ABigSlice Your Daily Bread

Happy Halloween

The origins of Halloween are ancient and date back to a 2000 year old Celtic festival. They celebrated the New Year on November 1, the end of summer and the beginning of a dark cold winter. But they believed that on October 31 the last day of the year, the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred as ghosts returned to earth to cause trouble and damage crops. 

To the Celts, Halloween was known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in). By the Middle Ages, the church was trying to replace the Celtic festival of the Dead, with a day that honored the saints. This new celebration was called all-hallowmas and the evening that preceeded it, all-hallowseve, or Halloween. 

An early Christian tradition was placing a platter of soul cakes outside the front door on all hallowseve. The purpose was twofold. They were given to beggars who went from house to house on Halloween. They promised to say a prayer for one of the family's departed in return for a cake. One cake for one soul. They were also used as a reward for bands of entertainers called mummers who made their merry rounds at Halloween. Either way, this is believed to be the basis for the modern practice of trick or treat. 

Most of the symbolism surrounding today's Halloween is inspired by the classic Hollywood horror films, like Dracula, and Frankenstein's Monster. One of the most enduring however, is the black cat. Even in ancient folklore black cats were associated with witchcraft and evil. During the witch hunts of the Middle Ages, black cats were also hunted down and burned. Today we see them mostly as a silly superstitions. 

Witches being closely associated with Halloween is a very modern idea. During the early Christian era, witches were seen as the cohorts of the devil often depicted in his embrace, or flying through the sky on a broom or goat. But what is more frightening than the witch, itself, is how they were hunted down during the Middles Ages. Now, the most well known witch is the green faced creature from the Wizard of Oz.

A Fairytale Wedding

I just returned from my daughter's Beth Wedding in Chamonix, France. I can still taste the great wines, smell the fragrant flowers, feel the pride beaming inside, but the memory of my son, Erik walking Beth down the aisle with her sister, Jillian by her side will keep a smile on my face for a very long time. 

The Wedding day was magnificent, it actually snowed and having Mont Blanc as a backdrop just added to the magnificence. The peacefulness and illumination of the snowfall made the Wedding even more like a fairytale with the Bride looking like a real Princess. I know I am the Mother of the Bride, so, of course, I am biased but I can not take any credit whatsoever, all the ideas and plans were the work of the Bride, the Groom and Maid of Honor. 

Look at some of the highlights of this great day. My sisters came to the wedding, one sister having never been to Europe, the others never to France. The reuniting of nieces, nephews and aunts was quite a joyful sight. Every female wore a striking hat, we called ourselves the Mad Hatter Society, making the ceremony quite smashing, I must say. 

The band was from London and could play ANY song requested and everybody danced, danced and danced. The food, so good and fresh, was locally grown and a French wedding cake and an American one as well, helped celebrate the two customs. The groom is a wine connoisseur, so the wine….. and his birthplace was Cognac, so the cognac…need I say more. 

Another rewarding and unforgettable moment being your Mom Thanks kids

Clare

Life's A Banquet, Grab A Big Slice

Apple Butter Recipe

It's apple time and one of my all time favorite things is apple butter. Here is our favorite recipe.

6 pounds Granny Smith or other tart apples, unpeeled, cored, and sliced
2 1/2 cups apple cider
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 strips of lemon zest, each 2 1/2 inches long
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large saucepan cook the apples in the cider over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Puree them through the medium disk of a food mill into another saucepan and add the remaining ingredients.

Cook the mixture over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until very thick. Discard the lemon zest and spoon the mixture into 2 sterilized 1-pint Mason-type jars, filling them to within 1/2-inch of the top. Wipe the rims with a dampened cloth and seal the jars with the lids.

Put the jars in a water bath canner or a rack in a deep kettle and add enough water to cover the jars by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and process, covered, for 10 minutes. Transfer the jars with canning tongs to a rack and let them cool. Let the apple butter mellow in a cool, dark place for at least 1 week.

Airport Reunions

I went to the airport yesterday afternoon to pick up Clare. She had been in France for her daughter's wedding. I always arrive too early for fear of being too late. But the time always goes by quickly I love airport reunions.

The Atlanta Airport is unbelievably busy. People pour out of the transportation tunnel so there no lull in the meetings and greetings. The were two sisters who had not seen in other in quite some time. They ran screaming towards each other and collapsed in a heap of hugs and tears.

There was a grandmother waiting on her grandson. We she saw him get off the escalator she raced towards him trying to bend down to his level so she could scoop him up in her arms. She was completely unaware of the other travelers, but when they saw her they all moved aside with a knowing smile.

A woman with a noticeable limp came emerged from the crowd. "Tina," I heard someone call. "Tina!" Then her son came into view. All arms and big strides. There was no mistaking that he was her son. The family resemblance was as strong as his hold on her.

Then I saw Clare. I bent underneath the rope to greet her with a hug and an "I missed you."

Maybe our memories get in the way sometime. We know when a person just left a few minutes ago and we acknowledge their return with a simple, "Hey." We should be more like dogs. It doesn't matter how long you were gone, I'm just glad you are back.

