What's This All Been Working Toward?

I have been contemplating writing a book intended as a support for people experiencing challenges with eating as a result of changed health status. Because I want to share my learnings about this topic more speedily than the time it takes to write and publish a book, after much thought, I have decide to  launch a new blog, the content of which will, one day I hope, become the book I dream of creating. In thinking through and in doing some preparation for this blog/book idea,  I felt a little pang that 'Summer In Chawton' was left hanging. I felt the need to bring it to a close and to let interested readers know how to connect with my ongoing work on the application of learnings about the history of feeding the sick to address present-day issues of eating and feeding with changed health status, and optimizing the nutritional status of people in hospital.

'Summer In Chawton' was created in July 2010 to help keep my friends and family in touch with my studies as a Visiting Fellow at Chawton House Library (CHL). It served the same purpose again in May 2012 when I returned to CHL as a Visiting Researcher. This final post serves as a sum up of how I have used the work I did at CHL, and an invitation to follow my work on a soon-to-be-launched blog entitled 'Eating With Changed Health Status' (www.eatingwithchangedhealthstatus@blogspot.ca). 

I presented the findings from the 2010 visit to CHL as the 'sample class' during my interview for a tenure-track professor position at Acadia University. The focus of this presentation was my belief that present-day transitional diets (the transition from nothing-by-mouth (NPO or NBM) to clear fluids to full fluids to 'light diet') are holdovers from beliefs in the four humours. This view is aided by two observations; that there is no evidence of physiological benefit of these diets, and that early ad lib feeding (feeding a person what they want when they want it) post surgery results in improved and faster recovery, greater patient and family satisfaction, and earlier hospital discharge. I got the position at Acadia U in 2011, and have since received two grants to further this line of inquiry.

An Acadia University Research Award funded my return to CHL in 2012; the purpose of that trip was to gather additional evidence that there was some truth to the idea that transitional diets had their origins in feeding to balance the humours or to convince myself that I was totally mistaken. The result was reaffirmation of my earlier belief - I felt as though I had cracked a code. Everything I read from the period seemed to relate to this idea. Words such a 'nourishing' and 'wholesome' took on new meaning; their use in medical books in Jane Austen's time was in connection with the supposed effects of foodstuffs on the humours. Jane used these words herself in the character of Mr. Woodhouse in Emma.

The second grant, a SSHRC Small Institution Grant, is funding a project to track the evolution of the use of clear fluids, full fluids, and light or soft diets from 1840 to the present. 1840 is the date of the last cookery book I studied at CHL so the search carries on from there. Our findings completely  support the 'holdover' idea.

I framed this line of inquiry as 'Feeding In Hospitals As Though Recovery Matters', and have made several presentations to garner support for the notion of collective efforts to optimizing nutritional status of people in hospital, and to encourage additional research. The result, I happily report, has been the emergence of some spin-off research projects.

I presented locally to clinical dietitian colleagues in Yarmouth and Kentville, Nova Scotia to encourage collaboration on research projects. The result was that Renee Racine, a dietetic intern at Annapolis Valley Health, conducted a project to ascertain surgeon, dietitian, and nurse perspectives on the rationale for the use of transitional diets. Another intern, Allana Kerr, will continue this work in 2013.

I presented my research on the historical antecedents to present day hospital feeding practices as part of a panel entitled 'Feeding In Hospitals As Though Recovery Matters: High Time For Evidence-based Practice' at the International Congress of Dietetics in Sydney, Australia in September along with two dietitians who work and conduct research in surgery nutrition, Kate Willcutts (USA) and Sharon Casey (Australia). There was a standing room only crowd and enthusiastic reception of our ideas. Our international trio has had a proposal accepted to present a workshop on this topic at the Dietitians of Canada conference in Victoria, British Columbia in June. We are pleased we have the opportunity to further our work together. 

Alas, this post draws 'Summer In Chawton' to a close. I don't imagine I'll return again to study at Chawton (although one never knows). This blog served its original purpose and attracted the attention of more than my family and friends (as I note from the readership stats). My thanks to all who took the time to read it.


Thanks all!

What a week!

Phew! I have been on the go all week.

Wednesday night Anna and Cindy treated me to a wonderful meal at Anna's house. So delicious. They wanted me to see a documentary on Mrs. Beeton so we watched that, and then Anna brought me back to Chawton. What an absolute gift to have met them. I took Anna a small token of appreciation, some organic eggs from CHL. The chickens have been uber productive here of late.

A fabulous trip to Bournemouth on Thursday to meet Dr. Kip Jones (Bournemouth U; Performative Social Sciences). Kip was exactly the person I needed to meet; his work is inspirational! And he was so encouraging. He did a private screening of his film, Rufus Stone, based on Kip's (and others') research. I hope we get to screen it at Acadia when it is finally released.

Back to Chawton on the train, my thoughts a-buzzin'. As a result, I finally figured out my website, after years of not knowing how to include all my varied interests. That Kip, what an inspiration.

