Feast and Family

This weekend the feast of the Holy Family is celebrated with a reading from Luke.  It seems that many families are in some type of duress today.  Think of those, particularly Christian, parents attempting to raise a family in the Middle East; the caravans leaving the gang violence in part of Central America, and the poor in America.  While the poor today in are better in much of the world compared to 2000 years ago, they still face some similar problems.  No, this post is not about the feasts that many of us have and continue to celebrate over the holidays, but it will provide some food for thought.

Artwork of the Holy Family in Basilica of the Annunciation

In the reading from Luke Jesus pulls a stunt that upsets his parents.  He stays behind in Jerusalem.  How they went three days without knowing their twelve year old was not in their caravan back to Bethlehem, I really don't know.  When they finally locate the bad boy Mary asks him: “Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you.” For some reason I don't think my wife or I would be that pleasant if that was one of our kids that went missing for three days. The Gospels are silent on whether or not Jesus was grounded, and docked his allowance.  Jesus comes back with somewhat of Marie Barone response, polite but with a dig:  “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?” Before staying behind, he could at least told them he planned to stay back.  Although, they probably would not have allowed a twelve year old to stay alone in the city of Jerusalem.  This bible passage shows the human nature of Jesus, and his sainted parents.  They had trials raising a child, too.  And, obviously, were not perfect parents.

Inside of the Church of the Nativity

Every time I hear that reading I think of onetime when my wife and our two boys, who were quite young, were in a store, and my wife had a hold of the youngest, but the oldest went missing.  It was a mother's worst nightmare.  She found him under a rack of clothes.  At least it did not take her three days to find him, although he was much younger than twelve. Whatever amount of time it was, it was that amount too long.

Wailing Wall, exterior wall of the former Jewish Temple
were Jesus preached when age 12

Children are often a byproduct of families, and the nation has invested a great deal in providing education and care of the younger population. However, families are often at a disadvantage, particularly when they are poor.  Currently, I am reading Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond (2016, Crown Publishers, NY), which chronicles the housing issues of several poverty stricken families in the city of Milwaukee, about ten years ago.  What comes to mind is that it is difficult for persons who have prior evictions, or convictions to obtain housing, but even more so when they have children.  Desmond relays a statistic that couples with children were turned away in 7 of 10 housing searches.  In a footnote he says that unlike race most Americans do not know it is illegal to discriminate against a family with children.  But, regardless he documents that very occurrence in a number of situations.

Dome of the Rock, the old Jewish temple was on that spot

Their is an old testament saying about the sins of the father being passed to the son, and in this case we can say, to some degree, the sins of the adults hamper the children.  One woman, who has children from a prior relationships and another on the way with her current live-in boy friend is quoted in the book  wondering "what was most responsible for keeping them homeless: her drug conviction from several years back, the fact that Ned was on the run and hod no proof of income, their eviction record, their poverty or their children."  (p. 230, Desmond)  She pleads to some landlords that she has all girls, hoping that will impress upon the landlord a more subdued group of children than if they were boys.  Drug convictions seem to be a common thread in the book, few of the main characters have not had drug issues.  Others have mental health issues. At times they are combined.  It can not be pleasant for a young children to experience first hand some of these activities. 

Bethlehem

Yet, there are mothers who have taken their children away from a bad situation.  Other poor show great mercy and care, by allowing a person or a family to live for awhile with them.  In some sense the strength of the community is quite strong in these pockets of poverty.  Some will splurge on a big meal, eating lobster or steak, instead of buying more reasonably priced goods.  Although one poor woman, who was evicted from her trailer in a south side mobile home park asks why should they not be able to have that one indulgence? 

Monks in Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem 

The problem for some of course, is that they over indulge, whether food or drugs, or cigarettes.  How can a society expect children to have stability, which in my mind increases the opportunity of learning, if the family is always on the move? Getting kicked out of their housing unit and scrambling to find new housing, at an affordable price takes time and effort, and will lead to persons being fired from work if they were fortunate to have a job. Many  live off only government assistance, some have low paying jobs.  Will these children be able to break the cycle of poverty into which they have been placed due to their birth circumstances?

Stone Jar, excavation in Cana, where Jesus' first miracle occurred

Of course, Jesus, himself, was not born in a palace, but a stable.  Circumstances were such that Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Egypt to avoid Herod and his slaughter of innocents.  Is that similar to the migrants of today that make their way from the wars and Islamic extremists in the Middle East, or the gang violence in Honduras or Guatemala?  While it is appropriate for a country to set forth immigration standards, a society also has to be aware that people search for a better situation, just as Joseph and Mary did in heading southeast to Egypt after the birth of Jesus.  There is much to ponder in the situation of some families today and to the Holy Family. 

