The Hudson Bay Blanket is an historical item that actually fascinates me.
In fact, not only does it have its own history but it also has a background that has interested me for many decades. Eventually this item went on to become used for outerwear in addition to the original blankets. Foremost, this blanket and the clothing that came from it are part of my half century learning and sharing passion or my ikigai.
Vintage Rare Hudson Bay 4 point blanket from Etsy.com with inset of 1936 ad for Mackinaw jacket
“The classic Hudson Bay Point blanket. This is a 4 point Beacon blanket. Has gold tag. Wonderful wool blanket with the iconic stripes. Blanket is in fantastic shape. No moth holes or big issues. There is one faint blemish as pictured. Otherwise in near perfect shape. Great for winter as these blankets are excellent and a great piece for the collector as these don’t come around too often in this shape.” Etsy
Hudson’s Bay point blanket from Wikipedia.org
Origin Paraphrased from The Canadian Encyclopedia: The first point blankets were created by French weavers who developed a “point system” — a way to specify the finished size of a blanket — sometime in the 17th century. (See also Weaving.)
The term “point,” in this case, originates from the French word empointer, which means “to make threaded stitches on cloth.” The points were simply a series of thin black lines on one of the corners of the blanket, which were used to identify the size of the blanket.
Even though the points on the blankets did not have an inherent value, merchants during the fur trade often priced point blankets according to the number of points on the blanket, with one point assigned for small blankets and four points designated for very large blankets.
History
Mackinaw Jacket When all hope failed that a shipment of military greatcoats would arrive from Britain, alternatives named Mackinaw jackets were made from these blankets. Their shorter length jacket was more fitting for travel between Montreal and Mackinaw with its deep snow drifts. In other words, two uses not just one came from the Hudson Bay point blankets. In addition, the Mackinaw jackets were of a superior quality to the British Greatcoats.
Trading with the Indians There is in fact a very controversial side to the story of trading with the Indians. Reference is made to it in the podcast above. It is not my intention to ignore this aspect of the history. But it is my preference to focus on the positive aspects of the Hudson Bay Blanket as a historical rather than political design element.
“Pioneer at Fort Garry 1861” from The Point Blankets site
Favorite food shopping is very easy and convenient for me.
That is because the stores I love that carry the foods I love are right in my neighborhood. Otherwise, I can always get most things on Amazon.com, quickly and at a discount like my favorite Frankies 457 Court St (Brooklyn) olive oil. But let’s stay in my neighborhood, for now.
Google map of the locations of the stores highlighted in this blog post
Ethnic Food Is My Preference. In fact, I prefer it to most American food. Fortunately there is enough of what I like. Therefore I can minimize my intake of the Standard American Diet. Instead, I can indulge in international, gourmet products I love at a discount.
Gala Fresh Farms
There are so many delicacies right here at Gala Fresh Farms in Baldwin that I can’t name them all. So I will focus on two of my most favorites. In fact, here’s a picture of them. My favorite Vantia Food Products imported from Italy and available at @GalaFreshFarms
Anchovies and Cheese Both are so mouth wateringly delicious. The anchovies are actually only lightly salted, even sweet. Therefore, I can enjoy their flavor without getting a mouthful of salt.
In contrast with their wonderful mild flavor is the spicy Italian Primo Sale Fantasia sheep cheese. Olives, arugula, and red pepper are a great addition to the robust flavor of this cheese gem. By the way, the store carries fresh semolina bread to make these choices a complete meal.
Home Goods
This addition to the neighborhood has been a spectacular success. Actually before it become HomeGoods, Rockville Centre NY, there was a less than successful supermarket. How grateful everyone is for the upgrade. In fact, it has made a world of difference to shopping in town.
Cerignola Olives and Lupini Beans Here are two set of my favorite treats from Home Goods. That is to say, first my favorite Italian salty vegetable snacks. In fact, there is nothing healthier when I am in the mood for a salty even astringent taste. Actually the border of this post is a row of bowls of red and green cerignola olives.
