 And I believe that the beginning of September is a really good time to do this. Perhaps, it is something about the new school year, seasonal sports, and holidays looming. Labor Day is done; the leaves are beginning to fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then a NEW YEAR.

And I found another pithy saying - from Nabokov (of Lolita fame and some really mad, chilling stories I read in college): “Nothing revives the past so completely as a smell that was once associated with it.” I am surprised it is from Nabokov, but I like it!

Have you made your list? Are any of your favorite’s smells on my list, too? We’d love to hear your lists. Post them on Facebook or email us!

Savvy Glenne’s Nostalgic Smells

1. Freshly mowed grass

2. Bacon sizzling and coffee brewing when I wake up

3. Line-dried sheets (one of my chores was to fold the sheets off the line!)

4. Movie popcorn (smells better than it tastes actually)

5. Gardenias (so fragile, so lovely)

6. Vanilla (for baking, for candles….)



7. Chocolate - dark (thinking fudge, truffles, and cake icing here!)


8. Cinnamon (did you ever eat cinnamon toast?)

9. Swimming pools (chlorine?)

10. Real Christmas trees

11. New Cars (one can now buy new car spray)

12. Sunscreen/lotion that smells like coconut

13. Lemon furniture polish

14. Cold, clear nights with snow on the ground (something about purity)

15. Gasoline and diesel fumes (I know you think I am crazy, but this smells like NYC)

16. Fresh paint

17. Old leather (books, jackets, furniture, in a horse barn)


18. Frying Vidalia onions (only sweet Vidalias) –[too cute not to share]

19. Old Spice (my grandfather)


 20. Johnson’s Baby Powder

21. Chanel #5 (my favorite for 50 years)

Hope you, too, took a trip down memory lane for a little while. 

Glenne           

161 Forever floods

Houston 2017

Forever floods

Memories of floods may fade but they never go away. Watching the news of Hurricane Harvey in Texas brought tears to my eyes and a virtual deluge of emotions from the past. As a youngster and teenager, the annual spring rains were usually followed by floods.

There are so many facets of the experiences that no one person can start to report all that happens. The anticipation, the rains, the rising of the water, the water creeping through the streets, and then up the steps into the house are images and feeling that will never leave.

Plus, the cleanup and rebuilding stays with the families for months and sometimes years and really never goes away in your thoughts. By that time, the reporters and photographers are gone, and most of the country and state have forgotten about the devastation.

The last big flood when I lived in the deep mountains of Logan County West Virginia took place in March of 1963. There were floods almost every year in the low-lying areas of the coal mining territory. The reach of the flooding would depend on the amount of snow that winter and how constant the spring rains filled the creeks, streets, and ultimately the Guyandotte River.

A dam to hold back the flood waters had been debated and planned for years but had not been constructed at that time. Very few people were spared the ravages of the torrential downfall that year --- you had to live on the hills rather than in the valley to be lucky enough to escape the devastation.

We had survived many years of flooding --- maybe a few inches or feet in the house. But that year, the rain just wouldn’t stop. The final count was six feet in the house and my dad’s store had well over 16 feet.

I was the oldest at home at that time, and I stayed with my mom at the house – not sure why we stayed. The younger siblings went with neighbors who lived on the hill. As it started to enter the house, those dear friends came back for us, and we left the house – that would be the last day we lived in that house. I grabbed my purse and hair rollers. When I think back, I have no idea why I didn’t take more but maybe I thought we would be back.

It was a long night and the rains persisted, and the water kept rising. The river hadn’t crested at that time so we knew more was yet to come and it did. The military ducks (amphibious vehicles) rolled in to help and agencies such as the Red Cross supplied much-needed necessities.

The store before the flood.
The water got to the top of the windows.

My dad’s grocery store was about a mile down the road in an area that even got more flood water. He was always on the other side of the water so we wouldn’t normally see him for least one day, but it was several days when the 1963 flood hit.

When a grocery store is flooded, nothing can be saved so everything is a total loss. Flood insurance was not even a part of our vocabulary. 

Somehow my dad was one of those people that the news media could find – he made the Associated Press wire shoveling out the debris with his fedora had on his head, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and a smile on his face. Those who knew him realized it was not a true smile but a smirk that hid the words, (often curse words in both English and Italian) of what he was truly thinking about this horrendous situation.

