Kate and William, just my two pence

Whatever some may say about the Prince marrying a middle class girl he met in college, it seems like a love match. And a mature one between two 29 year olds, not two kids. Both have had plenty of time to get to know each other and decide whether they thought they were compatible. God Bless' em, I say.

And hooray for the Queen!

As the Maximalist was young once, is middle aged now and is the parent of two young people, she can sorta see what Her Maj was up against. Tradition v the happiness of her grandson.

Now the Queen seems pretty happy with Prince Philip, and why not, he was quite the catch. Handsome, athletic, charming from all accounts, he seems like the post WWII ideal man. The same Elizabeth had the ugly duty of telling her little sis, so deeply in love with a divorced man, that she would have to give up her life as a princess if she was to marry. Must have been awful and became more awful as Margaret began to appear unhappy with her life. Makes the Maximalist want to cry just imagining the scenario. It's one thing if YOU sacrifice your happiness for your duty, it must hurt like hell telling your sister or your grandson that they must choose duty.

Now here is William, in love with potentially unsuitable Kate, the maligned Waitey-Katey. What is more important...her grandson marrying a woman he loves and having the happy life that eluded Margaret and William's own parents, or his marrying a virginal titled lady who would appeal to tradition and the snobbery of the purple crowd as well as the commoners who expected a "lady"? The right decision was made. They look happy, the Queen and her handsome Prince look happy, Charles and Camilla, the woman who should have got her damned divorece may years earlier and married Charles, look happy. David Cameron looks happy too....well done government for approving something that should not need your approval.

Well if the brits decide that the want to toss the monarchy over something so ridiculous as marrying commoners, the Mountbatten-Windsor clan will not starve to death. They'll still be rich as hell and their families will still be who they are.

With the marriage of William and Kate (and yes, Charles and Camilla) they can now be bit more of the people they want to be.

Somewhere the lovely Margaret is smiling.

God Save the Queen!

Things I love today!

Being done with the PA Turnpike...nothing like 18 wheelers flying past you at 85mph through the Allegheney Mountains! White fisted driving.

That Kate Middleton did not opt for a strapless dress, tres classique choice, well done.

Restaurants in downtown Pittsburgh. Went to Sonoma last night after Pitt's graduation. It was fabulous and worthy of NYC but way less money. The Indonesian Duck was perfect, the salmon was scrumptious and the vegetarian onion soup (in mushroom broth) was simply the best. Loved the service, loved the decor, and the elbow room was grand, indeed. No crowding. Pittsburg, in general, has an excellent array of restaurants and things to do. I heartily recommend Phipps Conservatory, the Pittsurgh Symphony Orchestra, and all the sports teams that P'burgh can provide! You won't find crazier sportsfans anyplace, and crazy in a good way, too. Pittsburgh has great views with all those mountainous hills, and the rivers and bridges make it an interesting drive. I am besotted with Pittsburgh, can't you tell? You can easily drive and park just about anyplace in the city and environs, people are friendly and it lacks the megalopolis feel of NYC-Philly.

Wild about Wilding still, watching Cottage to Let tonight

Wilding again

Can't find a way to rent "An Ideal Husband". Would love to see Michael Wilding in that one. Will keep looking...sounds like a winner

Silver

I am pleased that silver is going up as I have been buying. On a percentage basis it seems to be doing better than gold. Silver is easier to buy below scrap value, so you can get maximal amounts and nice appreciation.

Was wondering about these coin/metal dealers. What sort of records do you suppose they keep? Will they report gold currency sales to the gov't? In 1933, the government ordered a meltdown of gold coins and silver left circulation in the 60s. Silver and gold jewelry would be hard for the statists to claim, not issued by their majesties...have things the gov't cannot demand!

The sterling silver Maximalist

Going wilding on netflix

Next up for the maximalist who can usually tolerate about two films a month, maybe less, two Michael Wilding films: STage Fright (Hitch knew a fine actor when he saw one) and Torch Song and In Which We Serve. I am also very tempted to buy the Wilding/Caron version of Cinderella. Undoubtedly the definitive Prince Charming.

Fortunately, English Without Tears is available on streaming.

I never thought The King's Speech was well served by Colin Firth...where are all the men who look like King George and Michael Wilding these days?

A revelation...Michael Wilding in Under Capricorn.

Under Capricorn is underrated as a Hitchcock film. While there is a plot twist, there is no suspenseful climax and no "on the edge of your seat moments". Instead we are given a costume drama set in early 19th Century Australia and a story which is a different take on Wuthering Heights.

Imagine if you will that old Mr. Earnshaw had lived a bit longer, was a bit grander and that Heathcliff was a trusted servant and horseman. Cathy and Heathcliff still fall in love, and actually marry. Old Earnshaw is not so egalitarian after all, and Hindley is sent after the lovers brandishing a gun and is killed. Heathcliff is transported to Botany Bay....but this time Cathy sells everything she owns and follows.