A jar of my favorite Bella Contadina cerignola olives and a jar of the same brand of lupini beans
Baklava and Turkish Delight Next I present my favorite Greek sweet treats. Baklava is nutty and sweetened by honey so it it not too sweet. In addition, turkish delight is chewy, tasty but not to sweet either.
My two favorite Greek sweets both available at Home Goods.
Your appetite must certainly be wetted by now. In fact, this was just a very brief introduction. So take a gastronomic tour of Rockville Centre/Oceanside/Baldwin Long Island or your own neighborhood. What was once homogenous middle class neighborhoods have become much more gastronomically diverse and delicious. In conclusion living in the suburbs can include favorite food shopping experiences.
Definition Global Blue zones are regions in the world where people are anticipated to live longer than the average lifespan. In fact, Gianni Pes, Michel Poulain and Dan Buettner did a study that specifically identified five such global zones within the last few decades.
Within the identified areas, there are actually greater than normal numbers of people living healthfully to over 100. Initially each person who qualified became identified by a blue marks on a world map. As a result these accumulated blue marks became solid blue areas. Consequently they were named blue zones.
Locations In other words, the study identified five Global Blue Zones in 2004. They are Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California, United States.
A map of the 5 documented world blue zones published on WisdomofHeart.com
Barbagia region of Sardinia – Mountainous highlands of inner Sardinia with the world’s highest concentration of male centenarians.
Ikaria, Greece – Aegean Island with one of the world’s lowest rates of middle age mortality and the lowest rates of dementia.
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica – World’s lowest rates of middle age mortality, second highest concentration of male centenarians.
Seventh Day Adventists – Highest concentration is around Loma Linda, California. They live 10 years longer than their North American counterparts.
Okinawa, Japan – Females over 70 are the longest-lived population in the world. Power 9® – Reverse Engineering Longevity By Dan Buettner
OVERALL COMMON DENOMINATORS
“We then assembled a team of medical researchers, anthropologists, demographers, and epidemiologists to search for evidence-based common denominators among all places. We found nine.” Power 9 – Blue Zones. They are displayed by the above infographic and the table below.
For clarification, here is a verbal translation of Power 9® – Reverse Engineering Longevity By Dan Buettner. Power 9® – Reverse Engineering Longevity By Dan Buettner transformed into a table format by Alison D. Gilbert
Blue zone community certification
Are the number of blue zones increasing? Yes. In fact, these two articles reveal how things are in the works to increase the number of blue zones as well as work towards more blue zones.
Why Are The Numbers Increasing? Two possibilities factor into the current situation. For example, we are identifying more existing blue zones because we have the criteria. Secondly, we are creating more blue zones because we have the knowledge. As the consciousness continues to increase about what contributes to an area becoming a blue zones, the more the number of zones can increase.
In Conclusion There is no question that we clearly have a long way to go. But at least we are learning what we need to do to improve. Perhaps one day the entire planet will be covered in blue (zones). Wouldn’t that be amazing?!
My pocketbook collection is sizable. In fact it is so substantial that I can not put it in one place.
No Room for Storage I can’t store it either. Therefore I have come up with a unique solution. Since I can’t store them, I decided to display them. And this post is a tour of the collection display I created.
What They Are I have limited my collection to a few brands that are my favorites. Some of them were expensive when I could afford such a luxury. But now I have become a thrifter in my collecting habits.
An Economical Hobby It comes as a surprise even to me how economical my hobby has become. These days it is required that any addition to my collection be a fraction of its original cost. Even with that constraint, I have been able to get quite a lot of very nice pre-owned and vintage bags.
Where I Get Them – New from Catalogs My collection’s history could be described as a pyramid. For example, it started with a few new retail bags available through colorful mail order catalogs. These included Coach, Dooney & Bourke, and lastly Kate Spade.
Outlet Store Malls In fact, the above collections now have outlet stores with discounted new handbags. Once I even treated myself to a bag from that venue.