Photos by author, 2013

Stille Nacht at 200

It was on this night two hundred years ago that people in the small Austrian village of Oberndorf gathered for midnight mass in St. Nicholas Church.  It was here that those everyday Austrians would be the first to hear a song which is widely recognized in much of the Christian world.  Located near Salzburg, the home of one of the world's greatest composers, Oberndorf was in the throes of discontent as this was only a few years following the completion of the Napoleonic wars.  Salzburg would lose its independence, and in its larger region would see the Saalach River become a dividing line between the Bavarian section of Germany, and Austria.  The associate pastor of St. Nicholas Church, Father Joseph Mohr, and the choir director, Franz Gruber would sing the song "Stille Nacht," or as we know it in English, "Silent Night.  Myth and tales surround this song, but add to, its story.

St Nicholas Church
Church existing in 1818 burned down and was replaced

The song was created to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but we have to think that Bethlehem was likely not very quiet the night Christ was born.  After all, people from all over the region had gathered for the census.  We know that there was no room for Joseph and his very pregnant wife Mary at the Inn, or if your liking goes to a different translation "the place were traveler's lodged."  The owner of the inn provided either a great act of kindness to offer a stable, or a great act of disdain to place a women in her ninth month of pregnancy among animals. Could there be any more humble beginning to a persons life, than to be born in a stable?  The stable was most likely a limestone cave, or the underside of a rock outcropping.  The church of the Nativity is located at a high point, so it may have been a rock outcropping.  At that time even many families lived in caves. Bethlehem was not very large in population 2,000 some years ago, making its ability to handle the number of people arriving into this community even more difficult.  Besides all the travelers, it would have had soldiers, tax collectors, and of course, internet merchants and caravans who followed the mass of humanity.  The allegorical Aaron of the little drummer boy had first hooked up with a caravan before following the trail of the wise men to find the babe.  If the night had been silent, it would have been broken by the cry of a new-born boy then little known, but now highly regarded by Christians today.  This cry would echo off the walls of the limestone cave out to a waiting world.

Beit Sahour, Palestine
Shepherd Cave in the Shepherd Fields

Father Mohr actually had written the words to "Stille Nacht" two years earlier while stationed at the pilgrimage church of Mariapfarr, Austria. His grandfather lived near Mariapfarr, and some believe he first thought of the verses as he made his way to his visit his grandfather.  While it is not clear what drove him to write the words it is well established that he wrote this poem while at that small pilgrim outpost, but the world is fortunate that he took his work with him to Oberndorf and had Franz Gruber provide a melody.

Franz Gruber

Over 2000 years ago, Joseph and Mary would journey to Bethlehem from their home in Nazareth, and after the birth of Mary's son the family would then take their famous flight into Egypt to escape persecution.  This escape seems to have presaged the heavy Christian migration occurring today out of much of the Middle East due to persecution.  The journey to Bethlehemn from Nazareth, about 100 miles, could not have been easy.  Much of the terrain is not conducive to an easy stroll.  The journey probably took eight to ten days.    

Looking over Bethlehem
The wall built by the Israeli government to divide and
control the flow of the Palestinian population

It was on Christmas Eve in 1818 that Father Mohr would walk a much shorter distance to the teacher--choir master's house near that small village in Austria and hand him his poem, and ask him to write a melody for guitar and accompaniment so that it could be sung at midnight mass that evening.  I am sure Franz Gruber's wife was not too happy of him being assigned this type of chore on such late notice. No one knows why Father Mohr would ask that a melody be created at that point, it could be that he wished a composition to be sung with guitar, rather than the organ.  Some have speculated that a mouse destroyed parts of the organ, so it was not playable, although others say the reports of mouse damage was only popularized in the American press. Whatever, the reason, the two stood in front of the main altar and sung "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" for the first time.  Their composition would impact the world, and become one of the most famous of Christmas carols.

Franz Gruber and Joseph Mohr
Names should be reversed to align with proper image

The impact of this composition is directly related to those events on that perhaps not so silent, but yet holy night in Bethlehem so very long ago.  Shepherds would quake at the sight of the young baby lying in a manger, swaddled for protection from a cruel world.  Wise men, following a celestial sign, would pay homage to the young child.  Of course, we know that while his birth was important it was his message, his death and his resurrection for which Christians are most grateful.  For God sent his only living son.

Manger Square in Bethlehem

The composition of Mohr and Gruber would be spread to other parts of Germany and Austria by an organ repairman who would obtain a copy of the song while doing work at St. Nicholas church.  The song is thought to have been popularized by two 19th century versions sung by the Vonn Trapp Family Singers.   During this stage the melody was adjusted and some words altered, gradually evolving to the carol we know and sing today.  The changes over time also slowed down the song's tempo.  Originally, it was much more spirited.  For some reason people correlate slow with reverent, to the point that some church music is more laborious than a communist funeral dirge.  Gruber would produce a number of various arrangements of his original composition. A score of the tune signed by Mohr was discovered in 1995.  Analysis puts the date of the discovered copy to between 1820 and 1825, so it was likely a copy of the original, and Mohr appropriately placed a date of 1816--to recognize his original composition.  In the upper right corner Mohr would write:  "Melodie von Fr. Xav Gruber." The song is believed to have had its first English translation of some of the early verses  by Episcopalian John Freeman Young.  If one were to read the BBC account, you think it was Young, and not Mohr, created this Christmas hymn.  Pilfering the historical and archaeological assets of  much of the world was not enough for the English. So goes the world of English dominance giving credit to an interpreter rather than the original composer.

