What's New
House of Buckets: Adapting to the Drought Crisis in California and ... Cats Don't Count But Showering Together Does
Roberta McReynolds writes: What every citizen of California does to conserve even a drop of water that can be allocated where it is needed most benefits everyone in the country. I'm certain you'll be pleased to know that many of us currently live in houses with buckets tucked under every faucet, and it's making a difference. It's given an entirely new meaning to having a 'bucket list', but I'll get back to that shortly. more »
The Decoration of Men's Fashion in Eighteenth-Century France at The Met Museum: Embroidery, Buttons, Braids, and Sequins
In the eighteenth century, promenading among the shops along the rue St. Honoré became a fashionable leisure activity for men and women alike. This street was home to Paris's marchands merciers, a class of merchants who dealt in all manner of luxury goods, including textiles for furnishing and clothing. The mercers' exclusive right to finishing work — arranging for the addition of embroidery, buttons, braids, and sequins through a network of specialized workers — allowed their customers to choose the exact colors and patterns they wanted at the point of sale. more »
Ferida Wolff's Backyard: A Brilliant Goldfinich Growing Up, A Respected Dandelion Herb and The Wandering Lily of the Valley
The male American Goldfinch is a brilliant bird. His bright yellow feathers attract the attention not only of the female goldfinch but of anyone nearby. The yellow dandelion flowers have changed into fairy seeds, catching the slightest movement of wind or breath to send them into new growing places. Lily of the Valley graces gentle things like weddings and religious services. It is seen as the flower of fairies in folklore. It's included in many birthday bouquets. It's hard to believe that such a delicate plant is so vigorous. But maybe that's why it is so loved. more »
Interracial marriage: Who is ‘marrying out’?
In 2013, a record-high 12% of newlyweds married someone of a different race, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of census data. Looking beyond newlyweds, 6.3% of all marriages were between spouses of different races in 2013, up from less than 1% in 1970. Some racial groups are more likely to intermarry than others. Of the 3.6 million adults who got married in 2013, 58% of American Indians, 28% of Asians, 19% of blacks and 7% of whites have a spouse whose race was different from their own. more »
