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.

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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.

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I found a blog post called "photo-documenting a chicago two-story brick cottage unoccupied since 1939" which was really neat.

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.

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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.

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Bonus photo: The Frau is apparently now into garden gnomes. She bought this one recently. Very Zen.