Blackberry season is here! Eleven months out of twelve, the Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor) is a thorny, invasive pest, but for a few short weeks the summer air is scented with sun-warmed, fruity goodness. It’s a complicated relationship.

Further reading: Another ode to the Himalayan blackberry from the Seattle Times (2002); King County’s Noxious Weed Factsheet.

The Stumbling Fool gang is moving house again — congratulations to them on buying their first home, by the way; we hope this move may be their last and best — and while packing, Uncle Q found the old, broken server on which GimletBlog was originally stored. He plugged it in, and this time it worked! We successfully transferred the May-June 2006 archives from Stumbling Fool to the Solitary Elegance server.

Many thanks, as always, to Uncle Q for salvaging GimletBlog and walking us through the file transfer. We’re thrilled to have our old posts and pictures back! (Look for next year’s blog anniversary in May rather than July.)

Now that I have a new church job and no longer design the Sunday meeting bulletins, I’ve decided to expand the scope of the ivory bits category. I still plan to occasionally post art + quotation entries as before, but will also write about favorite finds of all types — food, books, and other small pleasures.

Valancourt Books. This independent press (named for the hero in Ann Radcliffe’s Mysteries of Udolpho) is a treasure trove of rare and previously out-of-print Gothic goodies, and their web site is well worth a look. I found out about Valancourt when they started publishing the “Northanger Novels”, a list of Gothic titles found in Northanger Abbey. Valancourt’s editions include interesting and useful editor’s notes. Earlier this year I reviewed their editions of Castle of Wolfenbach and The Veiled Picture for AustenBlog.

Vanilla rooibos. Caffeine-free and high in antioxidants, this red herbal tea tastes good and is good for you. I add a tiny splash of milk to make the vanilla flavor really pop. I have it on very good authority that lemon-vanilla rooibos makes an outstanding iced herbal tea and look forward to trying it.

Victoria magazine is coming back! I was a fan of this magazine since college, and I was sorry to see it end. The resubscription invitation assures that the new magazine (debut issue: November/December 2007) will be just as it used to be. Let’s hope they’re right.

Vintage-style jewelry and art by tartx. Necklaces crafted from antique dominoes and optical lens pendants, earrings, bracelets, pocket mirrors, and more. All kinds of literary and design themed collages from which to choose. (Wouldn’t Catherine Morland just love the Gothic Curiosities bracelet?)

Many of you already blog about your favorites, and feel free to share some in the comments!

With a ten-year gap between kids, it can be a challenge to think of something new to do that both can enjoy. Thing One needed to visit an art museum to finish up a scout merit badge, so earlier this week Bestemor suggested we make a trip to the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) in Volunteer Park.

Volunteer Park is an Olmsted-designed park, named for volunteers in the Spanish-American War and completed in 1912. The art museum, a striking Art Deco building, was built in 1933. It used to be the main SAM until the downtown museum was built. Now the Volunteer Park location displays collections from China, India, Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries.

Thing One studied Asia in last year’s social studies class, so he had some idea of what he was about to see. The museum’s small size and mid-week lack of crowds made it a good choice for Thing Two, since we were unsure how long he would put up with a place where he couldn’t run around and touch the pretty, shiny objects. We decided to confine Thing Two to his stroller; as long as he was moving, he wouldn’t complain and would be less inclined to grab. Our group split in two: Bestemor took Thing One around the exhibits and talked to him about the art, while I took Thing Two on a long, roundabout stroller ride through the museum, not stopping too long or looking too closely at any one display.

One gallery showcases a fascinating exhibit of intricate mulberry-paper stencils, should any locals care to check it out. If you can’t get to the museum (or if lingering is not an option, as was my situation), take a closer look at the stencils from the Bowdoin College Museum of Art exhibit.

The Volunteer Park outdoor sculptures are always a big hit with kids; almost every Seattle native of a certain age has memories of climbing on the giant stone Ming Dynasty camels who stand guard in front of the art museum. The original camels have been moved to the downtown museum and are now off-limits, but SAAM’s concrete replicas sport plaques encouraging children to play on them. The fountains on either end of the museum’s front also invite little hands to splash and cool off.

If the kids can tear themselves away from these attractions and turn around, across from the museum stands Black Sun by Isamu Noguchi. This black Brazilian granite sculpture, created in 1969, measures 108″ in diameter. We have always called it “the donut” for (hopefully) obvious reasons. From certain angles one can see the Space Needle through the center.

