Writer Leonard Michaels (1933-2003) observes:
A cat is content to be a cat.
Nothing is more at home in the world than a cat. Flowers, compared to a cat, seem too assertive, even vulgar — their peculiar colors, their showy shapes. Sprawled in sunlight, a cat dissolves, pours free of its shape, and becomes one with the ground. Sliding along your leg, it gives you a sense of fusion. A cat makes itself one with anything. It is at home in the world. A cat defines a home.
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Sticker shock: I was looking for king size pillow cases at Kohl's. Sonoma didn't sell just the cases so I looked at Vera Wang's offering. 2-800ct Egyptian cotton: $95!!! Yep, the cotton was picked by one-armed Egyptian nanas. Good grief.
Also at Kohl's: the first time I have seen in a local clothing shop here in little ole Lansing MI-African-American mannequins. This has taken place since this Spring. Now, I don't shop for clothing much so other places may have introduced these earlier. I was only in Men's so I don't know what was going on in the Women's section but the percentage of white to black seemed to be about 50/50. Sheesh, it's about time, right?
I chuckled to myself thinking about the inevitable committees at corporate who made the recommendation to management. I wonder about the discussion about how dark to have the mannequins. It's gonna offend someone-hell, I am sure the White Nationalists are throwing a fit and point to yet another erosion of their primacy. Too light and the company gets accused of waffling. In the end the color looks to be milk chocolate-no mistaking here. No high yaller. One wonders if this is nationwide or Kohl's quietly drops the B/W percentage the further South the store is. Regardless, a big step as far as I am concerned.
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C is taking a solo trip to Saugatuck to participate in a workshop at the Ox Bow school. This is her second solo adventure, the first being to Saginaw. Curious that this will complete her MI circuit: drive East 100 or so miles and meet a lake, drive West the same distance and meet a lake. She does not like the high speeds of the freeway so she is going overland. The route is convoluted with weird twists-a road "t's", take a right for 2/10s of a mile and it picks up again with a left turn. It's like driving in the 1940's! But, going overland has its pleasures-a good chance to see the state at a slower pace. Tiny villages and small towns like Burnips and Overisel. From home going West: flat farm land gradually becoming rolling hills and valleys with lots of cattle farms, open pit mining where the glacier left gravel and sand; as you get closer to the lake, agriculture is more specialized due to lake influenced micro-climate: fruit and vineyards. Finally you reach Lake Michigan.
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A drink I had never heard of-C mentioned it while having artichoke for supper. From Wiki:
Cynar is an Italian bitter apéritif of the amaro variety. It is made from 13 herbs and plants, predominant among which is the artichoke (Cynara scolymus), from which the drink derives its name. Cynar is dark brown, has a bittersweet flavor, and its strength is 16.5% ABV. It was launched in Italy in 1952.
Cynar is an apéritif (low sugar, low alcohol, meant to stimulate appetite), and can be consumed by itself, or in a number of cocktails.
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Crazy DeSantis: New Florida school standards teach students that some Black people benefited from slavery because it taught useful skills. "Why yassir! I woulda neva known how to pick cotton if it wern't for slavery!"
Yep, going right down that worn mythological Confederate assertion about the "happy darkies".
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How we talk about the weather now:
What's the weather there?
On a day like this (July 22) pleasant temps, enough rain and no smoke.
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Tribal knowledge: how to make a critter disappear according to C: Say its name 3 times while pointing at it in the setting sun.
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I rewatched this the other day. It struck me how optimistic we were in 1968 about space exploration. Now, it seems like a huge financial folly to spend money on this considering what we are facing to keep our planet habitable. We really could use an alien monolith to appear.
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A lerp is a structure of crystallized honeydew produced by larvae of psyllid bugs as a protective cover. These animals are commonly referred to as lerp insects, of which there are over 300 species in Australia.
Lerps are energy rich, consisting mostly of starch, with some proteins and fats. They are eaten by flying foxes, possums and birds such as pardalotes and honeyeaters.
A couple of jokes:
No insurance company will provide homeowners insurance to a Lerp. "What? Your home is a meal for others? Getouttahere!"
Unknown lesbian garage rock band from the '60's: The Honeyeaters.
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We were watching something and a reference was made to Scottish mythological creatures-the brownies. This lead to her remembrance of being a Brownie in the Girl Scouts and she told me about the rituals. Not ever been a Scout of any kind, this news gobsmacked me. Here is an overview of Girl Scout Rituals: https://www.gsnorcal.org/content/dam/gsnorcal-redesign/documents/volunteer_resources/troop/bridging-ceremonies.pdf
Now, the Scottish myth from Wiki:
A brownie or broonie (also known as a brùnaidh or gruagach (Scottish Gaelic), is a household spirit or Hobgoblin from
Scottish Folklore that is said to come out at night while the owners of the house are
asleep and perform various chores and farming tasks. The human owners of
the house must leave a bowl of milk or cream or some other offering for the Brownie, usually by the hearth.
(ed. note-sounds like leaving Santa some goodie on Christmas Eve) Brownies are described as easily offended and will leave their homes
forever if they feel they have been insulted or in any way taken
advantage of. Brownies are characteristically mischievous and are often
said to punish or pull pranks on lazy servants. If angered, they are
sometimes said to turn malicious, like boggarts.
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A zucchini lesson: I have plenty of blooms but no fruit. The culprit: lack of pollinators. Next year, I'll plant something to attract them nearby.
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C experiencing a Pythonesque moment with a very helpful but poorly trained/dim clerk at a eatery which mainly sold pre-packaged dishes:
C-hi-I'm vegan-what can you recommend?
DC-how about a Caesar salad?
C-well, no-that would have eggs, cheese and anchovies, wouldn't it?
DC-hmm, yes. How about fettuccine alfredo?
C-that would have cheese and cream.
DC-yes, well we have pre-cooked pasta and jarred sauce?
C-(getting annoyed) Sir! I am in a hotel and I only have a microwave. Just how is this going to work?
DC-hmm, I see your point.
She ultimately found some roasted veggies and some rice.
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