More pictures of the season, including a Pumpkin Fest in Concord and a Halloween party in the neighborhood where my older grandson and his sister live.
Today there must have been 40 costumed kids, from infants to 10-year-olds, rolling down the hill, posing for pictures, and eating hotdogs in the playground. After the parade, everyone went down the street to knock on doors looking for treats. (Meran’s treat for my husband and me was homemade potato and leek soup and some very yummy bread.)
John wore his scary fangs and asked a little Yoda if he was tasty to eat.
“This is what I look like,” he explained to friends, “after a week of being up all night with two kids who have fevers.”
A woman running for school committee advertised for a campaign manager at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and ultimately chose an 11-year-old boy for the job.
Brock Parker writes at the Boston Globe, “If he were a foot taller, shaved, and cursed a bit, 11-year-old Zev Dickstein just might pass for the typical political campaign manager.
“Every day after school, using a database he developed, Zev identifies people he thinks he can persuade to vote for School Committee candidate Joyce Gerber. Bounding from house to house, he knocks on doors, shakes hands, pets dogs, makes his pitch, and reminds voters that election day is Nov. 5 . Sometimes he even high-fives supporters.
“Then Zev confers with his chaperone (usually his mother).
“ ‘I can’t go by myself,’ said the sixth-grader from Cambridge Street Upper School, who has to persuade one of his parents or sometimes his grandmother to tag along. ‘That is the hardest thing I have to do in my history of campaigning — finding someone to go with me.’
“Since the summer, Zev has been serving as the campaign manager for Gerber as she challenges eight other candidates for six Cambridge School Committee seats in this fall’s municipal election.
“Gerber had posted a job listing for a campaign manager at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government looking for someone to fill the job. But then the 48-year-old attorney said she had a conversation with Zev, and she was impressed by his knowledge about databases and finding likely voters, so she offered him the job.” More here.
Photo: Barry Chin/Globe Staff Zev Dickstein, 11, campaign manager for a Cambridge School Committee candidate, on the job talking to voters recently.
The Nature Conservancy magazine had a story recently by Julian Smith on Patagonian sheep farmers who are learning to improve the grasslands where the sheep graze.
“One promising option, called holistic management,” writes Smith, “was first developed in the 1960s by Zimbabwean biologist Allan Savory. Healthy grasslands, like those formerly found in Patagonia, need herbivores, grasslands expert [Pablo] Borrelli says. The animals’ grazing and trampling encourage plant growth and help return nutrients to the soil. Sheep may have replaced wild horses and guanacos as the dominant grazers in Patagonia, but they can still play the role of the animals they replaced. This runs counter to the traditional practice of trying to help grasslands recover by simply grazing fewer and fewer animals.
“Under holistic management, stocking rates can actually increase. Periods of heavier grazing, with longer intervals in between for the land to recover, can mimic the movement of native herds in the past. The key is the timing of the grazing and the length of the rest periods.
“Getting that balance right isn’t easy, and finding it requires a few years of training with an accredited [Grassland Regeneration and Sustainability Standard] educator. Ranchers, Borrelli says, ‘need to learn how to see the land, to recognize the indicators of good and bad trends, to learn how to move their sheep.’
“To cover the up-front costs of implementing the standards, which run about 30 cents per acre for measures like new fencing, Patagonia and the Conservancy have donated more than $80,000. That kind of investment can quickly pay off. …
“ ‘They were impressive results,’ Borrelli says. ‘Things we hadn’t seen in 30 years.’ The prospect of being able to graze more sheep has brought new hope to struggling ranch owners, he adds. More than 30 ranches in Argentina and Chile are now trying holistic management in some form.”
More here, where you also can enjoy Nick Hall’s beautiful photos.
The Christian Science Monitor recently ran a story by Bryan Kay about an ongoing community service project.
“Not even the recent furlough of federal workers was enough to snuff out the latest community outreach effort of Masjid al Islam mosque in Dallas.
“On a weekend in early October, the mosque was participating in a national initiative known as the Day of Dignity, an annual event during which mosques feed, clothe, and equip people living in poverty. But federal workers who had been scheduled to attend to speak about the details of the Affordable Care Act … had been forced to cancel because of a partial federal government shutdown.
“It was a blow to the mosque’s boosters, says Muhammad Abdul-Jami, treasurer of Masjid al Islam and coordinator of the Day of Dignity event. But it didn’t deter them from pursuing the same purpose they have had for the last several years, he says: aiding homeless people … .