Thing Two loved riding the camels, playing in the fountains, and checking out the donut, but then it started to rain and he didn’t like being rushed off to the car. Nevertheless, we thought we’d try visiting the conservatory before going home. The Volunteer Park Conservatory was built in 1912 and was modeled on London’s Crystal Palace. The five houses showcase bromeliads, cacti, palms, ferns, and a seasonal display. The conservatory is also home to an Amorphophallus titanum (corpse flower). Thing Two was fascinated by the plants, flowers, and the pipes and valves which keep the conservatory watered. He stayed close to Mommy, keeping his hands to himself, for about five seconds. Again, Bestemor and Thing One had a very nice time together looking at all the plants, and waved through the glass as we waited outside, Thing Two struggling to run either through the flower beds or out into traffic.

Even with a toddler meltdown at the end, it was a fun morning. Visit the new GimletGallery album to see all the photos. SAAM is a nice little choice for introducing older kids to art museums, and the outdoor attractions keep their toddler siblings busy and happy. The conservatory has been around for a long time, and will no doubt still be there when Thing Two is ready for it. And as always, grandmas have great ideas!

Here are some of the things we’ve been doing this summer:

Thing bling! Thing Two has been wearing Mardi Gras beads, both at home and out on the town. At his haircut this week, he didn’t cry for the first time. It was a proud moment for Sheila, who has been trying to make friends with him all year since his first haircut last summer. She thinks her success may be due in part to complimenting him on his accessorizing savvy.

Thing One has started taking karate lessons and private cello lessons. He wasn’t sure he wanted to try karate, but after observing his friend’s class, he liked it more than he thought he would! He completed the full course of Red Cross swimming classes this spring, so we’re glad to find another activity he enjoys. Classes meet twice per week, which has us a little worried how that will work out once school starts, but we’ll take that as it comes. As for the cello lessons, we’re delighted that Bobbi is available to teach. I’ve missed my own lessons and have hopes of restarting them once Thing Two is older. Thing Two loves having his big brother home to play with him, and Thing One is not only patient and almost always willing to play, but also generous with his toys.

I had my first appointment with the dressmaker for my JASNA ball gown. Click on the detail to see fabric samples: satin and lace. Both fabrics drape beautifully and the satin has a lovely silvery sheen to it. The gown is based on a particular London model depicted in at least two different fashion magazines from the Regency period. Once the gown is finished, I’ll post pictures comparing it to the original fashion plates.

The Gimlet is expected to make a full recovery from his week at scout camp.

Thing One’s report from Fire Mountain Scout Camp, July 9-14. He earned his Environmental Science merit badge and will complete his Fishing and Art merit badges at home.

On July 9 - 14, I went to Fire Mountain Scout Camp. They have a fishing dock, a rifle range, an archery range and a lot more. My troop was in the Chief Joseph camp site. The lake had rainbow trout in it. One of my friends made a fishing rod with a stick and put fishing line on it and caught some fish with it. I caught one fish. I was going to cook it at camp but there was a burn ban, so I brought it home to cook so I can get my Fishing merit badge. At the trading post I bought a magic Fire Mountain ball which is a ball with the Fire Mountain logo on it which answers yes or no questions.

We did other fun things besides merit badge classes. | …continue reading All you et-a, think of all you et-a

The Gimlet’s report from Fire Mountain Scout Camp, July 9-14. The Gimlet is the scoutmaster for Thing One’s troop. See the Gallery for all the pictures from this year’s summer camp.

I have survived scout camp. 6 days and 5 nights with a group of 11 boys. I may not have been at work for a week, but I am ready for a vacation!

I believe we had a successful activity. The boys seem to have come off of the camp with an understanding of each other and still remain friends. They were successful in earning a variety of merit badges. The camp is a beautiful facility. There were many opportunities to earn merit badges. I am hoping this is the start of an improved scouting program in this troop. I also hope the boys enjoyed the event and had a good experience.

In better-late-than-never news, July 4 was GimletBlog’s first anniversary! (Perhaps you noticed the fireworks?) It’s been fun — a little frustrating at times, but mostly fun — learning how to use WordPress, Gallery, and other site maintenance, and we’re grateful to family and friends who have patiently answered our newbie questions along the way. We enjoy keeping up with your blogs and hope GimletBlog has been fun for you, too.

Coming soon: blog posts about this year’s scout camp, a remodeling update, and a set of summer reading mini-reviews. Solitary Elegance’s first anniversary is also in July, so look for some new additions in the near future, especially pertaining to the new Northanger Abbey film.