Here it is – my first blog of 2017. Ouch! Still hurts to write the new date. As the illustration points out, it seems 1913 was only the day before yesterday. But time marches on and so does another year of celebratory rituals.

Rituals are closely related to routines, and one of my regular routines is to get away from my computer to walk by the sea. I’m not always sure this is good for me. I could be just on the verge of a fascinating plot point, but I tell myself I must go outside and see actual people. Sometimes I see something even better — in this case the Honu, or green sea turtles, I saw last week.

Not all routines are good, of course — which is probably how the custom of New Year’s Resolutions began. I will spare you the historical details. The point is, for some reason a new year marks the perfect time to RESOLVE to stop dancing above my neighbor’s apartment at 1:00 a.m. But will I? Perhaps I could dance in toe shoes instead of tap shoes…or maybe do a soft-shoe routine. Would that work?

Or, I RESOLVE to clean out the garage…except I found these really cool glass bottles and maybe I could use them for perfume bottles if I cleaned them out.

Ellen DeGeneres has a good routine about that sort of resolution and its cousin procrastination.

PROCRASTINATION

In short, Resolution’s cousin

Procrastination can destroy anyone’s resolve.

Actually, Resolution as a term for setting goals isn’t a good word to use, because we generally expect to break our Resolutions within two months and are seldom disappointed in that assumption. A few years ago I started using the term Revolution instead. As in, it would take a revolution for me to clean out the garage.

But wait, there’s a better way. A S.M.A.R.T way.

S.M.A.R.T has nothing to do with aggressive Resolutions or Revolutions. It uses a kinder term – goal-setting. Kinder because using the S.M.A.R.T. System you can’t fail. Well, you can if you want to. Check out this video featuring Smart Goal Man.

Smart Goal Man is mildly irritating, but he does make a S.M.A.R.T. point. Heh heh. In order for a Goal or Resolution or Revolution to succeed, it needs to be:

Specific or it can’t be achieved;

Measurable or we won’t know if we achieved it;

Attainable, because if my goal is to rapell down the Matterhorn

it isn’t going to happen, ever.

Realistic, see Attainable

Timely which I interpret as a goal that will or won’t happen

within a defined time period.

So, let’s take that from the theoretical to the actual.

I Resolve to Reach the Following Revolutionary Goal by the end of 2017:

Completed manuscript for MALICE: The Case that Scandalized 1883 Calcutta.

Will I succeed? Hmmm….We’ll know by this time next year.

What are your goals for 2017? Leave a comment.

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In case you’re wondering, G. T. Doran came up with the term S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting in 1981.

Images:

New Year Baby, 1913. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons

Bottle Collection by Russ Pollanen. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Other illustrations by Author.

Resources:

Personal Goal Setting: Planning to Live Your Life Your Way. Mindtools.com

Golden Rules of Goal Setting: Five Rules to set yourself up for success. Mindtools.com

Michael Ditton. Start Smart Goals Setting. Goal Setting Basics

Doran, G. T. (1981). “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives”, Management Review, Vol. 70, Issue 11, pp. 35-36.

Will Meek. How to Set Goals. Psychology Today. Aug 25, 2013

The post S.M.A.R.T. GOALS for 2017 first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Sikkim entered American consciousness in 1963 when Hope Cooke married then Crown Prince Walden Thondup Namgyal. The marriage lasted ten years. I didn’t remember anything about Hope’s reign as Queen Consort until we arrived at the Nor-khill Hotel in Gangtok. Built in 1932 as a royal guest house, the lobby retains an opulent flavor. Pictures of the last royal couple of Sikkim hang throughout the hotel.

      Gangtok at an elevation of 5410 feet is the capital of Sikkim. Visitors fly into Bagdora airport and embark on a four hour drive over twisting roads to get to Gangtok. Our drive was twice as long due to landslides and heavier than usual traffic. At the border town of Rangpo, we stopped to get our permit for Sikkim.

Local guide Chandan

introduced me to the many monasteries near Gangtok. Our first stop was Ganeshtok Shrine, a Hindu temple in the midst of Buddhist Sikkim. We came for the view. Too bad it was a cloudy day.

But it must have also been an auspicious day. A couple made their marriage vows. The bride in red; the groom in western clothing. And everything recorded via a smart phone.

Nearby we went to Hanumantok Shrine, sacred to Lord Hanuman and famous for its view of the Kanchenjunga Peaks.

A few steps away, we visited Do Drul Chorten, a stupa built by Trulshik Rinpoche in 1945. One hundred eight prayer wheels surround the stupa. Legend says villagers invited Trulshik Rinpoche to exorcise the site of evil spirits. He agreed, and told villagers to bring certain items from their homes which he then buried at the bottom of the stupa. The spirits left.

Over bad roads and rushing water we drove up a one-track road until we reached the Seven Sisters Waterfall.

In addition to the falls, there was a food stall and “comfort station.” And then we drove uphill again. We passed large stacks of gravel by the road and people putting the gravel in the roadbed by hand.

At last we reached our destination: Phodong Monastery first built in the 18th century. It’s one of the six most important monasteries in Sikkim. The monastery houses 250 monks of the Kagyu lineage. On the way back down the mountain we stopped at the Labrang Monastery, once important to the Nyingmapa lineage of Buddhism. The monks built Phodong Monastery and continue its upkeep and services. The king built Labrang, now abandoned though local villagers look after it.

Rumtek Monastery is a large complex with monastic students, the temple, and Karma Shri Nalanda Institute. The Golden Stupa, crafted entirely from gold, is a reliquary for His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje.

Nearer to Gangtok itself is Enchey Monastery, started in the mid-nineteenth century when the founding monk who could, it is said, fly and also perform the magical feats, arrived to make a hermitage. It is said that if you pray for something here, your wish will come true. Ninety monks from the Nyingma sect occupy the monastery.

At Enchey Monastery I found Nirvana, after a fashion, in the guise of Nirvana Cafe.

Tsuklakhang Monastery, located on the grounds of the former Royal Palace, is the last monastery I visited. Also known as the Royal Monastery, this site hosted many official functions. At New Year, which falls between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, there were huge celebrations. The royal family and their guests watched the festivities from the royal pavilion which is also where the king gave audiences.

It’s a quiet place now. No celebrations. Just a few monks chanting. To the side, near the Royal Pavilion, you can just glimpse the edge of former palace. It’s not Buckingham Palace, but for a time, it was Hope Cooke’s home.

Before we leave Gangtok, I want to share a few pictures from the market at the bottom of Lal Bazaar. Fruits, vegetables, and common household items are available here.

After this visit to Sikkim, I will always associate the Himalayas with monasteries. Circumstances prevented me from going beyond Gangtok, but I’m glad there was extra time to explore the local area.

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Photo of Hope Cooke, 1971, in the Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

All other Photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

Labrang Monastery.

Phudang Monastery.

Nor-Khill Hotel. 

Cherie Burns. “Being a Queen Didn’t Quite Work Out, But on This Cooke’s Tour Hope Springs Eternal.” People. March 9, 1981.

Michelle Jana Chan. “The Himalayas: Trip of a Lifetime.” The Telegraph. Jan 22, 2016

Francine du Plessix Gray. “The Fairy Tale That Turned Nightmare? Review of Time Change by Hope Cooke.” Books. New York Times. March 8, 1981.