Silent Night Chapel

It would take time for the world to recognize the impact of the birth of the baby which the carol honors.  Christ may have been born on that one night so long ago, but his church would take years to get a foothold, and many more to see it spread through the world.  Christ's message was first spread by the apostles.  Although most of them would stay within the bounds of the Roman Empire, at least one, Thomas, would move beyond and travel to the Indian Subcontinent.

Column in Church of the Nativity

"Silent Night" has been popular with both Catholic and Protestant congregations, and its rise in popularity among Protestants may be due to it being favored by the protestant Prussian ruler William IV.  The third line in English, " 'Round yon virgin Mother and Child" was not in the original German instead it seemingly better translates to "Just the faithful and holy pair." This part of Europe was in a time of transition, and Father Mohr, and the locales in which he served, were adjusting to transfers of territory.   The fourth stanza reads in part:  "...Brought the world peace tonight, from the heavens' golden height Shows the grace of his holy might...."  Was Mohr's desire for peace related to the Napoleonic that concluded in late 1815?  Peace is a concept often relegated to second place in a competitive world.

Recognized birth place of Jesus Christ

Christ was born into an occupied territory, although with some semblance of local control, yet still under the domain of the Roman Empire.  Jesus would spend his life within the bounds of the Middle East, a region of the world still in strife.  On the one hand it is ironic that the Prince of Peace would be born in a region so continually torn, but on the other hand perhaps it is fitting as few regions on have seen the continuation of strife as has the Middle East.  The world is still occupied by humans who are frail and subject to varied thoughts and temptations.  Christ was born in an unassuming manner to unassuming parents. In this he bears some resemblance to Father Mohr, a man who was born and died in poverty. A man who gave what he had to assist the less fortunate.  The author of the words for this carol was contested until the finding of the score in 1995. The English desire to credit John Young with the hymn is due to their initiation of what is the last culturally acceptable prejudice in the western world.   The Austrian public, in the meantime, would begin to realize the significance of this song writer. One commentator, notes the meaning of this song, when he wrote about the seeming insignificance of Fr. Mohr and Franz Gruber:

Perhaps this is part of the miracle of "Silent Night." The words flowed from the imagination of a modest curate. The music composed by a musician who was not known outside his village. There was no celebrity to sign at its world premiere yet its powerful message of peace has crossed all borders and language barriers, conquering hearts of people everywhere. (Egan, Bill)

Church of the Nativity

The words, and simplicity of Fr. Mohr should occupy our thoughts, as peace begins with each of us.  Over 100 years ago, during the Great War, the German army started to sing "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" only to hear British soldiers join their singing, The Germans and British would leave their trenches to introduce one act of kindness amid the madness of war.  The Christmas Truce would not be repeated. The song, sung in the trenches of the Great War 100 years ago was only a catalyst to spread forth an idea of peace.  

Silent Night Composition

We need not be king, president, or pope to bring peace into the world.  In its creation by an unknown curate with a melody by a man not known outside his village shows the message of peace can be within each and everyone of us on this precious earth.  Jesus would preach a message of faith, hope, love and peace.  It is up to us to put those words into action.

Full Moon over Bethlehem

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Re-work of a post from December 2014.
Bethlehem photos by the author, other images from Google

The Battle of the Bulge

It was on this date, December 16, that the last major German offensive of World War II is considered to have started.  It was a master stroke of the German forces to line up so many troops unknown to the Allied command.  Some German soldiers would dress as allied soldiers, turn around street signs and do other minor things to cause confusion as the German forces moved west.  The Battle of the Bulge is one of the most written about battles of WWII.  My goal is not to shed light on the battle, the incompetence of Allied command, much less to provide fault.  Rather, this brief post will about the brief recollection of my father, Roy Hovel, and his brush with history in the Battle of the Bulge.

Cafe in Bastogne
Source:  Google Images

My father was with the US Army Counter Intelligence Corps, and was assigned to the headquarters of the 83rd Infantry division.  The CIC also had an agent assigned to each of the three regimental divisions.  My Dad, would recount his main duties as being a trouble shooter for the CIC.  The 83rd infantry had been in Loire, and some members assisted in the surrender of 20,000 Germans, although as my father wrote to Thomas Johnson on 28 April 1965, who was working on a history of the War, and the CIC, "the surrender of the German army was not primarily the work of the CIC, nor a CIC responsibility.  It was entirely a military operation and the main credit for such surrender goes to the ordinary GI and his commanders in the field."  The main concern for the CIC, he goes on was "with the civilian population and enemy spies."

