Thursday, November 17, 2022

A Contemplative Weekly Link Round-Up

 

I've been having fun organizing the new cupboards in the kitchen. It's a lot like deciding how one wants to shelve one's books. (Now... didn't that last sentence sound a bit hoity-toity? One always has that response when one is used as a pronoun. *chuckle*) But I've also started to think of something else, especially when I can see something across the room each time I look up from my lap desk.
 
 
 
Yes, it's that new Santa cake stand. I saw it while putting in my grocery order at Target, and I couldn't resist. Christmas decorating this year depends a lot on the Jeep. It has been used so seldom this year that the battery has gone wonky, and since the Jeep sits right in front of the shed where the Christmas decorations are stored there could be a problem. We shall see.
 
Did you happen to notice the painting hanging above the cake stand? It's of St. Nicholas Church in Letchworth, England. The land the church is on was listed in the Domesday Book, and the church itself was built in 1109. Yes, I've been there, and I love the story about the mailbox that's at the lychgate of the church. The red cast iron box is emblazoned with a large VR for Victoria Regina.  Many years ago, a delivery van backed into the mailbox and damaged it. The powers-that-be wanted to replace the old box with a new ER (Elizabeth Regina) one. The vicar and the parishioners were having none of it. The VR mailbox was repaired and is there to this day. Another factoid about the church: Denis used to be a bell ringer there.
 
Thanksgiving is next Thursday here in the U.S. I hope everyone who celebrates has a wonderful turkey day (even if they don't eat any turkey). I have so very much to be thankful for that I know it's going to be a special day here at Casa Kittling. 
 
Enjoy the links!
 

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
 
►Book Banning & Censorship◄
 
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
 
►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄
  • Thanks to climate change, Emperor penguins have joined the threatened species list.
  • There's even more evidence available that being around birds can improve your mental health. (I could have told you that for free.)
  • A five-month-old bird set an insane world record flying non-stop from Alaska to Australia (in eleven days-- WOW!).
  • A photographer captures striking studio portraits to show the dignified side of wild animals.
  • Honeybee swarms can produce as much electric charge as a storm cloud.
  • In 2020, no monarch butterflies were seen along California's Central Coast. This year, nearly 4,000 returned.
  • 45 puppies that fell asleep in the funniest places.
  • No one knew that birds have this "mind-boggling" behavior.
  • Deer-car collisions rise when daylight savings time ends. 
 
►The Wanderer◄
 
►Fascinating Folk◄
 
►I ♥ Lists◄
 
That's all for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.
 
Stay safe. Stay healthy. And don't forget to curl up with a good book!

14 comments:

  1. I love the way things like that painting or the cake plate have stories behind them, Cathy. Those stories are the layers and depths that make up the people who own things. Thanks for sharing yours. Also thanks for the links, as ever. So many great links, too! There's the shipwreck, that priestess' grave, and that ancient Roman building, too. One worders which one to visit first! 😉

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    1. I thought I might leave one with quite an itinerary. ;-)

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  2. I see the book banning frenzy has now come to my town, Tomball, TX. My children were schooled in the Tomball ISD and emerged unharmed and unindoctrinated. Of course, that was a few years ago and there were fewer crazies about then. I pity parents who have to deal with all this now.

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    1. So do I. I think this book banning nonsense is going to touch every corner of this country.

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  3. Have a very good turkey day, especially glad for your spouse's improving health. I'll come back for the links, but I'm frowning at the banned books section.

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    1. I long for the day that section of the links will disappear (and I hope that it doesn't disappear because it is the new status quo).

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  4. I am so glad you mentioned the painting above the Santa cake stand because that is what drew my eye right away! What an interesting story. There is something very relaxing about organizing shelves of any kind.

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    1. Yes, that has always relaxed me, although I have friends that have the opposite reaction.

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  5. Lovely cake stand and painting. Happy Thanksgiving.

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  6. Ooh, have a great turkey day and enjoy "Desert Star." See that you have it in audio, so you can even listen while you are working on your holiday dinner.

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  7. Well, everyone is still at home, so I ordered tons of chocolate ice cream and mousse and that was my holiday and I watched The Lincoln Lawyer. Works for me.

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