The post SIKKIM – LAND OF MONASTERIES first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

As you may recall from a previous blog about Kolkata, I went to that historic city in search of clues about Mary Pigot, the protagonist in my current project. Calcutta was the capital of the British Raj until December 1911 when British administrators removed to New Delhi, and buildings in Calcutta’s historic district remain much as they were.

Looking at my poorly drawn map where nothing is to scale, you can see the Hooghly River in the west with early Calcutta on its eastern banks. Fort William, the oldest structure, is surrounded by the Maidan, an open area. To the north is Dalhousie Square where we find three buildings Mary Pigot probably knew. Further north (not shown) are Bethune College and the Scottish College, both institutions Mary knew well.

ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, completed in 1787, was the second Church of England building in Calcutta. The first was within Ft. William’s walls. Maharaja Nabo Kotten Bahadur donated the land and Warren Hastings, Governor General of the British East India Company, laid the foundation stone in 1784. Architects adapted the design from St.-Martin-in-the-Fields (London), but added colonnaded side verandas to reduce glare from the sun.

At that time, matters of government were so minimal that William Hastings conducted affairs at this octagonal green table. The governor’s chair is still there.

ST. ANDREW’S KIRK, the official Scottish church, is on a different side of the square. It too was modeled after St.-Martin-in-the-Fields — and looks considerably more like the original structure. Scottish expatriates were a large part of Calcutta’s population, initially recruited by the East India Company. Their occupations included soldiers, merchants, agriculturalists supplying jute and indigo commodities, and missionaries from both the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Free Church. Mary Pigot’s employer was the Church of Scotland.

The Church of Scotland also sponsored what was then called the General Assembly’s Institution – after the church’s governing body. Mary’s nemesis, Rev. William Hastie, arrived to take charge of the college in 1878. In 1929 the name changed to SCOTTISH CHURCH COLLEGE. The institution is located on Hedua Square, previously known as Cornwallis Square.

BETHUNE COLLEGE is located on the same square. Mary Pigot taught here before taking up her position at the Scottish Orphanage for Girls. When we entered the gate, my guide had a word with the guards who said we could take exterior pictures. Just as I took a couple pictures one of the teachers rushed out. The guide and I ended up in the head teacher’s office. I could only guess at the conversation that ensued – firm words, gestures, smiles, shrugs. In the end, we thanked them and left. Who says researchers don’t have interesting experiences?

The key incidents in my project took place here in the Calcutta HIGH COURT. This building, constructed in 1872, was modeled after the 13th century Cloth Hall at Ypres, Belgium. The cloth hall was destroyed during World War I. Ironically, architects from Belgium came to Calcutta to copy the copy in order to reconstruct the building in Ypres. That reconstructed building is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The High Court is closed to visitors, but my guide Anup Saha spoke to the appropriate officials and gained permission for us to go inside. Like many structures, the building surrounds a courtyard. Offices and courtrooms surround the central space with open verandas for access.

What might Mary have thought as she entered the oldest court in India?

She walked up to this massive building with its red brick exterior, passed under the vaulted cloisters, climbed the stairs, and entered a small courtroom for the most dramatic experience of her life.

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Photo of Kolkata High Court by Paul Hamilton, Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Other photos and drawings by Author.

Bethune College, Kolkata

Calcutta High Court.

St Andrew’s Church. 

Scottish Church College

“Calcutta: A Brew of Old and New.” Independent. May 9, 2008

“Ypres Connection to Kolkata.” Heritage Structure of Bengal. July 11, 2012

The post CALCUTTA, MARY PIGOT & ME – Where She Was first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Did you feast on Thanksgiving excess? I did.

Did you dash out for Black Friday Shopping?

I didn’t – a possible mistake given the bargains I’ve undoubtedly missed. But I needed something else.

I needed to metaphorically sail away into a Sea of Tranquility

Everyone who looks can find their own favorite place to reconnect and recharge. It could be the back yard or a country lane. It could be down the street or across the country. Mine is across Hawai`i Island at Puako, a stretch of rocky, sandy coastline created by an old lava flow.

Our family runs away to the Fairmont Orchid for Thanksgiving. We reconnect, eat, and laugh. There’s also time for morning solitude when I steal away across the property and head off into a well-traveled but still secluded coastline walk.

Green sea turtles, Honu, are a protected species in the Puako Marine Reserve. Snorklers often swim with them. I sometimes encounter them resting on the beach. The trail crosses rocks and sand. There are fish ponds with rock walls and signs warning visitors not to tease the eels hiding in the walls.

I treasure these quasi-solitary walks as a time to be at peace in my surroundings. There’s no rush. Just sun, sea and moments to let my mind run where it will until it returns with tranquility.

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 Photo of Thanksgiving cornucopia display at Fairmont Orchid by Author.

Photo of Dog with Packages by Eric.Ray Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

All other photos by Author.

Fairmont Orchid.

Puako is Rich in Hawaiian History and Unforeseen Changes. Hawai`i Life. July 25, 2011.

The post FINDING TRANQUILITY AT PUAKO, HAWAI`I first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Calcutta is situated on the banks of the Hooghly (Hugli) River, a major distributary of the Ganges River. In Northern Bengal the Hooghly splits to form a large delta that empties into the Bay of Bengal.

The lower portions of the river were once navigable enough for large ocean vessels, which made it a desirable location when the East India Company built Calcutta.

The Maidan, literally “open field,” or parade ground, is proximate to Ft. William, originally constructed by the British East India Company in the 18th century and presently a military facility for the Indian Army. The Maidan itself is an urban park which includes Eden Gardens, the second largest cricket ground in the world.

St Paul’s Cathedral is at the southeastern end of the Maiden, near the Victoria Memorial. Completed in 1847, the church is noted for its Gothic architecture. Some modifications were made for the Indian climate. These include open verandas, and cane chairs rather than church pews.

St. Paul’s has what is said to be the finest stained glass in India, designed by Edward Burns-Jones and installed in 1880 after a cyclone blew out the original west window.

I doubt if Mary Pigot visited this church. The Scottish Ladies’ orphanage was to the north, on the opposite end of Central Calcutta. This location was close to the British enclave further south.

Calcutta’s civic center is north from the Maidan. Here is where the earliest colonial structures are found, clustered around what was once called Dalhousie Square after Viceroy, Lord Dalhousie. Originally from Scotland, Dalhousie served as Governor-General for the East India Company 1848-1856. He left office just before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Today the Square is called B.B.D. Bagh. The initials B. D. D. stand for Benoy-Badal-Dinesh Bagh. In 1930 these three men killed the Inspector General of Prisons while he stood on a balcony of the Writers’ Building.

The Writers’ Building, completed in 1780, has outgrown both its name and its original design. The building began as a plain 3-story structure to house East India Company clerks (aka writers). There were nineteen residential quarters, each with three sets of windows to light the clerks’ desks.

In 1821, Fort William College took over the site. Trustees added a 128 foot veranda with Ionic columns, each 21 feet tall. Inspirational statues decorated the facade, including one of Minerva, Greek goddess of wisdom, on the top pediment. In 1857 the British government took over the administration of India, and converted the Writers’ Building into an administrative secretariat. The length of the Writer’s Building equals one side of Tank Square.

The term ‘tank’ is used in India to denote any man-made body of water. As Calcutta grew, sourcing clean water became an increasing challenge. In 1709 engineers converted an existing pond fed by a spring into a reservoir for “sweet” water. The resulting tank covered about 25 acres and supplied water to the growing city. The British called it the Great Tank, or the Red Tank. Today the tank is known as Lal Dighi (Red Pool) and is popular for recreational activities.