Convent Church in Luxembourg City. 
Would be taken over for use by the prison

After Loire, the division went first to Paris for about three weeks and then "into the country of Luxenburg (sic), where we were for several months." (R Hovel letter to Johnson 3 May 1965)   He notes they moved out of Luxembourg about November of 1944 after the breakthrough at the historic city of Aachen, where the unit went into Germany somewhere east of Aachen.  While near Aachen they were notified that the Luxembourg government was putting on trial some "spy prisoners who Turner and I had apprehended. Thus Turner and I returned to Luxenburg (sic) and testified at the trials.  We were in Luxenburg (sic) about two or three days as I can recall, having come down more or less in the center of the country because the eastern frontier was still under artillery fire." (3 May 1965 letter)  He goes on to say that things were quiet in Luxembourg.  He probably visited Bertie, his lady friend in Luxembourg.  Bertie was the daughter of Jean Mayer, the head of the prison in Luxembourg.  In the May 3, 1965 letter he goes to state that "in the early morning of our departure I had been questioned by a very good friend of mine, Jean Meyer, now deceased, about what I had heard concerning the German activity in the east of Luxenburg (sic)."  As he noted in the Johnson letter, he had not been in touch with any military command and since they were leaving in the early morning without he necessity of driving with lights, they took the road north of Luxembourg city, which was closest to the eastern boundary. They were heading into an ambush.

Entrance to Luxembourg Grund Prison
Meyers Home first building on left

To quote, again, from the May 3 letter: "After we were out of Luxenburg (sic) city about 14 miles, I first notice a tracer bullet come between my eyes and the windshield of the jeep, another one hit the engine of the jeep and another hit the rear tire of our jeep.  I had been driving."  They learned of the attack later when they where able to reach Allied lines.  His first American contact after his near death was with an American Captain doing reconnaissance.  He could see a great number of injured Americans being evacuated and that the lines were moving the wrong way.  He and Turner then made their way to Bastogne, which of course became famous for its siege as part of the larger Battle of the Bulge.  The army unit they made contact with were able to contact their 83rd CIC division to arrange a pickup at Bastogne.  Roy Hovel's letter of 3 May 1965 to Johnson would not that: "About 2:00 p.m. the following day at the cafe on the square, which is generally in all the pictures shown of the Bastogne area, we met Jackson from out detachment and we left Bastogne one-half hour before it was surrounded by the Germans." What is amazing is that, with all the German activity, both he and Turner and then Jackson were able to get to Bastogne.  The surrounded American forces in Bastogne would be relieved by elements of Patton's Third Army, who, to get to Bastogne, made one of the most fast and famous military movements in WWII.

Meyers family was forced to live in this building during
German occupation of Luxembourg

Roy Hovel would write his parents and briefly mention his experience.  In a letter dated Dec 19, 1944 headlined simply "Somewhere in Germany" he first apologized for not having written home, he would go to say " a lot has happened since my last letter a week ago."  It would be the third paragraph where he would hint at what occurred:  "I have had experiences in the past week, including to both extremes the best and the worst of my experiences overseas, if not my life."  Outgoing mail was censored and hence little information was ever provided on military matters. 

The 1944 Advent season was adventurous for my father.  That day in mid December may have been the last time he saw Bertie, and then his life was spared when a bullet passed inches in front of his eyes.  The Allied war machine had hit a big bump, and while even the warden of a Luxembourg prison knew about some German activity, the Allied reconnaissance teams never seemed to make any connection with build up of German forces.  The war, as was predicted by some, would not end before Christmas.  More hard fighting would remain, but before summer 1945 the war in the western theater of operations would conclude.   

Last three images in post from Hovel archives

That Guy

Having worked for a local unit of government, I know there are individuals no one desires to deal with.  It is sometimes due to their pretentious, pedantic nature, or it could be the way they complain, or they just drive you nuts due to constant questioning and/or complaining. Have I, now that I am retired, become that guy?

Looking north on east side of Exchange St.
Notice all the sediment.  Nov 2018

First, let me introduce why perhaps this is the case.  Construction on the elementary school behind us started in August 2017, and was pretty much completed in September of this year.  An addition at the high school has been going on for near as long, but will likely continue through to the start of the next school year, if not beyond.  This past spring as I drove to and from work on Exchange Street, which sees the bulk of the High School construction traffic, including the movement of dirt out of the site, tracked dirt and mud on the street is always present. Most noticed is the phosphorus laden sediment that makes its way via storm drains to our collective streams and lakes.  Dane County is spending millions of dollars to remove sediment from waterways, and it makes little sense to see sediment on a street that could be easily cleaned up, make its way to the precious surface waters of this region.  Phosphorus is the main contributor to algae blooms in the lakes.  The gully wash rain events of this past summer were of sufficient strength to easily wash even some bigger particles of dirt into the storm sewers which go into the lakes.