Where I Get Them – Pre-owned But since then I have progressed to pre-owned bags. It is like hitting the lotto because this method includes an abundance of online stores like Poshmark, Etsy, eBay, Mercari and more. Least I forget thrift stores, fundraising events and even garage sales.
apartment layout for pocketbook collection tour
THE TOUR
Here, There and Everywhere My pocketbook collection is displayed in just about every room in our apartment. In fact, one is welcomed immediately to my collection upon entering our foyer.
Exclusions Actually the only two rooms excluded from the display tour are the kitchen and bathroom. This is for sanitary reasons that I have not hung any of them there. But let’s continue with where they are.
Repurposed media racks make perfect display unit for some of my vintage handbags
1.Hallway Racks Welcome to our apartment and the first pocketbook collection in the display. As you can see, they are showcased on two sets of video cassette racks repurposed ideally for this task.
2.Small Hallway Petite Bags This part of the collection consists of small, mostly monochromatic patent leather vintage Coach bags. In fact, they were mostly thrift store finds.
Hallway Tour Continued These are actually the second set of bags displayed to welcome tourists in the small hallway on the way to the bedroom. For contrast to the purses, their background is a vintage red and gray tablecloth.
3.Bedroom Corner Here a colorful and varied part of my collection resides. For example, there are Very Bradley bags, Arcadia bags, and a variety of other bags accompanied by matching hats.
4.Bedroom Wall This is where the second largest part of my collection on tour is located. Specifically, the east facing wall is where it is located.
Mostly Dooney & Bourke bags with a great plaid cloth behind
5.The Living Room/Studio To conclude the tour one moves on to where it all started. Before being the display’s focus, this was a living room. But now it isn’t a traditional living room at all.
Where the Tour Originally Began
The End Is the Beginning
The end is where I originally started displaying pocketbook. In other words, it is how the tour began. I’d ask, “Would you like to see my pocketbook collection?” And into the living room a guest and I would go.
This wall displays most of my Coach Bag collection as well as others and is the view on my studio wall
Where Will It Go Next? As I mentioned earlier, the kitchen and the bathroom are not part of my pocketbook collection tour. In fact, they never will be. Since they are the only rooms without a display, I don’t know where I will go next. But I never imagined what I have accomplished so far. Therefore you never know where I will go next.
A cherry-pattern-theme is very popular on all kinds of items. In fact I have seen it as decoration on from clothes to kitchenware. Let me also mention that both their theme as decoration and cherries for eating are two of my favorites things.
Fashion Decoration
There are innumerable ways to use a cherry pattern theme. For example, they can be used as decoration on clothes. Clothes Decoration For example, a cherry-pattern-theme on clothes can be playful as well as attractive.
Girl’s cherry print sweater from Walmart.com and Women’s cardigan sweater coat with cherry embroidery from Amazon.com
Fashion Accessories As this blog post progresses, it is becoming apparent that the cherry-pattern-theme is indeed popular. Just to show another category, here are cherries on a Coach leather bag and Vans sneakers. Fashion accessory companies such as Coach and Vans have embraced cherries.
JewelryA cherry boho necklace and earrings from etsy.comA kate Spade hinged cherry bracelet and stud cherry earrings
Room Interiors Decor
Living Room Decor Here’s an example of a cherry-pattern-theme in any room in one’s home such as the living room. Red Cherry Removable Self Adhesive Wallpaper Extra Large Peel & Stick Wallpaper-etsy
Kitchen Decor Although there are many other uses for this theme, the kitchen is where the cherry-pattern-theme really explodes. Examples were so easily found that it was not possible to include them in one blog post. So I chose a few examples that I love the most.Cherry pattern theme from Pinterest.com
Kitchen Kitch
Cherry Pattern CookeryCherry enamel cookery from stpgoods.com
Cherry Pattern DishesCherry plates, old and new design on pinterest.com
. . . and MoreThere are so many items with a cherry decor from etsy and more.