In this story, Cathy is played by Ingrid Bergman, Heathcliff by Joseph Cotton, and the closest thing to Linton by Michael Wilding. Bergman and Cotton were adequate but Irish lovers, hardly. Wilding was a joy, a revelation! While he does not get the girl, Wilding's Adare is handsome, charming, attractive and exceptional in every way that David Niven's Linton was not. In Wuthering Heights, the movie, Linton's only charm was monetary, recast with Wilding, we'd have seen Cathy's motivation in a different light (just as either Tyrone Power or Errol Flynn as Ashley Wilkes would have made Scarlet's infatuation believable).

Under Capricorn would be worth the watch if only for Wilding, I enjoyed the story. Bergman had moments of radiance, but was never and Irish aristocrat, Cotton was given less to do (the love scene was Wildings)than was warranted. Wilding was incandescent.

If you wanted Wuthering Heights to have a happy ending, this was a nice way to spend two hours!

No comment

Except on my Bonne Bell and Teresa Duncan conspiracy pieces...that's ok. I will slog on uncommented

Rubbish on journalism and accountability!

"Journalists across the globe risk their lives each day to keep us informed, demand accountability from world leaders and give a voice to those who would not otherwise be heard," press secretary Jay Carney said.

If this statement was made about journalism twenty years ago, I might give it a pass. But as it was made by a member of the Obama Administration, it is risible at best and delusional, certainly, for the brave journalists in the USA do nothing to investigate and expose the daily nonsense of the Obama administration... they just spindle fold and mutilate every statement and action until it is golden.

Reading the American papers will tell you next to nothing about Obama's involvement in ACORN and nothing about the background or mindset of these ubiquitous czars who operate as a shadow cabinet free from the scrutiny on the Senate. The LA Times deliberately withheld a tape of Obama's interaction with a Palestinian group at one of their soirees. If he had made pro-Israel statements, they'd have run it. They did not. Missing too is any accountability for tossing Samantha Powers under the bus diring the campaign only to disinter the "discredited" and disapproved of woman after the election and reward her with a serious advisory job. Had anyone else behaved with such sleight of hand, such subterfuge, it would have made the front pages for weeks. Where are the exposes on creatures like this Powers woman, or Van Jones or Cass Sunstein? Where is the hard-hitting serious on campaign funding irregularities during the 2008 election cycle? Where is any reporting on Obama's academic background or first run for office as a candidate for a socialist party?

The press will excoriate private citizens who ask inopportune questions, but they will not investigate the political motivations present during the "redistribution" of GM and Chrysler dealerships. The press will blame corporate greed for gas prices but will not air Obama's own statements about the desirability of high energy prices. Why?

Easy. The "press" these impartial journalists so worthy of praise are hand in glove with the Democrat Party. Stephanopulis was CLinton's Chief of Staff, Chris Cuomo grew up in the governor's mansion of his dad Mario and is Andrew's bro, Chris Matthews was one of Tip O'Neill's staffers, OMB director Orzag is married to a journalist, Maria Shriver used to pretend to be a journalist and even Jake Tapper is tied to ultra-lib Planned PArenthood. So can we dispense with the impartiality masquerade? Please? oh, even that cackling disaster Mika is daughter to Carter's Zbigniew.

You might counter with "what about Fox?" What about Fox? Is it "fair and balanced"? Not really, if you look at Hannity and Beck, but the news department is a bit better. And they did not take pains to ask Bush stupid "what is it like to be you" type questions. Fox criticises the GOP, while ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS (which should be stripped of funding) administers nightly tongue-baths to Obama. Well, so maybe Fox is a bit less biased and certainly many come right out and say "I am a conservative", which is at least honest.

There should be no revolving door between Politics and Journalism. It demeans everyone.

So, the Maximalist begins a new diet/regimen

Last year the Maximalist started an anti-inflammation diet based on the information found at NutritionData.com. I felt better and actually lost a few pounds. When I broke my foot while on it, I required no pain meds and had nearly no inflammation. It was a joy. I did, however, give up sugary foods and starch of all stripes. After a few days it became rather easy to do, so I am going to try it again.

What is high in anti-inflamation properties, you might ask? Wild caught salmon, tuna and cod, for starts. Chicken is pretty neutral if defatted and tofu is ok, so I got protein galore. I also added fish oil (salmon and krill) and cayenne and turmeric supplements. Peppers, onions garlic and cruciferous vegetables are also fine for you so the Maximalist was in her spicy glory. Greens like kale, spinach and mustard are exceptional sources and I like them. Tomatoes are acceptable, so all was well.

I don't know why I ever stopped? It is time to begin again. Today I have not violated that regimen, so I am counting today. Who needs pasta and sugar anyways? One is healthier without it despite it's yumminess. Oh, olive and almond oils are good too, so the brussel sprouts need not be raw or soggy and boiled.

Will let you know how I do.

Economic Victory Garden

The Maximalist is pleased to announce that her raspberries, currants, and apple tree are all sporting obvious growth and acceptance of their new home turf. These things are not a foregone conclusion especially considering recent weather.

On a similar note, peas, peppers, and squash is all successfully planted. No withering or weather damage observed on plants started indoors. Anchos and Habaneros here we come! Welcome to those cutesy wootesy mini yellow, red and orange sweeties as well.