Detail of mud on Exchange St, Nov 2018

Phosphorus is a problem with the lakes, and because little regulation exists on non-point source polluters, it comes down to point source polluters to carry an extra heavy load.  Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District has pioneered an Adaptive Management approach to work with farmers and other stake holders to limit phosphorus into the surface waters.  A number of measures are used:  paying for buffer strip easements, paying for over seeding of farm fields with rye grass, assisting with manure digesters for farm operations.  It is not cheap.  Having been a part of agency review and approval of the MMSD adaptive management approach, I know full well its benefits, and its difficulties and costs.

Rain garden under construction at Primary School
This sediment laden water was pumped on to the pavement
Sept, 2018

That is why it is difficult to see sediment laying on the road, and not being properly cleaned.  The heavy rains of August and September led me to complain a few more times.  The Public Works Director emailed that he saw them sweeping, so they are taking care of it.  The problem is they sweep it to the side of the road but do not pick it up, even though there are brooms with, let me call is a large dustpan, made for skid loaders.  I see the problem every day as I walk along Exchange Street.  Complaints to the proper authorities have been met with little interest so I have stopped my complaints.  The usual response I received is that they are on top of the situation.  Which of course, on my daily walk, I could see that they were not on top of the situation.    Simply pushing, by sweeping, the mud and silt from tracking to the side of the road does no good, it may actually make it worse.  Think about it, rain water is directed by street design to the gutter pan of curb and gutter, and with it all the junk and sediments it collects along the way.  My constant complaints did little good.

Discharge onto pavement of sediment laden water
from the above photo.  Sept. 2018

So, am I that guy?   I think my complaints on the lack of proper erosion control at the high school and elementary school project in late summer and early fall have branded my as such.  I heard in late October from a former colleague with whom I used to work,  that someone from the Village of McFarland asked him what kind of person I am, and that they did not like my complaints.  The former co-worker would not say who inquired, but given the occupation of the person who commented to me, I would have to say the Public Works Director in McFarland is the one who has labeled me as such.  This is the same public works director who told me that it is OK for sediment to get to the lakes and streams, since storm basins will take care of it.  He back tracked when I noted that most of the storm sewers to which this sediment runs are not served by basins. He also said that sediments would not hurt the wetlands.   I then noted, by email, that I disagreed, and would be happy to contact UW Professor Cal DeWitt to educate them on wetlands and how they are affected by sedimentation.  He back tracked once again.  When I emailed him that even with basins, there are fine grain with phosphorus particles attached that still make it to the streams, particularly in heavy storm events.  It is quite evident that there is no desire to enforce erosion control in the Village, and that some need to be educated.

Sediment laden water from above hose goes into
storm sewer.  Sept. 2018

I may well be, to them, "that guy", but I will not apologize for caring about the waters of the state. Regarding erosion control and waters of the state, I am not just off the turnip truck.  Not only through my profession, but also my over 27 years as a MMSD Commissioner qualify me to speak on the matter. I have written and enforced erosion control ordinances.  Although, since my complaints really fell on deaf ears, and did not make a difference, I have stopped complaining, even though every day I see sediment laying in the curb along Exchange Street.

Outfall of sediment laden water that entered storm sewer (see above photo)
This water goes to a wetland and then to Mud Lake and the Yahara Chain
Sept. 2018

Laws are written to protect the public health and safety and phosphorous, which washes into our surface waters, helps lead to the terrible algae blooms we see on the Madison Lakes.  The heavy rain events of this past year flushed more sediments into the surface water than what a usual year would produce, and this allowed algae blooms to occur earlier than normal. This of course, also involved the presence of the toxic blue-green algae that closed a number of swimming beaches this past summer.  The heavy rain events wash many pollutants to our public waters, and hence it is incumbent to well clean our streets.  Perhaps it is time I complained once again.  But, then I become "That Guy" and would only hear, "we are on top of it."

It's an Acquired Taste

A local Madison entrepreneur was recently on the television show "Shark Tank", and when a Shark was given a taste of her brewed Kombucha she said "It's certainly an acquired taste."  It may have been the founder of QVC, a Loyola of Chicago graduate.   We had to make sure to watch this episode because the woman sells kits for people to make Kombucha, is from Madison, and my wife makes her own Kombucha.  This drink is all the rage, and according to that entrepreneur Kombucha is the fastest selling drink in the United States.  The drink is described on the unimpeachable Wikipedia site as "...a fermented, slightly alcoholic, lightly effervescent, sweetened black or green tea drink commonly intended as a functional beverage for its supposed health benefits"  (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha ).  Its "supposed" health benefit is that it is claimed to be a probiotic, that is, it is supposed to provide good bacteria for your digestive system.

