Gift Shopping
Shopping for History, a Firebird Doll, Pact and Ozone Socks
Out of the mainstream gifts like the Little Librarian will provide book lovers with everything they need to transform their book collection into a library; a silk scarf embodies part of the biblical creation story from Genesis; a book about women of the north and south in the Civil War and their courage and daring, by donning men's clothes and fighting as soldiers, becoming spies, working as nurses; armillary bookends and Dori Csengeri jewelry, all from museums. more »
CultureWatch Books: The Hemlock Cup and Train Dreams
Bettany Hughes' The Hemlock Cup transcends a mere factual recounting of what we know about Socrates; the book makes the fifth century BC as accessible as possible to a modern reader. Train Dreams protagonist represents a tradition of American men in the as-yet-undeveloped great West who struggled through to their unnoticed deaths after surviving the first World War. more »
Ferida Wolff's Backyard: Many Mushrooms and Squash, a Fruit and a Vegetable?
Wild mushrooms can be dangerous to eat. Some have toxins that can cause digestive or respiratory problems that are uncomfortable, while others are downright life-threatening. But the right kind of mushroom is delicious. As to squash, botanically speaking, it is a fruit! Like a tomato, it has seeds, the telltale marking. Yet, in the culinary sense, the way we prepare and eat it, it is a vegetable. So it is both. And what does that mean? more »
Toys at Our House: Shopping for Visiting Children
We keep lots of toys for grandchildren, things that can be picked up and played with quickly, hopefully to desired conclusions. Some are absolutely classic, some new, but all engage fingers and eyes, puzzles to intrigue and keep a child or an adult absorbed. Here are some to be considered for the holidays. more »