Posted in Likes, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, history, inspiration, Thoughts on June 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I’m still thinking about history, and how even when it’s gone it really isn’t.
I came across a series of reconstructions (by a travel insurance company, who knew insurance could be this interesting?), showing a selection of UNESCO heritage sites as they are, and as they were.
Once upon a time.
Reconstructions of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
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Posted in Food and..., Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Affinity Photo, family, photos, recipes on June 13, 2021| 7 Comments »
More history, today. And photography. This is my grandmother on the Swedish-ish side. She was ten or twelve* at the time, and much more agile than when I knew her.
This is also me experimenting with photo restoration techniques.
Grandma Dorothea was sweet, literally and figuratively. She did many things well (gardening, bridge, surviving the Great Depression with her sense of humor intact, making grandchildren happy), but above all, she baked. I can still recall the flash of joy on seeing pound cake in her kitchen. Her chocolate mint squares are decadent, melt-in-your-mouth bites of chocolate cake, creamy mint, and dark chocolate glaze.
She wasn’t much of a cook, but (despite the very cryptic notes left on her 3″x5″ recipe cards) she was one hell of a baker.
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Grandma’s Chocolate Mint Squares
Cake Layer
1. Mix and bake in 9”x13” greased and floured pan for 30-35 minutes at 350°F.
Mint Layer
2. Mix and spread on the cool cake. Chill briefly to set.
Glaze
3. Melt over low heat. Cool a bit and spread over mint layer.
4. Chill until chocolate sets and cut into small(ish) squares.
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* Inquiring minds want to know: at what age does one stop being a whippersnapper?
Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, quotes, Thoughts on June 12, 2021| Leave a Comment »
“Let’s save tomorrow’s troubles for tomorrow.”
― Patricia Briggs
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Posted in Likes, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, family, history, technology on June 11, 2021| Leave a Comment »
More from the olde thyme archives. You may have seen the recent to-do about My Heritage’s Deep Nostalgia:
‘Deep Nostalgia’ AI gives life to old photos through animation – Big Think
Essentially, they are using AI-based technology to animate a static image. Very cool with a side of potentially creepy, but fascinating.
This is my great great great? uncle Walter “The Big Train” Johnson (1887-1946), one of the first inaugural members of the Baseball Hall of Fame:
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I love how people are using this technology to animate ancestors, and also add life to historical figures we know only as two-dimensional figures. Here are just a few examples:
Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, history, inspiration, Thoughts on June 10, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I’m feeling Olden Timey today, so let’s take a trip down memory lane, to 1906 San Francisco. Sure, this video has been posted all over the internet, but this definitive version includes narration and historical details, with a new digital transfer to include the full video, sprockety edges and all.
Plus it’s just cool.
Funny how a simple video conversion can suddenly make the past feel quite present. And really, they were us, and someday we will be them. Let’s do history proud!
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Posted in Food and..., Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, childhood, family, food, lunch on June 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Some of my food choices have not made the transition to adulthood. Lightbulb fried salami. My Kraft Mac & Cheese and ramen habit.* Fruit Loops when I could get them, which was once a year or less (it was a good rule, parental units, but don’t think I’m over it! 😉
But some have.
Consider the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.** Is it a perfect balance of densities, sweet and savory, carbs, protein and flavor? Crunchy or smooth, with your choice of fruit flavors. Spark it up with homemade bread if you’re into that sort of thing. And so easy to assemble!
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* What? Alternate days, it was all perfectly reasonable.
** Am I posting this because it’s lunchtime, because I enjoy reminders of my often unconventional culinary childhood, or because I want to remind my mother that a PB&J is a terrific option for those days when lunch seems like a lot? Let’s go with all of the above.
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Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #dontquit, persistence on June 8, 2021| 1 Comment »
Sometimes, there is only one question that matters: Did you quit today?
No, no I did not.
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Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, adulthood isn't so bad, fun, quotes on June 7, 2021| Leave a Comment »
“Being silly is still allowed, not excluded by adulthood. What’s excluded by adulthood is thoughtlessness, so be thoughtful and silly.”
― Hank Green
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Posted in Likes, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Covid-19, public health, Sunday, vaccines on June 6, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Today in vaccine news: We’re just back from shot #1. It was great to see the parking lot full as other Ontarians came in to do their part, for themselves and the community.
I will now dedicate the rest of my Sunday afternoon to bolstering my immune system. In the back yard. With a frosty and refreshing beverage.
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Posted in Likes, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, inspiration, technology, yay on June 5, 2021| Leave a Comment »
This is one of the coolest projects I’ve seen in some time:
The cities of Vilnius, Lithuania and Lublin, Poland—which are 376 miles (606 kilometers) away from each other—unveiled their futuristic portals this week… allowing a real-time feed of whoever is in front of the portal to be transmitted between the two cities via the internet.
— Vilnius and Lublin Unveil a Futuristic “Bridge” Between Cities
It’s not quite Stargate, but “it’s a bridge that unifies and an invitation to rise above prejudices and disagreements that belong to the past.” (Benediktas Gylys)
So cool. Here’s the project home: PORTAL
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