an acceptable interest for women

How cool is this quilt??? It was made in 1876!!! According to the National Museum of American History where it is displayed, it was made by Sarah Ellen Harding of Cincinnati, Ohio. "The design of Ellen's striking and unusual quilt resembles illustrations in the astronomy books of the period. Ellen used the quilt as a visual aid for the lectures she gave in astronomy in the towns of West Branch, Moscow, and Lone Tree, Iowa. Astronomy was an acceptable interest for women in the 19th century, and was sometimes even fostered in their education." If you follow the link, you can see some of the stitching details. (SO COOL!) Here's a photo of her below -- if you can tell such things from looking at a picture, I think I would have liked her. She looks like she would have been very interesting to talk to. Here's to you, Sarah Ellen Harding! (via boing boing)

Speaking of astronomy and whatnot, the moon was orange last night. It was huge and low and very orange when I left work at 8pm (I know! dark already. I'm so sad), and it was still orange (but lighter) when I propelled my weary limbs outside after 11pm to take the garbage can to the street. It looked like a giant gingersnap. The color was actually a cross between gingersnap and pecan sandy, leaning more toward the gingersnap end. I thought "surely Cookie Monster would agree with me, re: the edibleness of the moon," but then I watched that clip of great muppet cinema (C is for Cookie) and discovered that he did NOT. "The moon sometimes looks like a C, but you can't eat that." It's like you're not even trying, Cookie Monster! I forgive you, though. I made cookies tonight and would gladly share them with the Cookie Monster.

Unrelated but awesome, emusic is having a The Real Tuesday Weld giveaway right now -- they have a 10 song sampler that you can get for FREE. I'm not sure if you have to be signed up with them or not. (I think not.) Anyway, I'm enjoying it. I had heard a few songs before and liked them, but now I'll be buying more. (which is almost certainly the point -- but it worked!)

Here's a very fun animated video for The Real Tuesday Weld song called Bathtime in Clerkenwell. It's not included in the sampler, but the video is so great I couldn't not post it. I think these birds are related to the ones I see in the park every day.