More tomato seedlings to hit the soil next week.

Back to the peas. They have caused a stir in my home as peas are not a favorite of anyone save the Maximalist who likes them mature and raw. It is my garden and I will plant what I like! Anyway....I would be interested in knowing if anyone has any experience with pea-sprouts. I have heard about them in passing and will do some research, but this might serve as another great way to use bags of seeds (dried peas sold by the pound in the grocery store ARE seeds too)There is some thought that sprouted grains/seeds are slightly healthier for you as some sort of chemical is broken when sprouting occurs. Worth looking into.

Addendum: http://www.peashoots.com/peashoots-recipes.htm

What a great thing to know! Pea flavor and nutrition without a long summer wait! Plus you can use maximal plant! YAY. Less starchy too, no doubt.

Maximalist on the state of nannies..NOT the nanny state

Disclaimer: The Maximalist takes pride in having raised her own children without the use of daycare or live in help...


Most sources are clear that tha nanny is more than a babysitter or housekeeper. A nanny is someone who is trained to care for children and supply not only supervision but provides intellectual stimulation. Many have certification and even degrees in early childhood education. Even when they don't have serious CVs they do have one thing in common, the have access to the most important and helpless people in your life, your children.

So, a nanny is not someone who you want to belittle in anyway or treat like an underling. This is someone who will shape your child's personality, who will respond to your baby's cries and needs with love or indifference, and it is someone who may even shape your child's view of himself and his family.

You want this person to feel valued and to value you, not as "the boss" but as an integral part of your child's life and an ally.

A couple nights ago, the Maximalist had the misfortune of seeing a mother treat someone introduced as "the nanny" as a kitchen maid. The occasion was a largish dinner party where the children were present. Naturally, one would expect that a nanny might sit with the children and tend to their needs. In this case she was told she would be doing the cleaning up, scrubbing pots and pans and filling the dishwasher. She would also eat in the kitchen, by herself.

I was appalled. I do not know the lady's background, but I do know that she watches over that woman's children while she and her husband are away at work and that the children are very young, still preschoolers.

Why would you want to alienate someone with such a position in our home, who lived in your home? Why would you want your children to see you treat her like that?

I doubt if the woman would lash out at the children, but why take that chance?

Nannies are doing what is traditionally mommy's or grandma's job. The Maximalist does not believe that a person in that role is to be belittled, but cultivated and cherished so that she may feel the love and loyalty she is shown, so that she and the children's parents teach the children the value of that loyalty and care.

I think it's harder to do a good job when you are not valued. It's possible when the children still value you, but when they are taught not to, you would have to be a very strong woman. I suspect plenty of nannies are just that.

Why our new found dislike of the "Royals"

Today, I learned that NBC, proclaimed Kate and William "boring" and that they will be scaling back their coverage. I suspect there is a more political dimension to this as Obama seems to despise all things British and NBC does not want to insult their idol. One of the first things Obama did was kick the bust of CHurchill out of the Oval Office and replace it with some "egg" sculpture. He has gone on to insult the British at every opportunity.

Plus the couple did not invite the notoriously gauche and attention loving Obamas to the wedding. A brilliant idea on the part of the family Mountbatten-Windsor. Obama makes every occasion all about him and this would have been very inappropriate on this day. The American media would have spent the entire day slopping sugar all over how magnificent the Obamas were and how Michelle is Jackie Kennedy and changed the whole tone of the coverage. The added security would have been a nightmare as well. Ditto the cost for the US as Obama brought his huge posse over the Atlantic.

We are also avoiding the spectacle of another tacky or egocentric "gift". It used to be that the office of the President chose a lovely work of art as a gift to represent the nation on these occasions. Obama foisted an ipod with his voice on the Queen and gave Gordon Brown a boxed set of DVDs. Not exactly something one displays as a gift of state. An insult to one nation an embarassment to the other.

I have also read how "the media" is saying that unlike Diana, Kate is no "superstar". Well neither was Diana at the time of that wedding. She was a shy quiet 19 year old who blossomed into an iconic woman. So this is a bit of a bogus argument. Plus the media hounded her, perhaps to death. Kate and Williams are fortunate indeed that the media is not intrigued by them! The will be happier and healthier without the hype.

They are also too normal for the media these days. If they were a couple of druggies or if Kate talked endlessly about her plastic surgeries and trips to rehab the media would fawn. The real bore here is the US media and their focus on the fantastic over the kind, the stable, and the proper role models.

The Maximalist is disgusted

Things I hate today!

Smelly lawn chemical trucks, spraying away. I feel sorry for their operators, men who will be exposed to this crap. Fertilizer is one thing, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, quite another.

Matzah, just saltless saltines. Tasteless too.

Dyed daisies. Saw them yesterday, practically magenta pink. They turned the water pink and stained the poor white lilies next to them in the vase. They also looked dumb with the red roses.

The use of "gifted" for gave, as in "she gifted me those flowers". Utterly sloppy sounding and generally low. One despairs.