Friday to Jane Austen House Museum for the treat of my life. Had a quick meeting with Louise (Director) and Sue (Steward who was going to help me with textiles in storage) about two documents I can/will create for them out of my time at the museum. Then, Sue took out three boxes; one containing lace wedding attire from 1813, one a wool and silk spencer from 1817, AND Jane Austen's lace shawl. Imagine. Took lots of pictures (will post when camera recharged).

I loved that Jane's shawl had a number of repairs...very cleverly done. Sue and I were in wonder at the needlework.

Today (Saturday) I took the train to Stonehenge. It is relatively close by and I thought, why not? When will I get here again. It was an overcast day; good. No chance of overheating. There were loads of people there (as always). Just beyond the parking lot was a path through a field to burial burrows so I went up there. A great view and far, far away from the crowd. Enroute I passed a table bearing a sign "psychic readings" although no one was about...truly psychic, I thought. But no, on the way back the reader had arrived. Imagine a cross between Friar Tuck and Crocodile Dundee...

There were local strawberries for sale off the back of a truck pulled up on the other side of the fence from the parking...a nice change from the packaged sandwiches inside the gates. Trains were not busy. A lovely day out.

When I returned this evening, the shepherd I spoke with yesterday had delivered my fleece. It just fit in the new bag I bought in Salisbury. Speaking of, what a great town is Salisbury. I'll definitely return there. Found some wonderful gifts for the family there!

And now an evening of packing. Early day tomorrow; travelling all day.

There and back again...getting ready to go again

Spent the weekend travelling to Church Stretton in Shropshire to see Lucy and Rachel. What a gorgeous place; we took a shuttle up up up into the hills of the Long Mynd, visited an historic lead mine (partially restored buildings and incredibly interested/helpful volunteers) where we walked underground and met a BAT! We were in its territory, after all. A beautiful part of England on the Welsh borders. Worth a revisit!

I learned (or rather, had reinforced) how much I love pub meals, I had reinforced that the food in England is pretty darned fantastic, that rumours of the ickyness of English food are erroneous, and that requiring gluten free foods has not yet posed a problem wherever I have eaten. All wonderful.

Lucy and I went to the local theatre to watch a British farce...the play was fine...the toupee on the fellow selling programs...my goodness, what was that? Bald is BEE-AUTIFUL fellas! No toupee required!

Then back to Chawton on the train via Winchester where I strolled by Jamie Oliver's new place, Union Jack's. Since it is a pizza place, did not stop for a meal (read about gluten avoidance above). And, I was tired and wanted to get back to Chawton.

Bought some groceries to last through to Saturday, got the bus to Chawton, made a curried chicken meal to share with Sarah, Education Officer at CHL (who has bell ringing practice on Monday nights so I offered to provide her with a meal). Sarah and I had our yummy curry. She went off to bell ringing and I sat on our front steps listening to the bells and the birds. Quite absolutely perfect.

Today I was back at the Jane Austen House Museum to finish going through the JA Society news bulletins since 1949 for mentions of textiles. I studied some of the pieces more closely, and tried to figure out how to provide the Museum with something of use about their textile collection in the limited time I have here. I think a person could do that project full time for a number of months, or for a thesis.

Tomorrow will be my last day in the Reading Room (Thursday to Bournemouth; Friday at JAHM) to wrap up what I want to do here in terms of the invalid's dietary. The research has gone better than I hoped; I have developed a list of questions arising that I will work into the assignment possibilities for students this coming year, have outlined the articles I will write in July, and have prepared presentations for next month and the ICD in September. Such a gift to be able to spend the month here!

I discovered that there will be a conference in Belgium next April entitled, Food in Hospitals: An Historical Perspective. Sent an abstract this morning for consideration for the program (even though the deadline is passed). Regardless of whether I get to present, I plan to attend since it is ideal for my interests.

We're not in Canada anymore!

On my way walking to Chawton House from the Jane Austen House Museum where I had spent the day starting to catalogue the textile collection, I happened upon a fun-looking community event with lots of kids and parents...complete with bouncy castle and everything! I asked a Dad and his son (about 6 years old) what was going on. "Oh, the annual sports evening, a fund raiser for the school!" "Yes", chimed in the little boy, "My Dad is going to work the bar". WHAT? Work the bar? At a school sporting event. Clearly, Toto, we are not in Canada anymore. Just IMAGINE getting that past the Food and Beverage Guidelines for Use in Schools! I giggled all the way here at the thought of that. How hilarious. You will note the bar table set up prominently upon entry to the sports field.

Rule Britannia...and make sure there is a bar!

Ubiquitous bouncy castle...ubiquitous sheep on the hillside.

OK...back to the JAHM. I spent the day going over the database of what they have there in terms of textiles. A LOT. A lot a lot a lot. I have next week to work on it and there is simply too much to get through so I'll spend the weekend figuring out how to best approach it.

There are some pieces that Jane Austen herself made. If I actually get to hold those things...what a great privilege that would be. Pieces are behind glass so I can't take great photos of them but that is surely what I would like to do. I'll make a list of the pieces I would like out of the cases...gulp!
Of greatest interest to me are the sewing kits. There are two of these; I wonder what is inside them? One made by JA herself! For any other textilians out there, I know you will be as interested as I am to find out. Non-textilians wonder what the heck is the big deal...kind of like how I don't really understand being a member of the R2D2 Builders' Guild. That's OK...we all have different interests.