Vintage Cherry Spice jar setVintage cherry spice jar ser found on Pinterest.com
Cherry Pattern TeapotsTeapots by Mary Engelbreit displayed on Pinterest.com
WOW! Even I didn’t realize how many items display cherry patterns. Actually I’ve left my favorite for last. It is the Mary Engelbreit teapot I found on Pinterest.
To begin, the now world famous Burberry brand represents utility, creativity, quality, and timelessness. In fact, none of this was by accident. Rather it is through meticulous planning and an eye towards perfectionism. Here’s how it all began.
1856 – The brand is actually founded by then 21-year old Thomas Burberry.
The Founder “Burberry was founded by Thomas Burberry (27 August 1835 – 4 April 1926) an English gentlemen’s outfitter”.(1)
In addition to being the founder of international chain Burberry which became one of Britain’s largest branded clothing businesses, Burberry happens to also be known as the inventor of gabardine. This invention itself fits seamlessly with the company’s philosophy of fabric and clothing.
The Philosophy “In 1856 Thomas Burberry establishes Burberry in Basingstoke at just 21 years old, founded on the principle that clothing should be designed to protect people from the British weather.”(2) In other words, waterproof. Therefore a special fabric was necessary towards this end.
The Fabric As a result of this need, Thomas invents gabardine(3) in 1879. It is a lightweight, breathable, weatherproof and tear proof cloth. Its genius comes from the small pockets of air which actually allow for ventilation while still being protective.
Then in 1888 Burberry patents gabardine to secure his invention. This fabric to his credit is polished and practical in addition to being a beautiful weatherproof cotton or wool. Its genius comes from the small pockets of air which allow for ventilation. Most notable is that this beautiful weatherproof material remains at the heart of Burberry even today.
Gabardine, a lightweight, breathable, weatherproof and tear proof cloth invented by Thomas Burberry.
The Raincoat Lining Of importance is the fact that the check pattern is first introduced as a raincoat lining circa 1920.
The Check is first introduced as a lining circa 1920 having endured until today.
The Trench Coat This originally was an item of protective clothing that had to be held to the highest standard of extreme functionality as a WWI trench coat. The Burberry Trench Coat design for WWI 1914-1918
The Original Raincoat The now classic Burberry Raincoat from the original pattern with the check fabric lining becomes in fact part of the Burberry legacy. Burberry formally acquires the factory in Castleford, the home of the Burberry trench coat, building on our manufacturing presence in the UK- a legacy that continues today
The Scarf, and Name Tag
C.1970 The Burberry Classic Check Cashmere scarf is also born. C.1970 To complete these basics, the Burberry Classic Check Cashmere scarf is also born.
“Creativity has fuelled Burberry throughout our brand’s 166-year history and our shared conviction in its power is central to how we operate as a company”. All quotes and photos from History-Burberry and Our History
Fun decorative socks are an essential part of a coordinated outfit. Not only do my socks have to be colorful. But they also have to inspire a story of their own.
There are in fact several ways to tell my sock story. This post explicitly verbalizes and shows images of how my fun decorative socks can coordinate with the rest of my outfit.
Without delay here are the four types of outfits I have coordinated with fun decorative socks.
FOUR VERBAL DESCRIPTIONS
1. Firstly they can match in color
Let’s say I am wearing an outfit with a the same color in both. 2. Secondly they can match in theme
As an outfit, I can wear socks that have a fruit them. 3. Thirdly, they can match in both theme and color.
But then specifically, my pants may have a cherry pattern. So my socks would have a cherry pattern. Finally, my pants can have a blue background cherry pattern. Then I can match them with an exact pair of socks. 4. Finally, an outfit matches in theme and color from head to toe.
This happens when I really go wild. Ultimately on those days that I display a special combination in my wardrobe.
FOUR VISUAL EXAMPLES
In addition to their description, I want to show image examples of the fun decorative socks choices I’ve described above. 1. First of all, let’s start with an outfit that is matched using color.
Let’s say I have a solid color pair of pants, skirt or dress. In this case, I can match that to a fun decorative pair of socks with the same color background or foreground.