Airports turn us into our faithful companions. Thank goodness something does.

Ted

Life's A Banquet, Grab A Big Slice!

Respect

I was watching the news recently. A congressman was being interviewed by the host about government waste. Granted, the guest was being dodgy, not exactly answering the questions. But the host was getting downright rude. Everything about the host was childish. His skrunched up face, wiggling in his seat, and his nyah, nyah, nyah intonation. I had to turn it off. If he was my child, I would have given him a time out.

Talk about trickle down. How many times have we seen "real" people try and solve their problems that same way. If you yell loud enough, or demean the other person enough, you will prove your point. Its playground warfare.

I know this posturing is this particular host's schtick. And I've heard it makes for good television. But that's like saying an accident makes for good driving. Try as we might to keep our eyes on our own business, we all take those furtive glances. I am certainly guilty of it as well.

The alternative? If the host is really smart, they can maintain their composure and by asking the right questions either get the guest to answer, or allow the guest to reveal way more than combative question might. The secret here is intelligence, thinking on their feet.

Most elected officials have earned our respect. We don't have to agree with them, and we are entitled to ask them the hard questions. But just because there is a car wreck up ahead, you don't have to cause another by not keeping your mind focused on the job at hand.

Ted

Life's A Banquet, Grab A Big Slice

The Bluff View Art District

I recently returned from conducting a wine tasting in the Bluff View Art District in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It has been too many years since I last visited Chattanooga and the art district is a wonder. It centers around the Hunter Museum of American Art. It is perched on an 80 foot bluff overlooking the Tennessee River. Alongside is the Bluff View Art District and Inn. The Inn features accommodations in restored colonial period homes. In other words, walking through the district is like taking a step back in time.

I would like to thank Kaycee Rogers of the Shaw Contract Group for including me and Michael Vasta and his staff at the Bluff View Inn for their attention and care.

For more information about the Inn click here.

That's 30 for Tonight

The other evening I was having a converstaion with my mom. She ended the conversation with the saying "That's 30 for tonight." I told her that I had never heard that before. What did it mean? She said that she remembered it from radio days. The news broadcast "The Richfield Reporter" would always close with "That's 30 for tonight."

We talked about possible meanings and then she said, "You are always looking for topics for your blog, why don't you look it up and add it to that?" Thanks mom! I will do just that.

The symbol "-30-" if often typed at the bottom of a reporter's article. It has been used by journalists for years although many no longer use it, and most probably don't even know what it means.

The Language Log Blog had also taken on this search. Their findings were not conclusive, but they did offer the following explanations:

1. In the American West, dispatches were delivered from the telegraph office to the newspaper. The telegraph office closed at 3am. And so the operator would write at the end of the last dispatch “3 o’clock”—which became “3o’c”, and then “3o”, and finally “30”.

2. Telegraph operators would mark the end of their transmissions with “xxx”—later misread as the Roman numeral for thirty.

3. Handwritten newspaper stories used “x” to mark the end of a sentence, “xx” to mark the end of a paragraph, and “xxx” to mark the end of the story.

4. 30 ems was the maximum length of a line typeset on a linotype machine and so “30” came to designate end of line, and subsequently, end of story.

5. The Associated Press initially allowed their member papers only thirty telegrams a day. The last of the daily quota was labelled “30”.

6. Press wires closed half past the hour, or thirty minutes past the hour.

7. The end of the reign of the “thirty tyrants” appointed by the Spartans at the close of the Pelopennesian War to rule Athens was an occasion of great rejoicing. As is the end of a story—“30”.

8. In Bengali, “so” means farewell. A report of the East India Company misprinted this as “30”.

9. Telegraph operator number 30 stayed at his post reporting news of some disaster and Death supervened.

10. A reference to the thiry pieces of silver that led to Jesus’ death.

I had no idea how fascinating this search would be. One of those little tidbits of history that need to be remembered.

If you have other ideas on the origins of the "-30-" symbol please inform us. We would love to here from you.

Ted

Life's A Banquet, Grab A Big Slice

-30-

10 Ways to Waste Gas

I was looking for tips on how to save gas to print here in the blog. I decided to check out Edmunds.com and found these ten tips on how to waste gas. They are pretty informative. Check them out.

1. Stand on the gas! There's little a carbon stomper enjoys more than blasting along at 90 mph — other than doing it in a Suburban while towing a big trailer. You can get about 5 mpg if you try. On the highways I travel, there's no shortage of huge SUVs and other vehicles travelling at or near that speed. My personal observation is that the average speed on the German autobahn is no faster than that on Interstate 40 in Tennessee or Interstate 85 in Georgia. The government says most cars get their best fuel mileage between about 40 and 60 mph. For a big SUV or pickup truck, those numbers drop 10 mph or more. Because air drag (wind resistance) increases with the square of speed, going a little bit faster really increases the impact of that carbon stomp.