Needle case Jane Austen made for her niece

Sewing kit with WHAT??? inside

Lunch at Cassandra's Cup. Right across the road from the JAHM. This unassuming little building, and I had the best lunch I think I have ever had...a fish salad...an unassuming little name but absolutely incredible. Prawns, two types of salmon, hot baby potatoes, celery root and apple salad, cold beets, tomato, cukes, and mixed lettuce. All gluten free, all fantastic! I'll be back next week while working at the museum.

THE quilt...from whence came those cottons?

And then there is THE quilt, the one that Jane, her mother, and sister stitched. The photo is a part of the border. Small diamond pieces of all the various prints used in the quilt. It boggles my mind to think where these came from given that England didn't yet have a cotton print industry. Such variety of prints.

Local Fleece and a Trek into London

Sunday...cool, dull and windy. I worked in the morning, read more about Florence Nightingale, then at 3 pm walked to Jacqui's where we talked fleece, spinning, textile politics and economics, health care and public education (Jacqui works as a nurse), arts-based health education and research, living in old houses (we were sitting in what used to be a dairy), documentary film, and textile awareness/ public education. A fabulous time.

Jacqui gave me an amazing bag of fleece; two-toned grey and tan. It will look amazing spun up!

Monday...to London with the early morning commuters...for a city of millions of people, it was incredibly quiet everywhere I went. Were people preparing their bunting to hang out for Jubilee weekend? I dunno - but not many people around. Visited Charing Cross Road bookshops (got some books on the humours, early thoughts about circulation of blood, and a history of surgery), had a coffee and people-watched in Leicester Square, took the Tube to Euston in time to attend the British Sociological Association Food Studies Group meeting on Kitchens in Living Memory. Fascinating research; has to do with efforts to help the elderly stay in their homes and changes to kitchens that would facilitate that. Two of their learnings were that kitchens used to be much larger, and that...wait for it...the 'working hexagon' was more efficient than the 'working triangle'. That means, add in a recycling/waste management area, storage/pantry, and something that I forget now to the traditional sink, stove, frig trio. Makes sense. Kitchens in the 1920s seem to have made a bunch of sense with everything at the reach of the food preparer. Interesting stuff.

Went from there to the Wellcome Institute and Museum (History of Medicine); exhibits were closed as it was Monday...found some wonderful (perfect for my studies) books at the Book Shop there. Then hopped the train back to Alton and read about humour-based medicine all the way home. Stopped for a coffee in Alton...more people watching, then walked back to Chawton. Such a day of walking! Being Monday night, the bell-ringers were practicing. Lovely.

Although I came here only 2 weeks ago with a notion that transitional diets derived from humoural medicine, I am now absolutely convinced. It's painfully obvious; the wonder is we haven't known it. Spent today categorizing what Florence Nightingale called 'liquid' and 'light' foods (her recommendations for diet progression in 'Notes on Hospitals' (1863), and preparing my seminar presentation for the Visiting Fellows seminar on Wednesday. This evening, I'll work on categorization of foods according to beliefs about effects on humours.

I write this in the back garden, sun is starting to set, have a cup of tea, and there is SO MUCH BIRDSONG! As we used to say at home when the birds were so chirpy, "Hey, I'm over here...I don't know if you know I am over here but I am over here"...that's birdy speak. It is downright noisy back here...I can hear at least a dozen types of bird calls right now. Usually the rescue chickens and duck contribute but not right now.

We have settled on 7 pm as the time we three researchers convene in the kitchen to prepare our dinners; it's just about that time now so off I go.

Spring Fayres, Below Stairs, a Spinner and a Fabulous Dinner

Golly, I love rhymes. That title just appeared as I typed it without even thinking about rhyming. Love it!

Yesterday, Saturday, a gorgeous warm spring day...chilly again today but the heat appears to be off in the Stables and I find it mighty chilly. Soon time to go down to the Snug.

 Lucky for lovely weather; much going on hereabouts that depended on good weather.

The day started with a walk into Alton; saw another dog poo related sign that made me laugh out loud again...closed circuit TV evidence of not picking up poo??? Seriously?

There was Alton History Days at the Assembly Rooms. Local history clubs had extremely well organized presentations and binders of historical material about local towns and villages; I was happy to get into the Assembly Room main hall, former site of country dances, etc. The Town Crier was out and about crying out announcements. Hear ye hear ye, etc. I visited five charity shops on the High Street (although I don't think it is called that), ever on the lookout for vintage linens, and found a 1951 biography of Florence Nightingale [started reading it this morning - excellent story, highly recommended...I had to tear myself away to write this].

