Made in the Saintonge, western France, c. 1300, this is among the most celebrated examples of medieval pottery found in Britain. It was discovered in fragments in South Street, Exeter, in 1899. The jug shows a tower in which are two bishops (with croziers); young ladies disport themselves from its windows and musicians play below. The scene pokes fun at the morals of the medieval clergy.

For a 360 degree look at this fascinating object, click the link below. On the right sidebar of the Exeter page is a blue box with the words “spin the Exeter puzzle jug”: link

A puzzle jug is a jug built around a trick. The challenge is to drink from the jug without spilling, which cannot be done because of perforations in the pottery. The earliest example is the Exeter jug, which dates from the 14th century. (See:
http://yourehistory.wordpress.com/2007/07/31/the-exeter-puzzle-jug/

The secret of the problem is that the jug has a hidden tube, like a kind of early dribble cup. Obviously, the human sense of humor has not grown more sophisticated over the centuries. But I’m not going to reveal the solution, in case you ever encounter one of these yourself. Wouldn’t want to spoil the fun!

When my husband Tony and I visited Italy during the autumn of  2007, we made a visit to the town of Grottaglie, long famous for its beautiful pottery. Among the lovely pieces that we just had to buy was this beautiful handmade puzzle jug.

Monastery Mystery

Looking for a beach or plane read? Like adventure? The Lost Throne fits the bill. A wealthy amateur archaeologist, who entered Russia illegally, is killed, execution style, in St. Petersberg, Russia. His beautiful but brainy assistant, Allison, calls on Jon Payne and DJ Jones, intrepid ex-MANIACS (special ops guys), to rescue her. At the same time, seven Greek Orthodox monks are beheaded in an all but inaccessible monastery.

Will these two threads merge? You bet they will. Payne and Jones, with the help of that brilliant babe and a hard drinking fisherman, must outwit a Russian assassin, identify and track down an ancient treasure, fight a dozen die-hard Spartans (really!), and save the lives of all the remaining monks in Greece, all without a lunch break.

The Last Throne is not War and Peace, nor is it meant to be. It’s a rapid fire, non stop action tale with more zigs and zags than today’s financial charts. So, suspend your sense of reality, buckle your seat belt, and enjoy the crazy ride.

(some graphic violence)

by Mary Oliver

So heavy
is the long-necked, long-bodied heron,
always it is a surprise
when her smoke-colored wings

open
and she turns
from the thick water,
from the black sticks

of the summer pond,
and slowly
rises into the air
and is gone.

Then, not for the first or the last time,
I take the deep breath
of happiness, and I think
how unlikely it is

that death is a hole in the ground,
how improbable
that ascension is not possible,
though everything seems so inert, so nailed

back into itself–
the muskrat and his lumpy lodge,
the turtle,
the fallen gate.

And especially it is wonderful
that the summers are long
and the ponds so dark and so many,
and therefore it isn’t a miracle

but the common thing,
this decision,
this trailing of the long legs in the water,
this opening up of the heavy body

into a new life: see how the sudden
gray-blue sheets of her wings
strive toward the wind; see how the clasp of nothing
takes her in.

Another Other Boleyn Girl

Wish I had a dollar for every Henry VIII movie I’ve watched. This version of Philippa Gregory’s best seller deviates from the book, so I’ll review it on its own merits.

What I liked:
The costumes and scenery.
The casting – it’s refreshing to watch lesser known actors in such familiar roles.
The portrayal of Henry as less megalomanic and somewhat more human in his relationships with men and women alike.
The portrayal of Anne as every bit the match of any male courtier who schemed and plotted for advancement.
The understated treatment of the execution of Anne Boleyn.

What I did not like:
The weasel-y characterization of George Boleyn and the absence of his wife in the plot.
The omission of Cardinal Wolsey as a major player in Anne’s drama.
The depiction of the incest between Anne and George as a documented fact.
The absence of others who undoubtedly masterminded Anne’s downfall.
The “video-diary” monologues, used as summary shortcuts.

Like many made-for-TV movies, The Other Boleyn Girl could have been better, but it also could have been worse. (Like its 2008 big screen counterpart.) I’d watch this version again, even without the dollar.

Betsy Ross made the very first American flag at her home in Philadelphia, at the request of none other than George Washington. Or did she? Here’s the real story

Well, I did it. Finished my entire booklist, on time,  for the Themed Reading Challenge. My theme was “Fiction and/or nonfiction set in Europe”. It’s a good thing that and/or proviso was in there, because only one of my books ended up being nonfiction. It’s not that I haven’t read any other  nonfiction this year;  I have, but none of those have been set in Europe.  All titles have been reviewed, and can been accessed on this blog by clicking on book reviews under categories. Anyhow, here’s the link to the original challenge post. The books are also listed in the left sidebar, until the end of 2009. This was fun, and I’d like to thank Caribousmom for sponsoring it.  Now I’m going to set my sites on completing the Art History Challenge, which you can also see in the left sidebar.

Does this ever happen to you? C’mon, of course it does. Last night, trying to get to sleep, and round and round in my head, I kept hearing, “All the leaves are brown, and the skies are gray, I been for a walk, on a winter’s dayyyyyy.” In waking life, I don’t think I’ve heard that song in years. And I don’t know where it came from last night, but there it was, keeping me awake for at least a couple of hours. On other nights, I’ve treated myself to a silent rendition of one of the Beatles’ more obscure tunes, Till There Was You. Didn’t like it then, and like it even less now. “There were bells on the hill, but I never heard them ringing, no I never heard them at all, till there was you”, in Paul’s voice. Then there’s whatever song is being used in current TV commercials.

Yeah, I know, it could be worse. Actually, it could be a lot worse. Like experiencing chronic nightmares, or not being able to sleep at all, or worrying about something awful, like health problems or something. And I don’t have to work today, , so I didn’t have to haul myself out of bed at dawn’s early light.

Oh, almost forgot, “This is the song that never ends….”

What golden oldies keep you awake at night?

Looking for  a fun and amusing time waster? (Who isn’t?) Click  here, type in your name, and this nifty app will, quick as a wink, produce a list of hundreds of anagrams using all the letters. You might even find a new screen name. For instance, who knew that my name translates to such catchy phrases as ” A plaid coil gun”,  “Idol cuing a pal “,  and the ever popular “Lilac Guano Dip.” For now I’ll stick with “katknit”, but you may find the perfect anagram to suit your needs (whatever those might be).

Have fun! (Hint: you may want to close your door if you’re supposed to be working.)

In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano Monday, June 29, 2009, a fresco showing what Vatican officials say is the oldest known icon of St Paul, discovered by the Pontificial Commission of Sacred Archeology in the Catacomb of Santa Tecla in Rome on June 19, 2009. Archaeologists recently unearthed and opened the white marble sarcophagus located under the Basilica of St. Paul’s outside the Walls of the Vatican in Rome, and scientific tests indicate the mortal remains probably belong to the apostle St. Paul.

(AP Photo/L’Osservatore Romano, Pontificial Commission of Sacred Archeology)

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Basilica of St. Paul, Rome [photo: Sacred Destinations