Saturday, December 23, 2023

Happiness is four black birds on the fourth day of Christmas, December the 28th

 

 

  "Colly" is derived from "coal", a word at least as old as Shakespeare. "Calling" birds is a later alteration. Use of coal for domestic heating in England became more widespread in the 1500s when the wood supply came under pressure, but the Romans were mining it there already in the 100s.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" dates to at least c. 1780, as shown here from "Mirth Without Mischief", perhaps but vaguely recollecting the traditional drunken revelry of Christmastide which English Puritanism had long attempted to mute. This work was for children, who were in any event prone to mischief after school.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Happiness is a breakfast of blueberry mascarpone toast


Blueberry Mascarpone Toast

1 slice toasted whole wheat bread
Drizzle with honey and spread to cover
Spread mascarpone cheese over the honey
Dot the toast with fresh blueberries

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Yeah, that was me


 Record: MACY'S Parade Is Most-Watched Ever...











I haven't watched the parade in years, but I spent a half hour for some reason, unknown even to me, clicking on at least five different livestreams this year on YouTube looking for the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and all I got was the Pillsbury Doughboy.

One man can make a difference.

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Happiness is the power of the herbalist, formerly called a simpler or simplist


 Medicine is mine: what herbs and simples grow
In fields and forests, all their pow'rs I know.

-- John Dryden

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Happiness is Jackson in the Valley

 


 

 

Jackson in the Valley · 2nd South Carolina String Band Southern Soldier ℗ 1997 2nd South Carolina String Band Released on: 1997-01-01

YouTube here.

'Twas back in the summer of '61, Stonewall Jackson's fame was won. McDowell marched across Bull Run, And went back runnin' to Washington. 
 
Come the spring of '62, Down the valley Old Blue Light flew. At Kernstown there he picked a fight, And gave Old Abe a fearsome fright. 
 
Rebels in the Valley, Lincoln cries alarm! Jackson's in the Valley, all fear to his harm! Jackson's in the Valley, Stonewall is on the loose! Jackson's in the Valley, all hell's a breakin' loose! 
 
Down the valley and back again, Stonewall's boys did fight and win. For two long months and maybe more, We marched and we fought and we marched some more. 
 
Now we'll raise a rebel yell, And we'll send them yankees straight to hell. We'll give them grapeshot, buck and ball, We'll march and we'll fight for Old Stonewall. 
 
We're marching though our feet are torn, And it's true our clothes are worn. Still we'll keep our muskets bright, For Stonewall's Army is full of fight. 
 
Banks and Shields and Frémont too, From our Valley they all withdrew. Jackson swept the Valley clear, And now he marches on McClellan's rear. 
 
Jackson's in the Valley, Stonewall is on the loose! Jackson's in the Valley, all hell's a breakin' loose! Jackson's in the Valley, Stonewall is on the loose! Jackson's in the Valley, all hell's a breakin' loose!

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Happiness is mercy

 


 The quality of mercy is not strain'd;
It droppeth as the gentle rain of heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice bless'd;
It blesses him that gives, and him that takes.

-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Happiness is three synonyms for a simpleton


 Have you no more manners than to rail at Hocus, that has saved that clod-pated, numskull'd, ninny-hammer of yours from ruin, and all his family?

-- John Arbuthnot, History of John Bull, (1667-1735)

Friday, September 1, 2023

Happiness is knowing how to tell the age of sheep


 When sheep is one shear,
they will have two broad teeth before;
when two shear, four;
when three, six; when four, eight:
and, after that, their mouths break.
 
-- John Mortimer (c.1656-1736)

Monday, August 28, 2023

Happiness is Talking Heads' Once in a Lifetime 1980

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.

-- Ecclesiastes 1:9


Tuesday, August 8, 2023

LOL of the day

 


Thursday, August 3, 2023

Happiness is a bed of leaves


 Within a thicket I repos'd, when round
I ruffl'd up fal'n leaves in heap, and found,
Let fall from heaven, a sleep interminate.

-- George Chapman (1539-1634)

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

The best thing about COVID-19 was . . .


. . . I could not work at home, instead of not working at work.

Friday, July 21, 2023

Happiness is at least seven people coming to your funeral


 Because only six came to Thomas Paine's.

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Happiness is clover when you have no manure


  

 Clover is the best way of improving clays, where manure is scarce.

-- John Mortimer (c.1656-1736)

Friday, June 16, 2023

Monday, May 29, 2023

Decoration Day


 
 Embrace again, my sons! be foes no more;
Nor stain your country with her children's gore.

-- John Dryden

Friday, April 28, 2023

Happiness is fresh spring air


 Gentle gales,
Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense
Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
These balmy spoils.

-- John Milton

Thursday, March 30, 2023

You don't have to be rich to biddy biddy bum

 

Otherwise, I putz in my yard. I do a bit of writing. Once in a while, I have small get-togethers at my apartment. I’m kind of embarrassed by how deeply satisfying and comforting my simple routines are, and by how much I care for my cats. 

More.

Monday, March 27, 2023

Happiness is Dave's Good Seed Bread

 Especially toasted with butter and cherry jam, accompanied by scrambled eggs and coffee.

What a breakfast!

 



Sunday, March 12, 2023

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Happiness is dark chocolate, despite the "heavy metals" brouhaha

 The Consumer Reports story has now made it to CNBC:

5 brands—including Trader Joe’s—whose dark chocolate tested high for lead, cadmium

When the story first came out I was alarmed because I regularly consume two or three small squares of the very worst chocolate bar in the original report.

Long story short, I calculate that I have consumed 0.72 micrograms lead per day for some time.

In 2022 the FDA fixed the lead limit for women of childbearing age at 8.8 micrograms per day:

The FDA lowered its IRLs for dietary lead to 2.2 μg/day for children and 8.8 μg/day for females of childbearing age.

Like everything else from California, its "maximum allowable dose level (MADL)" is hysterical.
 
I may change brands in the future, but I'm in no hurry.

What? Me worry?


 

Wednesday, January 4, 2023