November holidays - Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Stir-up Sunday talks

400 years after the first 'Thanksgiving' dinner in 1621. Image for Veterans Day or Armistice Day on 11/11 - Union soldiers with a turkey wishbone after Thanksgiving meal in 1864 by Winslow Homer.

Halloween posts and talks

'Snap-apple Night' painting, 1833, shows several games - snap-apple, diving (duck/bobbing) for apples, and divining one's future. Also snapdragon, turnip lanterns, Colcannon Night, (Soule) Cake Night and Day of the Dead (Nov 2). Click to enlarge

Korean foodways

There are several talks on Korean food coming up this week: Kimchi and the town Kimchi, temple foods, Harvest Festival, Korean food history, drinks and 3 course meals.Photo c1910-20, click to enlarge.

Baking over a fire in a "pot oven" or "cottage oven"

An interesting one minute film clip from 1950s or 60s Wales, shows a pot oven baking bread hung over a peat (turf) fire with coals. Chunks of burning peat are placed on the flat lid to bake. There is no lip along edge of the lid (so differs from dutch oven top). Excerpts mentioning Ireland and Scotland. Film clip below.

Farm fences – Stone walls, Hedgerows, Waddle fences

These endangered fences using rocks or trees/bushes should be preserved... or at least appreciated. There are several upcoming hedgerow talks and some very good talks on a variety of stone walls, that were taped.