Assembly Rooms Alton

Interior - Alton Assembly Rooms

After shopping for the Global Food Revolution meal at the Stables (more to come on that), popped into the Chawton Fayre and bought two things; a pot of rhubarb-fig jam (yum!), and a book of Harry Potter themed cross stitch patterns en francais. Now, I am not an HP fan, nor do I do cross stitch BUT when something makes you laugh and you can take it home for 30p, then get it. That should be a rule.

On the way home, stopped into the Jane Austen House Museum gift shop. While there, a woman (Jacqui) came in to ask about the spinning wheel to come to the house, and could she do a demonstration. Well....I sidled on up, introduced myself, told her I was also a spinner and weaver, told her about my textile cataloguing at the JAHM, and asked where I could source some local fleece. "From me!", was her answer...much to my astonishment. The upshot is, I am invited for tea this afternoon to pick up some fleece with the promise I shall send her some from Canada. Textilians...gotta love 'em!

The staff in front of Chawton House

In the attic (where maids lived)

Then...(thank goodness for days off) to an open museums event (part of a national event held yesterday, of which the event in Alton was also part) at Chawton House Library on the theme of  'Life Below Stairs at CHL'. Excellent. Staff were in Edwardian dress playing roles (convincingly) of scullery maid, parlour maid, and footmen...poor fellas in their wool suits on a hot day...other volunteers offered explanation of various rooms and daily life as it would have been in that particular room (e.g., the dining room, the servants' hall, etc.), still others ran a tearoom. It was all wonderful. I estimate about 300 folks or so attended. Fantastic event!


And finally, to wrap up the day, I had invited housemates, Lori and Marilyn, to celebrate Food Revolution Day. I made a dinner (pretty darned good it was too!) of foods produced in England (except I used Alaskan salmon as I couldn't find any other sort of wild salmon, and one red pepper from Holland). Greek-themed. Yogurt marinated chicken, salmon, baby roast potatoes, beets, carrots, roasted red peppers, and tzatziki (cucumber, yogurt and dill). Marilyn and Lori had bought 'tubs' of local ice cream from a local dairy at Cassandra's Cup (the local tearoom) so that finished off our meal. A 'tub' here holds 119 ml (just shy of 1/2 cup). Happy I was to have an occasion to contribute to the food revolution!


Here's the link to Jamie Oliver's lovely film to promote the event:
http://foodrevolutionday.com/about-the-day.html

Go Jamie! Go, all of us!

Learning from 1753; BSA Food Studies connection

In reading the Introduction of  'The Compleat Housewife' (Elizabeth Smith, 1753), I came across a sentence that reminded me of my friend, Mary Sue Waisman, and her passion about connecting people with and through food (see her cookbook, Flavour First). The sentence was meant to be a dig at others who were creating cookery books, those she referred to as 'copiers'. It reads:

"...many Things copied from old Authors, and recommended without (as I am persuaded) the Copiers ever having had Experience of the Palatableness, or had any Regard to the Wholesomeness of them; which two Things ought to be the standing Rules, that no Pretenders to Cookery ought to deviate from." 

So there...test your recipes when you are publishing a cookbook (or putting them on the Internet!!!!). This was promoted even in 1753; one would think this would be standard practice by now...enough of my soapboxing...

Monday, May 21, I'll attend the British Sociological Association Food Studies Group meeting in London. The topic is "Continuity and Change: Aspects of the Food Environment across the Life Course", about the life course of the kitchen. Here is the promotional blurb:

"Across the life course, the kitchen can be a central hub of activity. Long discussed as gendered space, in ageing populations the kitchen provides a perfect case study for addressing issues of person-environment interaction where age, gender, class, culture, health and well-being are central.

This paper reports on research involving social gerontologists, ergonomists and designers which studied ‘Transitions in Kitchen Living’ (TiKL) as part of the ESRC’s New Dynamics of Ageing Programme.  The aim was to work with a purposive sample of people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s living across the range of mainstream and supportive housing where the kitchen was still very much a part of everyday life. Following detailed pilot work, two interviews were conducted with 48 older participants (aged 61 to 91 years, born between 1919 and 1949) in Bristol and Loughborough. Prior to the first interview, people were asked to record a housing history and then using an oral history approach people’s experiences of kitchens throughout their lives were recorded prompted by key life events. A second Interview concerned their contemporary kitchen and how well it met their needs. Other tools gathered personal demographic details, routine activities, and photographs recorded aspects of the kitchen that were particularly liked or disliked.

This talk focuses on both the oral history data and the study of the contemporary kitchen to understand how issues of continuity and change throughout the 20th century as food equipment developed in diverse housing circumstances.  For example early experience of cooking in a coal fired oven led to the coming of gas and electric cookers while ‘staying put’ for an older person may now depend on microwavable food."

Dr. Sheila Peace is Professor of Social Gerontology.  A social geographer by first discipline, she gained her PhD in the area of environment and ageing now her area of expertise.  She is co-editor of Ageing in Society: European perspectives in Gerontology, Sage Publications (2007).

Looking forward to it! Coordinator, Rebecca O'Connell, has extended an invite to join the group for lunch afterward! Looking forward to it all.

