Four Carrie Nation Blocks

The term “spoiler” is a relatively new concept. When I was younger everyone watched a TV show at the same time or they simply missed it. Then VHS recorders came along, and you had to rush to view what you’d taped before someone let slip who shot J.R. As if somehow your experience was “spoiled” if you knew what was coming. I know people who avoid the Internet – and even their friends – so they won’t hear about Infinity War or Game of Thrones before they actually get around to seeing them. As it happens, they needn’t bother. Two researchers from UC San Diego have proved spoilers don’t spoil anything. They had test subjects read short stories like Chekov’s “The Bet” and Christie’s “A Chess Problem.” Some knew the end in advance; some didn’t. Those who’d been told actually reported having a better experience than those who hadn’t. So you can stop protecting your own ignorance. Vader’s Luke’s father. You’re welcome.

Eight-Point Star

I love pesto. I love what it can do with crostini, poached eggs, fresh tomatoes, steamed veggies, pizza, sandwiches and of course pasta. Our favorite use for fresh home made pesto is to toss it with hot, al dente penne, walnuts, halved grape tomatoes and lots of grated parmesan. This salad comes in at a close second:

Pesto Salad

2 pounds orecchiette (The name means "Little Ears.")

1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh pesto

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cups crumbled feta

Fresh basil, for serving

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook orecchiette according to package directions until al dente. Drain, then transfer to a large serving bowl. Add pesto and toss until coated. Add tomatoes, feta, and extra basil leaves; toss gently. This recipe makes enough for a crowd, but it can easily be downsized.

Sixteen Cotton Reels

She was born on Independence Day, 1971 in the San Francisco Zoo. She was given the name Hanabi-ko, which means “Fireworks Child.” But most of the world knew her as Koko the gorilla. While still an infant, she was chosen to participate in a sign language research project. Koko died peacefully in her sleep two weeks before her forty-seventh birthday. In a statement about her passing, The Gorilla Foundation said, “Her impact has been profound and what she has taught us about the emotional capacity of gorillas and their cognitive abilities will continue to shape the world.” Throughout her life, Koko has been making headlines. She learned to communicate and connect with humans. She used a camera to take a selfie in the mirror. She learned to play the recorder. She adopted a kitten and when it died, mourned its loss. Now the rest of us will have to mourn hers.

Carrie Nation

Her first husband died young, a victim of alcoholism. Their only child, a daughter, had several birth defects, which Carrie believed was another result of her husband’s drinking. Instead of blaming him for his own addiction, Carrie Nation blamed society. She began protesting outside saloons and other drinking establishments; at first singing hymns accompanied by a hand organ, and later by what she called, “hatchetations.” Nearly six feet tall and weighing 175 pounds, she must have been a force to reckon with. She was also outspoken – and ahead of her time – in the fight against tobacco and the use of corsets. Carrie Nation died in 1911, but she was still very well known three decades later when the pattern for this block, formerly known as the “Double Four-Patch,” appeared in the Kansas City Star’s quilt column carrying her name.

Four Evening Stars

Last week we dined at Taqueria 27 for the first time. We sampled tacos with shrimp, with mushrooms, with duck confit, and with carnitas. It was all amazing; modest portions with spectacular flavor. But what impressed us most was our drinks came without straws. At so many eateries, out of concern for the environment, we ask not to be given straws and are handed them anyway. Here, they aren’t even offered. T27 is part of a small but growing number of establishments that refuse to distribute plastic straws. Among them are Tsunami, Stein Eriksen, Costa Vida, Hogle Zoo and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I’ve even heard this fall McDonald’s will do away with plastic straws in all their UK restaurants, because customers there have insisted on it. Yes, a straw is a tiny thing. Straws and plastic stirrers account for only 7% of the plastic we discard. But “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”

Four Iceland Blocks

“We have found refuge. Let us come out from our safe places and share from our abundance, hope for a brighter future, faith in God and in our fellowman, and love that sees beyond cultural and ideological differences to the glorious truth that we are all children of our Heavenly Father. Being a refugee may be a defining moment in the lives of those who are refugees, but being a refugee does not define them. Like countless thousands before them, this will be a period—we hope a short period—in their lives. Some of them will go on to be Nobel laureates, public servants, physicians, scientists, musicians, artists, religious leaders, and contributors in other fields. Indeed, many of them were these things before they lost everything. This moment does not define them, but our response will help define us.” – Elder Patrick Kearon

Evening Star

If you own a garbage disposal, chances are you’ve already seen a list of things you shouldn’t try to feed it. Maybe you’ve seen this list as a challenge rather than a warning. You may have shoved one of the listed items down, turned on the water and the disposal, and said, “Hah! Take that!” But what you probably didn’t know is the list isn’t just things you’re disposal CAN’T eat. It’s mostly things that will clog your drains AFTER your disposal has eaten them. Stuff like bacon grease (or any other kind), coffee grounds, egg shells, pasta, fruit and vegetable peels may make it through the blades of your disposal just fine, but then clog your pipes below; a nightmare waiting to happen. Of course there ARE things your disposal can’t eat. Bones and really fibrous stuff like celery, banana peels and corn husks will just spin around until you manually fish them out.