Also, many people don’t realize that families who often live near each other have little chance to help each other. My aunts and uncles were dealing with their own houses and businesses, but we all tried to assist when we could. My grandparents lived around the corner from us above the first family grocery store, and we would go there for many years until they both passed away. I hate to admit it, but many times it was exciting to be with my cousins as we camped out at my grandparents. 

But the adults didn’t feel that way for sure. The looks on their faces of the unknown of what was happening came through even though they tried to be brave. In those days. there were no cell phone and 24-hour TV so we were truly in the dark about what was happening and when it would all end.

And we were literally in the dark – no electricity for days, no water (there weren’t bottles then), and no stores were open. I remember my mom, aunts, and grandmother filling buckets and other containers with water so when the floods came, we would have fresh water to drink and cook with. They made sure the coal-burning fireplaces were operational, that was how we cooked and heated for as long as necessary.

The cleanup takes days and days and often weeks. We carried all we could find in the mud and muck out of the house to our friends and washed as best as we could. Many items had to be trashed and sent to the dump while others were okay briefly but did not often last very long especially furniture. Wool clothes were a goner as well as appliances. We managed to dry out photos but some were a loss. After a week or so, my dad had had enough and had a crew empty the house and take it all to the dump. 

My family had a standing retort when we would look for something and couldn’t find it – that was before the flood.

My future husband and his family dragged all their belongings they could manage to the second floor. He and his dad stayed in the house until they had to be rescued from the roof by boat. To top it off that was his 17th birthday – not much of a celebration but one he always remembers.

A normal day was not to be had for many months – my mother decided to buy a house on the hill since my dad was still on the other side of the water. We never had to worry about floods in the house again but we always had family and friends to assist.

The dam was finally built and flooding was not as severe or as frequent. No one can adequately put into words what anyone experiences in these catastrophes and natural disasters. Don’t even think the news media comes close to covering it, but I give them credit for trying. It is devastating, emotional, destructive, and any other adjective that denotes a total waste of resources. And on top of it all to add insult to injury, we were rewarded with shots for tetanus and other maladies.

On the positive side, our floods were usually slow moving so the loss of life was not an issue. It was rare that anyone could not be rescued, but occasionally we would lose someone which was even more devastating.

But the human spirit is amazing and survives in most cases and moves on. I send my best thoughts to those in Texas and other areas of the Gulf Coast. It will get better but it will take time and you will never forget.

Frances                 

160 Oh, the weekend!

Weekends with C-Span & Science Fridays!

When I was a working stiff, I used to look forward to weekends as a respite from work, a time to do laundry and to have some fun.

Now that I am retired I can do laundry any day of the week--oh, joy. And fun activities can also happen anytime.

So now I look forward to Friday afternoons with Ira Flatow! He hosts Science Friday on National Public Radio. 

I am not a science geek, but somehow he makes all sorts of topics interesting--perhaps because his questions are similar to what I might ask. Whether it's a new idea to save the environment, break-through health news or some esoteric basic science discussion, I can follow and appreciate the conversation.

On Saturday and Sunday, I alternate between American History TV and Book TV on C-Span. Of course, while Congress is not in session, C-Span runs repeats of earlier programs so I can view a missed program or watch an especially good segment again.

American History is my favorite. Ever since the Sesquicentennial, they have been especially strong in covering the Civil War. They broadcast live from the Gettysburg conference and from other Civil War 

meetings such as a recent one on the Shenandoah Valley at the University of Virginia.

You notice that the number of views is shown in the text above. You can go back and view all programs online. We have discovered or checked out speakers and authors for One Book, One Community by watching them on a previous televised program, either on American History TV or Book TV. 

Look at the list of topics for one day on American History TV.

C-Span's Cities Tour features a new city each week and concentrates on its unique features and history. 

Similar to Winchester, every city has a fascinating history and historical characters. Cities that I never dreamed of visiting have great stories. I think they need to come to Winchester!

Other features on American History TV include Reel American, old documentary-style videos; American Artifacts, descriptions of manuscripts and objects in libraries and museums around the country; the Presidency; First Ladies; and Lectures in History, a college professor delivering a lecture before a class. As with all presentations, some can be unbelievably boring, but most are not. Regular C-Span has a program Landmark Cases of the Supreme Court that also airs on American History TV. It is excellent--most of the time!