Etsy, again...what does handmade mean?

I stopped by Etsy to hunt for bargains and relax a bit. As the fraudulent shop was closed and there is no way for me to chat with fellow victims, I went to the forums to see if the whole incident got any play there. I didn't find that but I stumbled upon a spirited conversation among a group of sellers arguing about what "handmade" meant and if people who "assemble", like beaders, fit the definition. Some argued that Etsy should be juried to exclude assemblers and that this was a form of subterfuge...the poor buyer expecting a handmade object and getting something put together with pre-fab, purchased parts.

Well what was a nosy Maximalist to do, but stick in her two cents on this issue! Here was my addition to the chat:


Hi,

I am a customer, exclusively, and I am readily able to see that some things are "assembled" and not hand-cast, or whatever you want to call it. Hundreds of necklaces with the same or very similar bird charms are available on etsy. Some are called "birds" others "sparrows" or "swallows". The art, I guess, lies in the creativity or deliberate simplicity of the usage of the prefab materials. Is the swallow strung with a pretty arrangement of seasonally colored beads? Does it fly solo stark with sterling chains and loops? Does it mingle with a multimetal creation?

All of these can be precisely what somebody is looking for and buyers are not always looking for a completely handcrafted objet d'art.

The person who said that not everyone has the time or money to assemble her own jewelry is pretty on target, IMO. And I would add, we don't all have the creativity. I am always surprised by how very many different looks can be build around something like a swallow charm!

I also, truth be told, LOVE the clever names given to the items. They are great to download or mention on a card if the purchase is a gift.

I think there is room for all sorts of crafters on etsy, and I am fond of the vintage section too.

I don't think buyers are fooled, who expects that every glass bead is mouth blown or however they're made? Some buyers go looking for bargains, to find something unusual or unique, or even because they are just looking for a fun gift with a quirky name. I have bought assembled and hand-cast objects on Etsy and have known every time what I was getting. As for assembly, is a necklace lovingly beaded in a creative one of a kind style less "crafted" than a hand cast item of which the seller has made hundreds? I think not. Also an experience beader with a great sense of color and an access to great quality large quantity materials can make something that I would never have dreamed of at quite a thrifty price.

Chacun a son gout, when it comes to "handmade".

The Maximalist

More on ETSY

I hate to leave the possible impression that Etsy is not usually safe, it is. This dreadful seller who ripped off many had delicious items at good prices but NO feedback. I think the trick to success is feedback as it is on ebay. I do think Etsy should find a way to make sure sellers are legit especially if they list a huge number of things rather rapidly, but it is usually a safe place to buy. The only other issue I ever had was with a seller who sold me a "sterling" bracelet. Magnets do not stick to sterling and back it went for a full refund. While the Maximalist would know to test the item, not everyone would so this was forgivable. Sigh.

Anyway I just finished another transaction with a lovely seller who has sent me remarkable buys in the past. And I have no reason to doubt that these items will not be wonderful too.

The key to etsy and ebay is feedback, pictures, and questions. Will it always be great even then? Maybe not, but check the listings for return policies. My experiences with long established stores has not always been perfect either, so I have no fear in continuing.

Things I love today

Corn Gluten! A bit more spendy than chemicals, but safe and smells like corn flakes

Bass Weejuns.

AbeBooks.com. A fabulous place to find nice old books at many price levels

Nutritiondata.com. Fabulous site. Not only does it have the usual calorie counts, but vitamins, minerals and inflammation factor. How cool is that? It will also calculate the values for your own recipes. Love, love,love.

Moonstones and silver

Coke Rewards. Get your home and garden magazines for free by entering coke codes, if you're a coke drinker, that is.

Doing the garden, dousing the weeds...

"What the heck is that yellow stuff?" loudly asked the neighbor boy at about 1PM as the Maximalist was finishing up spreading many pounds of corn gluten on her yard. My first thought was to say "that is no more of your business than it is mine that you are lounging around the house at this time of day". While that was true, this would have been unnecessarily provocative. Though annoyed, I answered as I had read the gluten bag and noted that it was immediately safe for children and pets,(even children in their mid 20s), though probably not for those with some rare corn allergy. I explained the concept of the gluten killing the immature root systems and that it was indeed corn based. The corn-flakey smell might have given that away.

I had also read the chemical pre-emergent weed killer bags and was rather stunned by how unsafe they were. Many cautions; do not breathe in fumes, do not get on skin or clothing. If you do wash for some extended period of time. Well how the heck do you spread that stuff without getting in on at least your clothes. I do not own a haz-mat suit or a gas mask! And while the bag suggested all this immediate washing, it was vague as to the consequences of coming in contact with the product.

Nothing could have tempted me to not use the corn gluten, and no I did not spread it anywhere near my garden bed. My little immature root sstems will be better for the omission.

And what did the neighborboy say? "Sweet". I agree.

On to the peat moss!

Your (earth)friendly, neighborhood Maximalist.

A word about crabgrass control and food safety

Well two words: corn gluten.