“Masjid al Islam is in an area where the homeless are a ubiquitous sight. … Because of the great need every weekend, the mosque seeks to do what the Day of Dignity event, organized in conjunction with the national charity Islamic Relief USA, does on an annual basis. Through its Beacon of Light community center, Masjid al Islam feeds approximately 300 individuals in need on Saturdays and Sundays each week, Mr. Abdul-Jami estimates. That’s more than 15,000 meals per year, paid for with donations from individuals and other mosques and served by volunteers, he says. …
” ‘There are millions of Muslims in this country who are very regular people, people who [other] Americans might consider much like them,’ Abdul-Jami says. … ‘These events help us showcase that we are concerned about the rest of humanity, not just wanting to help Muslims.’ ”
We stayed in a perfect little ski house — fitted up with everything you could imagine needing on a weekend, including toys for the grandkids. Our son and daughter-in-law rented it through Vacation Rental by Owner.
The drive up the steep road featured gorgeous mountain and farm views.
One farm had a sign out that sent us straight to our laptops once we got settled: “Knoll Farm, Center for Whole Communities.”
According to the Whole Communities site, “The Center for Whole Communities (CWC) fosters inclusive communities that are strongly rooted in place and where all people – regardless of income, race, or background – have access to and a healthy relationship with the natural world. …
“Through our programs and ongoing support we network more than 1,200 leaders working in 500 organizations and communities in 47 states.” More.
One of the center’s videos, below, explains the process community members in Waitsfield, Vermont, went through to reconnect “with the sun and the land” by getting off the grid and using only renewable energy sources.
A separate, related site describes the farm products: “We still have some gorgeous purebred Icelandic 2013 ewe and ram lambs, as well as mature ewes and rams for sale. Check out our Icelandic Breedstock pages for more information.
“Order whole and half shares of lamb for the holidays and winter supply anytime until November 4th. After that we will be selling cuts here at the farm and farmer’s markets. Read more.
“Our farmstand has our grass-fed lamb and frozen organic blueberries in stock through the winter, or until we sell out. New hours: Open 8 am-6 pm every Saturday and Sunday. We also have our home-made blueberry jam, as well as free-range eggs, blankets and sheepskins.
“New Product: Heirloom quality pure wool blankets woven from our own Icelandic fleeces. Learn how to custom order your own Knoll Farm blanket.”
We got a special kick out of the sheep and chickens of my husband’s cousin, a dentist. He and his wife really know how to get the most out of the rural life.
When a river is full of trash, polluted, and maybe locked in a below-street culvert, returning it to glory may seem too great a task. But that is what cities around the country are doing, “daylighting” urban rivers, cleaning them up, and ensuring they become the featured assets they were meant to be.
Sometimes this starts with just one person.
John tweeted an article about such a person today. CNN’s Kathleen Toner and Erika Clarke wrote from Memphis, “In the past 15 years, Chad Pregracke has helped pull more than 67,000 tires from the Mississippi River and other waterways across the United States. But that’s just scratching the surface.
“He’s also helped retrieve 218 washing machines, 19 tractors, 12 hot tubs, four pianos and almost 1,000 refrigerators.
” ‘People intentionally dumped [these] in river and also littered,’ Pregracke said. ‘Even 100 miles away, [trash] will find its way into a creek or a storm drain and into, ultimately, the Mississippi River.’
“For Pregracke, removing this debris has become his life’s work. Sometimes called ‘The Rivers’ Garbageman,’ he lives on a barge about nine months out of the year with members of his 12-person crew. Together, they organize community cleanups along rivers across the country.
” ‘The garbage got into the water one piece at a time,’ Pregracke said. ‘And that’s the only way it’s going to come out.’
“It’s a dirty job, but Pregracke, 38, took it on because he realized that no one was doing it. It began as a solo effort, and over the years his energy, enthusiasm and dedication have helped it grow. To date, about 70,000 volunteers have joined his crusade, helping him collect more than 7 million pounds of debris through his nonprofit, Living Lands & Waters.”
More here. You can vote for Pregracke as Hero of the Year if you click there.
Today is United Nations Day, and all the flags are out in our town, thanks to Charmaine’s mom. As the leader of a local UN group, she was behind the purchase of the flags, and the town has faithfully put them in the special sidewalk holes year after year on October 24.
WordPress is a little United Nations all its own. I love looking at my stats every day and seeing what countries visitors came from. On Wednesday, just for example, people visited Suzanne’s Mom’s Blog from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam, Hungary, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Japan, and Israel. How cool is that?
I like to see if any search terms might be associated with the posts that were viewed and which country resident might have been interested in which topic. I have not gotten good at that yet.
One time a reader from Turkey made a comment, and I tried to write a post soon after that I thought would interest him, but I don’t know if he ever saw it. I would like to point more posts to readers, but the day I do one for you may not be the day you happen to be reading.
