It has been used by humans for at least 10,000 years, judging from cave paintings found in Spain. It was used for embalming in Ancient Egypt. Honey is the only natural food that doesn't spoil. It is a traditional part of a 'sweet New Year' in the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, where apples are dipped in honey. It holds a place in the literary canon as the sole love interest of the bear Winnie The Pooh, who can never get enough 'hunny' to eat. It has been praised for its curative properties, whether on burns or for a sore throat. Many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines feature honey, with Greek Baklava being the most well known and delicious use of honey invented by man. Whether spread on corn bread, sweetening tea, or baked in a cake, honey is our go-to natural sweetener. Thanks, Bees!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
The Carousel, or Merry-Go-Round
Ah, the timeless pleasures of mounting your wooden steed, going round in circles to the tinny calliope music, ever more determined to catch the brass ring. The carousel enjoyed its heydey in the late 1800s and early 1900s, especially in America, where Old World craftsmen let their imaginations soar, with vivid depictions of animals in motion, manes tossing, eyes dancing. A merry-go-round ride is a delight for a child, with the anticipation of picking out the prettiest horse, and the freedom of motion. For the adults, it is a chance to recapture the splendor of youth, with a shared smile between the generations. My favorite carousels are the Looff carousel in Spokane, Washington and the one at the base of the Eiffel Tower. But the one I'd really like to find is the one Mary Poppins rode...
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Timeless or Not? The Vinyl LP
Introduced in 1948, the vinyl LP quickly surpassed the 78rpm shellac album as the standard. LPs could accomodate much more music per side as compared to the 78's measly 5 minute playing capacity per side. However, in the 1970s the LP was eclipsed by the cassette tape, which was in turn overtaken by the compact disc in the mid 1980s. Thought to be on the way to the junk heap of musicdom, the vinyl LP is enjoying a modest, though significant, renaissance as a younger generation discovers the charms of the vinyl album. A spiffy new copy of "The King is Dead" by The Decemberists is sharing shelf space next to our Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits, a sign of our love of the old and the new, the tangible and the crackly.
Friday, January 27, 2012
The Beach
Man has been escaping to the beach, or dreaming of escaping to the beach for a very long time. Or at least as long as they've been making tropical beach calendars. Which begs the question, when people live in the tropics, what is featured on their escapist calendars? I admit to having a Hawaii calendar last year, and a Maldives background on my calendar before that. I am drawn to the water, invigorated by it, replenished just by being near it. And whether that water is the wild, cold Pacific crashing on Northern coasts, or the calm Caribbean lapping at my toes, I just can't get enough. My love of the beach has been timeless.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Rose
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The Drinking Straw
Used by the Sumerians to drink their beer and avoid the dregs of fermentaion as early as 3,000 BCE, used by Argentinians for their mate, used by kids worldwide in its bendy form, the humble drinking straw has been a staple of beverage drinkers throughout the world and throughout the ages. It has evolved from gold and metal, to rye grass, to paper coated with wax, to plastic, and now to biodegradable straws that won't clog the landfills. The straw has been shown to limit tooth decay when drinking sugary drinks, as it limits the contact of the liquid with the surface of the teeth. In crazy straw form, it has coaxed children to drink their milk. My favorite is the straw pictured, the aimiable bendy straw. What little joys have been had by unwrapping said straw part way, then launching the wrapper at your brother blowdart style, scoring a direct hit.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Elizabeth Taylor
Timeless Glamour. She made the transition from adored child actor (National Velvet) to two time Academy Award winner (Butterfield 8, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) She lived larger than life, having been married eight times to seven men. She collected jewels like they were candy (her collection was estimated at upwards of $150 million) and almost single handedly put AIDS awareness and fundraising on the map in 1984, at a time when no one was acknowledging the illness. She was by all acounts tremendously kind, with a bawdy sense of humor, and you get the sense that we will never see another Hollywood star as great in beauty, personality and scope of life experience as Elizabeth Taylor.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Not Timeless - 1972 AMC Hornet Sportabout
Was this the beginning of the end of the American car industry or the beginning of the end of American culture in general? Whattapieceofcrap. I'm sure you are shocked, SHOCKED, that the esteemed AMC, creator of the equally gorgeous Pacer and Gremlin, in addition to the featured Hornet, is no longer in business. This is How Not To Design A Car 101, folks.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Disneyland
The joys of a visit to Disneyland are timeless. Whether you are 3 or many decades older than that, a visit to Disneyland never fails to charm. You never forget your first visit there, and you forevermore want to recapture the magic of first setting foot onto Main Street, USA. My heart still skips a beat when I see Sleeping Beauty's castle. It's been pure fun to take my kids there and experience it through their eyes. I can't wait to go back!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Knitting
As I sit on the couch knitting my striped blanket project, my teenage daughter is next to me, knitting a pair of fingerless gloves with four tiny needles. I think we are engaging in a timeless craft. The first known knitted fragments that exist date from around 1000 CE. For the last 1000+ years, people have been going to town with two sticks and a piece of string! Did you know that knitting was once strictly the realm of males? Now, it is a sport for all. The best thing about knitting is the human connection: yes, you can teach yourself from a book, but it's infinitely better to have a teacher by your side, helping your clumsy hands figure it all out. Knitting skill is handed down, generation to generation, person to person. The second best thing is also about connection: most knitters enjoy knitting gifts for family and friends, or charitable endeavors. If you ever receive a hand knitted item, you are the recipient of tangible love.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Navy Peacoat
This sartorial standby has its genesis in the 1700s, where it was developed to protect sailors from the elements on deck. Dark navy 30 oz wool was the standard, with eight buttons and wide lapels. Today, the wool can lighter in weight, and clothing designers have a ball nipping and tucking and playing with color and texture, but the essence of the peacoat survives. A Coat For All Time.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Crayola Crayons
Who says time travel isn't possible? Take a deep whiff of a box of Crayola Crayons and you are instantly transported to Kindergarten, your five year old self drawing a house, a lollipop shaped tree and sun with sure, determined strokes. Accept no substitutes, there is only one brand of Crayon and it is Crayola. They've been around since 1903, and have 99% name recognition in the US. Whether in the 24 pack, the sturdy rectangular 48 box, or the extravagant 64 assortment (with built in sharpener), these are the go to item for becoming a kid again. Timeless fun.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Helvetica
Can a font developed in 1957 be timeless? If timeless=ubiquity, I think we have a contender. Developed in Switzerland, it has achieved cult status, even starring in a film ("Helvetica", what else?). It is everywhere, quite literally. It is the signature font of: the New York City subway system and the Chicago 'L', the Gap, BMW, Toyota, Panasonic, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, Nestle, Verizon, The North Face, JCPenney, Target, 3M, and...federal income tax forms. Where else could hipsterish Urban Outfitters and the US Government find themselves in bed together, except in the vibrantly modern yet accessible and welcoming bosom of Helvetica?
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Roast chicken
Peasant cuisine, haute cuisine and everything in between. A perfectly done roasted chicken, slowly cooked, gently flavored, is heaven on earth. Salt, pepper, olive oil, maybe some lemon and garlic, and the dish is elevated beyond the sum of its parts. Timeless cuisine.