Did Mary Pigot spend much time in or around Dalhousie Square?

It’s hard to say. Most people in and around the Square had connections to British administration. And Mary was far to busy for idle wandering.

Next week we’ll visit some buildings I think Mary visited often, particularly the High Court.

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Map from a 1749 French Manuscript. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

All other photos by Author. Hand drawn map by Author.

Srinath Perur. Writers’ Bldg, Kolkata. The Guardian. April 10, 2015.

The post KOLKATA, MARY PIGOT, & ME – Where She Wasn’t first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Durga Puja occurs in every autumn, immediately before Diwali, and is the largest festival in Calcutta. This year’s festival dates were October 7 through 11. Happily I was in the city a week before the event, and so was able to see the final stages of preparation.

Durga Puja is celebrated throughout India, but Calcutta has the largest event by far, because Goddess Durga takes special care of Bengal. People began arriving in the city while I was there, finding shelter wherever they could.

According to legend, Durga makes an annual visit to Calcutta from her home in the Himalayas where she lives with her consort Lord Shiva and their children. Of course other legends stress Durga as as the embodiment of shakti, the divine feminine energy that exists in a state of complete self-sufficiency. Either way, she is the means by which good triumphed over evil when she slew the demon Mahisa. [Here’s the story.]

Preparations for Durga Puja begin months in advance in Calcutta’s Kumartuli neighborhood, the traditional street of potters. When complete, Durga will take center stage. Durga’s lion stalks on her right, his golden mane a contrast with her red sari. On Durga’s left, the defeated demon. In her ten arms, Durga holds the weapons she used in her struggle.

The tableau includes Durga’s four children: Lakshmi (Prosperity) and Saraswati (Wisdom) on her right; Kartikeya (War), and Ganesha (Success) on her left. A small figure of Lord Shiva is painted above Durga’s head. Ganesha’s two wives are also present, represented by banana stalks.

Creating the images in their tableau is a lengthy and ritualistic process. The figures are made on a bamboo frame covered with straw and held together with jute string. Clay from the nearest river, preferably the Ganges (as is the case in Calcutta) is applied in three layers. The last layer is paster of Paris.

The figure can then be painted. The eyes are painted last. The images are varnished. Hair made from jute is glued as needed. Finally, the image is dressed and decorated with dazzling colors and ornaments.

It can take up four months to complete a single image, and the artisans of Kumartuli create hundreds commissioned by neighborhoods, private families and businesses.

The sponsors also build Pandals in which to house the images. These temporary temples are enormous structures built on bamboo poles and covered with fabric. Competitions are held between neighborhoods for the best pandals and puja themes. ‘Pandal-hopping’ is a popular pastime during the festival.

Durga Puja caught on as a popular festival in the 18th century. In 1857 Raja Nabakrishna Deb held a puja at his home in honor of Robert Clive’s victory over the French at the Battle of Plassey. The victory established British East India Company rule in Bengal.

Subsequently, other prominent Bengali families held pujas at which Company officers were guests of honor. Each family tried to outdo the others in the presentation of food, decoration, music and entertainments.

Less elite families originated community pujas. Twelve friends in West Bengal collaborated to collect contributions for local residents to hold the first community puja in 1790. The practice came to Calcutta in 1832. In 1910 larger community pujas took place as public celebrations. Over the years both the images and the pandals have become larger and more decorative.

On the last day of the Durga Puja, the idols are taken to the nearest body of water and immersed head first. Crowds come to bid Durga farewell as she returns to the Himalayas and then join their families and friends.

When the images were made with natural clay and vegetable dyes, the materials naturally dissolved into the water. When Durga Puja was a community event in which 2,000 people might produce one set of images, the number of idols immersed in the river was relatively small.

Today, worshippers take hundreds of images to the water. Most of these contain non-biodegradable materials which are also toxic. Plaster of Paris and paints containing mercury, cadmium, lead, and carbon create beautiful images, but they lower oxygen levels in the water.

To reduce pollutants, the City of Calcutta positions barges near the river banks in order to lift out the idols immediately after immersion.

Next year Durga Puja will be September 26-30.

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Once again, my gratitude to Chefs Mauhkh and Harmeet at the Oberoi Grand who prepared food for me that was gluten free.

Photos by Author.

“The Durga Puja Festival of Kolkata and West Bengal.” From Lost to Found Travel.

“What is so Special About Durga Puja in Bengal.” Indian Today Education. Oct. 16, 2015,

Anastasia Basu. “Where Durga Rides a White Lion.” The Telegraph Calcutta. 4 Oct. 2016. P. 19.

Soma Basu. “Idol Immersions after Durga Puja.” DownTo Earth. Oct 18, 2013.

Rama Chowdhury. 20 Photos of Durga Idol Making.

Sharell Cook. “When is Durga Puja?” About Travel.

Das, Subhamoy. “History and Origin of Durga Puja.” About Religion. Feb 28, 2016.

The post DURGA PUJA – THE GODDESS RETURNS first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

One of the great things about the way I write historical fiction is the necessity of research travel. My current project took me first to London and Edinburgh to investigate written records [See blogs from July]. But a visit to the site of events in the story took me back to India, this time to the vibrant city of Kolkata [Calcutta] in the state of Bengal.

As very good luck would have it, I arrived as preparations were under way for this year’s Durga Puja, a festival honoring Goddess Durga. A fitting event from which to start my stories of this trip to India. In the featured image you see me gazing at one of the giant images of Goddess Durga’s lion being prepared for the festival.

Before describing the festival, let me tell you about Goddess Durga and the victory of good over evil she represents.

In the picture you see Goddess Durga with her vehicle, a lion, on the left and her defeated enemy, Mahisa, on the right.

THIS IS THEIR STORY

Once upon a time, there was a creature called Mahisa [buffalo] who had the head of a buffalo and the body of a man. How he came to be is a story for another day.

Mahisa wanted the god Brahma to give him the gift of immortality. To catch Brahma’s attention, Mahisa performed severe austerities. Mahisa’s devotion pleased Brahma who offered him a favor. When Mahisa requested immortality, Brahma promised no man would be able to kill Mahisa, which Mahisa thought was what he requested because no woman could kill a man like himself.

Assured of long life and gifted with immense strength and magical abilities, Mahisa became the demons’ leader and challenged the gods, robbing them of their offerings and defeating them in battle. To say the gods were angry would be an understatement. The gods came together and pooled their anger. Fire came from Brahma’s face; a flame from Shiva’s body, and dazzling blue light emanated from Vishnu. Tongues of fire appeared from the other gods. The ensuing mass of fire and light merged to create Goddess Durga. The god Himalaya gave Durga a lion for her vehicle; Vishnu gave her a discus as a weapon, and Shiva bestowed Durga with his trident. I could tell you about all the gifts each god gave Durga, but it would make the blog too long.

Suffice to say, Durga was extremely beautiful and each part of her body emanated energy from the gods.  When the gods told Durga the reason for her creation, the goddess laughed with such force that the earth trembled.

The earthquake’s roar terrified Mahisa and his demons. Mahisa sent men to find out the earthquake’s cause. They spied Durga in the forest wearing beautiful clothing and drinking wine from a golden cup. Awestruck, they immediately returned to Mahisa.

