St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church
Yesterday, Front Porch Republic featured a poem by James Russell Lowell, "To the Dandelion", which joyfully describes the flower as fringing "the dusty road with harmless gold." Somehow, we no longer see it as harmless. This is reflected in a FPR post today by John Cuddeback, who reveals that dandelions are a major target of the herbicide industry, as evidenced by the products for sale at Lowe's. Interestingly, May is a time to create Mary Gardens, and wouldn't you know, the dandelion was traditionally included, though it was known as Mary's Bitter Sorrow.
Live the dream. Visit an English medieval castle. Medievalists.net will lend a hand with its "Top 10 Medieval Castles in England" piece. Each one has remained relatively the same since it was built. Which one would you give top billing? Hopefully, they have not exterminated the dandelions.
Don't you want to channel your Catholic peasant heritage and make some sauerkraut? Sandor Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation, gives an overview of bacteria's role in our lives and how he came to learn about fermenting foods, in this way cool Cooking Up a Story interview.
