Footnotes to a Conversation, March 3, 2025
“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” – Bertrand Russell
The Art of the Detour
“In a world where every route is optimized, where algorithms predict our movements, and speed becomes an unassailable norm, the detour stands out as an act of resistance. It is the assertion of reclaimed freedom, a refusal of systematic efficiency that reduces our experience of the world to a digital sequence of endpoints. To veer off course is to break free from imposed itineraries, to restore time and space to their full density, their mystery, their ability to surprise.” [The Nature of Cities]
Crafting Powerful Messages
Embroidery tells a story, whether it’s a young girl’s first sampler, a christening gown passed down from one generation to the next, or a Georgian waistcoat. Fragile Threads, a program of the Royal School of Needlework is “championing biodiversity, using needle and thread to craft powerful messages about the importance of protecting the natural world”. Independent projects will explore sustainable textiles, natural dyes, and working in non-textile mediums using sustainable materials. [Royal School of Needlework]
Trying to Understand
I read a lot of non-fiction as it provides me with the in-depth look at people and events that I crave in order to increase my understanding. If you’re looking for a good book of non-fiction to read, I highly recommend having a look at the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction longlist.There are books to suit every interest, from wildlife and oceans to the everyday life of Vikings and a fearless World War II resistance fighter. [Women’s Prize]
Shrove Tuesday
“The ‘shrove’ of Shrove Tuesday … is a form of the verb ‘shrive’, which in its Anglo-Saxon form meant the taking of confession by a priest, and the absolution of the penitent’s sins. Shrift is an offspring of the same verb. A condemned criminal would only have a short time to be given ‘shrift’ – and thereby absolved of their sins – by a priest or prison chaplain before their execution … It is this dark past that lies behind our modern meaning of giving someone short shrift, which is to treat them in a cursory and dismissive way.” [Word Perfect, Susie Dent]
Around the World in Pancakes
And, for a lighter, more flavourful approach to Shrove Tuesday, I recommend pancakes! There is such a variety of pancakes to choose from – spongy, sour Ethiopian injera, French crepes, Italian farinata, Indonesian serabi, and Korean jeon. You’ll find recipes for all these options and more by following the link. [Serious Eats]
Cheering for the Good Guys
If world news is pulling you down, I recommend going to see Paddington in Peru. Love and family are stronger than money, and, if all else fails, a marmalade sandwich may save the day. [IMDB]
The Optimist and the Pessimist, McLandburgh Wilson
“Twixt the optimist and pessimist
The difference is droll;
The optimist sees the doughnut,
The pessimist sees the hole.” [Oxford Reference]
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.