This was our compromise when the EVG was firrst proposed. Would he agree to bugly crabgrass? Nope. Well, we are experimenting with corn gluten this year.

Yes, I know all the stuff about taking the food out of the mouths of babes in order to live a greener lifestyle. But is this real? Does this byproduct have an alternate life as healthy food? I have no idea. I suppose we could guzzle ethanol too...mmm, better than Pinot Noir, no?

Some second thoughts on Gottfried's Nepenthe...

Ok. I understand we're talking eighty-five years ago. But that eighty-five years is significant. Sure, the players are all dead now and nobody alive today would weep with embarassment becuase their grandparents or great-grandparents had a shipboard romance that ended with debarkation in New York. We are all but immune to flings, tell-alls and tabloid romances and today a relationship like this would be interesting to the parties involved and maybe to their loves waiting on the dock. Nobody else would really care.

In 1926, this might have been a big deal. Women were socially ruined by unsavory romances and these things were kept pretty close to the vest. Aaron Gottfried published this work under his initials only. I assume he did so not to protect himself as Princeton is a pretty small place now and was smaller in 1926, but to protect his romantic partner.

This begs the question "why publish this at all". I doubt it was a best seller even on an all male campus. It has no wild scenes of reckless abandon designed to titillate the undergraddies and its poetic merits are slight. Did Princeton routinely publish little tomes of their students' poetry? Or could Gottfried have been on the university's payroll, perhaps even working for the University Press?

And if the relationship was so private and special, why not keep your poems in a little box under the bed until you are sick of thinking about your loss or until your wife tosses them after your funeral.

Did Aaron publish his poems out of some sort of revenge? The number of young people who were able to afford this sort of cruise in 1926 was probably small and exclusive.
Perhaps the members of the passenger list would be pretty well known to his Princetonian cohort? Maybe there was a desire to embarass the lady's family or to shame her into going public with this romance.

I will never know. But I do know 1926 was not 2011 and a telling book of poems was probably an unusual thing.

Fraud on Etsy update

My credit was indeed processed by m credit card company and the offending store closed. Etsy has given us victims no further info on what they are doing. I suppose Paypal will go after this scumbag as they are probably the ones out the cash. Etsy needs better screening for sellers.

Economic Victory Garden...a bright shiny day!

Perfect for re-spading the garden patch and putting the finishing touches on the soil. Tomorrow I will plant some seeds (peas, squash, peppers) and put my seedlings in for the "early" harvest!

After discussions with fellow gardeners at work, I never knew there were any til this past week, it seems like freezing is the way to go for preservation of the cookable squash and pepper excess. I still have an interest in drying peppers as it seems so safe and independent of power outages, so I will keep researching.

On the storage front, I now consider myself fully stocked up on tomato products, beans and grains (who knew barley pilaf was so fabulous. I have bought a supply of inexpensive pasta products and the beans include canned varieties. Tuna and canned chicken have also been purchased. The freezer is stocked with chicken, cheaply purchased at 0.99 a pound and all is well on that front. I have become SO sale conscious of all my favorite items and have gone generic where possible.

But back to the garden. The main goal is providing my favorites and living the summer without having to choose between peppers and tomatoes or driving to work! Of course, I'd have to drive to work, but I feel very fortunate that I chose to work the weekends only schedule (work 24 get paid for 36)as the price of gas really cuts into the extra I'd make and still have alternate weekends off. This way I maximize time home while having minimal reduction in pay. Always the Maximalist.

Why peppers and tomatoes, except for my preference? Vitamin rich and expensive even in the summer. Notice the price on Ancho peppers? Tomatoes cost as much per pound as chicken! Small space required for relatively large harvest. Not crazy like zucchini as no one uses those basebal bat size squash. As for my squash, winter squash is more nourishing and more storeable.

So it's onward and upward with my garden. I am also considering making it larger!

Economic Victory Garden

Turned up my soil today. Threw out the rocks and the old dead wood under the ground. The soil isn't good as it's much lighter than I'd imagined it would be as the soil for the daffodils was dark and good. A few bags of mulch should solve that problem and I'll be able to plant by Friday.

The spaghetti squash plants are a foot tall now as are the peas. The hancho peppers are six inches high and the seeds started last week are but sproutlings, if there is such a word. I'm having a lovely time imagining all those peppers growing and bearing fruits and today I started some long green hot peppers from seeds culled from today's dinner. Everyone who can should have a garden, a small source of food grown by their own hands, even if it's just a few container tomatoes!

The apple tree seems to be budding and several of the rasperries are looking pretty good too. I will order the grapes tomorrow. Providentially, my husband said now that I've killed off the invasive Virginia Creeper that we should plant useful vines to cover the fence. What could be more useful than seedless grapes? And six more raspberry plants! Now that farmer Maximalist is started, it's time to maximalize my efforts.

Nepenthe by Aaron Gottfried

Old literary find.

I only know this was written by Mr. Gottfried in 1926 because the letters and handwritten verse say so.