Excited by their descriptions of Durga’s beauty, Mahisa sent his prime minister with a marriage proposal. She refused Mahisa’s quest.

Mahisa sent a second messenger. Durga refused again. This time she became angry. Again the earth trembled. Durga was ready to fulfill the gods’ request. Mahisa sent his best soldiers to fight Durga. She defeated them. Mahisa decided to present himself to Durga. But instead of appearing as his true self, Mahisa transformed into a handsome man. Arriving at Durga’s hermitage, Mahisa told the goddess he was her true consort, saying: “I am the heroic buffalo, king of the demons, respected by gods; I hold this entire triple universe by the prowess of my own arms. I can assume any form I desire and can supply all sensual enjoyments. Choose me as your husband.”

Durga revealed her purpose was to kill him, and advised him either to flee to the netherworld or fight her. Mahisa continued his courtship. Durga repeated herself. Mahisa, believing himself immortal, chose battle.

IT WAS A BATTLE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

Oceans overflowed.

Clouds broke into fragments.

Mountains fell from the sky.

Durga’s forces emerged victorious. Mahisa resumed his buffalo form. He struck men with his muzzle; trampled them with his hooves; lashed soldiers with his tail and used his breath to throw Durga’s fighters to the earth.

 DURGA BECAME ANGRY

She threw her noose over Mahisa to bind him.

Mahisa transformed into a lion. Durga cut off his head.

Mahisa became a man with a sword. Durga pierced him with her arrows.

Mahisa became an elephant and pulled Durga’s lion down with his trunk.

Durga cut off the elephant’s trunk.

Mahisa resumed his buffalo form and wounded Durga with his horns.

He used his tail to catch hold of the mountains and threw them at her.

Durga paused to fortify herself with a wine made from blood.

Her eyes became red and she laughed. “Roar and roar for a moment,” Durga said to her enemy, “while I drink this honeyed wine. The gods will soon roar when I slay you here.”

Durga leaped upon her enemy.

She kicked him in the neck with her foot

and spiked Mahisa with the trident given to her by Shiva.

When Durga struck Mahisa with her foot,

the demon began emerging from his own mouth.

Durga cut off his head and claimed her victory over evil.

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Next Week: Now that we know the reason for Durga Puja, next week we’ll look at the festival itself.

While in Kolkata, I stayed at the historic Oberoi Grand, of which more later, but I would like to take this opportunity to express gratitude to chefs Harmeet and Mayukh who were so mindful of my need for gluten free food.

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All photos property of Author.

Drawing of Durga Fighting the Demons, c.1785. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Hindu Myths translated from Sanskrit. Penguin Books. 1975

A. L. Dallapiccola. Hindu Myths. University of Texas Press. 2003

Bulbul Sharma. The Book of Devi. Penguin Books. 2013.

The post GODDESS DURGA SLAYS THE DEMON first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Today is Halloween – a day of Spooktacular parties, costumes, ghost stories, and watching scary movies. And let us not forget the annual showings of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Halloween is a day when, potentially, nothing is as it seems to be.

For instance, who would have thought a young woman in pre-Victorian England would invent the fiction genres of science fiction and horror in her short novel titled Frankenstein. Critics argue she consciously used the novel to look at the dangers of what in 1818 seemed an increasingly technological world. Whatever would she have thought of our world today?

Mary Shelley was the daughter of two unconventional intellectuals: Mary Wollstonecraft, author of Vindication of the Rights of Women, and William Godwin. Wollstonecraft died shortly after Mary’s birth, leaving her to the ministrations of a stepmother she didn’t care for.

Fast forward to 1814. Mary, age 15, ran away with Percy Bysshe Shelley, age 20. He, inconveniently, already had a wife. In 1815 Mary gave birth to a daughter who died. In 1816 Shelley’s wife committed suicide, allowing the couple to marry. And they were Lord Byron’s houseguests at Lake Geneva. One dark rainy day Byron and his guests read ghost stories, and someone suggested each guest (There were others.) write a ghost story. Frankenstein is Mary’s ghost story. She was then 17 years old.

THE MONSTER IS BORN

Mary tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant student who wants to bring a dead body to life. He uses his knowledge of chemistry, alchemy, and electricity to assemble an entity referred to as a Monster.

Side plots abound.

– Victor and his adopted step-sister Elizabeth plan to marry.
– The Monster is lonely. Victor promises to make him a companion & then renegs.
– The Monster strangles Victor’s bride.
– Victor and the Monster wind up in the Arctic Circle where both die.

FILM ADAPTATIONS – SCARY, SPOOFY, & INTENSE

Frankenstein movies are as old as the movies. Some are meant to frighten the viewer. Some are slapstick. I’ve picked clips from six of these movies.

Thomas Edison produced the first film adaptation in 1910. The silent movie is lest than 14 minutes long.

THE MONSTER SPEAKS

The first talking Frankenstein movie came out in 1931 starring Boris Karloff as the Monster. Once a monster, always a monster. Karloff, originally an English actor named William Pratt, appeared in three Frankenstein movies. In one of his last performances he voiced the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966).

Karloff reprised his role in Bride of Frankenstein (1934) with Elsa Lancaster as the bride. She didn’t have many lines, but she screamed a lot.

MONSTERS CAN BE FUNNY

By 1948 audiences were ready to laugh at things that frightened them. Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein brought three villains together: Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, and Wolf Man. In the colorized trailer below, Bela Lugosi reprises his role as Count Dracula.

HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE IGOR?

In a way, Mel Brooks picked up where Abbot & Costello left off. In Young Frankenstein (1974) Gene Wilder plays the grandson of the original doctor. Here, Wilder returns to Transylvania — Dracula’s homeland —  and traverses through a forest where werewolves are sighted. Where, wolves?

PERHAPS IT WAS JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING

Frances Ford Coppola produced Kenneth Branagh’s interpretation of Mary’s story. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein appeared 1994. Branagh banished both horror and comedy to consider whether Frankenstein put together a man or a monster.

Robert De Niro plays the creature now called The Creation.

Here Victor Frankenstein realizes he has created a life form, and wonders whether that was a good idea.

Branagh’s film may be the closest to Shelley’s original intent. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein takes its audience into an experience as intense as that of viewing Edison’s 1910 movie or reading Mary Shelley’s novel less than twenty years after the steam train was invented.

Halloween is about tricksters and illusion, and Mary Shelley created one of the most famous ghouls of all time. Trick or Treat?

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Featured Image: Frankenstein Poster. 1910. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Pictures:

Mary Shelley by Reginald Easton. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1819. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Frontispiece to Frankenstein. 1831. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Mary Shelley. Biography.com

Roger Ebert. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Nov. 4, 1994.

Roger Ebert. Young Frankenstein. Jan. 1. 1974.

The post FRANKENSTEIN & THE CREATION OF A HALLOWEEN MONSTER first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Diwali is a Hindu festival occurring between mid-October and mid-November. This year the celebration takes place from October 29 until November 1. Although there are variations in how the festival is celebrated, its purpose commemorates the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. It’s a time of family and friends dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu.

Lakshmi is the goddess wealth and prosperity. Diwali is the time to invite her to your home to encourage these blessings in the year ahead. It’s important that the house is spotless, because Lakshmi visits the cleanest house first. Cleaning and decorating correspond with the first day of the festival, called Dhanteras. This is also the day for designing and creating Rangoli, creative floor designs done in sand or colored powder. If you think you might want to make one this year, here’s an example.

