On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:09:32 -0000, "Jymn" 
blethered:

> In urp, Halla  wrote in response to Jymn's reply to her previous post:
><snip>
>>> I don't if there is a direct correlation between Yule and
>
>The missing word being know, apologies.
>

<looks again> Oh, so it was! <g>

<snip>
>>>> That sounds complicated. <g>
>>>
>>> Its probably less complicated than my from memory
>>> explanation. I'm fairly sure there are rules for determining
>>> any additional intercalary days (just like we have for leap
>>> years which serve the same purpose)
>>
>> I imagine so, and that one would be used to calculating using
>> that system. Bit like pre-decimal currency, which I missed
>> totally. Sounds complicated to me but once it has been
>> learned it would be fine.
>
>I was 8 when it disappeared, but then had to become a dab hand at 
>translating pence into real money for various relatives and neighbours. I 
>doubt it meant that much to me when it was in use, but I did  get quite 
>familiar with it when it had gone, and now appreciate the humour in folk 
>complining about how much something is using old money and comparing prices 
>to their pay packets 40 years ago.

Heh. I had a good dose of nostalgia from my gran the other day, which
was lovely but at the same time really quite sad, although she sounded
a bit happier than she has done at any time since my grandpa died.
Problem is we're stubborn women and she would never consider any sort
of mobility aid but is frightened of falling so she doesn't really go
out, not even to the church for the nativity services which she loves
- oh, and she doesn't trust anyone's driving. Grr. <wry g> I was told
all about half the old gossip from Paisley, and dolls that she and her
sister had when they were children and mice in single ends and so on.
Not exactly old money, but... <g>

>
><snip>
>>> If I can find my notes on festivals and calendars I'll post
>>> them, but that may take a while.
>>
>> Again, that's alright. I am aware that I owe you a DVD at
>> some point, too, so I can't really comment on tardiness. ;-/
>
>Waiting is.
>Did I ask you about Victorian Kitchen Garden? Or did I just mean to and 
>forget to put it into practise?

Um. You might have done. I might have forgotten if you did. <:-/

><snip>
>>> One possibility is a tree trunk dragged into the hearth, the
>>> end of the trunk is burnt in the fire and as its consumed
>>> the trunk is pushed forward into the fire. Probably easiest
>>> to do with horses and chains, but could be done with
>>> manually.
>>
>> <nods> More suited for a house-heating fire than a
>> house-heating-and-cooking fire?
>
>If it burns you can cook with it (you can also burn your house down, but at 
>least you could use the embers to bake potatoes and barbeque burgers for the 
>onlookers)
>

<g>

Must be slightly odd to have to cook everything at the other side of
the kitchen though - wouldn't fancy getting things too close to a
burning trunk, unless everyone likes eating charred remains. :-)

<snip>
>> Again I was watching the Power of the Planet (good series,
>> although I may be saying that because his conclusion about
>> the future of the planet agrees with my own ;-) last night,
>> he was on Madagascar showing deforestation. Not all due to
>> cooking fires or anything mind you, this is another place
>> which uses fire to clear new areas for farming. To coppice
>> wood one needs to know that there is a long-term use for it,
>> rather than merely needing it out of the way.
>
>True, and fire clearing has a long history - just look at Austrailia.

Yeah.

>Trying to convince people that have always done it that way, that it really 
>is a bad idea is an uphill struggle, 

Yeah well, it's tricky to say that the future will not be as good if
the trees are cut if the present is really hard. 

>but clearence for subsidence cropping 
>is a lot more sustainable than the same technique for cash crops - the sheer 
>area of land cleared tends to mitigate aganst recovery.

Indeed. :-( I seem to remember that king prawns are the least ethical
food on the planet - not only do they have lots of food miles but
their production leads to habitat destruction, pollution and
displacement of people in the ares where they're raised. Yum.

>
>I'll have to watch out for that series being repeated or turning up on DVD 
>(or binaries usenet)

I know it's not coming to UKNova because the DVD is released in
January or something. I don't see it on other torrent sites either
(and quite right too because that would be naughty of them, ahem. <g>)

<snip>
>>> You could be right, but acquiring a taste for the pure
>>> flavour of reality might take some doing in this fast food
>>> addictive and flavour enhanced world.
>>
>> Surely reality isn't bland? Merely... unprocessed?
>
>Savoury foods without msg aren't bland, they do seem that way if you're used 
>to msg in everything.

Suppose so. 

>Personally I like beef lightly seared and served on the bone, 

Mmmm.

>it seems the 
>majority of people like it processed to death and served with a load of gunk 
>to hide the fact its abit of an animal.

Yeah, I don't understand that. Either that or it's to add some flavour
to sad tired meat that doesn't taste of a lot on its own. 

>I suspect a lot of people might actually enjoy it my way, if they could be 
>tempted into trying it. The same applies to reality, disguising it with a 
>lot of gunk seems to be the way most people want it.

True. 

>
><snip>
>>>> It's getting a bit like that here. One or two places have
>>>> nice lights but a lot seem to be going purely for the 'ooh
>>>> shiny!' effect.
>>>
>>> I'm turning into Scrooge, while other folk ar raving about
>>> how pretty they are I keep wanting to shout "Bah! Humbug!"
>>
>> Heh. There's a shop here selling black Santa hats with 'Bah
>> Humbug' printed on them. They're quite fetching. <g>
>
>Temptation <g>

I may venture to a shop (or I may not, it's getting hairy out there)
and buy one, and convince someone to have a picture taken while
wearing it. <g>

>
>> I quite like the shiny lights, but it seems a waste. All that
>> extra pollution, ho hum. On top of that generated by all the
>> central heating in town being on practically constantly the
>> past few days as the frost has settled in.
>
>Does that make me an eco-scrooge, should I opt for a green hat ;~)

Only if you're going to keep it and re-use it, of course! ;-)

>
>> Glorious weather
>> though, the sun looks incredible rising through the frost and
>> setting about ten minutes later. <g> The moon sails above
>> too, in a totally clear blue sky. Lovely (frost on the beach!
>
>Sounds beautiful

It is lovely, surprisingly chilly though. <g> I'm actually quite
cheery about that, last couple of years we've been here there hasn't
really been any frost at all. Rain last year, mostly, and howling
gales. Lightning on Hogmanay, even, and trees being blown over (and
some poor sod who decided that going anywhere by motorbike was a
sensible idea...). Last time I've even seen snow here was the year we
headed back from round about Blackpool in the snow, the closer we got
to here the less there was until we rolled into Troon and saw dozens
of little snowmen stranded forlornly on bare green grass. <:-) I'm
told the kids enjoyed the snow while it lasted though.

>
>> Always boggles me, that), apart from all the cars left
>> running to heat up in the morning, the salt thrown all over
>> the road and the aforementioned central heating steaming
>> away.
>
>I'm sure I could make some witty comment, but the contrast just seems so 
>sad.

I suppose it's what we do to get by in adverse (to humans) conditions.
I don't know how many folk notice the frost or the sun except as
annoyances on their daily drive though. We've noticed it because it
would have been ideal if we could have had the allotment field
ploughed before this frost, it would have done a lot of work for us.
Then again it might have scattered even more ragwort, but ho hum. <g>


-- 
"I can still see her face at thirty.
When will I be most myself?
I thought I'd always be their child.
In my sleep it's never winter."