 

On to synthesizing

Today I started trying to make sense of all of the information I have been gathering from cookery and medical books. Slow going. The terminology in use in the 17th through 19th centuries used the same words although they had different meanings. I came up with a way to sort the info using spreadsheets. That proved very useful.

No dog poo fairy!

Walking into Alton today to get groceries (it is market day on Tuesdays), I saw a sign on a garbage can that made me laugh out loud so I went back this evening to take a picture to share.

No dog poo fairy...."bag that poo, any rubbish bin will do". Poo poetry!

A couple of other things that I saw that I found interesting. One, I've seen on trips here before, is a mobile car wash. While at the grocery store, a team of cleaners will wash your care for 5 pounds. I could make use of that service back home.

 Walking by the Jane Austen House Museum, a film crew...I don't imagine that's all that unusual.

This building is of the Village Hall in Chawton. Symmetry yrtemmyS...there is a lot of that about. There were little girls having their first riding lessons on adorable ponies (visible in the far left of the shot)...reminded me of years gone by when I spent a lot of time at riding stables.

Kicking up a wasp's nest

So there I was, sitting in the back garden, doing a combination of mending, catching up on some writing, plotting out an article, when I heard some folks working on the pond next door, and then I heard a swarming noise...lo' - I turned around and there was a huge swarm over the pond (separated by the garden by a wall; that which used to keep horses in the rear yard of the stable). Yikes, thought I, I don't know anything about the behaviour of swarming, stinging creatures, so I best get inside and shut the doors. No sooner done than the swarm was right where I had been sitting! Good decision to make that quick move! They went to hovering in the back corner of the garden; a couple seem to have found their way into the conservatory, now bashing themselves against the conservatory glass in efforts to get out (...it seems like I could fly straight through, why can't I?...not very large brains, it seems.)

Planning to do a walk in country lanes this afternoon...over stiles and such.

Sunday Roast Meal at a pub or not? Decisions decisions...

A few shots from yesterday at Hinton Ampner. I found the juxtaposition of these two textiles within this huge estate interesting. The quilt is on the bed of the former owner, Ralph Stawell Dutton (1898–1985). The raised embroidery is on the altar cloth in the church on the estate. The curiousity of these pieces is that there is/was a very humble, simple and 'comfy' handstitched quilt in an otherwise sumptuous bedroom while across the drive in the the public venue of the church is gold couched embroidery and all sorts of other incredible pieces of stitchery. Given the magnificence of the house and other furnishings, this quilt was a complete surprise.





 







Here are the books I bought in Petersfield. The cookery selection, one from Glasgow, one from Edinburgh, and an interesting 1950s essay on the vagueries of understanding what accounts for body weight variation.


The sewing/needlework books are from 1930 to 1960s. 'Needlework and Crafts' being a WW2 era textbook complete with the never-used patterns in the back pocket along with a booklet of knitting patterns for the war effort (balaclavas and such). 'Church Needlework' was intriguing; a) not expensive, and b) I had just been in the Hinton church and was taken with the beauty of the embroidery and other needlework. Patterns for choir members robes...who knew this is where they came from?

 

And then, the 'piece de resistance', inside the 'Little Girls' Sewing Book' is this ad for Robinson's Barley...a substitute for artificial asses' milk which is a substitute for donkey's milk which is a substitute for breast milk. Worth every penny to get this book just for that ad!

The Cave of Wonders in Petersfield

Thanks, Cindy and Anna!

Sheep always important hereabouts

Amazing day today…I met Cindy and Anna at the lecture on Tuesday (they have been next door neighbours for 20 years); they kindly picked me up this morning , and took me on a jaunt about Hampshire…to a gorgeous old town (Aylresford pronounced Alsford), to the Hinton Ampner estate (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hinton-ampner/) (gorgeous!), then to what they called ‘the cave of wonders’ bookshop in Petersfield (http://www.petersfieldbookshop.com/). 

The fulling mill (wool processing)

 Found 3 food/cookery books and 4 textile books. I am excited. 

Petersfield Bookshop, aka 'Cave of Wonders'

I had a quick jaunt into the grocery store (it is 2 minutes from their houses), and they picked me up from the shop and  brought me back here to Chawton. So very very kind of them. I had an email from Anna this evening who had been looking on googlebooks and found a reference (1862) to support my research. What a special treat to have met them and to have spent a day with them.

I wrote a 'how's it going with the research?' update for Mary Sue Waisman and thought I'd share it here.

I wrote:

I believe I am starting to get to the point of having read enough about feeding the sick from 1640 to 1960 (when care shifted from home to hospitals) to begin to theorize about it. Still much more to sort out but I am on to something…. I am proposing that some (much?) of what we do now in terms of transitional diets stems from a time when we did not know about physiology and pathophysiology. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the large categories of disease were:

• consumptions (anything wasting – diabetes, cancers, bowel diseases, dysfunction of any organ, cardiac conditions) 
• fevers (anything that causes a fever, mostly infections), 
•  inflammations (something wrong; didn’t know what; did not waste away), 
•  palsies (strokes), and 
•  dropsies (edemas).