Tea brewing in water with some sugar

My wife has been making Kombucha for a few years now, and drinks a glass a day.  Hence, the interest in Kombucha and why we made a point of watching that episode of "Shark Tank".  Besides brewing tea and some sugar, the key ingredient is what is called the SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). In fact, I just learned that it is an acronym.   The SCOBY, at least since my wife keeps the brew in a large 2 quart jar, looks like a round gelatinous blob that could be mistaken for a decaying, slimy hunk of ham, or worse.  The worse could be some body organ set aside by Dr. Frankenstein for future use, or what Dr. Hannibal Lecter would love to eat, perhaps with a nice Chianti on the side. 

Removing SCOBY from a batch ready to bottle

The SCOBY is to Kombucha what Herman is to sourdough bread.  Showing the paradox of the chicken and the egg, it seems that you cannot make a SCOBY, but need to get part of one from another person. A Kombucha kit includes the SCOBY.  Why, it can't be started from scratch I don't know.  As I said to my long-time bride, someone had to make the first scobi, so it must be possible.  The SCOBY, all or part, is reused and is placed in a jar in the cupboard with the fermenting Kombucha.  Sometimes the SCOBY gets so big that part needs to be peeled off and ends up in the compost bin.  A few times my wife saved the SCOBY in a large jar in the refrigerator and it grew so large  I wondered if it would break the jar and take over the refrigerator. I think it could be a great science fiction horror movie--the SCOBY that ate McFarland.  Or, perhaps, SCOBY meets Hannibal Lecter.  The seemingly secretive existence of the SCOBY adds to the mystique of the beverage.  Of course, it could be a beverage that came about by happenstance when some old Japanese woman experimented with some odd looking gelatinous object and decided to put it in her tea and let it sit awhile.  Or, some odd growth developed when tea was forgotten. Or, she came across some weird growth and decided to use it to make a beverage. What would drive a person to use something as ugly as a SCOBY.

Filling bottles with fermented Kombucha

Not to get too involved in the science of brewing Kombucha, but readers should know that there is both anaerobic and aerobic fermentation by yeast and bacteria.  In that sense it is reminiscent of the long recognized treatment process for human waste, that is sewage, which also uses both anaerobic and aerobic processes to clean the waste water.  So, why would this drink have been invented, or come about?

Some brew remains with SCOBY parts

We know that in many situations the water supply was not good to drink.  Many years ago the connection between waste water and drinking water was not as known or identified as it is today.  Think about it, people dumped their waste right in the street or out the back window, and probably not far from their water supply.  For example, Madison was served by sanitary sewers that directly dumped untreated sewage into Lakes Mendota and Monona.  Cholera and other diseases were prevalent then and are still present today particularly in under developed or undeveloped countries.  People used fermentation to help provide a more suitable beverage--think beer and wine.  Today, we drink fermented beverages not because we need to to, but because we like to.  However, a doctor advice column in the "Wisconsin State Journal" on Dec. 5, 2018 noted that to promote varied bacteria in the digestive system it is best to drink fermented beverages, and eat fermented food.  That must mean beer is also good for the digestive system. 

Pour newly brewed tea into the jar

I home brew beer and the basic tenant is to make sure everything is properly sterilized.  Yet, with Kombucha there is really no sterilization that occurs.  The tea is brewed on the stove with some sugar, cooled, put into a jar with the SCOBY, covered with some muslin and left for a week or so.  It is more simple than brewing beer, particularly since no double fermentation is involved. My wife will drink the Kombucha, but not drink beer.  I find it rather fascinating that she would prefer Kombucha over beer, and I think she finds it fascinating that I like beer but not Kombucha.  Now, I may be going out on a limb, but if a reader desires to know how to home brew Kombucha, you can either buy the kit, or ask my wife.  Lacking a run on the SCOBY, she will likely give you part of hers.  Although, you may have to get in line, she has a friend who desires to learn how to make it. But to me, saying it is an acquired taste, was a kind way of saying....well, that is best left unsaid.

 

Add all or part of the SCOBY

Place tea in storage for fermenting

Human Detritus

I have a defined walk route through part of southern McFarland.  Fall, rain and wind produce a detritus as leaves, leaf stalks, twigs, small branches, nuts and the like layer the ground.  In urban/suburban areas this is most noticed in yards and park, and gutter pans of streets.  Yet, beyond the debris of nature there is the human detritus that is useful in the human story, and of use to anthropologists, sociologists and human geographers.  We can learn a great deal about a culture from the human induced detritus that is evident in our landscape.  This blog post will focus on three situations of human induced detritus that are or have been present in the past month on my walk route.

