North Coast Cafe, South

Who Knew? Peace sign is fifty years old.

This symbol, arguably the world's most recognised logo, is fifty years old today. 
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A Heart-rending, tear jerking, feel good tale for the New Year

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete in  marathons  when they're not in a triathlon — that daunting, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming.

Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America.

It’s a remarkable record of exertion — all the more so when you consider that Rick can't walk or talk.

Watch This:  Click here

For the past twenty five years or more Dick, who is 65, has pushed and pulled his son across the country and over hundreds of finish lines.

When Dick runs, Rick is in a wheelchair that Dick is pushing.

When Dick cycles, Rick is in the seat-pod from his wheelchair, attached to the front of the bike.

When Dick swims, Rick is in a small but heavy, firmly stabilized boat being pulled by Dick.

At Rick’s birth in 1962 the umbilical cord coiled around his neck and cut off oxygen to his brain. Dick and his wife, Judy, were told that there would be no hope for their child’s development.  More

Good Idea, Long Time Coming

Millions of people worldwide are forced to walk long distances on a daily basis to collect their water requirements for the day. Traditional methods of collecting water include the use of 20-liter (5-gallon) buckets, which are laboriously carried on the head. Extensive suffering occurs in the process. This method is very time and energy consuming and is also the cause of many serious health problems.  More

It's Leaf Day; I'm Outta Here

Only 7 days to Leaf Day 2005.  Ready to party?

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Top 10 Best World Leaders

A BBC poll found these top choices for a leader of an
imagined world government.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4298568.stm

1 - Nelson Mandela
2 - Bill Clinton
3 - Dalai Lama
4 - Noam Chomsky
5 - Alan Greenspan
6 - Bill Gates
7 - Steve Jobs
8 - Archbishop Desmond Tutu
9 - Richard Branson
10 - George Soros
11 - Kofi Annan


Scratch Alan Greenspan and I could sign off on this list. 




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The Hovel

This place is a hovel. No, really.  Originally this meant a medieval one-room dwelling, with a central fire, made by an agricultural labourer using whatever natural materials came to hand.

The Hovel: branches of oak support the wattle-and-daub ceiling in the sitting room More pictures

Most hovels were cleared in Tudor and Elizabethan times, and the few that survived were modernised beyond recognition. This one came within the Manor of Ludgershall, in Buckinghamshire, owned by Geoffrey, Bishop of Coutances, a trusted friend of William the Conqueror.

The Hovel has windows that peek out under the fringe of a deep thatched roof of combed wheat reed. It stands on the edge of the village green, and is reached by a small bridge over the brook.

The sitting-room ceiling is supported by branches of oak; billowing plaster, daubed on a mattress of twisted twigs, follows their bends and curves to a maximum height of 6ft 2in, and the walls wave in and out most charmingly.

The brick fireplace houses a contemporary wood-burning stove, behind which is now the second bedroom. Opposite is the galley kitchen, with a slate worktop and Belfast sink. The main bedroom and bathroom are an addition, the latter having a cast-iron roll-top bath and a chequerboard marble floor.

The half-acre garden needs attention, but the owners until 2002 were keen plantsmen, and topiaried box hedging, weeping pear, copper plum, apple and cherry trees, and wisteria can still be found, along with roses round the door. A bay-fronted, timber summerhouse under a cedar-shingled roof, with power and light, can also be found. Perfect for guests, writers - and other hobbits.

 

The Hovel in Ludgershall, Bucks, is for sale  at £375,000 ($655,000) through John D Wood (01865 311522, e-mail: oxford@johndwo

Ephemera

One of the most fascinating reading experiences in my life resulted from the purchase of six diaries in an antique shop in Connecticut.  The diary was written  by a farmer in Connecticut in the early 1900s. I paid only a dollar apiece for the small books but received from their reading hours of pleasure.  The author wrote of the routine events and people in his life:  weather, chores, the daily trips to town, visits, and visitors. This man did not lead an exciting life--at least by today's standards, but it was very interesting to me. I skipped not a single page and was sorry to have come to the end.  As I recall, a few clippings from local newspapers, ticket stubs and wire tags from fruit trees fell from the pages as I read. My pleasure reading this man's daily jottings may stem from the voyeur in me, or the researcher/writer & book collector I am. But, having admitted how much I enjoyed this experience I am also glad to learn that I am not alone in my nosy, spying into other people's lives. But then, my experiences pale as compared to the fellow whose collection is  found here.