This Nepenthe has nothing to do with restaurants in Big Sur or any sort of drug or elixir, unless one considers a bright, burning temporary love an elixir. Perhaps it was to AWG as the Princeton University Press calls him. The book has an air of secrecy and anomymity about it. First the author is "AWG" and the lady love is never named, not even a first name is divulged.

The book is a book of verse describing the love that could never be between a Jewish boy and a grieving (for what, for whom?) southern belle on a European cruise. The boy never tells us if she won't marry him because he's Jewish or if he won't marry her because she's not, but it's clear that religion is the insurmountable obstacle.

The poems are a bit over elaborate, pompous and quite like you'd expect from a Princeton student of this time. Probably what the beautiful belle with the grey eyes would have expected as well. There are a few verses that work well and have a universal appeal, most are very personal. The lad might understand them, but we do not.

Inside each cover of the book was a handwritten page by "Aaron". The front cover contained two of the poems in script and the back cover contains a letter asking how the recipient of the book felt about "my little book" which he had sent her several months earlier. The lady who received the book, who may or may not be his inamorata, is named Madeline. Madeline carefully pasted both sheets of paper into the covers and saved them with the book. Aaron mailed the letter from The Princeton Club in New York. We do not know Madeline's last name or address, or if she ever responded.

Reading this Nepenthe and Aaron Gottfried's notes from 1926 had a very voyeuristic feel. I felt I was privy to a long kept secret. It left me wondering if the two lovers had families from whom they hid this relationship. Did Aaron marry a nice Jewish girl and have a family? Did he ever see his Southern lady again?

The questions make the book rather lovely.

I think I'll write a story based on my find. Maybe

Things I love today!

The Maximalist is not exclusively a "hater" although that word has got to go as it unfairly stigmatises everyone who dislikes certain behaviors and brands of politics. Nasty business and deliberately so.

So in no particular order:

1) Burpee seeds! I was always mesmerized by this catalog and the huge variety of fruits and vegetables you can grow and enjoy. I grew up in the 60s and this catalog came every winter much to my delight. Memories of summer abounded and dreams of warm soil.Growing food is cheaper than you imagine. Check them out online!

2) Miller Nurseries. My idea of heaven. I love dreaming of fruit even more than vegetables and Miller has so much in store for you. From antique apples (the source of my 4-in-1 antique apple tree)to hardy nut trees (talk about foods you can store) to more berry varieties than you can shake a stick at. I bought the black raspberries,mmm.

3)Trees of Antiquity. A bit more money and a bit more selection here. But oh, the pictures of those trees and their history. Eat like your great-great-grandfather, even if he came from Europe. I am leaning toward a semi-dwarf tree from 1600, a joy forever.

4) Unrelated to gardening, but with a botanical theme: moss agate. So beautiful in mid-century modern silver. Just wow!

Economic Victory Garden

Today I received and planted raspberry bushes, a current bush, and a 4-in-1 antique variety apple tree. Long rage planning, yes especially the apple tree. I suspect I will buy a few more raspberry, currant and grape plants. Nothing like specialty fruits.

I also started a few dozen pepper and tomato plants, some cilantro and buttercup squash. All my favorites and some of the priciest varieties that I would and do spend money on. There is no point in planting things you won't feast on in the summer and fall. Squash lasts quite a while in the refrigerator and plenty of vegetables freeze well, too.

The Maximalist could eat tomatoes and peppers every single day of her life and never tire of them. Excellent sources of vitamins too. Should be beautiful


Just for sport, I also started Echinacea and Gaillardia flowers. They remind me of my grandmother. But then so do all these fruits bushes I planted today. We always had plenty of beautiful, nutritious fresh treats. Talk about nepenthe!

Carrot McNuggets? No legislators, it's not happening

Loved the Joe Crummey show and the focus on the guy who stated that parents were unable to say no to kids. While I agree in principle that "happy meals" could be a little healthier, I don't blame fast food businesses for bad decision making. People can get just as heavy from eating junk food at home, too much pasta at home, or even too many veggie-burgers! Short of calorie rationing, we can't force parents to make good choices for their kids or themselves. This is just a feel good thing for the regulation happy. We can't solve the problem, or blame the people who may vote for us, so we'll blame "greedy" businesses. Problem solved?


Nope. And for the record, I took my kids to a MacDonald's precisely once. It was after a swim meet and because the other mom wanted to go and I was too wussy to belittle the choice of food. My kids still don't eat fast food and they are 29 and 27years old. They were "deprived" of fast food, cable television, and sleazy pop music.
They lived. Yes, they had a few moments of miffed behavior about not getting this crap especially when their friends had it, but only a few moments.

And let's be honest here. The fast food joints sell this stuff because there is a demand for it. If there was no demand, it would vanish. If there was a demand for "carrot mcnuggets" someone would provide the little toys from China to go with it, but there is no demand. Simple economics here, people.


Parents, you can get past the whines, by sticking to your principles a few times, when whining is not rewarded it won't be repeated. Yep, Nancy was right "just say no".

Nepenthe, the funky restaurant in the Sandpiper...still exists.