I am more picky about what I watch on Book TV. Many broadcasts feature authors speaking about their books in bookstores or other venues such as libraries and museums. The Winchester Book Gallery has hosted some Book TV speakers but I don' believe any have been recorded recently. In Depth and After Words are longer programs that I find a little too long unless it is a really great author such as David McCullough.

They also televise live from book fairs, including the National Book Fair.

Now that the History Channel and The Learning Channel--really that's what TLC was once called--seem to aim most of their programs at teenage boys, there isn't much good weekday viewing except PBS and sometimes the Smithsonian channel. That isn't all bad--I don't want to watch TV ALL the time. So it is Weekends with C-Span for me! And Science Friday!

Trish       

159 Random thoughts

Savvy Glenne’s Random Thoughts

This Week 

The computer may blow up. I have been on various trending sites, reading the news, and, above all trying to stay positive. Maybe the computer won’t blow up, but my mind might!

Okay, here are my random thoughts, queries, and minor disturbances this past week. I hope you will get a chuckle from some of them, shake your head along with me over others, and, perhaps, add to the list. (Parenthetically, thank you to those of you who responded to the School Uniforms blog – about 4 to 1 in favor of a uniform in light of the current teen fashions.)

1. The solar eclipse – once in a lifetime! Fun to follow the over 1000 places that are hosting viewing events (all 2-3 minutes of it) including the Nudie HonkyTonk in Tennessee. Along with the parties, there are a number of counties issuing alternate driving routes, safety precautions (glasses as well as bringing one’s own water, food, and first aid packs). Police and politicians are suggesting patience to folks who will be in the crowds. Will anyone be at work on Monday, the 21st?

2. Charlottesville – this is a ridiculous, heartbreaking occurrence. Seems to me that civil rights are not very civil anymore. Being a Wm & Mary graduate, although a somewhat frequent visitor to Charlottesville, I am bit surprised that many people gathered in the same place. I often get “sort of” lost in C’ville. Too many curves and circles and up hills and down for my left-handed, directionally-challenged brain. 

CNN photo in Charlottesville 

3. C’ville continued – I feel like it’s 1968 again. What’s with all these “groups” – cults, whatever they call themselves? Do they feel disassociated from the mainstream? Oh, wait a minute – what the heck is mainstream now? And vehicles are now popular weapons (remember Sweden and France, and Barcelona most recently).

4. Terrorism –“unlawful use of violence and intimidation against civilians, usually in the pursuit of political aims” is the dictionary.com definition. I am thinking that the statue in C’ville was an excuse, not the end goal of this melee. And, according to Facebook, Lexington, VA is their next target (home of Washington & Lee University and Virginia Military Institute). 

5. Home improvement – DO YOU ALL KNOW that sinks and doors do NOT necessarily come with the appropriate hardware for installation? We thought we’d update our storm/screen door with a doggie door. Looked great in the photo. When it arrived it had NO hinges and no handles AND NO GLASS INSERT for the screen. This was NOT made clear
in the specs. (note picture has a door knob) 

6. Home improvement continued - Also, one can purchase a sink/vanity with OR WITHOUT faucets or holes for said faucet and taps. This picture appears to have all its parts – imagine our surprise (stupidity) when no faucet, etc.! SO for three days workmen have come and gone and come and gone and come and gone to Lowe’s and Home Depot for these needed items. Gee, is there collusion between contractors and manufacturers? I can see the hourly cost going UP, UP, UP. Okay, maybe I was naïve, but I can’t believe that there are no other naïve folks out there….anyway, the screen (note, just a screen door) is awaiting a glass insert and the new non-leaking vanity and sink are in. Now, we just have a hole in the kitchen ceiling where the old sink leaked. I really like our new young contractor, but we REALLY need to learn how and about what to communicate! 

7. BBC news v American news (CNN, Fox, your choice) – I prefer my world news from the BBC. They tell you directly and succinctly what happened without a bevy of pundits telling you their thoughts. I like this. It is short and I can follow what and where it happened. I believe American networks should take a hint. “Just the facts, ma’am,” said Joe Friday on Dragnet.