Nov 26 Street Sweeping

First, a new telecom provider is installing conduit for the installation of future fiber optic lines.  The contractors, tend to do a good job cleaning up, although, I did notice them simply flushing sediment to the storm sewer at the end of my street one day.  Installation of conduit requires location of existing utility lines.  That means little yellow, red, blue paint lines and flags pop up in varied yards, streets, and street terraces.  Overtime they get pulled out, and some find their way to the street or on the sidewalk, yet some still remain in place.  Other levels of debris, but more so from the construction workers for the high school project that park on Exchange Street, are cigarette butts.  For some reason smokers seem to prefer throwing their cigarette butt on the ground.  Cigarette butts, I noticed are most visible at signalized intersections.  It is like the just throw the butt out the window when they have completed the draws on the cancer sticks.

Utility locate flag.  Note that the painted lines are  no longer present

Second, it used to be common for dogs to fetch sticks in play, but other dog facilities are now more common.  I don't know if dogs have become much more common or if local units of government are better attending to the needs of dogs.  Locally over the past few years the village in which I live  has responded to dog owners by providing both a dog park, and dog waste stations.  There are two such waste stations on or my walk rout:, one in Lewis Park and the other along Creamery Road not far from where I live.  Dog waste stations are a good thing, and I think most dog walkers are respectful and pick up the waste from their dog.  Like many things in life there are some outliers.  I recall in the past seeing dog walkers with a poop bag in hand dropping it off in park dumpsters, or even in the trash cans of other people.  There are some that simply lay the bag on the curb or sidewalk edge.  I am not sure if they intend to pick it up on the way back, or they simply do not wish to carry the waste.  When I dog sit and take our son's dog, Hudson, for a walk I make sure to pick up his #2.  Last time I took Hudson for a walk I fortunate that he did his number 2 before the first waste station, although I had to walk several blocks to reach the waste station, at least I did not have to carry it the two miles home from that pick up point.  While at the waste station, and even though there was a second bag on the leash, I picked up another bag, to replace the one I used.  My mantra for dog poop bags is "keep 2 handy for #2."  The most disturbing is when the few decided not to pick up their pets  doggie doo.  Maybe they would like to but don't have a bag;  perhaps they don't have the back up system which my dog waste mantra deems appropriate.   Over the past couple weeks there have been two piles of unpicked up dog waste that I see on my walk route.  One unlucky soul stepped in one pile and it is squished and spread out through a short distance.  Keep head down not so much for trip hazards, but for unexpected waste.

Dog fence flag

Finally, is the debris that we humans leave behind, and no better event produces more, in my mind, than Halloween.  The idea for this post actually came from a walk on Nov 1.  In certain locations, candy wrappers were littered along the sidewalk or lay in the curb and gutter. Broken pumpkins lay splattered over yards and door steps from rot or human activity.  Apparently, Halloween produced its fair due of tricks.  This walk made me think of Mike Rowe's "Dirty Jobs" show where in one episode he helped remove gum from the sidewalks in NYC.  In suburbia it seems candy wrappers are more prevalent than gum on the sidewalks; fortunate for a walker such as myself.  As we are now about four weeks past Halloween little of the detritus from trick-or-treating remains easily visible.  Probably either picked up by others, by the street sweeper, or perhaps, and more likely, simply washed down the storm sewers to end up in the streams and lakes.

Cigarette butt in gutter, with sediment from high school project

One item, I noticed was a plastic pumpkin, that was likely used as a child's bag for the treats. On Nov 1 it lay on the sidewalk,and every day it seemed to blow further and further east into someone's yard. I have not now seen it for a few weeks, so I wonder if a homeowner finally picked it up, or it is stuck along a fence line in a backyard.  Knowing the immediate area I tend to think the latter is the case more than the former.  As the cold of winter has set in, the few children that walk to school will occasionally lose a hat, glove or mitten.  As I come across a lost piece of clothing I pick it up and set it on the nearest fire hydrant hopeful that  be reclaimed.  Over the years I have been doing this, I would say most are not reclaimed.

Dog Waste Station on Creamery Road

Human induced detritus can be a lens into our cultural practices.  It is well now past Halloween, but some still have pumpkins on their step which have degraded and now area a frozen pile of mush.  What we learn from this human induced detritus is seldom positive. In fact, most detritus is improperly disposed of waste, most due to simple carelessness.  Today I saw a Toyota hub cap placed along the edge of the sidewalk as if it was found by someone and set to the side for the owner to look for it, or to wait for someone else to pick it up.  The suburban landscape represents a large part of the American culture, and perhaps at some point in time the detritus of suburbia will be featured in an anthropologist's dissertation.

Dog Waste Station in Lewis Park

The Book Club

I think it was last August when my wife suggested that I should read more fiction.  Shortly thereafter, I noticed an item in our church bulletin that the church book club would be reading The Forgotten Garden as their September selection. After seeing this, we decided to join the book club; this gave us about two weeks to read the book.  When I retired I decided that I needed to be more adventurous.  This is different than road trip adventures, but may be no less interesting. 