2. Use E85 ethanol. Ethanol significantly drops fuel mileage because alcohol contains less energy than gasoline. The EPA says you'll get about 7 mpg less with E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline) than with 100 percent gas. In our own tests comparing E85 and gasoline, we observed similar gas-mileage differences. But that's not all. To grow corn to make ethanol, American farmers are plowing up native prairie grass that is the primary breeding ground for waterfowl. Simultaneously, Brazilians are burning down virgin rainforests to grow sugarcane for ethanol and soybeans for biodiesel. Also, some studies say it requires more fossil fuel energy to make ethanol than the alcohol contains. In addition, ethanol must be transported by truck or railroad rather than the traditional gasoline pipeline system. Oh, and it makes your food more expensive. Stomp!

3. Idle. A car gets zero miles per gallon while it sits motionless with the engine running. You can make a Corolla get the same gas mileage as an 18-wheeler by sitting in the car with the air-conditioner running while waiting in an elementary-school pickup line. A main way hybrid-electric cars reduce fuel consumption is by switching off their engines while stopped in traffic. For modern, fuel-injected vehicles, the break-even point for turning off the engine and then restarting it right before traffic begins to flow may be as little as 10 seconds, even when considering extra wear on the starter motor, battery and other components. Expect honks and rude gestures from drivers behind you.

4. Enter the stoplight drags. Establish your dominance by being the first to the next stoplight. It's a race: Don't let the rats win. By accelerating hard, you're burning much more gas than you would by gently gaining speed. And you get to waste even more while idling at the next stoplight until the slow-accelerating driver arrives. Often, the light turns green right as the slowpoke arrives. Then you really have to gas it to beat him to the next light.

5. Cruise. Driving around aimlessly is such a relaxing and enjoyable way to waste gas. Harley riders, snowmobilers and teenagers have this down to a science. Some cities still boast 1950s American Graffiti-style cruising where people circulate in an intentional traffic jam around a city square — doesn't that sound fun? Gas hogs love traffic jams and lots of idling.

6. Choose max-performance tires. There's little like the thrill of blasting around a freeway transition ramp on super-grippy max-performance tires. However, sticky tires take more energy to move down the road than do most original equipment tires. Tire engineers call it rolling resistance, and ultra-high-performance tires almost always have a lot of it.

7. Never use cruise control. A great way to burn extra fuel when driving down the interstate is to accelerate until you pull far past another car. Then slow down until that car passes you and gets a half-mile lead. Next, gas it until you're a quarter-mile in the lead. Repeat. Not only does this drop gas mileage, it'll make you one of the world's most aggravating people. There's more than one way to heat up the planet.

8. Use regular gas when your car calls for premium. The Lexus College says using 87-octane fuel in its vehicles that require 91 octane will reduce fuel mileage by about 6 mpg. This is partially because the lower-octane fuel requires the engine to work harder to achieve the same performance. It's unclear whether this is true for all makes. Try it for yourself to find out which gets worse mileage.

9. Keep your trips short. Engines don't operate at maximum efficiency until warmed up. So you'll burn more fuel if you drive two or three miles and then stop and let the car cool down before making another short trip. To make sure you burn the most gas, never drive first to your furthest destination and make your other stops on the way home. Best of all, drive all the way home after each errand and never even think about walking or riding a bike.

10. Ignore maintenance. A clogged air filter does a wonderful job of wasting fuel, but it's nothing compared to a malfunctioning oxygen sensor. If the "check engine" light illuminates, a small piece of black tape will allow you to keep wasting gas without the annoying nagging. Out-of-spec suspension alignment will burn more fuel, as will adding heavier-weight oil like 10W-40 rather than the automaker-recommended 0W-20. Finally, make sure your tires are underinflated — this will not only burn excess amounts of oh-so-plentiful gasoline, it'll also prematurely wear out your tires and create deadly driving situations!

Here are some other things you can do to waste gas: Install a wing, roof rack, running boards, fender flares or brush guards. Be sure to keep that ski rack on all summer.

Beekeeping

I was listening to NPR the other morning. I think it was a show called the Splendid Table and the host was talking to a scientist about mysterious the disappearance of the world's honey bees. The scientist mentioned that during the winter there is typically a drop off in the number of bees due to the cold conditions. But two years ago they never bounced back and over 30% of the honey bee population died. The following year, last year, was similar, another 30% vanished.

It seems that now there is some concern in the farming industry. Bees are, of course, needed to pollenate many fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, squash, oranges, etc. We need the bees. In fact the National Honey Board reports that bees account for one third of every bite of food we eat. So along with everything else that we as consumers are facing, now we have to worry about the absence of bees. The cause is unknown, but the condition known as colony collapse disorder is killing off bees worldwide.

The silver lining is that beekeeping associations are cropping up all over the country, even in urban areas. Classes have become so popular that people are being turned away. Most importantly, hives kept by the hobbyists are less affected by colony collapse than those of the commercial bee keepers. As as result it is those very part timers that are coming to the rescue of local farmers. It is hoped that they can bridge the gap until the cause of the disorder are found.

If you would like to try your hand at this worthwhile hobby contact your local beekeeping association and sign up for classes.