I’m struck by the color, beauty, and grace the design. Sadly, I’ve never progressed beyond stick drawings in chalk on the sidewalk.

The second day, called Choti Diwali, represents the festival day in miniature.

Lakshmi Puja, on the third day, is the most important day of Diwali. Account books are balanced. The day is set for the darkest night so that diyas can be set out to invite the goddess to come inside the house. Rangoli also serve as an invitation to family and friends. Doors and windows, balconies and other inviting surfaces are lit to dispel the darkness.

After the prayer rituals, people go outside to set off fireworks. Once those have pierced the darkness, people go inside for a feast followed by sweets. Favorite items are sweetmeats, generally sweet, fried confections. One of these called Lapsi is made from wheat, sugar, almonds, raisons, ghee (clarified butter), and cardamon powder. It looks fairly easy.

It is said that Diwali is the day when Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband Lord Shiva and declared that whoever gambled on Diwali would prosper in the coming year.

The fourth day, Padwa, marks the beginning of the new financial year, and is also the day celebrating the mutual love and devotion of husbands and wives.

And on the last day brothers and sisters celebrate their bond. Sisters perform puja for their brothers and prepare their favorite foods. Brothers respond by giving gifts to their sisters.

Words don’t fully describe Diwali’s fun. This video, though a bit long, shows how one family celebrates the days of Diwali.

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Featured Image: Rangoli of Lights by Subharnab Majumdar. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Pictures:

Sri Lakshmi by Bazar Art. 1940s. India Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Worship by PJeganathan. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Diya by Karanchheda13495. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Food by NivediM. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Diwali Festival

Diwali: Festival of Lights. About Religion.

Seal Sukhadwala. “What’s eaten at Diwali.” The Guardian. Oct 25, 2011.

The post DIWALI – A FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Once upon a time, people thought that somewhere in the New World there existed a Fountain of Youth. They thought anyone who drank from it would be restored to youthful vitality which was the next best thing to immortality. It’s unclear whether the lucky finder would have to camp nearby and drink from it every day, or if one swallow would return a lifetime of vitality.

The myth had legs. I remember learning in about the Fourth Grade that the reason Ponce de Leon was in Florida in the 16th Century was because he was searching for the Fountain of Youth. He didn’t find it, but he still claimed the real estate for Spain. Now this anecdote is an official myth – though one might wonder whether the myth is due to the non-existent fountain or Ponce’s lack of belief. Either way, we have been disabused of the concept. There is no Fountain of Youth.

There is only diet, exercise, and the avoidance of disease.

In many ways the last century could be called a century of longevity in the developed world. Better sanitation, access to medical care, penicillin, and sterilizing medical and dental instruments contributed to longer lifespans in the early 20th Century.

Since 1950 other factors have increased longevity — better medical technology, cleaner water and air, better housing, access to food, pharmaceutical breakthroughs, and more understanding of behavioral effects. Smoking, for example, not only has a negative effect on the individual smoker’s health, but also on the health of non-smoking bystanders.

And yet . . . .

Though people are living longer, the quality of life isn’t necessarily better. Youthful attributes of moving and digesting freely are affected by increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and a great many other conditions, all of which are expensive to treat as well as unpleasant to have.

Now we’re looking for a recipe for a long and healthy life. We want to look young, feel young, and live without discomfort. Research funding  from insurance, health foundations and government sources seeks solutions with the same enthusiasm Ponce de Leon may have looked for the Fountain of Youth.

BLUE ZONES COME TO HILO

One result is the discovery of what Dan Buettner calls Blue Zones. The concept came to my attention when the official Blue Zones Hawaii Community Program Manager spoke at my Rotary Club. East Hawai`i, which includes my home town of Hilo, is an official Blue Zone Project Demonstration Community. HMSA, a major health care insurance company, brought Blue Zones to Hawai`i, starting with the island of Kaua`i in 2013.

Buettner coined the term Blue Zones for the five communities where he found people living long, healthy lives: Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Ogliastra Region, Sardinia; Loma Linda, California; and Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. I note that with the exception of Loma Linda these were places without many temptations for easy rides or fast food. And the Blue Zoned folks in Loma Linda have religious reasons for their healthy lifestyle.

BLUE ZONES POWER 9

From the experiences of people in the five Blue Zones, Buittoner distilled what he calls Power Nine. – Nine behaviors to improve the quality and quantity of life. None of these is a new idea, but all of them are good for us. Whether we choose to follow this health advice or not is up to us.

1. Move Naturally

The good news is moving naturally doesn’t require sweaty gym workouts or Triathlons. It means ambient physical activity as mundane as getting up to change the television channel instead of using the remote control. Of course, you’d have to change channels frequently to get the benefit.

2. Have a Sense of Purpose — Get up ready to face the day with focussed activity. It might be nurturing your tomato plants, volunteering to coach your kid’s soccer team, or joining the community chorus. The point is not to get up with a negative attitude.

3. Downshift & Destress. Pray, nap, sit by the sea, or contemplate a zen garden.
4. Follow the 80% Rule — Eat until you’re 80% full. We’ve been told for years that our stomachs are full before the brain tells us to stop eating.

5. Plant SlantDo what the USDA advises. Put more beans, vegetables and fruits on our plates. Reduce meat intake.

6. Wine @ 5 — or tea, or lemonade. The point is to share a glass with food and friends. It’s not about the wine or even the time. It’s hanging out with your Tribe and talking story.

7. Join the Right Tribe

Hang out with friends that support you & healthy behaviors. People you can cook with, walk with, laugh with. People with a positive attitude.

8. Community

Seems redundant, but this refers to a faith based group – could be your tribe. Don’t try and do everything yourself.

9. Family First

Take time to eat together, chat, shoot hoops in the driveway –  that sort of thing.

So What’s New?

What Buettner contributes to the discussion is a community aspect. We know we should reduce our fat intake, but if all our friends are eating jumbo fries, we probably will too. So the trick is to have friends with good behaviors and everyone mutually reinforces each other. That sort of thing.

Buettner’s most recent book is The Blue Zones Solution. He lays out the changes that have happened in demonstration communities. Which brings us back to Hilo.

Blue Zones in Hawai`i

HMSA has been urging us to walk with a friend for some time. The organization believes small changes can result in longer, healthier, happier lives. And HMSA hopes Blue Zones can make this happen.

Here’s what’s supposed to happen.

The goal for Blue Zone Communities is lower healthcare costs, increased productivity, and a measurably improved quality of life. Citizens, schools, employers, restaurants, grocery stores, and community leaders are supposed to join together to improve community environment so it’s easier to make healthy choices. Sounds good.

So, what’s been happening since Hilo became a demonstration project earlier this year?
– Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School met requirements to become the first Blue Zone School in Hawai`i
– Sweet Cane Cafe is the first Blue Zones Project Approved Restaurant
– Three other food outlets and one other school are involved in the project
– Cooking and gardening demonstrations have taken place

And the first time I heard about the project was at my Rotary meeting last month. – That’s not the way it sounds in the book. In the book, the whole town gets excited. I feel like I’m in the wrong reality TV show.

So what am I saying? 

Would I like the Blue Zones Project to take off?

Absolutely. Then maybe we could move forward more quickly on the Hilo Bayfront Trails project, and maybe we could get bike lanes somewhere besides the street that runs by the university.