Hanpceirs Women’s Cap Sleeve 1950s Retro Vintage Cocktail Swing Dresses with Pocket from Amazon.comFun Colorful Socks Patterned Funky Happy Crew Sock Combed Cotton Stockings Packs on Amazon.com
2. Secondly, another way to match an outfit is by theme. For example, that means that the colors do not have to match but the design theme does. In this example, notice how the background colors do not match. But the strawberry theme does.
Belle Poque Women’s Vintage Sleeveless Solid Floral Ruched Summer Cute A-Line Flowy Swing Midi Dress on Amazon.com
3. Thirdly and my ultimate preference is they can match in both color and theme.I love everything cherries. Luckily, I found both a sweater and socks in black with cherries on them. Belle Poque Women’s 3/4 Sleeve V-Neck Button Down Cherries Embroidery Cropped Cardigan Sweater Coat on amazon.com
MAKABO Women’s Colorful Funny Novelty Casual Crew Socks Gift Packs on amazon.com
4. Lastly, the ultimate outfit. Everything matches from head to toe. In this case it’s Burberry classics. The next blog post will illustrate Burberry Classics ‘everything Burberry in between’.
Burberry Instarsia Vintage Check Socks
Burberry baseball cap available at Saks Fifth Avenue
My Pocketbook Collection Passion seems to come and go. But the fact is that it never completely disappears. The reason is that it resurfaces whenever I find and then fall in love with another irresistible brand.
First was Dooney & Bourke. Then was Coach, next was Kate Spade, and now is Arcadia. In fact Arcadia ia a very newly discovered brand for me. My latest pocketbook collection passion is Arcadia Handbags. But will it stay or share the ‘come and go’ fate of Coach and Kate Spade? Well, at least it is tops for now.
Passionate Purple From the first images, one can see two NWT bags. These ‘new with tag’ bags come in great colors and designs. Luscious colors are usually available on newer bags, specifically the NWT.
A rare Arcadia Design and color on Poshmark
Mouthwatering Mustard Another of my current favorites is quite a unique Arcadia. In fact it has almost as much smooth leather as it has embossed patent leather. The asking price is almost $300. But the new with tags ‘NWT’ bags are way outside of my price range.
Latest Discovery
Just when I think I have found my favorite Arcadia handbag, another even more beautiful comes along. What could be more beautiful and stylish than a pink and black Arcadia handbag?
Again,the bag I love is not affordable. So what do I do? I have found a solution. There are several online stores that carry Arcadia as well as other bags. In fact, they carry a wide range of ‘pre-owned’ price reduced bags.
Pre-owned Bargains
These online ‘buy and sell’ shops include Poshmark, eBay, Etsy, Mercari, and occasionally Priclist. In fact these sites can offer some terrific pre-owned bargains that I have benefitted from. But I also have made a number of purchases that had to be returned due to unacceptable conditions. Actually getting approval to make a return can be a nuisance. So it’s best to check out thoroughly what you want to buy before you take out your credit card.
Secondhand Shop with Caution
This is because conditions for returning purchases are very strict. So it is essential to examine the online photos and description before purchasing any pre-owned items. A new handbag can be an expensive purchase. Therefore a greatly reduced pre-owned price can signal minor or significant wear and tear.
Arcadia pink mini bag with dust cover
Here’s A Bargain Here’s a great looking pre-owned bag. I love it. Take note of the scuff in the bottom left corner. In addition, read the description that confirms it.
“Arcadia mini shoulder bag. Pink Patent Leather with Tan leather trim. Dust cover. Minor scuff as shown. Otherwise good condition. Made in Italy”.
If that is all okay with you, remember to add tax and shipping. Then your total for this bag that will never look new is over $40. To me that is a bargain. Besides I do love pink. So I might go for it. How about you?
Pre-owned but Not a Bargain
Meanwhile here’s another pre-owned bag. It looks great from the front. The price is great too. So why is it so cheap? Now look in the photo of the corners confirmed by the description. It looks terrible. The photo is transparent but the description is not. No bargain here.