Wikipedia says that nepenthe means "a medicine for sorrow, literally an anti-depressant – a 'drug of forgetfulness' " It is also the name of the funky, artsy restaurant frequented by the artists in The Sandpiper. Delightfully it still exists and still seems pretty artsy-crafty complete with a gift shop that includes handmade jewelry, bath supplies and the heir to California Pottery, "Ocean Art Pottery".

I live in New Jersey, hate flying and am unlikely to visit Big Sur or Nepenthe any time soon. But I am still besotted by this movie, the scenery and the whole arts and crafts thing (despite my recent issues with Etsy). I think we can love Nepenthe and its history from a distance. If you visit the website,http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/ you can see the pictures, the menus and get the vibe.

I think we need a Nepenthe revival in the US, and not the anti-depressants, the opiates or any sort of drug that it could have historically meant. We need the nepenthe that this restaurant and its history promised us. The camraderie, the sitting around singing, dancing and enjoying life together. We need to hand make our life, not buy it at Bloomingdales from chinese workers. We need to entertain ourselves and not leave that job to a few hollywood "stars". Sing our own songs, read our own plays, and revel in our own company. Yes, The Sandpiper had "stars", but it was not about stardom. The nepenthe I'm talking about is the anti-depressant effect of good food, good company and a job well done....and beautiful scenery.

We can do it!

My Jersey backyard can't be transported to the Big Sur, but I can make it prettier. This fall I planted 800 cheap daffodils, and they look lovely. That is an anti-depressant! I am completely committed to my Economic Victory Garden and I think that will be a sight to see, it will also yield plenty of ingredients for terrific menus (the Nepenthe menus are not hard to replicate, and buying prepared meals needs to be rooted out of my life).

What is it we do that prevents this natural nepenthe from entering our lives? What do we do with our 24 hours a day that prevents us from "good food, good company and a job well done"?

Mindless hours of celebrity watching ranks high. When the Maximalist looks around her she sees way too many magazines devoted to this activity, this vicarious life led by so many. We have too many television shows devoted to celebrity for its own sake. What are "American Idol" and "Dancing with the STARS" but ways to worship celebrity, even if it's celebrity failing. Every hour we spend mesmerised with the lives of actors, singers or reality show big mouths is an hour we do not spend cultivating our own story, honing our skills and being creative. It is an hour we do not spend discussing ideas around the table with our friends and neighbors. It is an hour we avoid ourselves completely. And when the hour is over we have no more than we had before. Maybe we have a little more envy and a few hundred empty calories under the belt as we sit in front of the tube. This is the anti-nepenthe.

Let's go for the real thing!

Benedict Goldstone Admits he was "Wrong"

According to Mona Charen at the National Review online, Richard Goldstone, has changed his little mind about Israel and war crimes. AND he has the temerity to suggest that he was not in possession of all the facts at the time when he lended his name and his jewishness to this ugly smear on Israel.

Perhaps what he was really not in possession of was all of his faculties, in fact he was out of his mind, drunk on the adulation of the Israel hating, UN loving leftists who would love to see six million more dead jews (when they're not doubting the Holocaust or claiming that jews are using rabid anti-semitism and threats of mass murder to manipulate public opinion). Yes, Goldstone you became a hero to jew killing wannabes everywhere and Charen is quite correct in saying you cannot undo the slander or the libel or whatever it was...both, probably.

This begs someone to ask the obvious question, which is "why would a prominent jew lend his name to some pack of distortions that would endanger millions of jews". I suggest that there are two reasons why someone would do this. The first, of course, is the adulation and the adoration of the press which is notoriously leftist and ant-Israel. Do not discount this as flattery and celebrity are powerful drugs. Secondly and most importantly is the self-deception that if somehow the people you have influence over can be "wrong" the situation can be corrected and peace will reign forever, amen.

What do I mean by this? Let's take 9/11 as an obvious example. While Al Qaeda received a bit of negative press, all the usual suspects began blaming America (and George W Bush) as soon as the smoke cleared and they were able to find their partisan hats. If one is rational and can accept an ugly situation for what it is,it's obvious that Al Qaeda and its supporter nations were completely responsible for this atrocity, this terrorism. But looking at things rationally is scary. It means that there are people out there who would like to destroy Western Civilization and the United States in particular. Well there are, but this is worrisome, frightening and challenges the trendy assumption that all cultures are innocent and good and equal. It would also require that somehow you need to "change" or defeat the aggressor culture, a culture that does not want to change and that you really cannot change.

Well, as pop culture is quick to point out, we can only change ourselves! Enter the "why do they hate us", let's blame George Bush crowd. George Bush had his faults, God knows, but he did not cause 9/11 and his presidency did not inspire terrorists to try to bring down planes and buildings and murder as many as they could. After all, they tried to bring the towers down in 93.

So the magical thinking began, that if we only rid the nation of George Bush and his policies and "reset" our interactions with foreign leaders, peace and love would break out everwhere and we could "teach the world to sing in perfect harmony". If we could get rid of Bush, the muslim street would love the United States and all would be well.