Do I think Hilo will make the grade as a Blue Zone Community?

Hard to say. I found no data on how successful Kaua`i has been since being designated three years ago. I don’t see even our most community-minded grocery store touting Blue Zone foods. I don’t see publicity about other schools taking the challenge.

Word-of-Mouth is the one way to get things rolling. Hence this blog.

How did I do on the Power 9? — Pretty well.

Could I do better? — Absolutely.

What do you think about Blue Zones? 

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Featured Image: Liliuokalani Park, Hilo. Author’s favorite place to walk. Photo by Author.

Pictures:

Ponce de Leon. Public Domain.Wikimedia Commons.

Vanderbilt Tenements. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Pauline Betz Smoking. An advertisement by R.J. Reynolds. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Blue Zones Power 9. Blue Zones. bluezones.com

Toddler by nathanmac87. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Balboa Park Japanese Garden by Lhimec. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

USDA Food Pyramid. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Glass of Port Wine by Jon Sullivan. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Soldiers and civilians of Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, with their spouses and children, came together for a great family event in the spirit of the season at Patton Hall for the Family Readiness Group holiday party Dec. 14. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tim Meyer, U.S. Army Central Public Affairs.)Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

“Big Island ‘Blue Zones Project’ Demonstration Communities.” Big Island Now. Feb. 17, 2016.

“First Blue Zones Approved School in Hilo.” Big Island Now. May 26, 2016.

Blue Zones. Live Longer, Better. Webpage.

“HMSA and Healthways Launch Blue Zones Project to Improve Well-being of Hawaii Residents.” HMSA Media. Sept 9, 2014.

“HMSA designated as Hawaii’s first Blue Zones Project Demonstration Worksite.HMSA Media. Dec 19, 2014.

“Hawaii Blue Zones Project. Blue Zone Project by Healthways.” Hawaii Blue Zone Project.

Hilo Bayfront Trails

Eliza Barclay. “Eating to Break 100.” NPR: The Salt. April 11, 2015.

Dan Buettner. The Blue Zones Solution. Washington D. C. 2015.

Bill Gifford. Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (or die trying). NY: Grand Central Publishing. 2015.

Kirsten Johnson. “School first in state to earn Blue Zones Approval.” Hawaii Tribune Herald. May 30, 2016.

The post Blue Zones Come to Hilo first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

When you think of Washington D.C., what comes to mind? Most people think of visiting the White House, the Capital Building, and Mount Vernon. Maybe various exhibits at the Smithsonian Museum. But, unless you’re an academic researcher, you might overlook the Library of Congress, and it’s well worth an excursion.

Congress established the Library with an appropriation of $5000 in 1800 to provide reference materials for the government.** The following year, 740 books and three maps arrived from London booksellers. The British burned the library along with most of city’s public buildings when they raided Washington on August 24, 1814. At the White House they found a table set for 40 diners and sensibly decided to enjoy the food and wine before destroying the residence.

Thomas Jefferson immediately offered to sell his personal library of over 9,000 volumes at a price determined by Congress. Regarding the breadth of topics under consideration, Jefferson wrote, “I do not know that it contains any branch of science which congress would wish to exclude from this collection…there is in fact no subject to which a member of congress may not have reason to refer.”
The purchase price worked out to $23,950, an amount based on the measurements of the sizes of all the books.  In April 1815, ten wagons left Monticello carrying 6,707 volumes packed in pine cases. A new Library of Congress was born.

THE MODERN LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Over the years the Library outgrew its space in the Capital Building and in 1897  moved  into its own structure. When it opened, the Library of Congress building was considered the most beautiful building in the city.

The design was based on the Paris Opera House, in a style now called Beaux Arts -neo-classical.

Today as Carla Hayden’s tenure as the fourteenth Librarian begins, the Library of Congress has three additional buildings – the John Adams Building (1939), the James Madison Memorial Building (1976), and the Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation (2007).  The collection containing over 162 million items is overseen by a staff of 31,000 employees, and an annual budget of nearly $650 million.

Hmmm….I need to schedule some research time in the Main Reading Room.

** [If you’re wondering what the value of $5000 in 1814 would be today, I can only share that $5000 in 1914 is worth $118,262.50 in 2016. Calculation from Saving.org.]

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Featured Image: Library of Congress Logo in 2008. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Pictures:

The President’s House c. 1814 by George Munger. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Thomas Jefferson, c. 1817-1827 by Mathew Harris Jouett. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Library of Congress Building. 1910 Postcard. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Great Hall of the Jefferson Building by Andreas Praefcke. Creative Commons Attribution.

Carla Hayden. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Main Reading Room. Library of Congress. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Library of Congress Website.

Thomas Jefferson Building. Architect of the Capital.

Sofia Samee Ali. “Carla Hayden to be Sworn in.” NBC News. Sept 14, 2016.

Nicholas Fandos. “New Librarian of Congress.” The New York Times. Sept 14, 2016.

The post Library of Congress – Our National Repository first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

A couple weeks ago, we met the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland as an example of what could happen to hatters who used mercury nitrate in the production of fur hats. Such a colorful character is worthy of his own entry, especially near October 6, a date which corresponds nicely to the price of his hat. To wit: 10/6 or ten shillings, 6 pence. That would be . . . Let me see . . . It took twelve pence to make a shilling and twenty shillings to make a pound. And in the 19th century a pound was worth $11.00. Which could make the 10/6 equivalent to perhaps $6.00. Pretty pricey for the time. I say that because one pound then might by $100 today, which would make the hat unavailable to anyone who didn’t have $50.00 to spare — which would include our Mad Hatter.

But to return to the Mad Hatter himself. Alice met the peripatetic hatter and his friends Dormouse and the March Hare at a rather strange tea party. Author Lewis Carroll knew his characters well. Alice, of course, was based on a normal girl. Dormice were known for their annual hibernations, and hares generally seemed mad in the month of March when their mating season began.

Alice can hardly be blamed for her frustration as events unfolded. Just for fun, I’ll put three excerpts from Carroll’s original Tea Party text followed by clips from Disney’s 1951 animated movie and the 2010 movie starring Johnny Depp – an appropriate choice to play a Mad Hatter.

   “There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter are having tea at it; a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head.”

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    The Hatter was the first to break the silence. ‘What day of the month is it?’ he said, turning to Alice. He had taken his watch out of his pocket, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear.
     Alice considered a little, and said, ‘the Fourth.’
    ‘Two days wrong,’ sighed the Hatter. ‘I told you butter wouldn’t suit the works!’ he added, looking angrily at the March Hare.
    ‘It was the best butter”’the March Hare meekly replied.
    ‘Yes, but some crumbs must have got in as well,’ the Hatter grumbled, ‘you shouldn’t have put it in with the bread knife.’
    The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily; then he dipped it into his cup of tea, and looked at it again; but he could think of nothing better to say than his first remark.”

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    “I want a clean cup,’ interrupted the Hatter; ‘let’s all move one place on.’
    He moved as he spoke, and the Dormouse followed him; the March Hare moved into the Dormouse’s place, and Alice rather unwillingly took the place of the March Hare. The Hatter was the only one who got any advantage from the change; and Alice was a good deal worse off than before, as the March Hare had just upset the milk jug into his plate.”

