My Word with Douglas E. Welch

Even in the cocktail-forward South, tequila sometimes gets an unfair rep as the shot of choice for college kids, or something to hide beneath a margarita mix. But a fine tequila, such as Jalisco, Mexico’s Patrón Añejo, is aged in white oak barrels for twelve to fifteen months, and is a smooth, nuanced sipper. The oak imparts a warmth and depth reminiscent of bourbon. Just in time for the Mexican holiday Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), swap in aged tequila for bourbon in a twist on an Old Fashioned.

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Enjoy The Majestic Architecture of Bath Abbey With This Amazing View On Pillows, iPhone Cases, Totes and more!

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The Art Institute of Chicago recently announced the release of tens of thousands of images from their collection to the public domain, providing high resolution access to the thick paint strokes of Van Gogh’s “The Bedroom,” the eerie light of Edvard Munch’s “The Girl by the Window,” or the pointillism used in George Seurat’s famous “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884.″ The works have been made available under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, which presents the works without copyright. Visitors to the Art Institute’s website also can experience enhanced viewing for each image by zooming in on the paintings, drawings, and other artworks with more detail than before. The current image count is at 53,438, however the Art Institute explains that this number will continue to expand regularly. You can begin your dig into their vast store of artworks by visiting this online research tool. 

Where do you find nature to enjoy? Share in the comments!

A tree returns to the garden soil

In the Orto Botanico In the Brera District of Milan, a tree is felled but left in place to benefit wildlife, fungi and the surrounding soil. It is also a great educational tool for explaining the soil cycle and other garden concepts. Even as it decomposes, it lends a beautiful, architectural element to the garden, too. This is definitely an argument for leaving downed trees and snags in your own garden, when possible. 

In a similar fashion, I use wood chips to line the paths in my garden—an method I started after seeing the same at nearby @descansogardens. It is a great way to make use of what otherwise might go into your garden bins or, perhaps, the composter. 

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** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
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Sit Back and Relax With These Calming Chamomile Flower Tops, Pillows, iPhone Cases and Much more!

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Chiffon Top Features

• Front panel is edge-to-edge custom printed just for you
• Sublimation transfer print technique embeds dye into the fabric allowing it to stay soft and drapey
• Option of black or white back panel, sleeves and binding
• Slightly sheer 100% Polyester chiffon with silky handfeel, ideal for wearing as a layering piece with your faithful cami or bralette
• Loose cropped boxy style fit

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Arco della Pace at Sunset, Milano, Italia

We were walking through Parco Sempione on our way to dinner and caught the Arch of Piece in the late afternoon light. This is actually the back side of the arch. I would have had to be there in the morning to get light on the front . That said, I think I have photos of that illuminated later in the evening. 

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
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Archive.org has a host of old cookery books (from mid-19th to mid-20th Century) available in many formats and on a host of topics. I happened across a few in my Pinterest feed and gone completely down the rabbit hole in this treasure trove of information. Sure some ideas might be out of date, but you never know what you might find when you explore these books. I’ll be sharing more books as I find them in the coming weeks. –Douglas

Historical Cooking Books: Simple Italian cookery (192) by Mabel Earl McGinnis – 24 in a series

What might you find in these old cookbooks? What special recipes have been handed down to you? Share in the Comments!

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Risotto with Ham

Cut into small pieces one ounce of raw ham, fat and lean. Chop up fine a small piece of onion, and put it with the ham into a frying-pan with one-half a table- spoon of butter. Fry slowly until the ham and onions are golden. Then add one-half cup of uncooked rice; when it has cooked for a few minutes, add twice its height of bouillon (or water), salt and pepper, a dash of nutmeg, and mix well and allow it to boil for twenty minutes over a good fire. Then take off the stove, add two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese grated; mix well and serve.

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

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Castello Sforzesco di Milano, Milano, Italia

Another angle of this castle as we walked around it on our way to dinner with family. 

The late afternoon sun makes it bricks glow and highlights all the crenelations, mortar joints and scaffold holes in its exterior. 

Working to see architecture from many different angles can lead to some amazing photos. Sure, take the same pics that all the other tourists are taking, but then dig deeper, move around and find something that speaks directly to you. 

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

My week in a nutshell

Spent the latter half of last week, and most of this week, on jury duty and fighting a horrible cold.

The trial wasn’t bad by the cold left me exhausted, especially after commuting downtown on the bus and train — in the rain. 
Still not 100% recovered, but resting and sleeping a lot and trying to do a few small things in-between. Hopefully back online fully next week. 

Forward into the weekend! 🤗

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This photo os one of the most popular designs my shop. I have sold it on shirts, stickers, cases and more. Check it out! — Douglas

Hammond B3 Organ Cases & Skins for Samsung Galaxy

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