Of course this is nonsense. Radical islam is not a reaction to Bush and it cannot be cured by a few flowery speeches read off a teleprompter. Radical Islam has been around for a very long time, so "changing ourselves" by showing how much we hate W did not and could not remedy anything. If we are honest we will see that radical islam is, in fact stronger because of our delusions. The Muslim Brotherhood is very likely to control Egypt and establish sharia law.

So what can we do next to prove to this aggressive, but innocent, good, and co-equal, culture, that we mean it no harm? Show that we will allow Israel to be villainized for trying to survive. The press works overtime to downplay the goals of Hamas and Hezbollah and to show their "humanitarian faces". They minimize the "death to the jews" jazz to the point of not reporting on it at all or giving it scant attention and slanting the story to justify the killing of civilians, even children, if they happen to be jewish.

"Well the jews won't kill us for lying and the radical islamists might kill us for telling the truth....and we wanna live, dammmit!" So the media lies and distorts at every opportunity. And yes, some of that lying falls into the "I want to be a loved celebrity" rationale as well. There will be no prizes for reporting about islamic terrorist goals. Bugly, no?

Lately, I am aslo considering the possibility that reporters are being co-opted by the people they report on. This business about how we must curtail free speech as long as it is "critical of islam" free speech. Sure, it must be offensive to jihadis and to the muslim faithful that korans are burned or "defiled", well it's insulting to me that they burn the US flag and I bet there were plenty of bibles in those churches they desecrated. Nobody calls for their speech to be less free as a result. Civility is a two-way street? Apparently not. But to admit this means that you have to once again accept the reality that there are people out there who hate us and mean us harm. And that is scary, so again we start with the let's change ourselves instead crap. Maybe we should even make hate speech against islam a crime? But only against Islam. We can feel "free" to call for the destruction of Israel or to put crucifixes in urine or to burn US flags (why do they always have an endless supply of US flags and US president dolls?).

By "acknowledging" that we must not offend islam we are slouching toward sharia! And all to avoid a confrontation with reality.

Goldstone is trying to undo his delusional report. But it is too late for him.He has done critical and massive damage. Let's start facing reality about cultural relativism, hmm? A "culture" that mutilates its women and hangs gays is not "equally valid". Sorry. And if we publish a report that whitewashes this culture, it will not make it change its ways.

Yes, this is rambling...but so what.

Ebay disappontments.

I am currently haggling with two sellers.

THe first keeps telling me that item was sent and I will get it "tomorrow". Today she sent me one of those tracking messages:

The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper on March 28, 2011 to expect your package for mailing. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date. Delivery status information will be provided if / when available. Information, if available, is updated periodically throughout the day. Please check again later.

Does this sound "shipped" to you? I filed a complaint and she did return my money, which leads me to believe that the item was never shipped at all. Sellers do not refund money for shipped items, at east this has not been my experience.

Second seller posted a USPS tracking number that said my item was delivered to Texas. As I live in New Jersey, I am inclined to believe that a mistake was made some where. She says "lol" and gives me a new tracking number. As soon as ebay allows me to I will file a complaint, unless I happen to receive this item and I am beginning to doubt it.

Is it the crappy economy that moves ebay and etsy sellers to become less than honest, or is this just a run of bad luck?

I am becoming disillusioned with these online garage sales!

Things I hate today

1) The use of "invite" for invitation. "Did you get your invite?" "The sale is invite-only", etc. Have we really become so sloppy that we cannot use an entire word.
When certain mentally ill people make up words, called neologisms, it is a symptom of their disease. "Invite" sounds like something Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies might say. Mrs. Drysdale would roll her eyes.

2)Secret shopper spam

3)The obamacare waivers for supporters of obamacare, and that includes our elected officials who should all live with this mess. If memory serves me correctly political partisanship helped determine who would keep and who would lose GM and Chrysler dealerships. This waiver system appears to reward political allies and punish the less supportive. Apparently some people are above the law after all!

Only three today, the first two annoying and the third reprehensible.

She's got Jared Loughner eyes!

Her hair is dirty brown
Her threats a vile surprise
She comes from a liberal town
She has Jared Loughner eyes!



Katherine R. Windels, there is a teacher in her community with the same name, the same age and the same appearance was charged today with making death threats against GOP legislators. TODAY? Yes you read that right, Ms Windels has been free as a bird for weeks since making the threats. Tell me, if she was making threats like these "We have all planned to assult you by arriving at your house and putting a nice little bullet in your head. " (the spelling errors are her own).

If this threat were lobbed at Democrats is there any doubt that she would have been immediately jailed and an investigation launched into who was meant by "we"? IS she acting alone or is she just a part of a big left wing conspiracy?

Where is all the media crying that Obama should be held responsible for his "heated rhetoric" that inspired this criminal edumacator? (the spelling error is my own).

Are the parents of the kids she teaches so like-minded that she was not removed from the classroom? Were they even told?

There are a lot of questions to be answered here and most revolve around why threats against republicans are "not serious" enough to warrant intervention by law enforcement or scrutiny by the "media".

Has she got Amy Bishop legal ties?
She's got Jared Loughner eyes>