My dentist, for example, reads the blog but never saw the golfing post I put up for him. I couldn’t find anything interesting about teeth.
Happy United Nations Day, Everyone! May it some day fulfill the dream of creating world peace.
I’ve been on one of my periodic murder-mystery splurges, with a couple mysteries this month that take place in France.
Books about France should never be read on an empty stomach — there is always wonderful food.
The author of The Crowded Grave actually went overboard, I thought, stopping urgent action to prepare elaborate meals. I think The Bookseller mystery will maintain a better balance. So far the hero has only had pastries and lovely coffees on route to something actually related to the story.
Thinking about France makes me want to point out a website where my friend Ronnie Hess blogs, My French Life. Ronnie lived in France for years working for CBS and more recently wrote a guidebook called Eat Smart in France that taps her her deep knowledge of French food.
Ronnie was already a fine cook as a teenager, when I recall making a Scripture cake at her house:
3/4 cup Genesis 18:8
1 1/2 cup Jeremiah 6:20
5 Isaiah 10:14 (separated)
3 cups sifted Leviticus 24:5
3 teaspoons 2 Kings 2:20
3 teaspoons Amos 4:5
1 teaspoon Exodus 30:23
1/4 teaspoon each 2 Chronicles 9:9
1/2 cup Judges 4:19
3/4 chopped Genesis 43:11
3/4 cup finely cut Jeremiah 24:5
3/4 cup 2 Samuel 16:1
Whole Genesis 43:11
Her mother helped us think through what was meant by leavening and certain more arcane references.
I know it’s hard to believe, but in South Korea, Spam is considered a holiday treat, one that inspires happy memories.
The BBC’s Lucy Williamson had a story about it in September.
“South Korea,” she wrote, “is preparing for the annual lunar thanksgiving holiday, which is known as Chuseok.
“Locals celebrate the holiday by visiting relatives, paying respects to family ancestors as well as the giving and receiving of packaged cans of Spam.
“While that might sound odd, the tins of pre-cooked pork have become a staple of South Korean life.”
Brand manager Shin Hyo Eun explains, ” ‘Spam has a premium image in Korea. It’s probably the most desirable gift one could receive, and to help create the high-class image, we use famous actors in our commercials.’ …
“Spam was introduced to Korea by the US army during the Korean War, when food was scarce – and meat even scarcer. Back then, people used whatever they could find to make a meal.
“But the appeal of Spam lasted through the years of plenty and it’s now so much a part of South Korean food culture, that it’s the staple ingredient in one of the country’s favourite dishes: budae jigae or army stew.”
Ho Gi-suk runs a restaurant near a U.S. base.
” ‘Back then,’ she tells me, ‘there wasn’t a lot to eat. But I acquired some ham and sausages… the only way to get meat in those days was to smuggle it from the army base.’ …
“Army Stew is now well-established as part of South Korea’s culinary landscape — as traditional here as Spam gift-sets for thanksgiving.
” ‘It’s salty, and greasy, and goes very well with the spices,’ one customer told me. ‘Korean soup and American ham – it’s the perfect fusion food.’ ”
Justin, a family friend, worked for several years at the Catalina Maritime Institute but was no longer there, alas, when a giant mystery fish turned up last week.
Melissa Locker has the story at Time, “It sounds like something out of a horror story: Jasmine Santana was snorkeling off the coast of Southern California’s Catalina Island when she spotted a half-dollar sized eye staring up at her.
“It wasn’t a Halloween prank, though, but the body of a giant oarfish resting on the sandy bottom in about 20 feet of water. Instead of panicking at the sight of the sea creature, Santana called in the troops. After all, she is a marine science instructor at the Catalina Island Marine Institute. Even as such, she had probably never seen anything like this 18-foot oarfish before. The elusive sea creatures live thousands of feet deep in the ocean and are rarely seen alive or dead. …
“The creatures are the longest bony fish in the world, known to reach 56 feet in length.” More.
Justin’s father answered an e-mail I sent: “The photo on the beach with all of the kids holding the oarfish was at one of the two camps that Catalina Island Maritime Institute operates. That one in the photo was Toyon Bay. Justin worked at Camp Fox, about 10 minutes away by boat. … I just read in today’s Providence Journal that a 2nd dead oarfish was found Friday in the water near Oceanside, CA.”
What can it all mean? What will turn up next? A giant squid? The Loch Ness Monster?
If you see the Loch Ness Monster, be sure to let me know and I’ll come running. So disappointed Bigfoot turned out to be a brown polar bear, even an ancient one. I was hoping he would be more human.
