Olaf of Trollhiemsfjord has started an Indiegogo campaign to raise money so he can get to the upcoming Metalsmith's symposium at the end of the month. He would appreciate any contribution you might be able to make.

You can contribute here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-viking-age-metalsmith#share

Bourne, Val, "Perry pears for the nation," The Plantsman, (New Series), Vol. 12, Part 2, June 2013, pp. 118-121.

Many ancient cultivars of perry pears have been saved from neglected orchards in the west of England. The author meets some of the horticulturists who are conserving them.

In spite of all the rain (and snow!) we had a blast at Panteria. We had a beautiful little retreat tucked away from the main part of the site and that was just fine with me. I cooked all weekend and we had the delightful company of Jessica Voloudakis. Frenya Thorsteinndottir joined us for conversation on Sunday evening and ekkehardt and hakerh stopped by on Monday. After pulling out we ate a tasty late lunch at Polka Dots in White River Junction.

We went out after work today to the shoop and left off the camping gear from the weekend. The steel wire shelving isn't in yet to hold it but it gets it out of the storage area so we can begin to unload it to vacate by the end of June. jdulac suggested and I agree that we should stow the commonly used gear all together at the front of the shoop and the poles and canvas we use less frequently in the back. We'll need to rearrange the enameling stations some. In other shoop news, there was a great set of painted wooden shelves sitting in the hallway with a sign that said "FREE" when we arrived so it immediately made its way in and is residing behind my workbench. Score!

We're both fine, jdulac whose office is one street over from the explosions, worked from home today because of the race. I was at the Arboretum, well out of harm's way but could hear all the emergency vehicles responding all afternoon. 

Little Ruth Kitty left us yesterday, she was 22 years old. She had been in declining health over the past several weeks from kidney failure but had been bravely fighting on. She will be greatly missed by me, and jdulac.

She was our dowager, our grande dame, a lady of culture and refinement, to whom we gave a voice something like Bertie Wooster’s Aunt Agatha. In Miss Ruth World she had been on safari in Africa (“That Mr. Hemingway was drunk the entire time!”), had holidayed in Monte Carlo (“And as I was saying to the Duke of Windsor in the casino…”) and was forever bemoaning the general decline of society (“The quality of this establishment has become very poor indeed! Slipshod! Completely slipshod!”). However, in spite of the formidable character we had given her, she was extremely sweet and would purr the moment you stepped into her room. Except that is for Gaston Kitty, the young roué (or so he was styled in Miss Ruth World), who would have loved nothing more than to have been able cuddle with her (he being a cuddler of the first order). However she being a lady of quality would not stand for those sorts of advances. In spite of her hisses, I think Gaston Kitty will miss her quite a bit too.

Is there a place in the Boston area where I can buy BellaLusso crewel embroidery wool? I've looked at it online but I'd really like to see it in person. Any thoughts?

I posted this on FB but thought some friends on LJ might enjoy the story as well http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21412604

The reporter who broke the story of the Pope's resignation could understand Latin and didn't have to wait for the translations to come out!

Remember, remember the Fifth of November...

For those of my friends in the Boston area who might be interested, the Market Basket grocery store in Ashland carries Halal chicken. I don't know if any others in the chain do or not.

Please keep him in your thoughts at 1:20pm today. The vet will be helping him along on his journey then.