November Selection

Book clubs tend to be composed mainly of females, and sure enough when we arrived I was the only male in the room, joining about nine females. Since then I have wondered if there is more estrogen in a fabric shop or a book club.  After being in a fabric shop with my wife twice in the past month or so, I came to the conclusion that it would be the latter. A book club is a female version of a football huddle.  Later in evening of our first book club meeting my wife suggested that perhaps I would be more comfortable starting a book club that would be oriented to men.  I stated that I am sufficiently comfortable being around a group of women. Is she embarrassed by my attendance?  I think her suggestion was mostly around the fact that the books are likely to be female oriented tales, and she saw these as being out of my genre comfort zone.  But, that is part of the adventure.  Some of the books, I suppose, could well be a reading version of a chick-flick.  I also think I can bring a different perspective to the discussion.  Let me just say that the demographic of this book club is not very diverse.  But for perhaps one or two women in the group, my wife and I are probably the youngest members.  That means the vast majority are 62 years or older, and but for one soul (me), all female.  You can also tell it is a female oriented group in that for each meeting so far one member brings a bottle of red wine and another a bottle of white wine.  I think if it was a male oriented endeavor, the favored drink would be beer.  One other difference is notes.  Some of the attendees take notes, and one women, I think she is a retired school teacher, used color coded her notes to keep track of the characters and events.  That is really getting into the book.

October Read

We have attended two book club meetings so far, one each in September and October.  A few weeks ago I completed reading the selection for the month of November, on which we will meet next week.  In addition to The Forgotten Garden, we read and discussed The Widower's Tale for October, and this month the selection is State of Wonder.  Last month the Adult Librarian for the local library attended and provided an over view of many books, which the group reviewed and voted on for next year's reading list.  I think of the dozen or so books selected, one was non-fiction.  My wife has already read that non-fiction book (she also previously read the current month book), but liked it so much she voted for that selection.

My First Book Club Read (September)

Given that so many of the attendees are retired, my wife and I found it interesting that one of the main complaints was book length.  The September book was about 550 pages, which many found too daunting in length.  Beyond length, some disliked the writing style, and others just could not get into the story line.  Book length was a consideration of some who voted on the reading list for next year.  The October book, The Widower's Tale, was about 400 pages.  They were more pleased with this months read, as it is a lighter 353 pages.  I doubt they would make it through some of my nonfiction books.  For example, last year I read Peter Brown's seminal work on early Christianity entitled Through the Eye of a Needle, which is about 800 pages in print, although I read it on a Kindle and, if I recall, about 30% is footnotes and bibliography.  Earlier this year I read Ron Chernow's biography of US Grant, simply entitled Grant, on Kindle, but which runs just shy of 1,100 pages in print, and it too is probably about 30% footnotes and bibliography.  I have read a great deal about US Grant including his own Personal Memoirs (also completed this year).  Like Chernow, I think Grant did much more as President than for what he is given credit.

I will agree with my spouse that my interests in reading tend to be nonfiction.  Looking at my library check out history, my Kindle, and books at home, I suspect so for this year I have read about 15 non-fiction books and 9 fiction books (which includes the three book club selections).  After reading a hefty work, such as Chernow's or Brown's I tend to move to a less heavy, and shorter, fiction book.  Two of my books this year were about the Teresa Halbach murder trial--particularly about Steven Avery and tangentially his nephew Brandon Dassey.  Both were easy reads, and both books were written after the Netlflix series "Making a Murderer."  A fiction book I read, We Need to Talk about Kevin, was good, but rather disturbing.  A nonfiction book, by a Minnesota author, was a real quick read.
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Church Bulletin Notice of Book Club
selection for November

As I move though a book club selection, I also have been reading a nonfiction book.Therefore, I don't mind a shorter book club selection.  My current nonfiction book,  purchased at the library book sale, is about Thomas Jefferson.  In my mind this book provides significant new light on the man and goes beyond his words to his actual actions.  His actions often countered to his words.  Perhaps there is a future blog post on that issue. I prioritize the book club selections since that has the meeting deadline.

Cover of Ron Chernow's Grant

I guess time will tell if how long I continue with the book club.  I noted to my wife that a former coworker told me that he would let me know when his book club, composed of men, meets, but I have yet to hear from him.  That is a different type of book club, no book is involved and they meet at a local tavern. This book club does, however, provide a nice way to interact with people whom I would not otherwise interact; and, hey, who am I to pass up a glass or two of wine during the discussion?  It is not beer, but it will do.  It is safe to say the book club has me reading books I would not otherwise read, thus part of the adventure. In the coming year, due to the book club, my reading may be reversed with fiction books outnumbering my nonfiction books.

Images from Google Images