Then there were diarrheas, costiveness (constipation), and unexplained bleeding (nose, lung, urinary, rectal…none of these good news except maybe nosebleeds in children where that is still not unusual).

That seems to be what they knew or didn’t know about disease.

There were foods to give for each of these. That’s what I am coding now.

Concurrent to that was a vague belief system about the effect of foods on the humours and the balance thereof. Seemed to be an intuitive thing where people would say “Careful, that’s too strong” or “That is OK, it is light”…sounds familiar?? “Strong” meant that the humours would be unbalanced; light meant that the humours would remain balanced…I think this is what we are still living with the 'something light' without adequately defining it. 

I am thinking about is the use of the term 'nourishing' and what it meant before the 20th century.

And now something completely different....think "gallumphfing!"

Sticky notes on the wall

"Beef ...is to be avoided by sedentary persons, and those of weak nerves, or sickly habits,  but to such as work hard, or take much exercise, and have strong health, it is a grateful, a necessary, a strengthening, and a wholesome food..." (Family magazine, 1743).

I didn't anticipate class considerations in cookery books (beef won't hurt you if you are a labourer...mutton much preferred in 1700s, it was considered the 'most nourishing and balsamick', not surprising considering sheep probably outnumbered people then)...one of my many surprises here.

Blessings upon the inventor of stickies

I spent last evening making sticky notes with details gleaned about foods and arranging them on the wall trying to make sense of what I am reading. It is a challenge to put aside everything I have learned about the human body and how it functions in digestion, or about the nature of organ failure, to try to understand the mindset of those who wrote what I am reading from the 18th century. I have three weeks to sort out this puzzle. There are a number of contrasting terms used to describe both the bodily humours and the characteristics of foods (sharp/smooth; salty/sweet; thick/thin; acid/alkali; closed/open) in addition to the hot/cold and wet/dry dichotomies. The goal was to avoid the state of being that was the first word (e.g., sharp, salty, thick) and to aim for the second. How this all got transmitted and became 'common knowledge', that's what I am trying to figure out.

There is a booklet in each bedroom of the Stables explaining the housekeeping arrangements. One of the bits of advice was about requesting chicken eggs, if desired (CHL has a chicken rescue program). To my surprise, I got 4 duck eggs rather than chicken eggs. I had never eaten one before; I think I like them more than those from chickens!  When was in the laundry room, I looked out the window and there were the chickens and the duck all pecking and eating and making their way through the garden. Thanks to the duckie for these lover-ly eggs.

Gorgeous duck eggs!

 Tomorrow to 'the cave of wonders' in Petersfield!

Categorizing - maybe not to simple?

A day spent in cookery books (starting 1642)...while I originally thought of the four humours (hot, cold, wet, dry) for categorization of conditions and recipes, it looks as though it is going to be more complicated. Today I read all sorts of descriptors that relate to conditions and properties of foods (e.g., opening/closing; sweet/salt; acid/alkali (meaning things that rot and things that don't); others that I don't recall). I am trusting that a month spent pondering all of this will make it more clear for right now, I am in a whirl.

I have to remind myself that familiar words had different meanings in the long 18th century; words such as nutrition, nourishing, inflammation, digestion, and easy/hard to digest. So reading about the purported effects of a dish on a health condition that uses these words needs to be translated into 18th century speak. Super sleuth away!

I also learned two words related to eating/digestion that I found entertaining - surfeit and crapulous.
Surfeit - to have overeaten and over consumed alcohol. Crapulous - suffering from excessive eating and drinking. This discovery came about as I was trying to understand the uses of a recipe for Surfeit Water. Now you know too...

This evening, making a meal from the purchases from the visit to the Market yesterday.

Tracking down recipe details

Tuesday was my first day back in the Reading Room. I have a desk there and a large table in a room down the hall where I can spread out various projects, sort out my beloved sticky notes (that help me organize ideas) on the back of a door, and prop up a large reminder poster that reads "Clear Fluids/Full Fluids - where did these come from?"

Workspace; looking out to front drive

Prior to the Reading Room, I took an early morning walk into Alton for the weekly market. Saw a poster with the surnames of two of the students I taught this year which caused me to laugh out loud..."I suppose the English settled Eastern Canada", is what I said to m'self! So I stopped and took a picture for their enjoyment. At the market, bought the most delicious soft cheese I have ever eaten...so good. Also bought what looks like a full pork chop that the butcher called 'bacon', meaning, it has been smoked. (When I opened it, I see that is pork chop sized/shaped bacon pieces, the chop cut cross-wise). Bought masses of English veg including something called 'English purple' (a broccoli variant), and then headed to the grocery store where one can get gluten free flour, bottles of wine, etc. This mean I am now provisioned for about two weeks so...definitely time to get to work!

I borrowed Jacqui's eraser; made me laugh out loud!

