Drink Deep from the Well of Knowledge

This information is from wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_worm.

Earthworms eat undecayed leaves and other plant matter. After it’s gone through processes in the worm’s stomach, it comes out as rich organic matter that is great for the garden.

And now for the juicy stuff. Earth worms have sex! Who knew? They are monoecious, which means they have both eggs and sperm on them. They have sex by laying on top of each other and exchanging sperm, which they store. Later on, when they’re all relaxed and smoking a cigarette (ha, just kidding), they form a cocoon and insert their own egg and the sperm they got from their “friend” into the cocoon, and then back out of it. At some point later, small but fully formed little worms emerge (though without their sexual parts, which come later – you know, at worm puberty, when they get crabby and irritable).

They can also regenerate, which is good news, since I’m pretty sure I’ve severed many an earthworm’s back side while hoeing the garden. That assuages a lot of guilt. Whew!

Here in Maine, the trees are leafing out… even the oaks are halfway to green. It’s a great time of year to get out exploring and find some new trees to put on the National Register of Big Trees. They take nominations…

Last year, me, my husband, and sister, went out to find Herbie, the biggest living elm tree in New England. Located in Yarmouth, Maine, it’s a short 30 minute drive from home. I expected Herbie to be on the main drag in Yarmouth, and it took quite a bit of driving around, getting lost, and even giving up, before we actually found Herbie. We were discouraged and trying to find our way out of a Yarmouth neighborhood to go home when we all sort of had the same realization at the same time “wow, that’s a big tree.”

Herbie is inconspicuously located in a regular neighborhood in someone’s yard. A plaque marks its girth and age. Herbie survived the Dutch Elm epidemic that wiped out a good portion of the nation’s elm trees in the 20th century.

In America, the “land of big,” big trees are somewhat of a rarity. We’re used to seeing big buildings, big spaces, big plates, and big people..but one trip to Europe can convince you that our trees are downright puny. The big trees that we do have are majestic, inspiring, historical, and rare. They remind you that not everything is new in this young country. Some trees predate white people by hundreds of years.

So now that I’ve seen Herbie, my next trip is the giant redwoods in California.

What big trees are in your neighborhood? In your state?

I’ve always been drawn to Edward Hopper’s paintings. I’m generally more of Renaissance girl – I especially love Botticelli. And the pre-Rafaelites too. I guess I like the mythical/romantic qualities to them. Realism is ok, but since the invention of the camera, why not just see the real thing. And I guess I’m just not abstract enough for most modern or contemporary art. Though I do have an open mind.

But Edward Hopper appeals to me. I like how his paintings are straightforward, and you may not even think there’s anything to them, except they always make me feel a certain way. Usually lonely. But not in a bad way. I have a picture of Two Lights in my cubicle at work. I’d be tempted to say I like him because I live in Maine and know some of the scenery. I’ve been to Two Lights and actually bought the print there, but I liked Hopper before I even thought of Maine as a place I might live.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has a Hopper show till August 19. I think I can make the 2 hour jaunt for this:

www.mfa.org 

I’ve been on a healthy diet for the last few months…very little meat, dairy, sugar, processed food. Now when I eat anything very sugary, or very salty, I really feel ill. But one thing I haven’t been able to give up is molasses. I love it! Especially on vegan pumpkin waffles.

Sugar has been blamed for all kinds of things. First ,there are the obvious culprits…diabetes, heart disease, ADD. Then there’s the “Twinkie defense,” and, no worse, my 3:00 p.m. slumpies. Sugar is indeed a powerful addiction, but did you know that it, along with its byproduct, rum, was a major player in the slave trade?

I always thought sugar cane was found in the Americas, but it actually came from India and was brought to the Americas by the Europeans. The climate in the Caribbean proved perfect for sugar cane and, thus, the sugar cane plantation was born. Sugar cane, and its delicious byproduct, molasses, was used to make rum. The rum was sent to Africa to buy more slaves to be shipped to the Caribbean to make more sugar – creating the “triangle trade.” Read more at http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/history/hs_es_sugar.htm.

Now, what remains is the impact of slavery on the world. Sugar addiction and the obesity epidemic. And the fact that molasses is the best thing since sliced bread. My favorite is grandmas. And remember, black strap molasses has many important vitamins and minerals, so take a teaspoon every morning. No better way to start the day!

Oh, and if you’re looking for rum recipes, here are some good ones using Cruzan rum from the Virgin Islands . Our bartender at the Westin St. John made up a drink called a Silk Shark’s Fin…very good, but unfortunately he wouldn’t give up the recipe.

• Readings by Pulitzer Prize-winner David McCullough and Dorie McCullough and, actress Glenn Close (subject to her availability due to her summer work schedule).
• “Publishing from A to Z in Sixty Minutes,” panel of authors from different genres, and representatives from publishing and agents, disclose the details (financial, etc) that come with publishing a book
• Tess Gerritsen on the packaging of a best-selling author
• The Author is In: Real Authors Answer Your Questions (10 minute maximum) Presented by Stonecoast Writing Program at the University of Southern Maine )