Photo: Catalina Island Marine Institute/Reuters
The crew of sailing school vessel Tole Mour and Catalina Island Marine Institute instructors hold an 18-foot-long oarfish that was found in the waters of Toyon Bay on Santa Catalina Island, Calif., Oct. 13, 2013.
Around the country, generous people have been “paying it forward”– doing a good deed for someone else that was done for them.
Only in this case, it’s more backward than forward because it involves paying for whatever the person behind you at the drive-thru has ordered. It’s become surprisingly widespread, according to Kate Murphy, writing at the NY Times today.
“If you place an order at the Chick-fil-A drive-through off Highway 46 in New Braunfels, Tex., it’s not unusual for the driver of the car in front of you to pay for your meal in the time it took you to holler into the intercom and pull around for pickup. …
“You could chalk it up to Southern hospitality or small town charm. But it’s just as likely the preceding car will pick up your tab at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through in Detroit or a McDonald’s drive-through in Fargo, N.D. Drive-through generosity is happening across America and parts of Canada, sometimes resulting in unbroken chains of hundreds of cars paying in turn for the person behind them.
“Perhaps the largest outbreak of drive-through generosity occurred last December at a Tim Hortons in Winnipeg, Manitoba, when 228 consecutive cars paid it forward. A string of 67 cars paid it forward in April at a Chick-fil-A in Houston. And then a Heav’nly Donuts location in Amesbury, Mass., had a good-will train of 55 cars last July.” More.
I love the idea, but I think I missed something. Do you give the order taker an extra $20 and get the change when you pick up your meal at the next window? Or does the cost of the stranger’s meal have to go on your credit or debit card?
Emma Ailes writes for BBC Scotland, “In a locker room at Scottish Ballet, a group of dancers are lacing up their ballet shoes. Only one thing marks them out from the other dancers here. These dancers are all in their 60s and 70s.
“Today, they are rehearsing ‘Swan Lake.’
“Among them is Alicia Steele. She danced when she was young. Now, nearly 80, she’s back.
” ‘I went to keep-fit classes, but I found them a bit boring,’ she says. ‘And I love the music with the piano. I just love it and it makes you feel a bit young again. It doesn’t make you look young, but it makes you feel young inside.’
“There’s been a 70% jump in the number of adult dancers signing up for classes in recent years, according to the Royal Academy of Dance. Some, like Alicia, danced when they were young. Others are complete beginners.
I took ballet both as a child and as an adult. But for now, I am sticking with tai chi chuan. Today the teacher had me learning complicated new moves with the advanced students. “You deserve it,” he said to me.
The first picture is of a rock that gets repainted all summer long — sometimes a few times a day — with pictures and messages of various kinds. This painting features mermaids, starfish, and octopi.
I also wanted to include some more lovely clouds, the old Massachusetts state house (dwarfed by modern buildings like Virginia Lee Burton‘s Little House), a warehouse interior repurposed as an elegant atrium for a Fort Point hotel, another one of those “Play Me, I’m Yours” street pianos, the Barking Crab restaurant sign, and a sleeping bee. “When a bee lies sleepin’ …” (Do you know the Harold Arlen song from the 1954 musical House of Flowers?)
Perhaps there’s a theme after all: Trying to see what is right in front of me.
Concerned about education? Observe children. They can lead the way.
More and more educators are taking the approach Sugata Mitra tried when he put computers in the slums of India and watched children teach themselves.
Joshua Davis writes at Wired about another success story in an impoverished part of Mexico.
For 12-year-old Paloma Noyola Bueno, who grew up next to a garbage dump where her father scavenged for a living, school was a bright spot, even when it was all rote memorization. …
“As she headed into fifth grade,” writes Davis, “she assumed she was in for more of the same—lectures, memorization, and busy work. Sergio Juárez Correa was used to teaching that kind of class. …
“On August 21, 2011—the start of the school year — he walked into his classroom and pulled the battered wooden desks into small groups. When Paloma and the other students filed in, they looked confused. Juárez Correa invited them to take a seat and then sat down with them. …
” ‘You do have one thing that makes you the equal of any kid in the world,’ Juárez Correa said. ‘Potential. … And from now on,’ he told them, ‘we’re going to use that potential to make you the best students in the world.’ ”
And so began his effort to teach differently, to help children discover they could think for themselves.
It’s a long article but worth reading to understand the approach that led to a transformed class — with exceptional test results as a sort of minor spinoff.
Photo: Peter Yang These students in Matamoros, Mexico, didn’t have reliable Internet access, steady electricity, or much hope—until a radical new teaching method unlocked their potential.
Ah, yes. All part of the season!
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