Having got my workspace organized in the morning, I took a lunch break (and had SOUP!... delish especially with the umami having developed) and was a might bit angsty because I wasn't sure how to proceed with my research. I decided to go back to the beginning so asked Jacqui, the librarian, for a look at the Knight Family Recipe Book (handwritten, brought to Chawton in 1793). It is purported to have been written by Jane Austen (although I don't think the handwriting is a match)...anyway, I hoped that in looking in that book, I'd recall what inspired me about the invalid's dietary in the first place. Gosh, I'm smrt! I read the recipes for 'Artificial Asses' Milk' and 'Barley Water' (both of these are breast milk substitutes and also fed to the sick/frail when Asses' Milk could not be found or was in insufficient supply) ...and I then remembered what I was aiming to do...to focus on recipes for feeding the sick and track their development over time. Eureka!

I spent a chunk of time filling in request slips for most of the cookery books at CHL (from 1640 to 1830, I believe) and from these, I'll catalogue the existence/development of standard recipes to feed the sick over time. I'll then connect the latest information I find from these books with the sources I have at home (recipes in the 1880s cookery books and recommendations in diet manuals (starting 1903).

All in all, a great day of sleuthing and putting ideas together.

The 'Drinks Event' prior to evening lecture; in CH kitchen

Kathryn Sutherland was guest lecturer in the evening. Kathryn studies the mechanics of Jane Austen's writing (what sort of paper she used, how she constructed little booklets from larger pieces of paper - gatherings, as Kathryn calls them...(I love that idea, a gathering of pages), the type of ink and pen, the crossings-out, etc. A crowd of about 50-60 gathered for the talk; it was most interesting! Afterward six of us went for a meal at the very kind invitation of CHL. A lovely, and much appreciated gesture. Once again, very good. Go Greyfriars of Chawton! Mustard seed mashed? How good!

Home in the darkest of darks; two of our group used their cell phone 'torch feature' so that helped but it was mighty dark...absolutely no light pollution hereabouts.

Tomorrow (which was today), all those cookery books to explore! Thrilling (OK, it's my definition of thrilling and not everyone's cup 'o tea!

Trying out the AGA

Falling in love with an AGA...

Today turned out to be one of those days doing something that I didn't anticipate...cooking up a storm on the AGA cooker.

Having had a disrupted sleep last night because of my cough, and because most stores are closed today for the Bank Holiday, I thought I'd check the Internet for a home remedy expectorant. Having found this (www.livestrong.com/article/119426-expectorant-home-remedy-mucus/) and knowing the two ingredients (honey and onion) were in the kitchen, I set to making this syrup.

That set me off on a five pot cooking extravaganza; the AGA was not turned on when I was here last time so trying it out was rather fun. The cooker is always on; it serves to provide a bit of heat in the kitchen area, and mimics the days of having a wood or coal cookstove in the kitchen. There is a 'hot' burner, at high heat to get things cooking quickly, and a lower heat burner where things can simmer or be kept warm.

The five pot were: 1) soup made from veg left behind by previous Visiting Fellows (a bit sad some of them); 2) a pot of rice; 3) rice pudding (made with this curious package of rice in the cupboard called 'Pudding Rice"; 4) chicken stock made from some chicken bit another Fellow was going to toss out - this was to go in the soup; and 5) the cough syrup. All of these pots can happily coexist on the AGA.

A word of explanation, I live with celiac disease so always have rice or rice-based dishes in the frig as they serve as a good starter for lots of meals (cold and hot dishes). I didn't plan on the cooking extravaganza until I grew enamoured with the cooker, and opened the cupboard and saw the shelves of basic ingredients left behind by previous Fellows. AND, I learned during my last visit, that if I wait to make lunch just before I eat it, that takes up valuable time in the Reading Room that is only open from 10-5. So...I am now ready with sensible soup and some rice pudding! Brilliant!

The cough syrup...very very good. Instructions say it takes a bit of time to work so I'll report tomorrow if it's had any effect. I don't know what is in store-bought cough syrup...sweetness and flavour, that's for sure. This one certainly has both. I'm hoping the onion (and the ginger chunk I tossed in) will work their magic.

Also made headway on some editing...didn't spend the entire day cooking.

Within minutes, we four Fellows (I guess technically I am not one of these this time here) are heading to the pub in the village for supper.

'Home again' to Chawton

That which was on the counter...

That which was in the frig...

I pinch myself...have moved back into the room I had in 2010 here at the Stable Block at Chawton House. When I arrived, a lovely surprise. A gathering of  gluten free foods to get me started on my stay here. Thanks, Paul!
There are two Canadians staying here who I met for brief minutes (they were a little disconcerted hearing noises as I got up and about after my nap, not knowing I had arrived); apparently there are two others from England here (home for the long weekend), and an American. A house full! Looking forward to meeting them.

Mordor...as seen from my room

To back up...the conference in Detroit, one of the most amazing conferences I have attended! The photo (left) taken from my hotel window; not a black and white shot, by-the-by, one can see Canada to the right of the photo, across the water.

Abandoned lot turned community garden! Go food sovereignty!

