...the Journal

Mom's
Refrigerator Door

This magnet is from Mt. Vernon


Household Hints

from

A Medieval Home Companion:
Housekeeping in the 14th Century

More on getting rid of flies...

  • Take a dish of milk and a hare’s gall and mix them together; then put two or three dishes of this in places where the flies settle, and all those that taste it will die.
  • Fasten linen cloth to the bottom of a pot thaqt has a hole in the base. Put this pot in a place where flies gather, and smear the inside with honey, apples or pears. When it is thoroughly full of flies, put a trencher over the mouth and shake it.
  • Take raw red onions, crush them, squeeze the juice into a dish, put the dish where flies congregate, and all those that taste it will die.
  • Have paddles for killing them by hand.
  • Have limed twigs on a basin of water.
  • Have a hanging cord soaked in honey; the flies will settle on it. In the evening let them be caught in a sack.

I am a theatre critic

OK...so it's a new "career", but if you're interested in reading my reviews, go here

Updated 3/10/01



WHAT I'M READING...

In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson

I don't have a lot of time to read this book, but it's great reading.


WHAT I WATCHED...

nothing tonight



That's it for today!

 

SWEATING WITH THE OLDIE

24 March 2001

Where is my personal trainer when I need her? Why wasn’t the voice of reason around to tell me that when you haven’t been walking in a few weeks, a long walk in >80 weather is not the smartest thing in the world to do?

It was kind of touch and go whether I was going to take a walk or not. I had told Peggy I was going to, so I sort of felt I’d made a pact with her. But...it was so nice being in the house....

However, as the hours crept on apace, I realized that we have a bit of traveling coming up in our future--to England, Boston, Seattle, and who knows where else--and I really need to get back into the swing of walking again. So, yes, dammit, I WAS going to walk.

The most difficult thing about starting a walk is that the house is just so far from where I want to end up and the thought of starting out at the driveway and walking a long way to where I want to walk keeps me from starting. (Yeah, I know--it’s just an excuse)

So I decided to drive to my walk, even if it was just a few blocks. I rationalized that I wanted to go shopping afterwards anyway, so I’d already have the car and wouldn’t have to walk all the way home to get it.

I was going to make it just a short walk. But I had seen some purple trees in blossom and I thought those would be nice to photograph. I crossed the freeway and looked in one direction--the closer direction--and saw no purple trees. But off in the distance at the next overpass I could see the trees in question, so I decided I’d walk up there.

I don’t know how long a walk it was, but probably a bit over a mile. In >80 weather. And no shade. And this was the first walk I’ve actually gone on in about a month, I suspect.

I passed the point of no return, when it was farther to go back than to continue on and make the loop back to the car. By the time I got to the trees, I was glad I’d come. They really were lovely and I got some nice pictures.

But my face was also the color of a tomato, my heart was pounding, my extremities were mottled and swollen from the heart working overtime.

They say, you know, that walking just one hour a week can substantially reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke. I figure I gave myself several more good years just in this one walk.

The walk back was a little easier. It was along a tree-lined street, so there was shade and I even found a bus stop with a bench where I could sit and catch my breath for a few minutes.

By the time I returned to the car, I had been gone an hour and a half. I’d probably walked about 2 miles, which I know for normal people is no big deal--but for me it is. The nice thing was that I really felt good. In fact, the back ache which was still noticeable when I got out of the car, was significantly better.

Yeah...yeah...I know what this means. Exercise is good for me. Dammit.


One Year Ago:
Playing Hookey


Some pictures from this journal
can be found at
Club Photo


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Created 3/23/01 by Bev Sykes