“This bag is gorgeous and has gold detail with leather trim. The corners have some wear but everything else is like new.” I don’t think so!
Beware the wear and tear on this ‘gorgeous’ ‘like new’ bag.
Here are two licensed design artists whose work I love.
Their licensed designs are based on their illustration and writing projects sold to product manufacturers. By name, they are Mary Engelbreit and Susan Branch. In fact, you may likely be familiar with their work. If so, that would be from both their prolific past work and present activities as well. As I mentioned, from their start I have loved and continue to love their work.
A brand is the means by which an entity is recognized across the board. The brand itself can be visual or verbal material. The entity can be a person, product or company as well. In fact, the brand can be the work of the designer him or herself.
In the cases of both Mary Engelbreit and Susan Branch, their design media that lead to their work being licensed was primarily their illustration and writing skills. For example, Mary Engelbreit’s licensed designs include greeting cards, books, and kitchen accessory designs.
Similarly, Susan Branch’s licensed designs actually also includes books, calendars, fabric and wallpaper patterns. In other words, all kinds of kitchen and eating accessories. After all that, Susan is also a cook and recipe writer. Otherwise, their work runs along very similar lines at times. But they still have unique, distinct styles.
Opening of the New York Coliseum.org
My Story
In addition to admiring their successes, I yearned to become a licensed designer too. Actually, it was during the time I was doing my own illustration work. My work was making personal greeting cards for friends and family. After that, I tried my hand at commercial cards. However brand design was not meant to be for me. In conclusion, I did have the opportunity to have my work published. In fact, I did have a small portion of success at commercially available cards.
My Published Work This is a simple story. It came about as a result of my attending a class in greeting card design at the Parson School of Design in NYC. As a result, the students then received passes to the then famous Gift and Greeting Card Show at the New York Coliseum. It was the only arena of its type in NYC at the time.
@Alison Gilbert for Family Line Greeting Cards. Two cards I designed and sold to Family Line Greeting Cards. I met them at the NY Coliseum Gift & Greeting Card Show. Both cards were published and sold in an upscale gift and card shop on the upper East Side of Manhattan.
Conclusion
There I met a company called Family Line Cards. Both of my commercial greeting card sales were through their company. I may not have become a licensed designer. But above all, I did sell two greeting cards design. Therefore I am very proud of my few moments of success.
A brief history of Kvass, Russia’s ‘bread in a bottle’ Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Legion Media; Sputnik)
Beet Kvass is attributed to being Russian although the earliest recordings can be traced as far back as Ancient Greece and Egypt.(1) Ultimately today, recipes come from many parts of the globe and in many variations exist.
Beet Kvass went in and out of popularity in Russia. At one point it was a noble drink. Over time peasants were saved from starvation drinking it. It was called ‘bread in a bottle’ due to its highly nutritional value. But then it sank to being considered vulgar for poor folks.(2) Today it is experiencing an upswing as its health benefits are revealed again. Clearly beet kvass origins and recipes are not limited to a narrow story.
Barrel with kvass Harrison Foreman / russiainphoto.ru
Varieties of Kvass With its popularity due to health benefits, many recipes developed. But first I would like to present the simplest recipes to the most complicated.
Beet Kvass photo by Bobbi Lin
Red Beet Kvass The simplest recipe requires just filtered water, beets, and sea salt.
Taking the kvass one step further it can list filtered water, chopped red beets, whey to quicken fermentation, sea salt, or sugar, or even honey. Recipes are in the Source & Resource section at the end of this post.(3)(4)(5)
Golden Beet Kvass Although I have not yet made golden beet kvass, it looks fascinating and delicious. One particular recipe includes crusts of rye bread to add to the richness in fermentation and nutrition.
Sparkling Golden Beet Kvass Made the Traditional Way from the CulturedGuru.com
Golden beet kvass involves a more complicated recipe, possibly with more powerful results. I have not made this kvass yet. But I will as soon as I purchase some golden beets and fermented rye bread.
“Pioneer at Fort Garry 1861” from The Point Blankets site
