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.
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