Footnotes to a Conversation, February 26, 2024
“You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.” – Andy Warhol
One of the advantages of housesitting is that I meet people with different perspectives and opinions. We tend to choose friends who think like we do, but housesitting is much more random as I’m choosing sits based on location and timing rather than interests or personality. I meet people whose politics align with mine, while others don’t. I’ve decided that politics is less important than personal values and personality. Some homeowners are enthusiastic and welcoming. Others are more negative. But in every instance, I gain by widening my outlook on life and human nature.
Dusting – A Never-ending Task
I don’t give much thought to housework when I visit a museum, but maybe I should. It takes at least half a day every 2 months to clean the statue of David in Florence’s Accademia Gallery. “The trickiest part of the job, which takes at least half a day, is capturing the dust and spiders’ webs that lurk in David’s curls. The vacuum, with its soft-bristled brushes of various sizes, are used to tackle this part of the job. David’s face gets a good clean, too.” [The Guardian]
Tested & Found Satisfactory
Until the mid-19th century, pets were fed table scraps – with a few exceptions: the 16th century French court hired a boulanger to bake bread exclusively for court pets. Then along came James Spratt, American electrician and lightning rod salesman, who was horrified by the poor condition of dogs at the British docks. In the mid-1860s, he launched a patented dog food, advertising it as the food of show dogs. The industry has thrived ever since and testing pet food has evolved into a fine art involving science, taste panels, and a special facility with 200 cats and 200 dogs to test Purina’s products. [The Guardian]
Born to Run
My brother is a runner, and he is so graceful, a reminder to me of how awe-some our bodies are in their capacity to think and move and repair themselves. Scientists have now learned that our genetic makeup can have a strong influence on athletic performance. “There are more than 200 different genetic variations that can influence sports performance and at least 20 that could contribute to someone being an elite athlete … When combined with the right training and a myriad of other environmental factors, carrying the right variants of certain genes can give some individuals an edge.” [BBC]
How Sweet Is That!
Condensed milk was initially promoted for being safer than fresh milk. Its ability to keep indefinitely made it popular in countries around the world, while soldiers in the American Civil War and the First World War gained a hefty number of calories in a small package. It’s a key ingredient in an assortment of recipes, and you can even purchase a non-dairy version made from coconut milk. From innovation to kitchen staple in 150 years. [JSTOR Daily]
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.