The final day consisted of open mike poetry over breakfast, a presentation on the use of tribal embroidery in South Africa in public education efforts re: AIDS prevention, the Hippocrates Cafe (two actors; a host; a cellist performing in radio show format). Incredible! I want to borrow the idea. Then we went to lunch; an awards celebration, a blues performance (sing along, of course), and an R and B send off! With singing and get up from your seat and DANCE! as the send off for the conference. Amazing. Someone said, "There seems to be a thin membrane between artists [and folks interested in the arts in health], one that is easily broken"...that absolutely characterizes the experience of being at that conference! Astonishing range of contacts, and people interested in collaborating.


Apart from the Hippocrates Cafe...while there were so many incredible presentations, the one that had my jaw dropping was the OPositive Festival in Kingston NY....bartering the art of medicine for the  medicine of art. Incredible, inspiring... I want to go in October. If I were registered to practice in NY, I'd offer up nutrition counselling. Here's their website: http://opositivefestival.org/

What a high, leaving that event. Next April 2013...Jacksonville Florida...highly recommended.

Getting to England was uneventful apart from the not-so-surprising delays with United flights...every flight I have taken thus far on this trip was delayed hence to 'no surprise' to learn my flight segments needed rejigging.

Now jetlag has taken its toll and I am off to bed.....LOTS of baby sheep hereabouts. Plan to walk and enjoy them all tomorrow and get ready to 'hit the ground running' on Tuesday when the library opens.

Friends to play with!

One of the key themes in the Special Topics: Affecting Change in Nutrition and Dietetics course I facilitated this winter was 'findings friends to play with'. I certainly found some here today at the conference. My goodness...a convergence of the like minded! I have not experienced the like. A musician from Montreal who plays personal concerts to folks at the end of life. A film maker providing training on making 1.5 minute films. A vocal coach who does song with people living with Parkinson's Disease. Artists who do all sorts of work with all sorts of community groups to establish connections for the purpose of social comparison, creating new normals, assurance, collegiality...all with the connecting marvel of caring for other humans. My interest in connecting people with and through food got A LOT of nods..."That's all so sensible", they would say and from there we would move on to conversations about the food supply, food sovereignty, culinary therapy and culinary history. All so wonderfully encouraging. Phew. A wonderful bunch.

I learned about and had a demo of a dance/movement technique that I just have to try...the Nia technique. A combo of dance, martial arts, and healing arts. There is a class at 7 am... I'll be there. The added interest to this conference is that I have lost my voice...kind of liberating to sit in stillness and be able to focus on being a listener.

Had a tour of downtown Detroit today from a local artist So many gorgeous buildings. The huge street widths and beautiful architecture speaks to the flow of cash in another time. Now so many buildings are boarded up. Reminded me of what Winnipeg did offering building space to artists for cheap to revitalize the downtown. I hope these gorgeous spaces in Mordor can be likewise resurrected into use.

Waking in Mordor!

Brother Craig started it. When visiting Windsor ON and looking over the river at Detroit, he would say, “Look, it’s Mordor”. I woke up in Mordor.  Chrysler Building across the street. Grey and dull here in the Motor City.

While this blog is ‘Summer in Chawton’ and it is spring in Detroit, one might be confused. Rationale: 1) Why start another blog by a different name when 'Summer in Chawton' was already familiar? 2) I am at the Society for Arts in Healthcare conference prior to the big jump over the pond to England; why not share what’s going on here before arriving in Chawton?

I am impressed with the little bit of Detroit I have seen so far. I usually equate this to the people one meets going about one’s business (one of the great perks of moving to Nova Scotia, I hasten to add…people are extremely kind). So it is here in Detroit as well - or so I learned getting to and settled into the hotel where I will be staying this week. 

My well-laid plans to take local transit for $2 at 4 pm were kiboshed (one of my Mom’s words) and instead took a taxi for $50 at 11 pm when the flight from Halifax was delayed 5 hours and I got to the deserted-except-for-our-flight, and very beautiful Detroit airport late at night. I am not complaining; a plane needing a repair is far better staying on the ground and causing the rescheduling of travellers than taking off. However, $2 became $60 to take a town car (driven by the extremely kind, Gregory) to get to the hotel. Good-bye to Gregory, hello to fabulous night staff on the front desk. A gorgeous room! A toothbrush delivered by another kind person (for I now recall removing mine from my bag to use just before leaving home). A WONDERFUL bed…a clock radio I cannot figure out - but this is not really a problem in the grand scheme of things, breakfast delivered by another nice person including gluten free toast!!!! Hooray for Detroit food service! 

Early morning TV awful…while I was hoping for updates on what's happening in the world, I heard two things that caused me to turn it off; an ad for investing where the announcer exclaimed “Don’t be part of the 99%; become part of the 1%”…gack! And a show to encourage shopping local where the host said to the camera (when the woman she was interviewing got flustered when asked ‘what colour' - I mean 'color'...this is the USA...'did you buy this in?’), “Oh, so you don’t want your husband to know what you are doing with his money!”. Seriously? What year is it again? Women spending their husband’s money? Assuming oh so many things, but chiefly, that women do not have earning power. 2012!?! I shake my head…and turn off the TV...

Now, off to the first day of a much anticipated conference! First, the use of that hotel issue toothbrush!