8. Granddaughter #1 one and only – she, too, makes me smile. Not only is she adorable (of course, aren’t all grandchildren adorable), she is going to be the one who gives her parents a fit! Hahahahaha! At 15-months her words are not Mama or Dada but shoes, toes, cheese, and book. And she LOVES cell phones and remotes. I do believe the little demon’s hobby is reprogramming. Oh, I am loving it!! Déjà vu all over again. What goes around, comes around, and any other trite clichés that imply she is her mother’s little clone. Oh, my – daughter and son-in-law will find NYC law practice a breeze compared to this innocent looking little girl.

9. Friends – I fret over two of my best friends – one a recent widow who is trying to get all the financial “ducks in a row” along with grieving a very kind husband who was absolutely devoted to her and the other who is the ultimate grandmother whose grandchildren are now all in school but now has her elderly parents to monitor, cook for, and care for. Seems we hit late middle age (or early old age) and all the AARP articles are beginning to have meaning. I DO NOT LIKE THIS. 

I do not like what gravity is doing to my body. I am beginning to HATE salads. I want red meat, fries, and sugar. SHAME ON ME! 

10. Procrastination – I feel guilty about all the things I need to do (like clean out the closets, tidy the laundry room, throw away OLD files). At night, my mind makes a list of what I mean to do the next day. The phone rings – “oh, substitute teach” – SURE; go out to lunch? SURE. I really should have a yard sale – stuff, lots and lots of stuff – that no family member will likely want. 

I heard a couple of days ago a podcast by appraisers on Antiques Roadshow. Solid wood furniture, antique furniture, crystal, and silverware are off by as much as 75%. Boomers are glutting the market by downsizing and Millennials are just not interested. OH, DEAR! Anyone interested in mahogany banquet table? Everything in our house is OLD and/or inherited! What are we going to do with these wonderful old pieces that are worth now next to nothing??

So, dear readers, I am hoping the eclipse brings calm, quiet, and better thoughts! How are you all holding up?

Glenne                                    

158 Erma Bombeck!

Erma Bombeck --- I miss you

Comic relief was always close at hand when Erma Bombeck’s column appeared in daily newspapers. She handled topics near and dear to all of our everyday lives. Nothing was off limits.




 

No one has come forward to take her place or come near to her level of expertise of sharing the comedy of everyday events. She left us far too early at the age of 69 in 1996 from complications of a kidney disease.

I remember being enthralled by her wit and wisdom which was simple and to the point. Her honesty must have driven family and friends totally bonkers. But I am sure her absence has created a chasm that cannot be filled.

I couldn’t wait until the next installment of her column arrived in the daily newspaper. Her reach was about 700 newspapers plus books, TV commentaries, and more.

Her writing helped me get through many of motherhoods trials and tribulations with humor and a little sarcasm. 

For example, “Housework can kill you if done right,” really resonates with most of us who usually give our homes a lick and a promise until we are smart enough to hire a cleaning person to handle the chores.

Motherhood and housewifery are very lonely jobs. It is hard to know if you are on target or totally off base. Erma cut through the crap and helped you see the reality of it all. No one is perfect and these jobs are extremely difficult.

Everyone who has been called mom can relate to this truism from Erma ---“Cleanliness is not next to godliness. It isn't even in the same neighborhood. No one has ever gotten a religious experience out of removing burned-on cheese from the grill of the toaster oven.”

Her advice always brought affirmation as I agreed most of the time --- “If a man watches three football games in a row, he should be declared legally dead.” Who can argue with this!!

No one has stepped up to the plate to fill the void left by this marvelous madam of mercurial humor. She could turn anything into a hilarious rant ---“My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint.”

Now as a grandmother, I would welcome her zany wit about this time of life that is glorious as well as reflective. What would she say about going through many parenting adventures a second time but more as an observer than a participant? Restraint is the key word and neutrality a second.

She reflected on the end of life in one of her works and said “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.’ ”

I think we can all agree she definitely used what God gave her and then some.

One of her goals was stated as such, "My aim in life is to communicate with the greatest number of people I can and make them laugh at themselves." She definitely made this come true with her wide reach with a syndication to hundreds.

I miss you, Erma Bombeck!

Frances                

+ All words by Erma Bombeck are set off in quotes. No one could ever steal her words!!