Disney’s take on the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

Disney’s 1951 animated film is the Alice of my childhood and closely allied to Carroll’s creation. It turns out that Disney developed Alice in Wonderland at the same time Cinderella was on the drawing board. And the best animators were drawing Cinderella, and putting Alice on the page as a sort of side job.

https://youtu.be/Qn55Mcufb7Y

Tim Burton’s 2010 version records Alice’s second trip to Wonderland. Things have not gone well since her last visit. Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter is as bizarre as ever, but this time with a more sinister twist.

There is, of course, an official Mad Hatters Day on October 6. The day began in Boulder CO, because an unnamed group of computer nerds thought it would be a cool commemoration. The holiday became official in 1988 when it received its first press coverage. Of course, such a day would have to be celebrated on 10 June in the United Kingdom to accommodate their way of dating.

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All illustrations drawn by John Tenniel. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Information on the value of 10/6 taken from Grade Saver. It may or may not be accurate.

Hat Nostalgia

Mad Hatter Day. #FactSite

Lewis Carroll. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Gross & Dunlap, Publishers. 1946.

Roger Ebert. Alice in Wonderland. Reviews. March 3, 2010

Mari Ness. “An Intriguing Failure: Disney’s Alice in Wonderland.” Tor.Com. June 11, 2015.

The post MAD HATTER’S TEA PARTY – A Tale of Confusion first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Fall is upon us – time for colorful autumn leaves and other fruits of the season. Apples and pumpkins with their golden colors come to mind. The days are still long and the nights a bit crisp. Halloween candy is in the stores. But let’s go back to apples.

Apples have been part of American folklore almost as long as Washington Irving’s “headless horseman.” And the name once most closely associated with apples was Johnny Appleseed. I’m not sure when this peripatetic planter entered American folklore but Walk Disney made him popular in a 1949 animated film called Melody Time. Walt failed to mention that Johnny’s apples weren’t for eating. They were for making hard cider. And Johnny wasn’t as generous as he first appears.

His real name was John Chapman, and he was born in 1774 – two years before the American colonies decided to separate from Great Britain. His father was a farmer who served in the Revolutionary Army.

Legend says that the reason Johnny planted so many apple trees was so everyone could have an apple and never go hungry. At least not during the harvest.

In fact, John left home when he was eighteen and headed west. The Ohio Company of Associates encouraged land speculation with an interesting offer. Anyone willing to form a permanent homestead in the wilderness west of Ohio’s first permanent settlement would be granted 100 acres of land. That’s a lot of free land. To prove permanent settlement, a man had to plant 50 apple trees and 20 peach trees over the course of three years. John recognized the knock of opportunity.

Johnny, as he was becoming known, carried a leather bag filled with apple seeds which were free from cider mills. The eventual trees produced apples known as “spitters.” They were small and tart – not good for eating at all. But they were far more valuable, because they were the apples used to make hard apple cider. Water could and did make people sick. Hard cider was safe and tasty. People drank about 10.52 ounces daily.

Johnny wasn’t interested in making cider. He created nursery orchards by selecting good planting spot; fencing it with whatever he could find; sowing his seeds and moving on. He returned periodically to repair the fences and sell his trees. Johnny’s reputation grew. He became known as the Apple Seed Man, and then Johnny Appleseed.

Johnny sold land as well as trees. Over time he accumulated a great deal of money, but he didn’t put it in a bank. Few people did. Johnny buried it. When he died, Johnny still owned over 1200 acres. Don’t know what happened to the money.

Fast forward to prohibition in the 1920s. Federal agents knew Johnny’s apples were for making hard cider, and they had enough trouble keeping up with the whiskey stills. Agents destroyed the orchards. So, in a way, the Disney movie rehabilitated an American eccentric. And in 1966 Johnny Appleseed had his very own 5 cent postage stamp. True celebrity at last.

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Featured Image: Falling Leaves at Ophir Pass, CO by John Fowler. Creative Commons Attribution.

Pictures:

Drawing of Johnny Appleseed. U.S. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Somerset Cider Jugs by IDS.photos. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

5 Cent Johnny Appleseed Postage Stampe. 1966. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

The Story of Johnny Appleseed

Natasha Geiling. “The Real Johnny Appleseed Brought Apples and Booze to the American Frontier.” Smithsonian. Nov. 10, 2014.

Kristy Puchko. “9 Facts that tell the true story of Johnny Appleseed.” Mental Floss.

The post The Real “Johnny Appleseed” first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

The experience of being in close proximity to elephants has never left me. The most awe inspiring event was the day we stopped on the road to watch elephants grazing, when the matriarch decided it was time to cross to the other side of the road. Chomping grass as they went, the herd meandered across the road, entirely uninterested in several vehicles filled with stunned people snapping pictures. It was like watching the event in slow motion, entirely quiet except for the steady munching of grass. To my surprise, the elephants did not step heavily – of course, they weren’t in any particular hurry either.

I remembered this special moment when my calendar reminded me that Thursday is Elephant Appreciation Day. My first thought was, well, of course elephants should be appreciated, preferably in their natural habitat. Elephants have long been a symbol of good luck, wisdom, fertility, and long life.

Environmentally, elephants are an important part of Africa’s ecosystem. A single elephant can weigh up to eight tons. Herbivores, elephants consume up to 330 pounds of food and 11 gallons of water daily, cutting a swath through vegetation as they move through it. 

Elephants move six to twelve miles daily in their quest for food. In times of drought, the waterholes they dig with their tusks benefit smaller animals as well. Their digestion of plants means their dung is filled with seeds that produce new growth. On the savannah, elephants feeding on tree sprigs and shrubs keep the plain open for other inhabitants.

That being said, elephants and humans don’t always have positive interactions. As they move across open land, elephants frequently destroy crops. Turned another way, the increase of villages impacts elephant feeding areas. And then there’s the ivory trade.

The biggest conflict of elephants and humans is based in greed.

Between 1979 and 1989, half of Africa’s elephants were lost to the ivory trade. In 1989, the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) banned international trade in elephants tusks. The elephant population began to recover. By 2007, the population was estimated between 470,000 and 690,000. And then in 2008, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, the United Nations body that regulates the international wildlife trade, declared that China was an Approved Ivory Trading State. This allowed a one time legal sale of ivory to China from four Saharan African countries which were judged to have healthy elephant populations. Sixty-two tons of ivory were sold to China from stockpiles held in Africa. It was a one time legal sale. Illegal sales continue.

In Hong Kong, the amount of seized illegal ivory rose from 3.2 tons in 2010 to 7.9 tons in the first ten months of 2013. One thousand six hundred seventy-five elephants died to produce the 7.9 tons of ivory. China is not the only market. Other export destinations are Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress recently held its meeting in Honolulu and passed Motion 007 calling on all governments to ban the domestic trade in elephant ivory. Though the Congress can’t enforce the motion, its decisions carry considerable weight. Prohibition of domestic ivory sales is an important step to ending the international ivory smuggling. The struggle continues.

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All Pictures by Author. All Rights Reserved.

For More Information:

Elephants. Good Luck Symbols

Save the Elephants

Wildlife Conservation Network

World Wildlife Federation

Cathy Bussewitz. “Group Plans Vote on Urging Leaders to Close Ivory Markets” Hawaii Tribune Herald. Sept. 10, 2016. Page 1

Guy Dinmore. “Conservation Congress Votes to Ban All Domestic Trade in Elephant Ivory.” Inter Press Service. Sept. 11, 2016.

