Witness a machine turn coffee into pointless ramblings...
16 June, 2021
The Corona Diaries Vol. 12b: How to Recognize Different Types of Flowers from Quite a Long Way Away
No. 1
The trillium.
The trillium.
Mid-May 2021
Back in another entry earlier this year, I noted that I had taken a walk at the Heritage Sanctuary
(just a bit east of my house) back when there was still snow on the ground and
that it was noted for the trilliums (or is it "trillia"?) that bloom in May. Well, I went
back there recently to see these storied flowers.
In addition
to being all verdant, it smelled wonderful. There were a couple spots that had
that tang of pine but mostly it was simply plant scented. It smelled
"green", I guess you'd say. There were 2 varieties of flowers
everywhere: the white ones above and a those of a light purple hue.
I had to ask
a fellow walker which was which and was told that the white ones were the
trillia. Now I know how to recognize different types of flowers from quite a long way away.
********
Since my
last entry I've been to the movies again. This time it was Final
Account.
It's a
documentary concerning some of the folks who propped up the banality of the
evil that was inherent in the Third Reich. While we meet a former member of the SS and
someone who was a guard at a concentration camp, most of the people were just
average folks who talk of getting swept up in the fervor of the time. They join
the Hitler Youth as it was expected of them. Others talk of how they got used
to the smoke from the ovens used to burn bodies at a nearby camp. It became
almost unexceptional.
I'm not sure
how people can live with such things but I suppose we humans can put up with a lot of
horror and inhumanity if it's out of sight or doing so is what allows us to get on with our lives.
Given recent events, the first thought that came to my mind was, "Holy Christ! Look at
all that asbestos! And lead paint too!" Secondly, I had to wonder why it's
been unoccupied for so long yet the owners do minimal upkeep to prevent it from
falling down instead of just demolishing it.
I can
imagine the place in better days and that it might have looked something like the apartments my grandparents and great aunts and uncles lived in at that time. The men would be seated around a table playing pinochle and drinking beer while the ladies were gathered in the kitchen.
Check out the rest of the blog as it has lots of stuff about bygone buildings
in Chicago. I guess the company salvages old architectural ornaments,
furniture, and whatnot and resells them. Lots of neat bits about architecture and photos of lovely old buildings.
********
I've been
doing some medieval reading lately.
Life in
Medieval Europe was
good. It's a short book directed at the lay reader that gives a high-level
overview of, well, life in medieval Europe – western Europe, mainly. It was a
fun read even if most of the material was already known to me. But if you're
unfamiliar with the period, it's a nice intro that busts a lot of myths such as that people didn't drink water during this time and that spices
were generously applied to cover up the taste of rotten meat. The Victorians
sure started a lot of pernicious rumors.
If you have any interest in the Middle Ages but don't know where to start, you could do much worse than Ms. Cybulskie. In addition to her books, she hosts a podcast for Medievalists.net which is perfect for neophytes.
Another book I read recently:
This too is
for the lay reader. It's a series of excerpts from primary sources (in modern
translations) about a variety of topics illustrated with period art and
illumination. It's very pretty.
I adore medieval illumination. Perspective is all goofy and people usually have a rachitic look about them. Things look surreal and I just love it.
With a new film based on the tale Sir Gawain and the Green Knight coming out in July, I wonder if
moviegoers will attempt to read the source material. I am sure medievalists the
world round are hoping for a renewed interest in their field of study.
********
Bonus photo: The Frau is apparently now into
garden gnomes. She bought this one recently. Very Zen.
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