Tomorrow, the husband and I will be eligible for our COVID 19 jabs. Maybe. Oregon plows ahead with eligibility, but the number of those eligible does not match the numbers of doses. Simple math, really. (Watching “Bringing Up Baby” as … Continue reading
I’m plenty busy now with writing-related projects, including my own which are back-burnered for a chance to make some real money—not to disparage the importance of my own work, just sayin’. But I keep thinking about jigsaw puzzles. And relearning … Continue reading
The foodies will tell you — eat what’s available, in season. North Carolina barbecue should be eaten in North Carolina, and Maryland crab in Maryland. This is my excuse for making a systematic tour of French pastries. It’s research, OK? … Continue reading
Due to current events, a lot of people have been talking about leaving the United States. Just pulling up sticks and going somewhere else. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. It’s the classic fantasy … Continue reading
One of the themes of this little blog series is reusing old stuff in modern times. It’s creative. It reuses resources. And it allows you to live in an old area, an old city, an old house, and still live … Continue reading
It has always seemed to me that it’s careless, to mislay a Roman road or a villa or a city. Look at this picture — there’s a big pavement under there, and they completely mislaid it for thousands of years. … Continue reading
How fun it would be to live in a house that was built before Columbus arrived in America. Half timbering, narrow cobbled streets, nothing but the sound of birdsong in a pre-industrial paradise! Except … you do want all your … Continue reading
You don’t need a chimney. But if you’re relying upon combustion to stay warm, a chimney has many advantages. Smoke is mostly drawn up and out of the actual living area. You can use flammable roof materials like thatch without … Continue reading
One of the most important considerations if you’re building a house is materials. In the past you’d almost always build out of local materials. It’s just too costly, to haul stones or logs or whatever very far. So if … Continue reading
Fans of Robert Heinlein will recall that in his short story ” –And He Built a Crooked House” one of the characters remarks that the main job of a house is to keep the rain off. Yes, shelter is a … Continue reading