Joshua Hammer. “The Race to Stop Africa’s Elephant Poachers.” Smithsonian Magazine. July 2014.

Alastair Leithead. “The War on Elephants.” BBC News. April 28, 2016.

Matt McGrath. “Poaching for Ivory Stabilizes but Elephant Decline Continues.” BBC News. March 3, 2016

Alex Shoumatoff. “Agony and Ivory.” Vanity Fair. July 7 2011.

Sarah Zielinski. “As IUCN votes on ivory trade, elephants’ future looks bleak.” Science News. Sept 9, 2016.

The post Elephants, Ivory & Conservation first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Winston Churchill is known for many things. He smoked a cigar. He spoke in what I think of as a Shakespearean voice. He led Britain in World War II. And he never was seen outside without a hat. He seems to me to be a fitting image for Felt Hat Day which you may choose to celebrate this Thursday.

Hats are no longer a required part of outdoor clothing. Actually, very little is required for outside attire these days. But once hats and, for ladies, gloves were expected. Now ladies wear hats at weddings and on Ascot Day, if they happened to be invited. Though ladies picture hats are fast being replaced by smaller, whimsical Fascinators.

Nevertheless up until 1960, hats were required men’s wear. Hence the famous 1934 advertising slogan: “If you want to get ahead, get a hat.”**

There were Bowler Hats like the one Churchill is wearing in the picture above. And Homberg Hats. And even Tyrollean hats which are still in use today, usually in Oktoberfest celebrations. 

But fashion changed in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy took the inaugural oath without wearing a hat. Quite a shock at the time. Needless to say, hat sales plummeted.

There was a slight uptick when Harrison Ford wore his famous fedora in Raiders of the Lost Ark. But the only hat with staying power has been the Cowboy hat.

Hats had a purpose. Felt hats were worn in winter for warmth, and straw hats in summer for coolness and to shade the eyes. Cowboys seem to have continued this tradition.

Since this is a blog about Felt Hat Day, it seems logical to talk about felt hats.

Felt can be made of wool or fur. Wool consistently came from sheep. You probably knew that. The fur was of two types. There was rabbit fur felt, made from the undercoat of a special breed of rabbit. And the best quality felt hat was made from beaver fur. This was hugely popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and led directly to the international fur trade – you will be relived to know that I won’t be writing about that today.

St. Clement is considered the Patron Saint of Felt Hat Makers, because while on a pilgrimage he lined his sandals with wool, and the friction of his feet against the wool created an early form of felt. I’m not saying this was the preferred method of producing felt, but it makes an interesting anecdote.

Why was the Mad Hatter “mad”?

Turning felt into a hat in the nineteenth century was a long process. It involved pulling loose felt fibers into a cone and immersing the cone in very hot water to shrink the felt in to a better fiber. The hat was then steamed and compressed over wooden hat blocks to the desired shape. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, hatters treated the fur with mercury nitrate which exposed them to trace elements of mercury on a daily basis. Over time they exhibited signs of mental decline, including slurred speech, memory loss, tremors, and what we might call dementia. Hatters also generally suffered from overwork, low pay, and malnutrition. It was not the best career choice. Mercury is no longer used to create felt.

The Mad Hatter depicted here is from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, drawn by John Tenniel. The 10/6 refers to the price of a hat in the style he was wearing: 10 shillings, 6 pence.

** It is said that the slogan “If You Want To Get Ahead, Get a Hat” was coined by Charles Sydney Catlin to demonstrate his ability to make good advertising copy. Caitlin went to a job interview where he produced the slogan. He didn’t get the job. Sadly, not long after he saw his words on an advertisement posted on the London Underground. A hard lesson learned.

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Featured Image: Winston Churchill. 1944. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Other Pictures

Lady in Blue Felt Hat by Oxfordian Kissuth at 2012 London Fashion Week. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Felt Hat by Hendrike. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Tyrolean Hat. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Harrison Ford by John Griffiths. Creative Commons Attribution. Wikimedia Commons.

Stetson Hat. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Mad Hatter by John Tenniel. U.S. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Katybeth. Sept. 15, 2012. Odd Loves Company.

Miranda Hildebrand. “A Brief History of Felt Hats.” The Hatbox. Dec. 26, 2012

Hat History.

Wearing Etiquette. Cowboy Hat Guide.

The post Curious Notes on Felt Hats first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Though there are taller buildings now, York Minster continues to tower over the City of York and the entire Yorkshire region. I’m a huge fan of this stone monument and in awe of the lives it has touched – some for the better, others not so much. This last stop on my research trip was pure pleasure. Among the many things that could be said, here are a couple I selected for today.

LOVE, POLITICS & KING EDWIN’S CONVERSION

It is said that King Edwin of Northumbria erected a wooden church on this site in 627. When Edwin conquered Northumbria in 616, he decided to marry a Christian Kentish princess. She traveled north with her spiritual advisor, Bishop Paulinus. Eventually, Edwin agreed to be baptized and built the church at York. The scene is reflected in the baptismal cover on the right which is in the crypt. King Edwin is to the left, with Bishop Paulinis on the right.

There is some controversy as to where this church was located. Some say it was here, in the spot marked off by benches. At least one other scholar says it was in the same area, but a different spot. Since the building materials have long dissolved, the actual site is impossible to find.

Today York Minster is the largest surviving Gothic cathedral north of the Alps. Construction began about 1230 with completion in 1472. The entire cruciform structure is 524.5 feet long. The nave is 264 feet long, 100 feet wide and a distance from the floor to the vaulted ceiling of 94 feet. The nave was too wide for a stone roof, so wood was used which has made the structure vulnerable to fire.

In 1840, fire destroyed the ceiling which was rebuilt. Every decorated boss, the point where the arches intersect, was an exact replica except the one of the Virgin Mary feeding the Baby Jesus. Victorian sensibilities decreed that she would henceforth bottle feed her infant.

THE UNDERCROFT

The Undercroft is a particularly fascinating area, because the remnants of Roman, Norman and Gothic architecture are all visible. The first building on the Minster’s site was a Roman Army headquarters constructed in 71 CE. It sat at a 45 degree angle to the present Minster structure. It was here that Roman legions declared Constantine to be the new Roman emperor in 306.

In 1080 Archbishop Thomas of Bayeux began building a stone cathedral on the site. Foundations and masonry with their distinctive Norman designs are still present.

Though the pillars look strong, they were erected on soft soil. Between 1967 and 1972 what was called the Great Dig took place to shore up foundations underneath the Central Tower. Concrete pillars and rods now provide a firm foundation, and in order to prevent harmful vibrations, traffic is no longer allowed in the Minster area.

There are two crypts in the Undercroft.

The western crypt contains the modern shrine to St. William of York (d.1154). St William in mosaic splendor presides. Moving forward is the reused Roman coffin containing his remains. The last area is the chapel itself.

Legend has it that St. William died of poison that was administered in the chalice at mass. Within a few months, miracles were attributed to his intervention. In 1227 Pope Honorius III canonized William.

This wall is all that remains from what was once the Archbishop’s Palace. During the nineteenth century, buildings near the Minster were cleared away to create Dean’s Park.

There is much more to say about York Minster, but I’ll leave it for another time. York was the last stop on my research trip. From here I was homeward bound.

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Featured Image: Photo of York Minster from York City Walls

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York Minster

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